Reduced Hand Strength? Possible really great tool!

[OTW]

I have trouble with a propane nut - someone screwed it on insanely tight. I also actually sometimes have a hard time with the cap of my dump valve because it can be stubborn and its diameter is so big that it calls upon the last joint of my fingers to have the strength needed. (In fact, sometimes opening a new jar of pickles gives me trouble though too.) But specifically there are a lot of knob or wheel turning parts on an RV where hand strength comes into play.

For the dump valves I bought Camco's Dump Valve Wrench and honestly it's not very good. It sure doesn't work on the cap. So yesterday I was sniffing around on Amazon and happened across a thing called a Strap Wrench. I'd never heard of it. I checked it out on youtube and there's a "how to use" video that's very short. Seeing that? I went back to Amazon and looked for the strap wrench set that has the best star ratings on the reviews, and it's Craftsman. Two size wrenches (each adjustable to fit) - a small which some reviews say will even open a prescription bottle size cap -- and the large wrench goes all the way up to over 6 inch diameter wheel/knobs.

Here's the how-to video which gives you the general idea what it is and how it works...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoRT8UvYraI&t=6s

...and here's the Craftsman set of two. For $12 for the set of two... sheesh.
https://www.amazon.com/Craftsman-Rubber ... wrench+set

Mine should arrive on Thurs. so as soon as the rains are done I'm going to try it on my freshwater hose connection AND on the dump valve cap AND on that nut/knob and will come back with whatever results it gives.

For all I know you all know about these and I'm the only one who doesn't yet, but if not? We all should.

[OregonLuvr]

I use Robo grips Bought a pack of 2 1 small and one large

[JudyJB]

I also have poor hand strength and it was even worse a few years ago when I had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. I have always used a channel lock wrench for my water hose, but I will try these for the dump fittings. I also bought the Camco wrenches and they are useless because I cannot get them to latch onto the cap.

Thanks

[bluepinecones]

My grip strength is all but gone.

Have found Robo Grips (Craftsmans) useful for smaller items but don't think they make them large enough for sewer cap.
Will be watching for your impression of items you ordered after you get some use under your belt.

[Acadianmom]

Years ago my husband had ordered a set of cheap tools, probably off of a TV ad. There was a channel lock plier that was probably about 18" long in the set. For the longest time I kept them in the motorhome because of the leverage they gave me. They even fit my sewer cap. Somewhere along the line they got out of the RV and I haven't seen them since. If I ever think about it when I'm near a Harbor Freight I need to look for another one.

Martha

[Bethers]

I hope you don't mind but I went in and made your links clickable.

So I watched the video and it doesn't show me how you'd put the strap around something connected, plus he moved the item with one hand while using the wrench with the other. I'll be very interested in your experience using it realistically.

[Liz]

I hope you don't mind but I went in and made your links clickable.

So I watched the video and it doesn't show me how you'd put the strap around something connected, plus he moved the item with one hand while using the wrench with the other. I'll be very interested in your experience using it realistically.

That was addressed in one of the Q&As: "yes, these wrenches can be used on pipe that isn't accessible from the end. The end of the strap comes all the way out of the wrench, allowing you to wrap it around the pipe and place it back into the adjuster."

[OTW]

I hope you don't mind but I went in and made your links clickable.

So I watched the video and it doesn't show me how you'd put the strap around something connected, plus he moved the item with one hand while using the wrench with the other. I'll be very interested in your experience using it realistically.

I don't mind at all, please tell me how the heck to make a link clickable because I highlighted the URL and then clicked "URL" on the top banner and though it surrounded it with the code, it didn't work.

Yes, as said you can undo the strap, wrap it around the connected span and re-thread it through the keeper. I will look up Robo Grips and channel lock pliers although I've been using pliers on my freshwater collar that's attached to the trailer and so far so good but eventually the teeth on the pliers is going to chew up the outer surface of the collar or worse, bend or warp it. A rubber strap wouldn't do that. The strap wrench might not work well for that because there are obstacles in the way for a full turn (I think, will have to look again).

The set is due to arrive tomorrow but also over an inch of rain again tomorrow (ditto today, 2.5 inches in the 48 hours) but Friday looks clear and I will be highly curious what these work on and what they don't. Will try them on anything and everything that screws on/off.

Judy, same here. The Camco tool doesn't fit over the cap. It did fit over the connector but it's the cap I have had issues with. Just too wide to get a good grip on it. When dumping, I have a tripod stool/chair that sits low enough so I can reach in under the trailer, head down and grab the cap with 2 hands and open it that way but it's a royal PITA because I can't look at it at the same time I'm unscrewing it, or worse set, replacing it. Have to go by feel. I'd much rather crouch my head down and be able to see what the heck I'm doing.

[Bethers]

Just paste the link into the post without using the url part.

And I did find could other you tube links I liked better... The best in showing usages of it wasn't in English, but I didn't need that lol

[BarbaraRose]

Good to know! I tried a couple tools for my sewer connection which was very tight and hard to connect and disconnect. Finally got a large heavy metal tool to do it but that wasn't very fun to use. This sounds much easier.

[OTW]

As weatherman promised, heavy rain today still, so will try the wrench tomorrow when it's supposed to clear. I have very high hopes for the dump valve particularly, but even if I had to keep looking re making that one easier, I'd settle for the other knob-turny things that are always a dread or that I know I'll eventually chew up with a pliers' teeth. I'll definitely try it on some stuff tomorrow and report back how I found it.

Oh! Yeah, another make-it-easier thing -- friend in Ohio did this for me which I thought was brilliant in its simplicity. My hitch pin clip was new (the thing that looks like a short fat steel bobbypin) so it was tight as could be, and since it's wedged into place in an otherwise tight area to boot, particularly hard for me to get a good grasp on, and then pull hard enough to free it (even sometimes hard to push it into place as well). Super simple thing but SO valuable, he just bent the rounded back end of it to a 45 degree angle or so. Now that gives you tons of leverage and it sticks out away from the hitch pin area. Very easy in/easy out with no compromise whatsoever to the business end of it. And he being a super conservative safety-always thinker, he also wrapped my electric brake plug-in with a self-stick Velcro wrap strap. Even though that plug has a notch where the lift-up cap seats, I just never felt that was all that secure. With it wrapped, it's secure. Just one more peace of mind thing.

[OTW]

Okay I have tried the strap wrenches. They work. They work very well, in fact.

First the big plastic nut that connects a propane tank to trailer, I was totally unable to get it to budge by hand. With the strap wrench it was easy to unscrew and also screw back on with a very tight connection.

As for the dump valve cap -- it connects via the same "bayonet" assembly that all the sewer connections have but my cap itself can be hard to get off. Strap wrench worked great on that too EXCEPT that on my particular trailer, my dump valves are fairly recessed under the trailer. I was hoping to have some way to just reach under there with one hand, slide it on and give it a crank. One would still need two hands to pull the strap tight around the cap while holding the wrench in the right place over the cap. There MIGHT come a point where I can do that with one hand with practice. (That part is actually a matter of the strap sliding through the tool's two slots extremely easily if lined up just perfectly, or with resistance if not lined up perfectly. And perfectly means just that.) I still think with practice I'll get to where I can do it with one hand. However until then, if I have to reach under there with 2 hands in any event, so if the thing is hard to turn once I have, the strap wrench definitely makes easy to turn a hard-turning valve.

I only tried the freshwater collar on the hose without testing it with water on which I can't do here, but it appeared to lock it on pretty well and budge it back off also. Will have to test all this out in a reality situation but from what I can tell, the strap wrenches are going to be very worth having for any hard-turning roundish knob of pretty much any size that you'd find on a trailer or motorhome when it comes to leverage - particularly those knobs that are big enough to require a wider hand span.

Haven't tried them on any pickle jars yet but I'm pretty sure that'll be no brainer, these things are designed for leverage.

[Birdie]

For the fresh water tank, check to see if you can use quick connect for it. I use quick connect to my tank, and to the filter and the Y connector. Just makes hooking up quick and no problem turning those knobs!

[OTW]

Birdie-- Good suggestion, thanks! This is for campground hookup, not freshwater tank. Though you said tank, it sounds like you use it on the rig's hookup inlet but then maybe even also another one also on the campground spigot??

[Colliemom]

ACtually , those strap things are oil filter wrenches, used to remove oil filters from mechanical things like cars, tractors etc. I’ve used them before but never on the RV. Gonna try it after reading this. There is also a 90 degree elbow that screws into the trailers city water connection that you can then attach the hose too. Way easier that trying to screw hose to the connection itself and you don’t get a kinked hose either as it hangs straight down. Camping World or any RV store has them.