Discover the Best Gifts for RV Owners this Holiday Season
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Read on to learn about 21 of the best gifts for RV owners this holiday season, written by a full time RVer.
The holidays, aside from being one of the most cherished times of the year, can also be one of the most stressful. It never fails that every December, there is an overabundance of dishes to be cooked, family members to be seen, presents to be wrapped, and gifts to be given. It can all feel a little bit overwhelming at times. And of course, once you add those family members who like to spend most of their time in an RV to the mix, it can be enough to send your head spinning! The RV lifestyle has an entirely unique set of requirements and restrictions which differ from the typical, stationary way of life. It therefore begs the question, “how on earth am I supposed to buy presents for my RVing family members?”
That seems to be my que to humbly enter into the scene as your RVing savior. I am in fact one of those pesky RV family members who likes to torture my loved ones with a painfully limited gift guide every year. Unlike most people who have basements to store unnecessary items, us full time (or even part time) RVers simply don’t have the luxury of carrying non-essential items around with us from destination to destination. That means every gift we are given must fulfill a purpose and be consistently useful for us for it to be worth the extra bit of weight that will come with it. To top it all off, unless you are a seasoned RVer yourself, it can be nearly impossible to imagine what kinds of needs we actually have on a day to day basis. I know. I know. It’s annoying. However, it is not impossible, and with the following gift guide, dare I say, it may actually be quite easy.
Have no fear. 21 of the best gifts for the RV owners in your life are listed below! Satisfaction guaranteed.
Wintering Essentials
RV Tank Heating Pads - It’s the holiday season, which means winter is most definitely coming. Some RVs are boujie enough to have something called an “arctic package” or a “winter package.” What this essentially means is that the fresh, grey and black holding tanks beneath the RV are equipped with heating pads and then insulated to ensure that they don’t freeze by being exposed to the elements. Luckily, even if an RV doesn’t come preinstalled with this type of package, heating pads can be bought separately and applied to the holding tanks to accomplish the same purpose.
Space Heater - It’s simple, yet extremely effective. Using a space heater to supplement the propane furnace in our RV has been a total lifesaver for us this winter. Not only does it keep our RV warmer, despite the drafts that are easily created through micro gaps in our slide walls, but it has saved us a ton of money on propane throughout the fall. It kept us warm through two instances where we lost use of our furnace, one being when we simply ran out of propane and didn’t want to break camp to get a refill, and the other occurring when a mouse crawled into our furnace and made it temporarily unusable. Either way, I cherish my space heater like I will my first born child.
Heated Water Hose - A persistent predicament while overwintering in an RV lies in trying to prevent our water intake hoses from freezing. Not only can a frozen hose crack the rubber and render it unusable, it can wreak havoc on an RV plumbing system and lead to some costly repairs. The solution to this is simply using an insulated and heated water hose. The one we use is rated down to -20 °F, but hoses that can withstand temperatures of -40 °F can also be found online depending on your loved ones needs.
It recently got down to 24 °F while traveling through North Carolina. If it wasn’t for our handy dandy heated hose, we absolutely would have woken up with frozen water lines!
RV Safety Equipment
Surge Protector - Every RVer should own and regularly use a surge protector, though it is an item that I see many RVers not investing in. Since we are frequently hooked up to external power, any surge of energy that comes through an unreliable connection can lead to blown fuses and damaged electrical devices within the RV. Since my husband works from home and tends to leave his laptop plugged into the RV, a sudden surge could even damage his computer. A surge protector makes sure that this won’t happen, and gives every RVer a bit of added security knowing that their electronics are well taken care of.
Our Watchdog surge protector has served us well. It is sturdy, withstands cold temperatures, and gives us a lot of information as far as what is actually happening in the power station.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) - I will admit that I haven’t yet invested in a TPMS, though it is on my own list of holiday requests this season! I know I’ll get my hand slapped for that one, because I have spoken with many RVers who swear by these, and quite a few who literally have had their lives saved by one. Once installed onto the RV tires, these will provide the RV driver with a constant reading of their tire pressures, and temperatures as they drive down the road. It will even alert them to sudden changes such as quick drops in pressure so that they can slow down and get off the road before they blow a tire.
SimpliSafe Security System - When we first started living in our RV, we were constantly stressed every time we had to leave it unattended. We often had rudimentary knowledge about the crime rates for the areas we were visiting, and knew deep down that our RV itself was doing little to keep intruders out. Installing a SimpliSafe security system has helped soothe our anxious minds by giving us real time updates if any of our alarms are tripped, or if the interior camera detected motion while we were out on the town. Because we also opted for the package with a camera, we can keep an eye on our dog, Charlie, on the occasions that we leave him behind in the RV. Those who treat their pets as family members like we do will fully understand the tranquility this provides.
Camping Luxuries
Propane Fire Pit - There is nothing quite like an old fashioned bonfire to gather around with friends and roast marshmallows. Likewise, there is nothing that lingers quite like the smell of smoke, and if you are a full time RVer, this can get old fast. This was one of our biggest motivators for investing in a propane fire pit, allowing us to enjoy an outdoor fire easier, with better temperature control, and without that persistent smoky smell.
Before we had this propane fire grill, we had a fire pit in our backyard that rusted into uselessness. Now, we have a fire almost every week.
Compact Grill - This one is essential. If the RVer in your life doesn’t have a quality, compact grill, then I give you full permission to exit this article now, and purchase this for them. Every RVer needs a grill. The trick is simply to buy one that maintains high quality while packing a punch in a small size. For this, I recommend the Weber Q1200 which easily fits in our storage containers, can grill six burgers at a time, and even can be purchased alongside a collapsible stand, making it easy to use even without a nearby picnic table.
Outdoor Rug - You may think all outdoor rugs are created equal, but I am here to unequivocally tell you that you are wrong. Just like the grill, quality here is essential. After staying two weeks in Cape Cod, we actually threw out our outdoor rug because it became so infested with sand, it was evident that we were never going to be able to return it to its original state. After that, we searched high and low for a sand repellent rug that maximized size while still being able to condense while in storage. The CGEAR RV comfort mat checked every one of these boxes. It has truly been a game changer for camping near the beach.
RV SnapPads - Shortly after we started RVing, we spent a week parked in my mom’s driveway. We were complete rookies at this time and had no idea that our jacks would leave depressions on her newly sealed driveway. If we had known about RV SnapPads back then, we probably could have saved us all a bit of heartache. These quality, rubberized feet are installed directly onto an RV’s stabilizing jacks so that they can work as permanent jack pads to prevent indentations on soft surfaces, decrease the chances of skidding, and prevent sinking into soft soil.
Turkish Towels - I love a good space saver when I see one, and an investment in Turkish bath towels is definitely one of them. If you live in a typical sticks and bricks home, you probably don’t even realize how much space towels take up, but if you live in an RV, I’m positive that the microscopic linen compartments have made you take note. Turkish towels are a solution to these overstuffed cabinets, taking up about a quarter of the space that a regular towel would.
Cell Signal Booster - Getting internet set up on the road is a tricky business that could probably use a blog of its own. While it’s not advisable to try and complete this process for the RVer in your life, it is accessible to take their setup to the next level with a cell signal booster. I truly believe that our signal booster has been the difference that made full time RVing possible for us. It has given us quality internet speeds in remote areas where the fact that we were even on our cell phones had our neighbor’s heads turning in surprise. We have seen many different brands on the road, but WeBoost is the only brand we have used, and is therefore the only one I can vouch for on its quality and effectiveness.
Ever seen one of these hooked up to an RV or trailer? That’s our WeBoost! It is amazing for providing us reliable service in some incredibly remote areas of the United States.
Non-Breakable Kitchenware - There are a select few RVers who insist on having regular dishes and glass drinkware in their mobile kitchen. Personally, I don’t see the appeal of having to worry about a shattered wine glass every time we go over a bump a little too hard. Almost every dish and cup in our RV is shatter proof, including Corelle dishes, Yeti coffee mugs, and insulated wine tumblers.
Subscriptions
GoodSam - Every RVer, whether they be full time or the occasional camper, needs a GoodSam membership. During the length of their subscription, members will receive discounts at nationwide campgrounds, Camping World and Gander RV. They even get discounts at Pilot/Flying J when they need to refuel on gasoline, diesel and propane. It quickly pays for itself, and even comes with a free trip planning tool to make scheduling a future RV trip a breeze.
Harvest Hosts - In my opinion, you can’t really live RV life to the fullest without a Harvest Hosts Membership. A yearly Harvest Host membership grants your loved one with 365 days of free and unlimited camping at breweries, wineries, farms, golf courses, and attractions across the country. After enjoying their benefits for months now, I can tell you that pure bliss comes from closing out a hard cidery, and then walking across the parking lot to crash in motorhome style comfort.
Boondockers Welcome - Boondockers Welcome is another yearly subscription, and again, gives one year of free camping to its members. The difference for this site is that, unlike Harvest Hosts, Boondockers Welcome hosts are private property owners from across The United States who open up their land for RVers to utilize. You can stay up to five consecutive nights at one of their locations, and some of them even have hookups which can be used for free!
Boondockers Welcome has introduced us to some amazingly unique camping spots. It is one of our favorite services and gave us a sense of travel freedom that we never thought we would have!
National Park Pass - While we’re on this list of gifts that keep on giving, I have to suggest an America the Beautiful Pass. You can purchase this pass at any time throughout the year, and it will be good for 12 months past the purchase date. It allows the card holder, along with their car and all of its passengers, to enter the National Parks for no additional fees. If the card holder visits more than two national parks in a single year, they have already paid for the cost of the membership.
Audible - Being an RVer means a lot of time on the road. Even if traffic is good, getting from point A to point B with a large vehicle can be extremely time consuming. Audible is one of the best investments we have made to entertain ourselves during these long drives. Their library of audiobooks is huge, meaning there is something for every type of listener. My current obsession is the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, a classic which I have always wanted to read but just never found the time for. Audible made it possible for me to listen to the story through the enthusiastic storytelling of Stephen Fry.
Spotify - If your RVer is less of an audiobook person and more of a music connoisseur, then I must suggest a premium Spotify subscription. I once tried to cheap out on Spotify, trying to use their add free service, and experimenting with other music streaming services, but Spotify premium quickly pulled me back in. Their playlist suggestions are unparalleled, and the unlimited skips and searchability features that come with their premium service is well worth the small monthly fee.
RV Safe GPS
CoPilot - CoPilot has quite literally saved us one more than one occasion. It allows you to enter in the dimensions and weight of your RV and tow vehicle, and it then routes you through roads that it knows are safe for you to travel on. My favorite feature of this app is its ability to set mid-route destinations, and to change the desired route based on roads you know you either want to avoid or want to travel on.
RVLife - RVLife is a complete suite of tools meant to make RV camping simple and accessible for everyone. I first purchased this suite for the RV Safe GPS, but quickly started using their other tools such as RV Trip Wizard, an RV trip planning tool, and Maintain my RV, a web app designed to help keep you on top of your regularly occurring RV maintenance.
As the person typically in charge of navigation, using a reliable RV safe GPS has meant I can spend less time with my nose in my phone, and more time enjoying some amazing views.
Have any questions about this gift guide? Or perhaps you’re a seasoned RVer with another gift to add to the list. Either way, leave me a comment, and I’ll be sure to get back to you. And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss a new RV living insight. Happy Holidays, friends!
Thank you for joining us at Discovery Detour, where the destination is always unknown.
