50 Best Gift Ideas For RV Owners That Anyone Will Love

Even if you haven’t traveled in an RV before, you might have heard that the RV life requires an investment in a wide array of accessories, equipment and tools for better comfort on the road. If you’re looking for awesome gifts for RV owners, you will find the best ideas here and you can have your pick. 

There’s everything: appliances and tools for the kitchen, storage and space organizer, gifts for outdoor lounging and adventures, practical accessories for safe and comfortable daily living in the wild, as well as the small additions that would make an RV feel more like home, aesthetic- and ambience-wise. 

Exciting RV Gifts For The Kitchen

Coffee Maker

There is one thing for sure: every home needs a coffee maker, regardless of the type, and a recreational vehicle is like a home on wheels. Regardless of whether the RV owner that you’d like to gift travel in their rig full-time or not, they will definitely appreciate a compact and solid coffee maker that will not take up space. This is a practical item out of which any camper will get a lot of use.

If you want an affordable option that’s on the fancier side, there are literally hundreds of options for programmable coffee makers with stainless steel design and handy features like fast brewing, all for less than $40. Or get something basic for under $25, such as the widely common and easy to use stove-top coffee maker with a capacity of at least 6-cup. At this price range, you can easily get one with a durable cast aluminum design that also includes three replacement gaskets plus one replacement filter.

Multi-Functional Cooker 

Space in an RV is as precious as gold, so anything multi-functional would make practical and thoughtful gifts for RV owners. A multi-functional cooker is a great addition to any motorhome’s kitchen. It takes the space of a single appliance but functions as many, including: rice cooker, steamer, pressure cooker, slow cooker, warmer, sauté, and even yogurt maker. 

The most popular product in this category is probably the Instant Pot Duo Mini 7-in-1 Electric, which costs $60. It’s popular for being affordable, yet very functional, user-friendly and reliable. It receives raving reviews on all online retailer platforms, and is the absolute best seller on Amazon with a 4.5 overall rating from almost 50,000 positive reviews. 

Immersion Blender

Another great space-saving kitchen appliance is an immersion blender, also called a handheld stick blender. This design is by far more compact and easier to store away than a regular blender, which would take too much valuable counter space in any RV kitchen. 

A stick blender is more affordable yet perfectly functional too, and you can easily whip up some fresh smoothies, sauces, soups and more. This makes perfect gifts for RV owners, especially when they travel often or full-time, and being able to easily prepare delicious meals and refreshments in their own rig would be extra important.

Dish Drying Rack or Mat

This is an absolute must-have in any kitchen, home and recreational vehicles alike. And you’d be surprised at the interesting choices available for different needs and budget. There are dish drying mats with smaller capacity than the rack category, but they are slim, lightweight, easier to store away and more affordable. 

The ones made from silicone often feature raised patterns that allow water to run away from your dishes and allows air to get under to let them dry. The ones made from microfiber might trap moisture, thus required to be squeezed and/or hung out to dry. They usually cost from $10 to a little more than $15. 

Another type, silicone over-sink mat, would typically cost a bit more, around $20 to $25. They roll up tight for easy storage, and can be folded up when you need more space to work in the sink. The water drips right into the sink through the rods, and some products have a hole section for smaller items. This type is typically made of stainless steel coated with non-slip silicone. This is one of the latest and coolest inventions in this market and will wow anyone as an utterly simple yet creative and functional kitchen solution, and by far the most space-saving design at that. 

As for dish racks, there are racks or baskets that sit on draining trays, which catch water and either drain into the sink or without drains, so you need to get rid of the collected water from time to time. There are also the over-sink racks, a later invention that’s loved for its convenience, which allows the water to drip right into the sink, thus eliminating the need for a water-collecting tray. These racks offer the largest capacity, since they extend over the whole length of the sink, and have legs to sit higher than the faucet. 

For all types of racks, you can choose among a single-tier rack, or two-tier and even three-tier racks. Except for the over-sink drying basket, which is basically a rectangular strainer basket with extendable handles to securely fit across almost any size sink. They are convenient and do not require a tray, but are typically small and would better suit larger sinks. Due to their design, they can also double-duty as a strainer/colander when washing fruits and vegetables.

Dish racks or baskets with water draining mechanisms can be made from plastic, metal, stainless steel, a combination of plastic and stainless steel, or bamboo, while the tray is usually plastic. (The cheapest version is racks without any mechanism for collecting and draining water, but can be easily paired with a dish drying mat).

Stackable Food Containers and Jars

Pantry cabinet space can be maximized when food and supplies can be organized into containers and jars, most preferably as stackable sets, insteading chucking everything in as a random mess. Sets of square and rectangular boxes and jars are the most space-efficient, plus they can be stacked up or neatly stored away. 

Don’t worry if you think this kind of gifts for RV campers is not fancy or cool enough. A big set of food grade, high quality, durable containers that also looks good is not cheap, especially if you go for one made from glass instead of BPA-free plastic. Another option is silicone zipped bags, which is the latest invention in the market for food storage. They are also not cheap and any camper will get a lot of use out of them, so they make for practical and decent RV gifts.

Stackable Cookware and Bakeware Set

Any dedicated home chef will tell you that the more cookware they have, the better. This is a great gift for mommy that you can be certain she’ll love, or any camper who travels often to full-time. Just make sure to buy a set that can be neatly stacked up to take less cabinet space, and preferably non-stick. While you’re at it, you can also gift them a stackable bakeware set, plus get some pots and pans protector to prevent them from scratching each other’s non-stick coating and rattle noisily when you’re driving on rough terrains.

Magnetic Spice Jars

There are many ideas for organizing a few dozens of spice jars, but since they are typically rather small and a decent chef would own many of them, the best way to organize them (without them rattling or knocked over when you drive) is to attach magnetic spice jars on the side of the RV fridge. Each jar includes an ultra-strong neodymium magnet that is securely enclosed under each lid, so you just need to pop them on the fridge and backsplash. They will stay there secure and neat, plus it’s easier to see and use them instead of having to reach into a drawer or cupboard.

Nesting Bowls and Nesting Strainers

Since we already talked about stackable cookware and food containers, it’s impossible to leave out nesting bowls and strainers for food prep. You can either choose those made from food-grade plastic ones or from stainless steel. The latter are more durable and pleasing to the eyes, thus would be fancier gifts for your camper friend.

Cutlery protectors

This might not sound super grand, but any RV enthusiast will love it more and more as they travel on the open road, whether or not the cabinets in their RV kitchen has secured doors and drawers. Driving on rough terrains can cause annoying rattling or the constant fear that your cutlery might fall off the shelves and brake. 

The Camco Stack-A-Plate, the best seller cutlery protector pack on Amazon and a favourite by full-time RVers costs only $10 for a pack of 2, one small and one big. It features non-slip backing, keeps your plates in place, reduces rattling, prevent breakage and is dishwasher safe.

Mini Waffle Maker

A little mini waffle maker is the most adorable Christmas gifts for RV owners and a great addition to any kitchen. They hardly take up any space, and make delicious desserts that everyone will love in no time at all.

Stove Top Oven

If the RV owner has an oven in their kitchen, you can skip this item. Otherwise, a stove-top oven is a super cool and convenient RV appliance that allows you to make great oven-cooked dishes. One of the best selling models is the one by Omnia, which costs $67. The brand also offers quite a selection of appliances for fuss-free oven cooking.

Portable Propane Fire Pit

You might think a fire pit is not really a travel trailer must-have addition. Any full-time camper will argue otherwise. And we agree with them. 

A centerpiece campfire would make all the difference in camping and outdoor gatherings. It creates a cozy ambience and elevates that camping-in-the-wild feeling. 

Wood campfire is an option, but comes with expensive firewood, bothersome smoke and dirty ash. Meanwhile, you can get a portable propane campfire, guaranteed smoke-free, ash-free, hassle-free and realistic with cozy warmth and beautiful ambiance for only from $80 to $130, one of the coolest and most functional gifts for RV owners. 

Another advantage of this type of propane fire pit is that a CSA-approved, spark-free model is safe to use during most campfire bans (some national parks bans this to protect forested areas).

Liquid Propane Grill

The camper lifestyle wouldn’t be complete without one huge perk: outdoors BBQ. Taking meal prep outside also solves the nuisance of cooking with limited counter and sink space in an average rig. 

With only $60-$90, you can choose from a wide range of go-anywhere portable gas grills with a 6,500 BTU-per hour burner and porcelain-enameled cooking grate to perfect your RV experience. Get a model with handles for easy carrying, plus plated steel legs and pivot to secure the lid in place.

If your budget allows something more expensive, there is also the option of portable liquid propane grills, which run on disposable liquid propane cylinders. You can get a grill that offers some 12,000 BTU-per-hour, easy-start electronic ignition and 280 square-inch cooking area anywhere between $150 and $250.

Folding Step Stool

This is one of the simplest, most down to earth gift ideas for RV owners that very few would think of, but will be appreciated. A folding step stool is very handy for reaching the overhead cabinet above the RV kitchen sink, and normally a one-step stool is more than sufficient. When the camping season ends, we bet that even a one-step design will get a lot of usage inside the home as well, for reaching high shelves in the closet or storage. 

Afraid that this present is too plain? There are beautiful wooden models, or sleek and minimal painted-metal designs that will not spoil the aesthetic of any RV or home, in the case that they need to be readily displayed in easy-to-reach places. For instance, check out the one-step stool from Lucano Lightweight Japanese Step Ladder by Hasegawa Ladder. It’s available for around $50-$60 in sleek black or white, features modern and minimalist design, non-slip feet and can stand on its own when folded, so it can be conveniently tucked away anywhere.

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RV Gifts: Storage and Organizer

Pantry Organizers

Pantry organizing is not only about space saving, but also about storing things in a way that makes it as easy as possible to search for and take out items from a drawer or cabinet, without having to rummage through a big mess and leave behind an even bigger mess. This is a whole universe of smart, functional design to make the most out of kitchen storage: cutting board and bakeware organizer, multi-tier slide-out drawer organizer, under-sink stacking shelves, over the cabinet towel/paper towel bar, over the cabinet storage caddy (for frequently used bakeware, cutting board, cling wrap). 

And probably the most useful and sought-after of them all, extendable and adjustable lid organizer or pan and pot organizer rack. You can easily customize the width of each slot to fit each of your cookware, and these racks can be mounted vertically or horizontally. Well-designed units often consist of two racks that can be used separately or as one long/tall rack. They are also perfect for larger plates.

Magnetic Fridge or Wash/Dryer Spice Shelf

Since counter space in an RV kitchen is limited, you need to make the most out of vertical space. And while cabinet space is also limited, a magnetic shelf that you can attach to the side or front of the refrigerator or washer/dryer unit has become a versatile space-saving item for all sorts of things: spice jars, oil and vinegar bottles, laundry detergents, and even shoes. There are many magnetic fridge shelf for the kitchen that come with a paper towel bar, making meal prep easier than ever.

Hampers & closet organizers

When you travel as a family, even a Class A wouldn’t have enough storage space. And even the minimalist campers would need to find a way to put as much stuff as possible in the open storage compartments in their rig. There’s just no such thing as too much storage. 

Fortunately, there is now a big market for hampers and closet organizers for optimizing space and keeping things the Marie Kondo way. And these accessories come in a variety of forms and shapes, but generally they are made of super lightweight fabric with thin metal frames and are collapsible. When they are not needed anymore in the RV, they will always be useful in the home. 

The most affordable, yet versatile and functional items include foldable storage bin cubes, which usually come in packs of 4, 6 or 8 at $12 to typically under $30 for a pack. You can neatly stack them up on top of each other. They are particularly great for that top shelf in the closet, where you can only stack up short piles of clothes: now items can be divided into categories and stacked up high without falling over. 

While you’re at it, get some hanging shelves with sturdy metal frames which can be used for shoes as well as towels and clothes, and an over-the-door shoe organizer, which is perfect for sorting underwear and socks, as well as used for storing tools and even growing small potted herbs.

Hanging shelves with around four to six tier can range from $13 to $30, while an over-the-door shoe organizer only costs around $12 to $15 for one that would cover almost a single closet door. For drawers, you can grab some foldable fabric dividers for underwear, socks and thin summer clothes, as well as cables, accessories and tools. 

Over-the-door Towel Rack

For RVs with only one bathroom that is shared by a family, there never seem to have enough towel racks for more than two or three towels. Forget the free standing towel rack from decades ago. A cheap and easy solution of the 21st century is an over-the-door towel rack that requires no drills and only costs from around $10 to $17-$20 for a multi-bar rack (which keeps up to four towels separated). Simply hang the hooks over the thickness of your bathroom door or shower. 

Shower Caddy (Over-the-shower or Suction)

If you’re gifting some over-the-door towel racks, pair them with one or two over-the-shower caddies as well for storing shampoos, bath gel and other toiletries. Some models have hooks for hanging shaving razors and bath sponges. They are either made from stainless steel, plastic or silicone, and some fancy ones are made from a combination of bamboo or wood and metal. 

In addition to the type that hang over the shower, there are suction baskets with drainage holes that can be secured on the walls and those caddies that rests on the showerhead. 

Bedside Caddy

These hang onto the bed frame by 1” deep brackets to keep your phones, tablets, chargers and page turner within close reach, keeping things from getting knocked over when driving on rough roads and freeing space on the bedside nightstand.

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Cool RV Gifts To Take The Party Outdoors

Folding Camping Chairs + Picnic Table

This duo must be one of the best of the best gifts for RV owners that every camper will love. Camping chairs and folding camping tables typically are lightweight and folds up neatly. You can also get a picnic basket to complete the gift set, and your RV enthusiast friend will be ready for lunch on the go anywhere.

Portable Projector

If you lean towards gifting something cool and on the techy side, get a mini projector. If the person you want to give it to travels with his or her family, the whole gang will go head over heels for these portable gadgets. They can project on a conventional sheet, or even directly on the side of an RV for a great movie night outdoor gathering. Despite being portable and lightweight, there are plenty of models on the market with excellent picture quality. 

Camping Hammock + Sleeping Bag / Hammock Mattress

Seasoned and full-time travellers would swear by the perks of reading a book or taking a nap in a hammock outdoors. It just makes life on the road more wholesome. It frees up sleeping space inside the rig, and the outdoorsy campers just enjoy sleeping or simply relaxing outside under the stars in good dry weather. 

This gift idea gives you a huge variety to choose from, from a basic, entry-level hammock for as little as $20, to a durable and fancier one with either rainfly cover or mosquito net or both to safeguard against the elements for around $70-$120. A durable option for 2 sleepers with raving reviews on Amazon is the Therm-A-Rest Double Camping Hammock. 

If your RVer friend has a thing for hammock lounging, or in the case they already own one or more hammocks, you can also gift them ultralight open-cell foam hammock mattresses to upgrade for the optimal hammock experience. Hammock mattresses are offered by many brands for between $55 to $100 for a top-notch quality mattress. 

They often have detachable wings attached to the flat mattress body, so when you put them in the hammock, the wing will wrap around two sides like a boat. They can be used on the ground after removing the wings. 

Screened In Tent + Sleeping bags

Alternatively, another excellent gift for a friend or family member who is camping full time is a screened in tent for increasing outdoor living space. A tent can house more people than a hammock, can protect against the sun, the rain and the bugs, and might be a great fun for the kids. You can get them well-insulated sleeping bags for those chilly months on top of the tent as a complete set. Fancy you. 

Telescope To Gaze At The Stars

Being away from the well-lit cities is a great opportunity to enjoy the starry nights in good weather. A telescope for stargazing, coupled with a planetarium app for identifying stars and constellations, will be a one of the coolest gifts for RV owners that not many people would think about or expect to be given. Stargazing is a great way to spend time outdoors with nature and one’s loved ones instead of watching TV. 

Outdoor String Lights

If your RVer friend or family member loves outdoor dining and lounging, you can give them outdoor string lights with confidence (these are budget gifts in case you don’t want to buy light fixtures or sconces). Even if they have got some, the more the better, plus these lights can be used for the home as well. 

Draping warm and subtle-glow string lights from an RV canopy is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to create a classy, cozy, welcoming ambience both inside and outside of one’s RVs and home (you might have heard the phrase “mood lighting”). Get the party started!

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Practical RV Gifts: Lighting, Temperature, Water and Air Control 

Bladeless Table Fan

A table fan is not the most badass home device and not the coolest gifts for RV owners, but a bladeless fan is. These are not just high-tech looking but also very practical, since they will save you the trouble of cleaning the fan blades, and dust-covered fan blades are not pretty or healthy. If you can’t wrap your heads around this idea, be assured that these bladeless fans produce smooth airflow and quick cooling. 

They typically come with a 2-year warranty, and note that the price range is huge. The most affordable options are available at under $80, but it’s generally recommended that you get something around $80 and a little above for the best quality and durability. Just take some time checking the in-depth reviews to filter good models. That said, since it’s a gift, you can just as well go all out for a fancy, functional and aesthetically pleasing bladeless fan for anywhere between $150 and $300. 

Solar/ LED Lighting

Solar or low-energy LED lighting is a great tip to go green and conserve energy, especially if you often boondock far away from campgrounds without electrical hookups. LED lights are straightforward, and as for solar lights, they can be run off a single small solar panel. Solar lanterns or strings of solar fairy lights are aesthetically pleasing, makes a huge difference in an RV’s power consumption and could make the motorhome feel more cozy and homely, since it might get kinda scary when camping off the beaten path at night. 

Reflectix

Energy conservation is crucial when camping, especially boondocking, and one area to focus your attention is more effective “passive temperature control”, that is achieving a better livable temperature without the use of air conditioning in the summer and heater in the winter. 

The camper community has invented various mechanisms and accessories for this purpose. Among them, Reflectix serves as a super simple and economical yet effective means of year-round passive temperature control, and can be fantastic gifts for RV owners that they will use frequently in the hot months as well as the chilly months.

Reflectix is a reflective insulation roll, which can be secure to cover the whole area of the windows and shower skylight to reflect sunlight away from an RV, thus keeping the interior space cooler. A roll typically costs around $15-$22 each. 

It is useful in winter as well, as it traps in the heat and acts as an extra insulation layer. If you want to get a four-season Reflectix with heavy-duty winter use, a pro tip is to look at a product’s R-value, which shows how well the insulation will trap heat inside a space. Given the space of an average RV, anything between R-3.7 and R-21 would be good, although surely the higher the R-value number, the better.

Air purifier

This is another of those versatile RV gifts that can be used on the road or in the home. If your camper friend or their companions have asthma or allergies, or is highly sensitive to strange odors, consider a high-tech portable air purifier for freshness all day all the time, since the old-school air freshener on the rearview mirror doesn’t do a lot really. 

You can get a compact air freshener and purifier for only $25 to $50 for removing offending odors and improving the air quality inside a motorhome. They eliminate foul odors much more effectively than odor absorber gel or bamboo charcoal bags. 

An excellent model is the FULOXTECH Portable Air Purifier, which has a 4.5 stars rating on Amazon and can be had for only $25. This tiny little gadget features a unique 360-degree ozone release, which enhances the effectiveness of the built-in micro electronic odors elimination system. It is also conveniently USB rechargeable, with each charge lasting up to 10 days.

Another favourite by the RV community at the same price range is the PeakPlus Air Freshener, Ionizer and Purifier. Its air purification technology works by sending out up to 4.8 million of negative oxygen ions in the air to get rid of any unwanted odor, air pollutants, gas particles, dust, smoke, mold, bacteria, cigarette smoke, and pet odors.  

Dehumidifier

An air purifier only costs a bit more than $20, so feel free to pair it with an RV dehumidifier that can be used in the bathroom to dry wet towels and a few wet clothes, or anywhere inside a rig to prevent long term damages due to excessive moisture.

Hand-Held Vacuum

This practical gift is very handy for an RV, a regular vehicle and the home. It’s useful everywhere and anywhere you need to pick up dust and pet hair and human hair in the tightest corners, where a broom or a full-size vacuum would not be very helpful. 

With so many dirty shoes coming in and out from the campground, a travel trailer gets spoiled in no time, and one would be more ready to clean up when there’s a compact, lightweight and easy to use hand-held RV vacuum nearby. Good news is, you can get a durable, well designed and adequately powerful model without paying a fortune, like the ThisWorx For TWC-01 available at only around $35. There are some extra powerful ones from BLACK+DECKER such as Black & Decker BDH2000PL or Black & Decker CHV1410L at around $60-$100.

Water Softener

Hard water, that is water that contains high concentration of minerals, can cause annoying reddish brown stains on anything that’s washed, and in more serious cases, dry skin and hair or reactions on sensitive skin. Hard water doesn’t smell and taste as good either. While a water filter might not be very effective, a water softener would be the perfect gift for your water snob RV buddy. They are portable, easy to set up and there are ample models out there. 

Portable Water Storage For Emergency Supplies

While we’re on the topic of water conservation when boondocking, a really handy thing that very few would even think of to give as a gift for your adventurous camping buddy is a 60-gallon water storage bladder. They are feather light and thin but durable, are made of food-grade material and fold up flat to easily store away without taking up space. They’re like the gigantic version of camping water bags. Oh, you can get those as a gift too. 

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Practical RV Gifts: Others

Oxygenics Shower Head

Anyone who has experienced a Oxygenics shower head before would swear that it is the absolute best thing since sliced bread. Wow your friend or family member with this cool and functional gadget.

These shower heads use patented Oxygenics technology to amplify water pressure and widen coverage with a special spray pattern for quick, effective rinsing while minimizing water use, even for those with long hair. Smart features include the ability to limit water flow during soaping while keeping water temperatures consistent. It’s heavenly, and conserves water, which is important for long trips and boondocking. 

Related: Best RV Shower Heads

Bubble Level or Leveling Blocks

When traveling on the open road, it’s more likely than not that you’d have to park on uneven ground and your RV won’t be level. Fortunately, there’s an affordable remedy for this: for as little as $5/unit, you can get bubble levels, or from $20 to under $40 for leveling blocks. Both have been used widely and received raving reviews by full-time campers for their simple but functional mechanism. 

Leveling blocks are fancier, more convenient and more favoured. They are flat blocks that can be stacked up like Lego pieces to achieve the desired thickness.

The two best selling products are undoubtedly the Camco Heavy Duty Leveling Blocks, which costs around $28 for a pack of 10 blocks, and the Tri-Lynx RV Leveling Blocks, which costs about $30 for a pack of 10, more expensive but is claimed to withstand any RV weight. Everyone knows Camco, and while Tri-Lynx is less famous, both of them are household names in the camping world thanks to their affordable, useful, durable and easy to use products that make every aspect of RV living more comfortable.

Parking Chocks

Together with levelling blocks, you can get parking chocks as well as a complete parking-assist set. A travel trailer doesn’t have any kind of automatic brakes, and this is where these chocks come into play: they keep a rig from rolling away when parked. 

There are a variety of materials, which creates the different price points. Plastic and rubber chocks are cheaper, available at around $10 to under $30 for a pack of two. Or you can pay between $30 and $60 for a pair of advanced metal chocks like the X-Chock Wheel Stabilizer.  

Wireless Charger

A charger is undoubtedly a must-have for anyone born in the 21st century, even though you might argue that it’s not essential when a camper should be spending time outdoors and not using techy gadgets. Still, it would make very cool gifts for RV owners and car owners, or anyone with a high-end smartphone really. A wireless charger can be used by any companion inside a rig, and most of the latest models of smartphones these days have wireless charging capabilities. 

You have a wide variety to choose from when it comes to wireless charger. From $20 to $40, you can get a durable, sleek charger for both iPhone or Android smartphone using the Qi industry standard. 

One of the many wireless car chargers that get good reviews on Amazon is by CHOETECH. This CHOETECH’s accessory doubles as an excellent smartphone mount with landscape and portrait mode. 

RV WiFi Booster

Even the most outdoorsy adventurers who love to boondock would need wifi from time to time for checking maps, checking weather forecasts or getting updated with the news. Getting strong, reliable wifi on the open road used to be a constant headache for every camper, since parking a mile away from the router in huge RV parks typically means weak wifi or no signal at all. Another concern is that wifi in these public campgrounds is unsecured and always plagued with security issues.

But not any more. An RV wifi booster would be one of the most practical and much needed gifts for RV owners that you can think of. A favourite in the RV community is the nifty Netgear, which can boost the WiFi coverage toto 1,200 square feet and support up to 20 devices simultaneously to create stronger, more reliable signals. 

Another important feature is connection encryption to protect you from the unsecured wifi signals you’ll be connected to on the road. The best models are designed to withstand the harsh elements too.

Pet Fence

Any camper with pets would love this pet fence as a gift, since they won’t be able to take their pets with them all day all the time. Instead of getting holed up in a locked rig, their pets would definitely prefer being able to roam outside. Pet fences for camping typically fold up for compact storage and can be flexibly shaped to fit in any campsite.

Watt Meter

This is a simple but fun and handy gadget that would make a fantastic present for an RV enthusiast dad. It is especially useful while boondocking and using solar power, since it can check how much electricity an electronic appliance draws, so you can control your power consumption when energy supply is limited. No camper would want the blow hair dryer to be shut off the moment another companion turns on the bathroom light.

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Practical RV Gifts: The Essentials

RV Battery Charger

Most RVs come with a built-in battery charging system. That said, there have been countless campers who noticed that their factory battery chargers were not reliable and tend to undercharge or overcharge the battery, thus damaging them in the long run. This is more likely to happen in older rigs. 

And since the battery system costs a lot to replace and a malfunctioning or deteriorating battery can cause a great deal of troubles when you’re out camping, getting a good RV battery charger is crucial. If your camper friend or family member owns an older RV and/or they tend to go on long trips in remote places, a reliable battery charger would be the most thoughtful and practical gift that can make a huge difference in their RV living.

Aftermarket RV battery chargers can ensure safe and efficient charging without undercharging or overcharging, both of which are detrimental to the health of the battery. In addition to maximizing the battery’s lifespan, they also minimize energy consumption by converting energy up to a few thousand times faster than the typical built-in charging system. 

There seems to be a million options for this product, all of which are compact, lightweight, and portable. But for starters, you can consider the BLACK+DECKER battery chargers with built-in circuit protection guards against overcharging, a model that receives raving reviews by veteran campers, or the NOCO Genius Chargers that comes with a built-in battery desulfator to rejuvenate underperforming batteries. 

Air Compressor

An RV air compressor isn’t a very sexy gift, but it’s a practical one and whoever you give it to will be thankful. Having a blowout and getting stranded in the middle of nowhere is not fun when camping on the open road, and also improperly inflated tires would lead to uneven and excessive tire wear. An air compressor is crucial to ensure tire health and avoid costly premature replacement.  

RV Surge Protector + RV Water Pressure Regulator (Gift Them As a Set!)

Any full-time RVer who often uses the electrical hookups at RV parks and campgrounds need a solid surge protector as an insurance for their RV’s electronics. It is not a good-to-have item. It is hands down an absolute must have if one wants to rid the mind of the constant fear of roasting their rig’s electrical system. 

The power outlet at RV campgrounds can be plagued with unknown problems, and no one wants to deal with such risks. For example, the voltage might be too low or the outlet might be wired incorrectly. Also, in case of a lightning strike, the outlet might feed sudden electrical spikes to an RV’s system. 

All of the above issues will wreak havoc on the electronics, as electronic appliances require a consistent level of voltage to operate safely. To safeguard against these problems, an RV surge protector detects them and shuts down when the voltage is at dangerously low or high levels, thus preventing problematic electrical sources from reaching an RV’s electronics. 

To use an RV surge protector, simply plug it into the hookup or power source at the campground, then plug the rig’s cable into the surge protector.

Similar to the problematic power source at campgrounds, unusually high water pressure is another huge headache that can blow out the water system on a travel trailer. Even in less serious cases, higher than normal water pressure can cause extra stress and will eventually lead to leaks in an RV’s water line.

Leaks are one of the most serious RV problems that are time-consuming to detect and fix. Thus if you decide to give a surge protector as a gift, you can add a water pressure regulator on top of that, so your camper friend will be protected from campground risks. Some campgrounds do have the pressure regulated on their water source, but it’s always better to have insurance. 

A reliable water pressure regulator can be had for $15-$60. A best seller is Camco’s all-brass water pressure regulator, offered at about $17. 

A Quiet Generator with Remote Start

An RV generator is a must-have equipment for full-time RVing (ideally a quiet one with remote start), since there will be times when one doesn’t get access to RV campground hookups. It supplies power to an RV while boondocking.

The top choices in this category are no doubt the generators by Japanese makers Yamaha and Honda, although they are quite pricey at $800 and above. Champion and a few other brands including Predators offer more affordable options, typically from $400 to under $700. A reasonably priced yet powerful and quiet option to give away as a wonderful gift is the Champion 75537i generator. It comes with a remote key fob so there’s no need to leave the rig to go outside and start the generator. 

Roadside Rescue Kit

Hopefully, these roadside rescue kits won’t ever need to be used, but every camper should own one of these just to be prepared at all times for all sorts of emergencies from minor injuries to. It includes a basic first aid kit for treating minor injuries from excursions in the wild as well as an array of tools to deal with RV breakdown, including roadside warning signs, tow strap, jumper cables, flashlight, and much more. Gift a peace of mind.

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RV Gifts For a Cozy, At-Home Feel

Hardy Indoor Plant Pots and Succulents

No worries if you don’t know the first thing about gardening or taking care of plants. Two or three succulents in small (ideally non-breakable) flower pots are a simple way to add a burst of greenery to your RV interior. Succulents originate in arid climate conditions, so they require minimal water and sunlight – and typically last well beyond camping season.

Carpets, Curtains, Cushions, Throws, Bed Linens

It’s surprising how a new carpet, a new set of curtains, or some cushions and throws for the living room, or a new bedding set can breathe new life into the interior space of an RV, add more warmth and liveliness, and make the motorhome feel more like home. Although these are not exactly unique gifts for RV owners, something durable, beautiful and cozy would always be welcomed, and even if your RV enthusiast friend already has these, there’s no harm in having aesthetically pleasing sets to rotate to freshen up their living space.

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Lastly: If The RV Owner Is So Picky You Don’t Dare To Buy Them Gift

Amazon and Target Gift Card

A practical solution in case you do care, but don’t know what to gift them without asking them what they need, or don’t have the time to browse through the reviews to pick out something of high quality that they would definitely use, or the person you want to gift is simply very picky. Amazon and Target offers everything on earth and both have a huge selection of things to perfect the home, so get a gift card and your RV enthusiast friend can order just what they need.

National Parks Pass

If you think a gift card seems to be lacking thoughtfulness, get a US National Parks Annual Pass that only costs $80 instead. This would be an awesome gifts for RV owners that every camper would appreciate, especially if national parks are their cup of tea. 

This gives an entire year of access to all sites managed by the National Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation in the United States. $80 is such a steal, since park entrance fees cost about $20 per single visit. So the pass just pays for 4 visits, and after that everything would be free for an entire year!