MegaPro screwdrivers! I first saw this years ago in some review of "best tools in IT" and here it is in Wirecutter the tech blog from the NYTimes. This one was named the "best multi bit screwdriver". I'm in IT and I have used them for years. I carry them when I travel and I've had the TSA take away at least 3,4,5 of them. I finally learned that when they take it way because I forgot to pull it out of my carry-on backpack, at least pull out all the bits which can be used for the next one. They have all types of "bit loads" but this is the original. With RVs using some square (Robertson) and some torx, these are great. They are built in the USA, too. I have bought one for every person on my team at work. While on the topic of screwdrivers, the Klein Stubby is pretty handy in a very small package.

Figured I'd throw my .02 in here.

I carry enough tools, to practically overhaul my truck and do most any service and repair to our rig as well. My fiancee and I also full time in our 22MLE so I tend to have quite a bit of extra tooling.

But a few that I have found that are well worth they money spent:

Irwin Pistol Grip Style Needle Nose Pliers - They're comfortable to use, capable of wiring stripping & cutting for rebuilding 7-way plugs if needed. Awesome for pulling fuses if you have larger fingers or they're particularly stuck.

Milwaukee M18 1/2" Impact Wrench
- Had this since I was a mechanic, can have lug nuts torqued to 200+ ft lbs off in seconds, makes changing a tire 50% + faster if you have a flat. Has spent days in snow, been dropped in coolant buckets, dropped, used as a emergency wheel chock and still works as good as the day I bought it.

Harbor Freight Impact Sockets for above Impact
- I know a lot of people may frown at this, but I have yet to break a harbor freight impact socket. Several of my 1/2" drive ones have been put on everything from 1" pneumatic guns to Milwaukee Impacts over the years and not one has failed. In contrast I've broken multiple from Snap On and Craftsman.

Snap-On Tool Screwdriver/Bit Driver -Ratcheting
- Quite expensive, but available on eBay and sales where mechanics are retiring. The beauty of these, is that they can also double as a nut driver for hose clamps as they have interchangeable bit heads allowing to use any 1/4" Drive socket or normal bits. They can ratchet both directions and they also have a feature to lock the ratchet assembly to make it function as normal screwdriver.
*Note, Matco Tools makes simliar versions that work equally as well, I have not seen anything from Craftsman that has the functionality of these.*

If you're looking for a good socket assortment, Craftsman and the lesser known Sunex Tools makes great sockets. I do recommend saving your pennies for a Snap-On/Matco Ratchet though, with todays rigs and vehicles losing more and more space under the hood, the fine tooth of these ratchets makes fitting in tight areas a night and day difference in comparison to the Craftsmans. The finer toothed Harbor Freight ones hold up fairly well, as well. I have a handful I've had 2'-6' cheater pipes on and I haven't had one fail as of yet. They will bend more though.

Milwaukee M12 or M18 Drill Driver (FUEL MODELS!!)
- I have had variations of these over the years as well. A few have taken a few drops from 20-30' onto cement and still function, they hold up and with the XC batteries available, they also hold a charge for months with spared usage. If you have any projects planned for your rig, I highly recommend one of these.

Irwin Crescent Wrenches and/or Channel Locking Pliers
- They feel awesome in the hands, the channel locks have a slightly more aggressive tooth and tend to not slip. These are great for fittings or hoses that are stubborn.

Heat Gun
-ANY heat gun if you are in cold climates full time, though my current one is a Wagner Furno from Menards.
I have had a few times where the dump valves had froze on my old trailer and this was a life saver. They also are great if you are soldering & shrink tubing any additional electrical connections for modifications or 7-way repairs.

Wire Strippers
- I have had probably 10 different pairs in the past 10 years. OTC & Klein have been the best in my experiences. They're more expensive but the cutting edges tend to last and stay sharp.

Flashlights:
I have a Streamlight Microstream. They are water proof, and are AAA powered. I have had several over the years (due to loss or falling in a lake off a boat dock) and they are awesome. They're very bright for the size and work wonderfully if youre trying to look underneath cabinetry in tight spaces.

If theres any curiosity on what I carry for a full tool kit, I'd be happy to oblige providing it. Just didn't want to type the giant list if it wasn't applicable or undesired.

01_Cummins I'd like to know how you pack all that stuff... Pictures are worth a lot vs trying to list out everything. I'd be afraid of overloading the truck and camper trying to carry all the tools that I might need. I have a 100 piece (give or take a few pieces) tool kit in the camper, a corded drill, and a few other various things. If I need it that bad on the road, I can always plan on buying. That's how I ended up with a corded drill in there.

Remember that the volt meter may never be used, or once a year, with that said make sure that u never leave the batteries installed in the meter. I keep them loose in the meter case.

And every day, my list gets longer and longer... Maybe not this thread, but from others.

ThePowells -- I was thinking the same thing (aka "add to the list"). I have a new entry on my "To Do" list to go through all my gadgets and remove the batteries as Ed Pauly is right--some of the stuff is very rarely used. I recently dug out a set of emergency LED flashers and -- yep, you guessed it -- the batteries had left a huge wad of corrosion in the battery cavity. <sigh>

These threads are probably costing some of us tons of money and loss of cargo capacity with all the stuff we are adding.

As mentioned first by Ed Pauly and the confirmed by observation by me (see posts 34 and 36) I finally got around to cleaning the LED Emergency Flashers. CRC Contact Cleaner and a brush did the trick.

I also went through every other device in the camper and found a flashlight that was destroyed by corrosion. It went in the trash. All the batteries are now out of infrequently used devices and I have a checklist of what-uses-which-type-battery so I can go around and check before departing on a trip.

For the LED Emergency Flashers I taped new batteries right to the device. If I didn't, when I really need the flashers I'd be out of batteries...so hopefully for this got-to-work-device I've got it prepped and ready to go.


There are other alternatives (lots of articles on the web). For example, Vinegar or lemon juice are claimed to work to clean up the corrosion. https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how...ery-corrosion/

Howard