RV Roadside Emergency Checklist — Be Ready When Things Go Wrong
BeginnerEverything you need in your RV and tow vehicle to handle a roadside emergency — flat tires, breakdowns, electrical failures, and getting help when you're miles from anywhere. This isn't a packing list, it's a preparedness plan.
Checklist 38
Adjustable crescent wrench (8-inch and 12-inch)
Handles water connections, hitch hardware, battery terminals, and a hundred other fasteners. Two sizes cover almost everything on an RV.
Screwdriver set — Phillips and flathead in multiple sizes
Electrical panel covers, appliance access panels, outlet covers, and interior hardware all use standard screwdrivers.
Pliers — standard and needle-nose
Pulling fuses, gripping small hardware, bending wires, removing cotter pins. Needle-nose reaches into tight spaces.
Socket set with ratchet (metric and standard)
Lug nuts, hitch hardware, and mounting bolts all require sockets. A small set with 10mm-22mm covers most RV and tow vehicle needs.
Duct tape, electrical tape, and zip ties
Temporary fixes for everything from a torn awning to a loose wire. These three items have gotten more RVers home than any mechanic.
Work gloves
Hot exhaust, sharp metal edges, and greasy components are all part of roadside repairs. Leather or mechanic's gloves protect your hands.
WD-40 or penetrating oil
Rusted bolts, stuck lug nuts, and seized connections. Spray it, wait 5 minutes, try again. Saves knuckles and time.
Roadside assistance membership card and phone number programmed in your phone
Good Sam Roadside Assistance, AAA RV, Coach-Net, or your RV insurance company's roadside program. Know your policy number and what's covered. Some plans only cover the motorhome or tow vehicle — not the trailer separately.
Insurance cards for both tow vehicle and RV
If you're in an accident, you need both. Keep physical copies in the glovebox and digital copies on your phone.
Paper map or downloaded offline maps
Cell service disappears in the places where breakdowns are most likely — mountain passes, rural highways, national forest roads. If you can't tell roadside assistance where you are, they can't find you. Download offline maps before every trip.
Portable phone charger or power bank
Your phone is your lifeline. If the truck battery is dead and you can't charge from the outlet, a power bank keeps you connected. Keep it charged before every trip.
List of emergency contacts — not just 911
Your insurance company, roadside assistance, a trusted mechanic back home, a family member who knows your route, and the nearest RV service center to your destination. Keep this list in the glovebox and on your phone.
Know the non-emergency police number for the counties you're traveling through
If you're broken down on a highway shoulder and not in immediate danger, the non-emergency line gets a quicker response than 911 in many areas. Look it up before your trip for major stretches of your route.
Portable jump starter or jumper cables
A portable jump starter doesn't require another vehicle — it's self-contained. Invaluable at a remote campsite or highway shoulder where no one else is around. If you carry traditional jumper cables, they need to be at least 20 feet long to reach around the trailer.
Assorted 12V fuse kit (blade style)
A blown fuse kills a circuit — water pump, lights, slides, brake controller. Your RV and truck fuse panels tell you the sizes and amperages. A $5 assorted kit covers all of them. Know where both fuse panels are located before you need them.
Multimeter for testing 12V circuits
Tests battery voltage, verifies circuits are live, and diagnoses electrical problems. If you only learn one thing — how to check 12V battery voltage. 12.6V is full, 12.0V is nearly dead, anything below 11.8V won't start anything.
Spare trailer light bulbs or a set of LED replacements
A burnt out tail light or brake light is a ticket and a safety hazard. Carry spares that match your trailer. LED replacements last longer and draw less power.
Electrical contact cleaner spray
The 7-pin trailer connector corrodes constantly — rain, road spray, and oxidation. A quick spray of contact cleaner fixes most intermittent trailer light and brake issues.
First aid kit — stocked and not expired
Bandages, gauze, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers (ibuprofen and acetaminophen), allergy medication (Benadryl), tweezers, medical tape, and any personal prescriptions. Check expiration dates annually.
Extra water — minimum 1 gallon in the truck at all times
For drinking, cleaning wounds, and topping off a radiator in an emergency. A gallon of water weighs 8 lbs and takes zero skill to use. There's no excuse not to carry it.
Non-perishable snacks
Granola bars, nuts, jerky, crackers. A breakdown can take 3-6 hours to resolve if you're waiting for roadside assistance in a remote area. Hungry and stressed is worse than just stressed.
Rain poncho or compact tarp
Changing a tire or working under the rig in a rainstorm is miserable and dangerous (slippery tools, reduced visibility). A $3 poncho makes it manageable.
Fire extinguisher — mounted and accessible in the cab
Tire fires, electrical fires, and engine fires all happen on the roadside. An extinguisher in the RV doesn't help if the fire is under the truck hood. Keep a small one in the truck cab.
Recovery strap (not a tow strap) — 20,000+ lb rated
Recovery straps stretch and absorb energy. Tow straps do not — they jerk and can break, sending hardware flying. If you're stuck in mud, sand, or a soft shoulder, a recovery strap is what you need. Never use a chain for vehicle recovery.
D-ring shackles (pair) rated for your rig's weight
Connect the recovery strap to your tow vehicle's recovery points. Never attach a strap to the hitch ball — it will break off under recovery load and become a projectile.
Tow strap for short-distance pulls to flat ground or pavement
If you just need to be pulled 10 feet out of a ditch onto flat ground, a tow strap works. For anything with momentum, use the recovery strap.
Know your tow vehicle's recovery point locations
Most trucks have front recovery hooks or frame hooks. They're often hidden behind the bumper. Find them now — not when you're stuck in mud at 10pm.
Spare tire for the trailer — verify it holds air before every trip
Most trailers come with a spare mounted under the frame or on the bumper. Check it before every trip — spares lose air sitting for months. A flat spare is the same as no spare.
Jack rated for your trailer weight
Your truck's factory jack is designed for the truck — it probably won't reach the trailer axle, and it's not rated for the trailer's weight. A bottle jack or scissor jack rated for 5,000+ lbs handles most travel trailers. Fifth wheels and heavy trailers need 10,000+ lb rated jacks.
Lug wrench that fits your trailer lug nuts
Trailer lug nuts are often a different size than your truck's. A 4-way lug wrench covers the most common sizes (17mm, 19mm, 21mm, 23mm). Verify it fits BEFORE you need it on the shoulder of a highway.
Tire pressure gauge
Check for slow leaks before they become blowouts. A good digital gauge reads to 150 PSI to cover both truck and trailer tires.
Tire plug kit for slow leaks
A plug kit can get a nail-punctured tire to the next service shop. Won't fix sidewall damage or blowouts, but it handles the most common punctures in 10 minutes on the shoulder.
12V portable air compressor
Plugs into your truck's 12V outlet. Reinflates a low tire enough to get to a service station. Also useful for topping off tires at camp when you don't have access to a gas station air hose.
Wheel chocks — use them anytime the trailer is jacked up
Before you jack any wheel off the ground, chock the opposite side. A trailer rolling off a jack on the highway shoulder is catastrophic.
Reflective warning triangles (3-pack)
Legally required for commercial vehicles and strongly recommended for RVs. Place one 10 feet behind, one 100 feet behind, and one 200 feet behind your rig. Drivers need time to see you and move over.
Road flares or LED emergency flares
LED flares are reusable and don't create a fire risk in dry grass. Traditional flares burn brighter but are single-use and can start brush fires. LED is the safer choice for RVers.
High-visibility safety vest
If you're working on the shoulder of a highway, you need to be seen. A $5 vest could save your life. Keep one in the truck cab, not buried in a compartment.
Flashlight and headlamp with fresh batteries
Breakdowns don't wait for daylight. A headlamp keeps both hands free for changing tires or checking under the rig. Keep the flashlight in the glovebox, not the toolbox.
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