Debra is a full-time RVer who has traveled coast to coast looking for the cutest bookstores and the perfect cup of chai. She and her husband enjoy creating community on the road by meeting up with friends or finding new ones enroute. They love sharing their adventures and making friends here at The Virtual Campground and sharing Barry’s great photography.
After five years of full-time RVing, we have found a few things that make life easier or more joyful. They make for great gifts for yourself or for any of your RVing friends. Note that we supply links to Amazon and other vendors so you can easily find and purchase them. Click on the image or linked wording to see the item online. As affiliates, we do make a small commission at no cost to you on some products. Thank you for using the links to support The Virtual Campground!
For the Newer RVer
Fix It Yourself – This online and downloadable course created by a RV Tech teaches you how to maintain and fix the systems in your RV. Great for new RVers and for those who want to feel more confident in their travels. The eight modules cover systems such as batteries, propane, roof and tire maintenance, and slides. Using language you can understand, this course was created with the everyday RVer in mind. If you know what a screwdriver is, you’re going to be a campground rockstar by the end of the course. The information is presented in bite-sized modules so you can easily use what you need and you can even download it for easy access while working on your rig. The course comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. Learn more here.
Surge Protector – There are a few things that every RVer needs but this one might be the most important (ok, sewer hoses are pretty important!). After experiencing a few hot days with no electricity after having an issue, we know the surge protector at least saved us from a total electrical blowout. We use the 50A Surge Guard Portable Total Electrical Protection from TechnoRV, but they have several to choose from.
Great introductory book – Marc and Julie Bennett compiled one of the best books for a newbie RVer, but it is also great for those us more experienced RVers too. Full of great ideas compiled from their experience with input from a lot of experienced RVers, you are sure to find a few hacks that you had not considered! Check out our interview with them to hear a few of the best.
Harvest Hosts – We love this membership which allows you to stay in unique places for a night for only the price of a dinner or a purchase. We use it all the time. I love the extra boost of a fun adventure it adds to your journey. For first time members, they are offering a special sale during Black Friday.
GPS – I admit that I am a bit of a nervous passenger. I know that we are shorter than that upcoming bridge, but I still flinch a bit when we are approaching. I feel sos much better knowing that we use a GPS made for RVers and truckers. You insert your RV dimensions and it routes you appropriately. It has does a much better job of calculating the travel time since we will not always be doing the average speed of the cars that Google maps uses. You can see Barry’s review of the Garmin RV 890 GPS that we use. Another find from TechnoRV.
For the Decorator
Outdoor tablecloth – I love to set up the outside area to be a second living room. It makes me smile each time we return to the rig. LITO has beautiful designs that last. And I recently got the solar lanterns which I think are so cute and add a nice touch.
Footrest – Apparently, I am a bit shorter than I thought because outdoor chairs seem to hit me at the wrong spot. To make it more comfortable, Barry got me an inflatable footrest which makes it so much better. It adds a nice dash of color and is easy to deflate for easy storage. A big plus for RVers who have limited room.
Peel and Stick Wallpaper – If you have been with us for a while, you know how much I love using peel and stick to brighten up our rig. I am not a RV renovator but this kind of wallpaper makes it easy to make our place look nice. You can find a variety of colors and patterns on Amazon or Wallpop, including a few that work on cabinets.
For the Adventurer
National Park Pass – If. you RV, you will eventually end up at a National Park. And having the America the Beautiful Pass is a great way to shorten your wait time for entry to the Parks, but support this amazing system of conserving some of the most beautiful places we have in America. And did you know that once you turn 62, you are eligible for the lifetime pass? At least there is one benefit for getting older.
SUP or kayak – We love our inflatable SUP and kayak. It is so fun to find campgrounds near lakes and use them to get out on the water.
For the Reader
Books – I love to read! Everywhere we go, I visit the local independent bookstore. It is a great way to discover a new book and get a bit of local flavor. Of course, we love many of our other author friends like Alyssa Padgett who has written several books on RVing. This year, we also met a RVer who writes cozy mysteries. Karen has several series and I have been working my way through the Frannie Shoemaker series.
Book Clubs – For the RVer who misses belonging to a book club discussion, I really enjoy this virtual book club, Modern Mrs. Darcy. Another idea is a gift certificate for Libro.fm, a great audio book source where you can designate the independent book store to benefit from your purchases.
Book Darts – I love marking up books but know that lots of people do not like to write in their books. These book darts are the best option I have found for marking passages or pages you want to remember. They stay in and point directly to what you want to re-read.
For the Chefs
Instant Pot – We love using our instant pot. It is such an easy way to make dinner especially last minute. We have several favorite dishes that don’t heat up the rig.
Blackstone – This is the newest addition to our cooking line-up. And I love it when Barry fires it up to cook up bacon and make breakfast.
This is just a small sampling of great options for gift-giving. I would love to hear your ideas in the comments below!
Oooh those book darts are pretty cool!
I really like them and use them often!