Last week we spent some time talking about gifts for our favorite RVers, whether they’re summer campers and road-trippers, or full-time RV lifestylers. Since RVing is all about the simple pleasures to be had with family and friends, we think DIY gifts are especially perfect this time of year, and we’ve got fun ideas for RV organization, boondocking, travelling with pets and upping your RV technology game.
Gifts That Help with RV Organization
One of the big challenges of RV living, whether you’re doing it full time or just on camping trips, is finding the right places and systems to properly store all the important gear. RV kitchens and outside storage can be particularly problematic because they’re generally deep and it’s easy to either over-stuff them or lose things in their depths. An inexpensive DIY gift for your favorite RVer that would be much appreciated might involve a “gift certificate” for a few hours of your time to help add organizational systems. Give the certificate along with a package of simple DIY fixes like magnetic strips that will mount to a wall and hold kitchen knives; bakeware organizers that can fit in a cupboard and add vertical storage; stackable see-through plastic bins to make better use of cupboards for drygoods or outside storage areas. Other useful items might include a pegboard panel and hooks to make a place on a wall for hanging pots, pans and utensils. Or how about brackets to mount on the ceiling and walls of exterior storage bins for tools, hoses and other long items? Check out our blog Keeping Your RV Organized: Some Tips from the Pros to get great ideas. And remember, different RVs have different organizational challenges; be sure to Google ideas (for instance, here’s a great blog on organizing RV/campers). Your time and love is the real gift.
Gifts for 4-Season RVing and Boondocking
If your favorite RVer loves boondocking or snow-camping, you can have some real fun on the gift giving front. If you’re ready to spend a little money, this would be the category to consider it.
Solar panels are a great gift for boondockers and anyone who’s going someplace where they’ll get some winter sun. We’re glad to help you figure out which type of panel is best—we can install a permanent solar panel on an RV or guide you in the direction of a portable model that can live in basement storage and be pulled out when it’s sunny. A generator is another item that can make boondocking and winter camping downright pleasant; again, we can help guide you in the right direction. Contact our Service Department with questions.
On the DIY front, there are some useful items that you can make if you’re the craftsy type. For instance, removable, insulating covers for RV doors, windows and overhead vent openings, made out of heavy fabric, will go a long ways toward keeping your favorite RVers toasty warm on a winter’s night.
Gifts for RVers Travelling with Pets
Pets can make great RVers, and they deserve a little holiday love just like the rest of us. We’ve written before about RVing with Pets: Ways to Make Sure Everyone’s a Happy Camper, and there’s some good insight there about gifts for RVers who travel with animals. As tempting as it might be to buy chew-bones, cat toys and dog beds, remember to make sure those things would be welcome and are needed. If you aren’t sure, stick to smaller, easily packable items like a new collar, leash or harness. If your favorite RVer has enough storage room, a pet playpen might also be a much appreciated gift for pets who can’t be completely trusted to not wander off.
A perfect DIY gift for RVing pet owners is a pet emergency kit! Follow the Humane Society of America’s guidelines, and be sure to include a photo of the pet(s) and the phone number to the ASPCA Poison Control Center. Pack it all into a conveniently sized, waterproof box.
RV Technology Gifts!
Some people love technology, and others… well, not so much. If you’ve got an RVer in your life who loves all things tech, then you need to check out our blog on RV Lifestyle: Technology Makes RVing Even Better. Again, you’ve got to be careful of buying items that will only be in the way and difficult to pack. But items like a small, portable solar panel—for instance, these made by Goal Zero—that will charge your USB devices, as well as a whole variety of camping lights, are ultra-light, super portable and will store beneath a seat or under a mattress with no problem.
A small digital media player might also be a great gift idea if your favorite RVers are having a hard time streaming media. There are a lot of choices out there, but Winnebagogolife.com has a handy blog to walk you through your RV options: GoGear: RVer’s Guide to Streaming Media.
And if you’re looking for a totally unique DIY gift for your tech-y RVer, check out these portable smartphone projector projects over at YouTube. They’re sure to bring smiles when your RV friends project a movie on the travel trailer wall.
As we roll toward the end of 2016, we’re looking forward to a holiday season filled with RVing. If we can be of any help in your RVing plans, let us know.
Image Credit – LenDog64
