Your essential in trailer tools?

[NevadaNick]

Credit card, bonus is it does not reduce payload

[Wellibe]

After once discovering that my Equalizer WDH bolts had loosened, I carry all the tools I need to check/retorque. 40 inch breaker bar paired with a 3/4 drive digital torque adapter (up to 500 lb-ft) and an extension, 1 1/8 deep well socket, 1 1/8 combo wrench, 1 7/8 thin walled socket (for the ball nut), and 1 3/4 combo wrench (for the ball's wrench flats).

[alybry3]

I carry just about everything that's listed above! I also have a few Plano tackle box trays with various screws, nuts, bolts, washers, gorilla glue, duct tape, loctite, etc. The first 3 or 4 trips there was always a new surprise when opening the trailer door on arrival!

[CecilD]

10" adjustable wrench, needle nose with cutter, 10" Chanellocks, 1/4" slotted and #2 phillips screwdriver, a dedicated #2 Robertson (square) screwdriver, and tools sufficient to change a tire. Electrical tape and duct tape.

I'm old, so I use a kneeling pad about three times every trip. Probably should be the first item on the list.

[Tomahawk]

Seems like tools are pretty well covered. Although I think there is a difference between essential and nice to have.
Things I have used the most are the torque wrench and tire socket, square drive screw driver, socket for battery terminals, multimeter, and adjustable wrench. More or less in that order. I started carrying the infrared laser thermometer, and use that a lot because it is fast and easy to check hub temps when I stop. Just looking for temperature differences between the hubs.
I carry a few other things, not tools, not mentioned.
1. Spare propane hose from tank to regulator. These fail when changing the tank.
2. Ratchet straps. Last trip the lock on the door failed and it kept opening going around corners. Strap from step to the safety handle secured the door for the ride home.
3. Bungee cords

[Newmar2856]

Roll of Eternabond tape, Dicor for the roof and a swear jar 🤬

[TB673]

Originally Posted by Newmar2856

Roll of Eternabond tape, Dicor for the roof and a swear jar 🤬

Don't forget, if you are packing your Dicor, you'll need a caulk gun.


Tim

[rarebear.nm]

As mentioned already you need what you need when you need it. Same as with spare parts. Some folks only carry a credit card with a big limit and stay within cell coverage. Some of carry much more. No point in carrying tools if you do not know how to use them to solve a problem.


Below is a fairly complete list of the stuff I carry. But I also tend to do nearly 100% of my own service work.


Tool List

I do all/most of my own maintenance and service on my 5th wheeler and the motor home. While working on a rig at home I try perform these functions out of my on-board toolbox, if I’m short something it will probably get added. I’m one of those guys that never met a tool I didn’t like, so my shop is well stocked. I carry what I think I’d need on the road for most things. We are not full timers, so optional maintenance may get deferred until we get home with full shop access.

What YOU carry needs to reflect your ability and skill level at various tasks. For some people this list condenses down to a credit card and cell phone. If that works for you, then use that solution. Also at play is where do you travel and camp and how long you’re on the road. If you truly boondock verses staying at full service sites you may have different needs. A full timer’s needs would be very different from weekend campers. Those in the middle who travel for weeks/months at a time have still different needs. This is simply my list. I have similar lists for hookup stuff and emergency equipment.

Multi bit screw driver with a wide assortment of special bits, including security bits
Basic dedicated screwdrivers, square drive, Phillips, straight, etc.
Miniature screw driver set with large bit assortment
Most of a Lowes pliers set, left a few things behind
6, 8 & 10 in. adjustable wrenches
8” vise grip pliers
Both 3/8” SAE and metric socket sets, my rig needs both
Both 3/8” SAE and metric combination wrenches
A combination set of ¼” SAE and metric sockets
Medium ball pin hammer
Wire strippers and crimpers
Allen head wrench sets
Tape measure
Dermal tool with assorted bits and cutters
PEX hose cutter and crimper for steel PEX bands
Caulk gun
Grease guns, small and standard
14” pry bar, use to do the last inch of lift when changing tires, makes life easy (never had a flat)
Digital multimeter
Both AC and DC ampmeters, the DC unit should be able to measure low amperage
ODB II scanner with live display
Infrared thermometer
Digital tire gauge and an analog tire gauge
Hydrometer, best if temperature compensated
Turkey basting tube for adding battery water
Propane gas sensor
Battery internal resistance meter
Torque wrenches, I check my trailer wheel lugs every morning along with tire pressures
Four-way tire tool
Long ½” breaker bar with another 30” pipe cheater
12 ton jack
Cordless drill with charger & matching work light
Odd assortment of items used to change a wheel bearing
Utility knife & razor scraper plus spare blades
Small mirror
Telescoping magente for small part pick up
Utility razor knife with spare blades
LED flashlight in toolbox and in each compartment
Snap ring pliers, inside & outside
I use a CO2 system to inflate tires instead of a compressor, I frequently do not have 110v power for a larger compressor
Air blow gun and a extension blow gun (up to 22”) tire inflator
Hand held propane detector
Sewer line wrenches, plastic
Sewer drain plug wrench, plastic
Window wiper, for windows and solar panels
Spark plug socket for the geny
Hacksaw & spare blades
Small wood saw
Jumpers cables
A two step stool to clean the windshield and other tasks
And what ever I can’t recall

As for supplies and spare parts:
Full set of fuses
Spare bulbs
Electrical, duct, Eternabond, Teflon tape & awning tape
Spark plug, filters and oil for generator
Crimp ends for wires, custom selected for wires on-board
Spare length of 12Ga. Wire
Cable ties
Spare wheel bearings, race, seals, etc.
Bearing grease
Grease gun and extra grease for suspension bolts
Propane pipe joint compound (the yellow stuff)
Disposable gloves, 5 & 9 mil weights
Leather work gloves
Nitrile gloves, in light and heavy weights
5 x 7 ft plastic tarp, those free ones from Harbor Freight
Rags
Silicone spray
WD40 (this is not a lube)
Boeshield T-9 (this is a great lube)
Spare PEX fittings and PEX clamps (includes PEX end caps) & short length(s) of PEX pipe
Spare sewer hose seals for the ends of the fittings
Assortment of screws
Roof repair materials
Caulk, Proflex for outside and latex for interior
Superglue, epoxy, Gorilla glue
Thread lock
Butyl tape
C-clips for compartment door latches
Dicor self leveling sealant
Brake fluid for the trailer’s disk brakes
Spare rubber brake line and misc. parts
Distilled water for batteries
Washers for water hose, spare wire mesh filter for the city water connection
Spare water filters for whole house filter
Manuals for everything I’ve found manuals for
Hand cleaner
Windex
Roll of paper towels
Other things I can’t think of sitting here

Not really tools or supplies:
30 ft sewer line
60 ft water line, 300 PSI
Portable water filter for filling fresh water tank
50 & 30 Amp primary shore power cables, twist-on connector required for trailer end. Normally I only use the 30 amp cables
50 & 30 Amp extension cables
Assorted power cable adapters, from and to combinations for almost anything
Outlet receptacle tester and circuit analyzer can be used with 30 & 50 amp adapters prior to plugging into shore power. The built-in EMS does the real job.
20 ft remote switch setup to bleed the disk brakes
25 ft coax TV cable with coax wrench and female to female adapter, needed in a few places
Sewer drain height adapters, used when sewer drain is in a sunken concrete pad, just take male and female threaded by slip joint ABS connectors and join them on the slip joint, very simple if one side is street type connector. Both 3 & 4” sizes
Macerator pump and dedicated hose segments, on some trips
42 gal. Barker waste water tote, with short sewer hose adapters as required, on some trips
60 gal water bladder with 12 volt water pump configured with hose fittings to refill fresh water tank, on some trips
Traffic cones
Safety Triangles, LED lighted
Safety vests for DW and myself
Heavy duty tire plug kit, lives in truck

I carry this stuff in four places, a regular plastic toolbox for the most used things, another box for the cordless stuff, another plastic box for rarely used tools and two large plastic tub for the spare parts. Small parts live in an assortment of plastic part boxes from Home Depot. I have avoided buying those assortment kits of parts. I select only the sizes and types that are actually used in my rig and in quantities that might be needed. With exception of wheel bearings I’ve used most of the stuff at some point or another.

[Phil Perrin]

Originally Posted by alybry3

I carry just about everything that's listed above! I also have a few Plano tackle box trays with various screws, nuts, bolts, washers, gorilla glue, duct tape, loctite, etc. The first 3 or 4 trips there was always a new surprise when opening the trailer door on arrival!

I’ll second the Plano organizers!
Tough and inexpensive!
Harbor Freight usually has some good organizers for not much

[Doss]

All great suggestions
I will just add a really good flashlight to the list to see how to use these great tools.

[Wellibe]

Originally Posted by Doss

All great suggestions
I will just add a really good flashlight to the list to see how to use these great tools.

Yep. I use a headlamp. Best 8 bucks I ever spent.

[Gr8bawana]

The majority of the tools listed here seem like the tools in my tool box which goes in my truck any time I leave town whether towing or not.
Yes it is quite heavy.
I don't have a special trailer tool kit.