30+ Gift and Gadget Ideas for RVers
‘Tis the season.
While you’re likely looking forward to some time off, you’re also probably stressed about finding the right gift for “those” family members. You know, the outdoorsy ones who like to camp and RV. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind as you are shopping for your Cousin Eddie Griswold. We think that the rest of the family (Ellen, Russ, and Audrey) will like these ideas too.
Give Experiences
For starters, a lot of RVers don’t want more stuff. They simply don’t have room for it in their tiny little camper or motorhome. Instead of stuff, many RVers want experiences. Consider giving your RVing buddy the following:
American the Beautiful National Parks Pass.
$80. This non-transferrable pass is honored at sites managed by the Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation and Army Corps of Engineers. It covers the driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per-vehicle fee areas or up to 4 adults at sites that charge per person (kids 15 & under get in free). You can purchase one on the NPS website.
Harvest Host Membership.
$99. This program allows members unlimited stay at breweries, wineries, farms, museums, and other attractions for free. While the RVers are expected to patronize the establishment, it’s a win-win for both the RVer and the business. We love our Harvest Host membership! If you use our link you will get 15% off, we may receive a small commission.
Passport America Membership.
$49. This provides 50% off at participating campgrounds. While there are black-out dates and other restrictions (like many campgrounds only permit newer RVs less than 10 years old), this is still a great money-saver. The website has an easy-to-use map with participating campgrounds. You can purchase a membership on the Passport America website. We are not members, but plan to check it out next year.
Craft Brewery Gift Card.
$TBD. Cousin Eddie was drinking Meister Brau during the famous septic tank scene, but that was so so so 1980s. A lot of RVers enjoy going to breweries and wineries when they aren’t at their campsite. Find out where your RVer friend is headed next year, and consider getting them a gift card so they can check out a new brewery there.
Online Newspaper Subscription.
$TBD. Many campgrounds have internet access so just because your RVer friend likes to get away, that doesn’t mean your buddy doesn’t still get to read the newspaper with the morning coffee. Lana loves reading the New York Times while enjoying a Kansas sunrise.
Christmas Vacation.
Priceless (actually, it’s just $10 to buy). Start an annual holiday tradition with this classic Chevy Chase movie. Come on, it’s just as good as Die Hard and Elf!
Give Practical Space-Savers
If your RVer buddy does want stuff for the holidays, it is probably a gadget or something practical. And, the stuff is hopefully something that is small and space-saving. Here are some things we actually own and use.
Low Profile Camping Chairs
$40/pair
These chairs are great for concerts and picnics where a “regular” camping chair isn’t ideal. We keep these in our Jeep and use them even when we are not camping.
Waterproof Blanket
$20
We love the way that this blanket rolls up into a nice compact space. Much like the low-profile chairs, we keep this blanket in our Jeep as well, and use it for concerts and other outdoor fun (like sitting on the lawn at a brewery).
Collapsible Safety Cones
$28
There’s nothing worse than getting stranded along a busy highway so having some safety cones handy is a great idea. A lot of RVers also use these for overnight camping at Walmart and Cracker Barrels to stake out their space so that other rigs don’t pull too close to them.
Folding Stepstool
$13
If Cousin Eddie is vertically challenged like us, he will love this. We store ours right by the trash can, so it takes up little space.
Flatten Your Bike Kit
$142.
This bike kit is well worth the money! This kit enables us to easily rotate our bike stem and remove the pedals to make bike storage much better! Our bike width went from about 30 inches to about 9 inches!
Folding Ottoman/Chest
$40
We like to put our feet up when we stay inside the RV and watch TV or read a book. This little piece of furniture is perfect for that!
Collapsible Camping Table
$40
This table is super handy and collapses into a small space much like a camping chair.
Water Bottle
$27
This water bottle is similar to the one we have. You can almost put it in your pocket!
Give Gadgets
Dash Cam
$245
We like the 180-degree version because it capture everything. Speaking of which, this dash cam even has audio! It’s great for capturing unexpected encounters with wildlife!
Walkie Talkies
$43
Breaker 1-9! We use these walkie-talkies setting up camp, especially when the driver has to maneuver the RV to a tough spot. They are also useful for doing our break/blinker/light check to make sure the RV and Jeep are synchronized.
Temperature Monitor
$46
We use this to make sure the dogs don’t get overheated when we are away from the RV.
Water Flow Meter
$42
We use this for monitoring how much water is in the black tank when we are cleaning it out. If you also use it to check how much water is in your fresh water tank, buy a second one to avoid cross-contamination.
Level Mate Pro
$144
This is great for leveling a travel trailer, but is also useful for motorhomes when pulling into a site to help determine the part of a site that is the most level.
Vacuum
$165
This vacuum gets in hard to reach places, and has a light that helps us locate dirt and dog hair. With four dogs, it’s a never ending battle though. We also have a smaller Ryobi vacuum that we use as well.
Pest Repeller
$19.
We use pest repellers for the RV, but also for our home.
Tool Sets
$Variable
We use the following (but bought them directly from Home Depot).
Give Camping Consumables
If Cousin Eddie has been camping for any period of time, he already probably has the basic supplies he needs – like a sewer hose (a/k/a, “stinky” slinky), water hose, electrical management system, levelers, chocks. If not, go to our RV Gear page for those items. Regardless, giving consumables that nearly all RVers need to have on hand is always great. Here are some ideas:
Happy Camper
$25
Who can forget Cousin Eddie’s famous line “The shitter was full”? Well, this product is what a lot of RVers use to rid the holding tank of odors and liquify solid waste and toilet paper. It sounds gross, but your RVer friend will actually use this camping essential.
Toilet Paper
$5+
This gift is sure to get a laugh, but trust me, you cannot have enough of this stuff around. Both Camco and Scott make some decent options.
Fire Starter Logs
$12
We like these fire lighters because they are individually wrapped and waterproof. We usually add some newspaper to help get the fire going too. So have some fun, and wrap these up in some newspaper as well.
Disposable Gloves
$10
RVers use these to clean out the holding tanks, and some even use them at diesel stations since some truckers don’t always wash their hands. Many people prefer no-powder, no-latex gloves.
Stocking Stuffers
Okay, we get it. As much as we like “experiences” and “practical gifts” like those above, sometimes it’s all about stuff. It’s fun to open up presents and get something we want (but don’t necessarily need). Some would say that is often the point of giving gifts. After all, if the gift recipient really needed something, they probably would have already gotten it themselves!
With that in mind, here are some fun stocking stuffer ideas.
S2 Drill Bits
$5
For some reason, many things in RVs are not built with flathead or Phillips screws. Instead, they use S2 screws so these are great to have on hand.
Command Strips
$10.
Command strips are ubiquitous in most RVs. We use these particular ones to hang our wall decor, but 3M makes all sorts of hooks.
Pressure Regulator
$27
Water pressure at campgrounds can vary dramatically, so this device helps keep the plumbing intact. The water regulator is a little heavy so the stocking is going to feel like a lump of coal!
Water Filter
$17
While a water filter is a consumable, it also fits in a stocking….barely. In our opinion, a filter is something that every RVer should be using.
Camper Pajamas
$20
Aren’t these adorable? Next year, maybe we’ll have our act together enough that we will put our “Class C Broads” logo on some PJs. Now, that would be awesome!
RV Ornament
$8
Wouldn’t this look good on anyone’s holiday tree? Hmmm. Maybe Kasie could even 3D print one of our actual Class C RV sort of like she did in our first-ever video.
Personalized Bucket
$14
Yes, this is a thing. For some reason, many campers place a personalized bucket at their campsite to tell neighbors who they are. If you are handy (like Kasie is), you can use a Cricut to design your own. If you aren’t as crafty, then Amazon to the rescue again! (Yes, we know this won’t fit in a stocking either).
Puck Light
$17
If you want to get fancy, light up the bucket with some color changing puck lights like we did!
Our bucket before we became the “Class C Broads.”
Happy holidays to you and your family!
~Lana and Kasie
*Prices may vary. Unless otherwise noted, we’ve actually bought and used everything we recommend. We participate in the Amazon Associates program, which means that if you chose to make a purchase using our links, we will earn a very small commission at no additional cost to you.
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