The time is coming when your family will start asking the question that potentially every RVer dreads… Christmas gifts for RV owners….
Cue the scary music now.
We aren’t minimalists by any means but compared to our previous lifestyle in Midwestern Suburbia we definitely aren’t materialistic anymore.
All I can picture when I think of Christmas is how we participated in gift giving in previous years. Don’t get me wrong I love meaningful gift giving, wrapping paper and the whole Christmas spirit part of the upcoming holiday.
I just don’t love the thought of pointless toys and gadgets anymore. The clutter is already stressing me out and I don’t even have it yet.
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So today I want to address the Christmas gifts for RV owners topic so we can just get it out there. Hopefully my family is reading this right now because 2 of the items on the list are must-haves for me and I don’t really care who decides to send them my way… (wink wink Nate).
What Does Every RV Owner Need?
I asked my dear husband what he thought I should add to this list and he gave me very practical items. 10 years ago I would not have wanted practical gifts but today I’m all about it. Less money I have to spend!
So here are Nate’s suggestions and he was very explicit in his recommendations.
GOOD Heavy Duty Sewer Hoses
This man is disgruntled with the amount of money we’ve spent sewer hoses so he dove into the reviews and spent way too much time comparing models.
So what is the best sewer hose Nate?
So far his answer is the Thetford Titan model he picked up from Camping World recently. You can buy the same exact thing on Amazon for less money so don’t fret about the thought of having to find a Camping World.
He likes these because we’ve had too many sewer hoses fail from wear and tear as well as being punctured by rocks thrown from a mower.
So now that we know what sewer hoses are the best he thinks you should ask for this for Christmas.
So what is the best sewer hose Nate?
So far his answer is the Thetford Titan model he picked up from Camping World recently. You can buy the same exact thing on Amazon for less money so don’t fret about the thought of having to find a Camping World.
He likes these because we’ve had too many sewer hoses fail from wear and tear as well as being punctured by rocks thrown from a mower.
So now that we know what sewer hoses are the best he thinks you should ask for this for Christmas.
Extra Potable Water Hoses
Yet again you need good water hoses to transfer clean drinking water into your RV tanks. Don’t go with a cheap one that isn’t rated for drinking water!
We have found the Camco water hoses are great for every season except winter. We did the winter RV living for a bit and our thick heavy duty camco hoses froze and holes formed in them.
We do not have a suggestion for winter rv water hoses just yet but when we do we will update you here.
In the meantime, if you know it’s going to be below freezing you should disconnect your water anyways and bring your hoses inside. You can toss them in the shower!
RELATED: Our Favorite RV Must Haves
Despite this fact, Nate still believes an extra water hose never killed anyone.
So those are his 2 practical Christmas gifts for RV owners.
Let’s move on shall we?
Christmas Gifts for Full Time RVers (for Adults)
Alright so this is the part where I am telling my family what I want for Christmas… wink wink.
Good Chairs
I used to think those chairs from walmart that fold up and you store in a bag for $10 were great. They have cup holders and they store small… not anymore.
If you are living in an RV full-time then you will need GOOD CHAIRS. I have sat in a number of different varieties at this point and and those zero gravity chairs are my favorite so far.
So if you are family reading this thinking about what to get your family of RVers these are a great option!
Propane Fire Pit
This isn’t a cheap gift but it’s a gift that your RV family can take anywhere and not break the law when they want a fire.
These are even legal when there are fire bans in Colorado as far as I can tell. When we were in Colorado we asked a ranger what fires we could have and they said these were the only option during the ban. They store small and are easy to maintain. Check out this small propane fire pit.
A lot of places we have been having had fire rings and don’t allow you to have fires on the ground. Not to mention finding firewood and the cost of it is annoying.
Propane Grill
We bought an expensive Coleman grill when we first started RVing and we wish we wouldn’t have. It burns everything you want to cook slow.
If you need a good propane grill consider getting the Blackstone or a Weber low BTU gas grill.
Cooking in an RV is quite the experience so it’s nice to be able to take your kitchen outside and have more space.
It’s easier to hook these directly up to your motorhome too if you have a propane tank onboard.
Memberships
If you’ve avoided buying memberships for yourself now is the time to ask your family to buy them for you.
There are a number of memberships we use frequently and these are an affordable but practical gift for Christmas.
Our favorite memberships:
- Harvest Hosts
- Passport America
- Good Sam
Other Memberships:
- Boondockers Welcome
National Park Passport
National parks cost a lot of money to get into and each one charges different rates. The Badlands charged around $25 per car and it was the same at Sleeping Bear Dunes.
It’s worth it to pay $80 per year to get this interagency pass and not have to pay each time you go into a National Park.
Let’s be real… I want that passport stamp and I’m not paying $25 each time I want to go get it.
Christmas Gifts for Full Time RVers – (for Kids)
So this is where family buying for RVers are probably going to get hung up. It’s not a new thing to buy kids experiences instead of things for Christmas but it’s definitely out of the ordinary in most cases.
We don’t want to have a bunch of things our kids aren’t going to play with in our RV. They have very specific things they play with and it’s taken us years to figure out what those things are.
So I brought the girls in on making a list of things they wish they had for the RV to make our travels even more fun.
Here’s the girls list of gift ideas rv owners kids need…
Travel Journal
Natalee was very explicit that this needed to be a journal that already had things in it. What does she mean by that…
She wants one of those travel journals with prompts and boxes with places to doodle. As much as she likes blank pages she has plenty of those.
So naturally I went straight to her wishlist on Amazon and found the Explorers Notebook which is actually written by a fellow full time traveler. You can find Tina and her family at We Live On A Bus.
Binoculars
Our friends actually got Natalee a pair of Nikon binoculars before we set off on our travels but Nat has informed me that they have been misplaced.
Binoculars are a great add to the family fun box since it can be incorporated into homeschool learning.
She’s asked for another small pair of binoculars with a strap on them.
Instax Camera
She’s always wanted one of these and it’s been my hope to get her one but honestly I just keep forgetting about it.
This is a great gift for kids to take quick photos for their travel journal, pictures to send to family or just being silly.
I’ve done some shopping on Amazon and I’ve found cheaper film options as well.
These come with cases and cute straps as well. Look at how cute this Instax Camera is!
Garmin Watches
We got Natalee one of these for Christmas last year and it’s been one of her favorite gifts. We are now looking to get one for Reann.
These Garmin watches track movement and steps without ever needing to be charged. They are water resistant and have a nice rubber band on them.
If your kids like to compete with themselves or others this is a great gift!
Rain Jackets
We love being outdoors even if it’s raining so a good rain jacket is a must. If you are at a loss for what to get the kids for Christmas this is a great option because let’s be real… the kids are always losing their jackets.
Don’t go cheap here either! Get the good ones that are actually resistant to rain and breathe.
I could go on and on but these are the Columbia jackets we are adding to our wishlist this year.
Christmas Gifts for Full Time RVers When All Else Fails
Amazon Gift Cards
When all else fails, get your family Amazon gift cards. These are invaluable for all the things RVers know they need but might be putting off.
So far Amazon has delivered everywhere we’ve been except for state parks.
That was an incredibly simple list and I hope it makes shopping for your RV family easier this year. If you are an RVer needing ideas just send this post to your family members.
Remember, experiences are always a great option if you can talk your family into it. Park passes, museum memberships and tickets to things are also great options.
