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10 Must-Have Cordless Power Tools For RV Repairs

This post was updated on March 15th, 2024

10 Must-Have Cordless Power Tools For RV Repairs

We all know when traveling in an RV things can break. Or how about all those projects and mods that come up while on the road that’d you’d love to get started and maybe even complete?

Read below for the most useful cordless power tools to have on hand for repairs and modifications needing to be done on your rig.

1. Drill/Driver

This is the most versatile cordless power tool that you could have when a repair or modification is needing to be done to your RV. Drill/drivers are used primarily for drilling holes and driving screws into some kind of material but it can also be used for many other things.

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With an attachment, drills can also be used to sand, grind, buff/polish, or wire brush something. I’ve installed a wire brush and used a drill to remove rust from my vehicles undercarriage to prep it before spraying it with an undercoating spray.

cordless power tools
A drill/driver along with other power tools was used to build this custom table and bench in our Class C RV.

2. Reciprocating saw

This is another must-have tool with many uses and it can really save the day when a repair is needed on the side of the road to keep your RV rolling. With a variety of blades, you can cut anything from wood, steel, aluminum, and just about everything else you can think of.

You can even use it to cut plexiglass in a parking lot to replace the piece of glass that was just broken from a rock thrown up from a passing vehicle. You can also be a superstar when you install a tree cutting/pruning blade to cut up wood for the late night campfire… work smarter, not harder.

3. Grinder

This tool can be a must-have if you ever need to cut steel or aluminum to repair framing on your RV. You may not need this tool all the time, but when you do it’s really nice to have.  Make a variety of repairs to a variety of materials while traveling the road.

If you make room for this tool be sure to also have some grinding wheels, cutting disks, and a flap disk for doing some light grinding and sanding of metal materials. You can also attach a wood sanding disk for sanding wood or attach a wire wheel for other types of grinding.

4. Circular saw

If you find yourself needing to make a repair or modification to cabinetry, bed framing, or tables in your RV, then this is another must-have tool. These circular saws come with different blade sizes but the most useful would be the 6 1/2 inch blade. With this size blade, you can cut a 2 x 4 with one pass.

Use a “Speedy Square” as a straight edge and you will be able to cut a piece of wood as good as a chop saw can. With the proper materials, you can frame up and repair about anything built out of wood in your RV.

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My circular saw and square were used to cut the wood used to frame out this repaired cab area.

5. Jigsaw

Along with the circular saw mentioned above, a jigsaw is another great tool to have for wood cutting projects, but they can also be very useful for many other projects. As with the reciprocating saw, with a variety of blades, you can use a jigsaw to cut a variety of materials cleanly and precisely, including wood, metal, plexiglass, and fiberglass.

If you have a piece of thick gauge aluminum, you can use this tool to cut it exactly the way you need it to repair a crack in your fiberglass siding with a solid and permanent repair… get er done.

6. Oscillating tool

If you have ever used an oscillating tool, then you know how handy and versatile they can be for making repairs. You can use it to make very precise cuts into your wall or into a very hard-to-reach area of your RV. You can also use it as a sander for sanding smooth a wood project.

Just like the other tools, with the right blade, it can be used on a wide variety of materials. Use it remove glue and flooring or to remove glue and foam insulation when you find yourself doing a total gut job.

cordless-power-tools-demo-cab
My oscillating tool came in handy when tearing out the glue and foam to rebuild this cab area.

7. Vacuum

This is not necessarily a must-have tool, but when it is needed it is nice to have for a simple convenience factor. When you get done doing your modification or repair and it’s time to clean up the last thing you want to worry about is taking out a big bulky vacuum with a cord. Sometimes a simple broom can be used, but it never seems to quite get everything out of the cracks.

These lightweight vacuums can pack a sucking punch to clean up any mess after a project is completed. They also come in handy when cleaning up your tow-behind vehicle when the kids destroy the back seating area with food and garbage.

8. Floodlight/flashlight

Flashlights are an invaluable tool and when you need them you really need them. Doing any repairs is impossible if you are unable to see what you are doing so having a quality light is a must.

With the LED technology improving every day, the lights they have on the market today are super efficient, lightweight, and bright, so do yourself a favor and throw a good quality light in the bag when going to do a modification.

cordless-power-tools-demo
This major rebuild job had to be done in a week so a cordless floodlight was crucial for all those night hours.

9. 12-volt drill/driver

Just as above, having a drill/driver for any project is a must but having a second and much smaller drill is also super valuable. Having that second drill when doing a project can be handy when you are using one drill to pre-drill holes and then using the second drill to drive the screws.

Also, having that smaller 12-volt drill gets you into much smaller and tighter spaces and this can help make any project easier.

10. 12-volt reciprocating saw

This tool becomes worth its weight in gold if you have ever done any plumbing project in a tight area and needed an even tighter tool to do the job. You do not absolutely need this smaller saw but if you can afford the space and don’t mind hauling the weight you should carry one with you.

There you have it for your top 10 must-have cordless power tools to carry with you while traveling in an RV. With these power tools on hand, you should be able to repair and complete any modification that would be needed to your rig. So get out there, get that project done, and travel on my friends.

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