What Should Be in Your RV Tool Kit?

Every RV owner should have a basic tool kit aboard their rig, both for emergency repair and regular maintenance. A comprehensive RV tool kit consists of a variety of tools needed for odd jobs, quick fixes, and money-savers. Whether you have a leaky faucet that requires a standard wrench or a power outage that calls for more thorough electrical work, your RV tool kit should be stocked with the right stuff.

In this lesson, RV maintenance expert Dave Solberg and RVIA Certified Technician Steve Albright walk you through a rundown of all the tools and equipment you might consider adding to your RV tool kit.

Bag Sizes and Contents

If you’re like Dave and Steve, you prefer to be prepared with all of the essentials, plus a few specialty tools. With a bigger arsenal, you’ll need a bigger bag. To avoid lugging around a heavy tool kit, our experts recommend using multiple bags: a heftier bag to accommodate large or heavy tools, and a smaller bag for lightweight or handheld items.

The contents of your bag should include a variety of standard tools, as well as those miscellaneous items you wished you’d had at one point. To start, Dave and Steve discuss the importance of including a range of common tools such as screwdrivers, pliers, and wrenches. If you ever plan on doing your own metal shaping or electrical work, you can also throw in a few miscellaneous implements such as picks, wire strippers, crimpers, and tin snips.

Next, every responsible RV owner has a cordless driver in their RV tool kit, complete with a versatile supply of bits for screwing and drilling. The same applies to allen wrenches and utility knives, which can be utilized on a variety of components in your RV. You may also consider including flashlights, electrical tape, a tape measure, one or two hammers, and some basic terminals.

If you have extra room, think about adding smaller tools such as zip ties, paper towels or wet wipes, and assorted gloves that can be useful for different jobs.

Other Tool Kit Must-Haves

Dave and Steve discuss some common items that many RVers might overlook. These lesser-known but very handy tools include a multimeter for electrical measurements, an infrared thermometer, a non-contact voltage tester, and a 12-volt test light. Keeping these items in your tool kit will allow you to save money by fixing your rig yourself rather than taking it into the shop.

Lastly, our experts talk about things to keep in mind when stocking your RV tool kit with wrenches. They give you a quick word of caution about loading the wrong sizes and ensuring that you have a wrench that fits around the lug nuts on your wheels.

Phew—that should cover the basics! It might sound like a lot, but you’ll feel much better when you hear a funny noise or a little creak under your feet with a well-stocked RV tool kit on board!