A Happy Camper's Toolbox
The question was recently raised on Outbackers.com, the Internet site-of-choice for Outback trailer owners, about what kinds of tools people carry with them on camping trips. The question did, of course, elicit numerous responses - opinions on tools are as varied and heated as they are on politics, religion, and even RV's! The idea behind the toolbox is to have "stuff" (as you will see, it's not always tools, in the classic sense) to handle any emergency that might otherwise interrupt a weekend of camping. The last place you ever want to be on a Saturday afternoon is back on the road, heading home because something is broken and you are cold/hot/thirsty/hungry, or otherwise unable to enjoy a peaceful weekend of camping.
A properly equipped toolbox is comprised to two groups of tools; general purpose tools that belong in every toolbox, and specialty tools that target your specific application. General purpose tools include a full-sized claw hammer, various sizes of flat-blade and phillips-head screwdrivers, a set of combination wrenches, and an assortment of pliers. From this basic set of general purpose tools, you can add additional tools that meet a specific purpose. For instance, I tow a tandem-axle travel trailer and these are notorious for causing the lugnuts to loosen over time. In my toolbox, I carry a lugnut wrench so that I can check them before every trip. Likewise, the weight of my trailer requires a very specific air pressure in both my tow vehicle's tires, and the tires on my trailer. I carry a high-quality tire pressure guage in my toolbox, and use it before each and every trip. A lot of the specialty items that I carry, fall into the "hasty-fix-it" category:
- Safety wire
- Electrical tape
- Zip ties
- Hose clamps
- Teflon tape (or plumber's tape)
- Silicone sealant
- WD-40
- Measuring tape
- Work gloves (the most-used item in my toolbox!)
Don't overlook the "hasty-fix-it" tools - it is items like this that can keep that plumbing leak, or that electrical short, from ruining your weekend.
A well stocked toolbox is not something that you bury in a storage compartment, never to be seen until an emergency arises. Webster's defines a tool as “anything used as a means of accomplishing a task or purpose”. Make sure you stock your toolbox with items that you actually use! I am guilty of this rule, myself. I have been carrying a cordless drill in my toolbox, but I have yet to ever actually use it when camping. Obviously the cordless drill, at least for me, accomplishes no task and serves no purpose – other than taking up space in my toolbox. My original thinking was that I would use the drill to crank down the stabilizer jacks on my trailer, but after cranking them down by hand a few times I came to the realization that it is a quick and easy operation, without the drill. Like everything we take on camping trips, the tools that you carry should be continuously evaluated for their actual usefulness.
Camping is all about relaxation and escape from the pressures of the nine-to-five work week. A small toolbox with a basic set of general purpose tools, along with a few contingency items, can ensure that your camping trip doesn't turn into a short one. Because the only bad camping trip is a short camping trip!
