Long trip toolbag

[Bhickey2304]

Ok me and my wife have a travel trailer and we are getting ready to head out on our first long trip of about 10hours driving one way. All our trips have been maybe 1 hour or two from home. So I've been wandering about what I might want to make sure I take with me. What kind of jack do you all use for changing tires? I've seen trailer aide but I have wide axles so I'm not sure if I'll get enough lift. Also is there any other suggestions you all have for tools I have a good assortment of hand tools already.
Thanks

[Mike484]

You never know exactly what you need until you need it, thats my experience anyway.

I bought a full set of tools to keep in our storage so I will never forget to bring what I need. Even though mine was quite costly (Craftsman, Channel Lock, Cresent), you can go to Harbor Freight and buy a fairly complete set of tools for under a hunderd dollars, I think it is a wise investment. I also have the Trailer Aide and a bottle jack. Even though the Trailer Aide might not lift the second tire up high enough to change it, it will lift it high enough that I wont have all of the trailer weight on the bottle jack which makes me feel much safer.

http://www.harborfreight.com/130-Pc-Tool-Set-with-Case-68998.html

[Ken / Claudia]

That can be a long list but, main items always have blocks of wood or other products that can hold trailer jacks and help with leveling if needed. A bottle jack that will hold the trailer, blocks can be used to make it higher. A torque wrench to get the right wheel lug lbs. and a screw driver that will fit the screw heads of all the trailer screws. A tube of grease and one of the stuff that helps with electric connections. That is my must have, and likely you can find much more. If you stay a camp grounds and need something, likely others have it may help. I carry much more with a tool box of trailer stuff and a tool box in the truck always. (The tool box's are just 50 cal ammo cans). I have added and taken some items out as really never needed or might need and some will need. I also plan on doing repairs myself or at least try. Heck I flipped my truck off a remote place not long ago and got it back on all 4s repaired the brakes, steering and holds thru the door, tapped the mirror back on. Needed to take it in for a flat tire repair and drove it home about 325 miles where it than got $7800 in complete body repairs.

[CWSWine]

My truck tires and my RV tires take a different size lug wrench so I carry socket and breaker bar just for the RV and be sure to do a test fit. Would also be nice to have a torque wrench for reinstalling the lug nuts. By the way I check torque after our first trip with our 5er and ever one of the lug nuts were not torque properly and couple to 1/2 to 3/4 turn.

I carry a tool bag with basic hand tools with large set pliers if all else fails. Including a flashlight and full set of fuses.

If you get tire ramp be sure to try it before you leave, I have the MorRyde 4000 suspension and didn't even get the tires light and would probably take 3 or 4 inches of boards under the ramp to make it work. I'm going to leave the subject of jacks to some else. We went though our car insurance and got road side service for 6 bucks a month the covers my RV when attached to my truck. I had back surgery last Oct so I will just wait for them to show up.

I would carry road flares (also good start camp fires with green wood) and vest and warning triangles if I was going to do anything on the side of the road.

Most important a cell phone, credit card, phone app to find the nears RV service center.

[sourdough]

All of the above. When buying/taking tools keep in mind both the trailer and TV. I carry a cordless - drill, leaf blower for slides, impact wrench, jig saw, small circular saw etc. You never know when something will break and you have to fabricate a piece of wood or whatever. Various lubes - WD40, slide lube, grease, dielectric grease. Sealant of your choice. Spare #2 Roberts screws for the RV. An assortment of screws, washers, nuts etc. Fuses of all kinds. Hand tool should include all sorts of pliers, wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers large and small. I bought everything and it lives on the RV so the selection and loading of the tools is a one time thing. The torque wrench, impact, large sockets, charger, compressor live on the truck.

[Mike484]

Since this is becoming a long list.

https://docs.google.com/folderview?usp=sharing&id=0ByNA7zLjVPAlT3o4TGJrS19DM0U

And yes, once you realize you need it, keep it in the trailer, you will probably need it again.

[CWSWine]

I do carry a small air compressor. I did have a little 12v that would do 110 psi but took for ever just add 5 or 10 lbs so bought at 120v with small tanks.

I always carry a 9x12 tarp and the American number one repair kit "Duck Tape" just in case I have a leak.

[gearhead]

I keep about all the above plus:
Army foxhole shovel, new cheap multi-meter still in the box, 2 bottle jacks (6ton?) cable ties of various sizes, Gorilla tape, hacksaw, spare new set of bearings and a seal prepacked and in a Tupperware tub of grease, 1 tube Dicor sealant, 2 pr of leather gloves and 2 boxes of Harbor Freight 5mil nitrile gloves.
Jim Beam in the plastic bottle in case you can't fix it.
Small tarp is great idea.

[Mike484]

I keep about all the above plus:
Army foxhole shovel, new cheap multi-meter still in the box, 2 bottle jacks (6ton?) cable ties of various sizes, Gorilla tape, hacksaw, spare new set of bearings and a seal prepacked and in a Tupperware tub of grease, 1 tube Dicor sealant, 2 pr of leather gloves and 2 boxes of Harbor Freight 5mil nitrile gloves.
Jim Beam in the plastic bottle in case you can't fix it.
Small tarp is great idea.

I replaced the Jim Beam with Crown Royal and I seem to get better results.

[gearhead]

I replaced the Jim Beam with Crown Royal and I seem to get better results.
I should but my wife will drink a little bit of crown but not bourbon!

[Barbell]

We have a cross-bed tool box in the truck full of tools and I almost always wind up buying something else on the road. Air compressor, collapsible ladder, power screwdriver with every bit made, Gorilla tape, torque wrench with numerous sockets and short extension, small magnets (to magnetize a screwdriver to hold the screw to install an igniter in the furnace) and this is just some of the stuff we bought on the road. Maybe the best tool is the no-limit credit card.

[donnie_o8]

a spare greased up wheel bearing and seals in a zip lock bag as well as the other tools spoke of...also a big crescent wrench a big pair of channel locks will be handy in a pinch...along with a good hammer and vise grips. A full grease gun in a towel could help in a jam..

[Desert185]

I bought one of those red and black Craftsman tool bags from Ace Hardware for $5 on sale. I keep it in the truck all the time.

Carry tools commensurate to your capabilities. Can you change a water pump, alternator, serpentine belt, tire, etc?

At the very least carry a tire gauge, something like a HF 3 gal pancake air compressor, a 150# torque wrench, sockets for the lugnuts, jack and jacking accessories and an aired up spare.

Your appropriate tool kit will evolve over time according to your needs and capabilities.

[Bhickey2304]

Ok thanks for the responses I have a good tool set with the basics. I think I'm just going to pick up a bottle jack as opposed to trailer aide.

[T3/T4 Hybrid]

You never know exactly what you need until you need it, thats my experience anyway.

I bought a full set of tools to keep in our storage so I will never forget to bring what I need. Even though mine was quite costly (Craftsman, Channel Lock, Cresent), you can go to Harbor Freight and buy a fairly complete set of tools for under a hunderd dollars, I think it is a wise investment. I also have the Trailer Aide and a bottle jack. Even though the Trailer Aide might not lift the second tire up high enough to change it, it will lift it high enough that I wont have all of the trailer weight on the bottle jack which makes me feel much safer.

http://www.harborfreight.com/130-Pc-Tool-Set-with-Case-68998.html


I have that same tool kit and it has worked fine for the small repairs. If you need any larger tools its almost time to find a repair shop. The only other items I carry along is the bottle jack also and a rechargeable drill.

[Mike484]

Our storage is filled with tools, all Craftsman, Channel Lock, and Cresent brands, I have a bottle jack, cordless drill, Trailer Aide Plus, and buying a GP Logistics 7' folding ladder before we make our long trip. I also carry extra power cord extensions, extension cords, adaptors, additional sewer and water hoses, and many odds and ends supplies. Probably well over $1,000 in tools and supplies in there. I'm probably more anal than most in trying to assure I have what I need and at spending a little more for higher quality than many, but, my philosophy is that it is better to have and not need than to need and not have.

There are some things that I feel as though everyone should have and there are cheap/economical ways to supply your rig with these items so there's really no reason to be stuck out in BFE over a simple repair. A couple hundred dollars in tools and suppies could possibly save you from a very disappointing breakdown and an unpleasant vacation.

[bobbecky]

If you are carrying axle bearings, you should also have the races and a couple seals. To make this work, you also need to be able to drive out and drive in new races using a brass punch along with a hammer. We had a bearing failure last year, even though a couple months earlier I had repacked all the bearings. DW started to panic, until I pulled the set of bearings out of my goodie box, along with the tools and a can of grease. A little over an hour later, we were on our way. Even if you don't have the ability to do this work, it is wise to carry a full set of bearings and races. Turned out, the bearing failure was due to a low quality Chinese bearing that still was fully greased when it failed. All the bearings are now USA made Timkens. I have a salesman at a Redneck Trailer Supply store south of Fresno, CA to thank for encouraging me to have those bearings on board.

[Mike484]

That's a good point, even if you can't or won't change the bearings, if you at least have a set, then any mechanics shop can help you. If you don't have a set of bearings and the mechanic shop has to order them, then your down for who knows how long. I have pulled trailers all over (non RV) and have only had one bearing failure, but, nobody in town had one. We were down for a half a day until one could be located and we had to go to another town to pick it up and bring it back. Once we had the bearing, it was about a 30 minute fix and we were back on the road.

First time I get this in for service, I hope I remember to have them change the bearings out to Timken.

[Yak]

A credit card with a large limit!!!

[Mike484]

I have a Roadside assistance policy and still under manufacturers warranty so I'm not real concerned right now, but, it may very well still save your *** if you had a set of bearings.