Recently on our Facebook page someone asked me to name a great “bang for the buck” RV camping gadget.
So I turned to my wife, who stays very busy when we arrive and depart a campsite. Those are times when I feel compelled to relax, although I get a workout by simply watching her from the comfort of my King Kong chair.
“Honey?” I asked, “When you are doing all of that work setting up camp, what kind of gadgets have you found helpful?”
Here’s what she told me. For the money, it’s tough to beat her Camco Leveling Scissor Jack Drill Socket. Anyone with scissor jacks (we sometimes call ’em stabilizer jacks) on their RV can benefit from this brilliant little $5 part.
I know my wife loves this gadget. She no longer works up a sweat the old fashioned way, twisting an awkward manual crank to raise and lower our RV scissor jacks. Using this socket thingy is better, faster, and easier on her back.
What kind of primitive caveman lets his wife lower scissor jacks with a hand crank?
With the Camco Scissor Jack Drill Socket, now she can use her cordless drill.
Of course, she also needed a cordless electric drill
The old hand crank approach gave her a pretty good workout. It was also more fun to watch.
She tells me the Camco adapter is easy to use. Now she can slap the socket on her drill, pull the trigger a few times, and voila! She’s done – allowing me to get on with the important business of enjoying my day.
When she first started talking about this thing, I have to admit I was skeptical. After all, this socket cost almost as much as a ham sandwich. So what if it promised to save her a tremendous amount of repetitive manual labor?
“Why not just use a 3/8-inch hex adapter and a 3/4-inch socket?” I asked. “Are you trying to waste money on these fancy toys?”
“The main advantage of the Camco socket adapter,” she replied, “versus using a regular 3/4-inch socket is that it’s one solid piece – no 3/8-inch hex adapter is required.”
This one piece Drill Socket costs about $5 and saves your wife a ridiculous amount of work. Get it!
“So what?” I shot back. “What’s wrong with a two-piece solution? Do you have a problem with 3/8-inch hex adapters or something?”
“The problem,” she explained, “is that when using a two piece solution, the socket often separates from the hex adapter. When I pull the drill away from the jack, the socket pops loose from the drill and remains stuck to the scissor jack. I’m forced to stop and reattach my tools together, which is an annoying pain in the… grass. This little Camco socket permanently eliminates that annoyance from my list.”
My wife is thrilled at this time saver (now she can get on with other necessary chores like chopping wood and building the campfire). Does this mean she’s lazy? Not in my book!
She went on to explain that if I totaled the cost of a 3/8-inch adapter plus a 3/4-inch socket, any price difference is moot (in fact, the one piece solution is arguably cheaper than going the two piece route). After thinking it over, I had to reluctantly admit she was right.
When we first started RV camping, it took my wife forever to establish camp. Now she does so with the speed of a NASCAR pit crew, and little “bang for the buck” gadgets like this socket adapter are one reason why. She always has her drill ready to go.
Men, it’s the right thing to do. Equip your wife with the best tools.
By the way, she didn’t need a fancy drill either. For our first camping season, I got her a cheap Black & Decker drill and it handled the task just fine.
Of course, it wasn’t long before she was dropping hints about having a new drill.
“You know,” she said, “those DEWALT drills sure have a lot of torque. The motors deliver 380 unit watts out and turn up to 1,500 RPM!”
I nodded but said nothing. She’s always angling to get the latest power tools.
Then Valentine’s Day rolled around and I was feeling romantic. What would it be? Tickets to a Broadway show? Champagne brunch and massage? Maybe some diamond earrings?
Nah – I know she wouldn’t want such things. Instead, I went all out and surprised her with a nice DEWALT drill. It works even better than the old cheap unit.
The joy! Guys, don’t hesitate to treat your wife to a quality cordless drill. She will love you for it. Then for an anniversary or her birthday, go for a matching chainsaw.
With the DEWALT, I’ve noticed our Airstream scissor jacks extend and retract with lightning speed.
“The batteries in the DEWALT last a long time,” she told me. “You might think about trying that feature yourself.”
I’m still trying to figure out what she meant by that remark.
Two of my wife’s favorite things: Louis Vitton and her Camco Scissor Jack Socket Adapter.
You know, at first I thought she was being a little lazy, wanting a Camco power drill socket and all. But she makes no apologies for pursuing this sort of effort-saving step.
As anyone who has ever watched a family member set up an RV campsite knows – it looks like a lot of work.
And if my wife has a bad day, it certainly affects my day.
So I’ve decided that the faster she can finish those chores, the sooner I will be sipping wine and relaxing by the campfire.
Guys, don’t wait for Valentine’s Day.
If you have manual scissor jacks on your RV, your wife needs one of these gadgets – end of story.