Handy tools for your Airstream

[Airperson]

What handy tools do you keep in your Airstream

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Airperson

What handy tools do you keep in your Airstream

Duct tape. WD-40. Credit card. With those three, you can fix ANYTHING!

[Airperson]

Smile, I love your style but I am a poor boy so I will need tools.

[vswingfield]

• Vise-Grips (not a copy, genuine Vise-Grip brand—accept no substitutes.)
• Adjustable wrenches, commonly called Crescent wrenches. (Like Vise-Grip, Crescent is a brand name. However, a quality competitor is OK, I have some that are other brands.)
• Bailing wire. (Complements Duct-Tape.)

[dznf0g]

Screwdriver/nut driver set
pliers
3/8 drive socket/ratchet set
breaker and deep well 3/4" for lugs
razor knife
big socket for hub nut
allen set
assorted tapes and adhesives and lubes
a bit of wire and connectors
large adjustable wrench
multimeter

About all I can think of right now.

[m.hony]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Duct tape. WD-40. Credit card. With those three, you can fix ANYTHING!

And a flat head screwdriver and a socket big enough to get the drain plug off the water heater...

[Foiled Again]

• Adjustable wrenches - medium and huge to change or tighten the ball. (it beats being a 60ish female and walking into a service station asking for a man with a large tool who has 5 minutes to spare)
• Screwdrivers - preferably at least one small one which stores changeable heads
• Pliers
• strap wrench - especially if you have small hands or painful joints - to undo the drain cap or waste hose.
• Aluminum tape, duct tape
• ladder
• bow saw or lopper saw
• Hatchet
• ramps: wooden, orange or yellow plastic - to level for parking and to raise one wheel free from
• matches or lighters
• flashlights - especially headband lights

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Airperson

Smile, I love your style but I am a poor boy so I will need tools.

Let me turn the question on its head… What tools are you comfortable in using to fix what's broke? For example, if you're not comfortable repairing broken electrical stuff, a multimeter would do you no good at all.

I personally started off with basic tools. Pliers. Vice-grips. Wrenches. Screwdrivers. Socket sets. Hammers. Small pipe wrench. Then, as time went on, and I ran into situations that needed specific tools, I went out and bought those specific tools. I didn't build my toolkit all at once, and you don't need to, either.

[Crusty]

[goshawks00]

all that and add pex repair line along with crimper and rings. Fuses and puller,rivet gun and assorted rivets.

[DanielB]

Girl tools in the Airstream, man tools in the tow vehicle.

[RangerJay]

Beyond the typical tools that come to mind quickly some of the items not so typical that I carry are:

- bottle jack
- 1 axle stand
- 12V air compressor
- multi-meter/voltage meter
- 4-way tire wrench
- variety pack of nuts/bolts/screws
- pack of long cable ties
- 4 foot piece of iron pipe (goes along with the 4-way tire wrench)
- closed-cell foam sleeping pad (for crawling under trailer/truck or sitting on gravel)
- rivet gun w rivets
- Mickey of Scotch (very important to maintaining peace-of-mind when conducting stressful repairs)


Jay

[moosetags]

All of the above plus a heavy duty cordless drill/driver. With a 3/4 " socket, it makes quick work of the stabilizers. If you have a Hensley, it also handles the the weight distribution bars.

Brian

[ND10CentCan]

Originally Posted by Crusty

Never tried a martini but I think it might be good.

[dznf0g]

Gosh, you guys keep reminding me of the stuff I didn't mention. How much does my rig weigh again?

[m.hony]

Channel Locks in the city water hookup compartment and latex gloves.
Arthritic hands have a hard time getting the hose tight enough.

[cameront120]

Corkscrew & cap lifter for when you need a drink after discovering you don't have the right tools.

[Airperson]

Thanks for all the great ideas; please keep them coming. I went by Harbor Freight today and picked up, a small soft side tool bag. I intend to put a large tool box in truck and put the small tool bag inside the Airstream so I don't have to lug a heavy box around. It pays to check out Harbor Freight coupons as I got a free set of screw drivers with their add coupon with my purchase. Granted, they aren't high dollar ones but they will serve the purpose.

[PharmGeek]

I organize my tools with a combination of a few types of bags

Main bag is an 18 inch dewault bag - then I have a roll up multi tool organizer with various basic tools - pliers - screwdrivers etc - then a couple roll ups for metric and standard wrenches - then a few Klein zipper bags with sockets and a few other assorted needs

Oh and a torque wrench

[MrUKToad]

The two tools I have consistently used are a big, flat head screwdriver and a socket set with some small sockets. Duct tape and WD40 is never far away.