Here’s the scene: you’re working your way down your holiday shopping list when you get to that family member who travels in an RV full time. You panic: what exactly does someone who lives in a tiny home on wheels actually want? Would this option even be practical? You need gift ideas for RV living.
It can be tricky to shop for someone who’s adopted RV living, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the lifestyle. But rest assured: there’s plenty of gift ideas out there that are perfect for full time travelers. And there’s ideas for every interest!
As full time travelers ourselves, Mitch and I put together this 40-item RV Living Gift Guide to give you some inspiration on your hunt for a great gift. We recommend browsing the Table of Contents to get started.
Too long!? Don’t want to read!? No worries! We set up an Amazon storefront so you can browse the gift ideas we shared here (at least the ones available on Amazon). Happy gifting!
Affiliate Disclosures
We never accept payment for reviews. We’ve got personal experience with most of the gift ideas on this list and we only recommend gifts we’d love to get again or actually believe in.
There are affiliate links included throughout this gift guide. If you choose to buy something using a link we’ve shared here, we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Your purchases help us create more content like this. And we really appreciate your support! Learn more in our disclosures.
How This Gift Guide is Organized
We broke the items in the guide out into 4 categories to help you find gift ideas that are most relevant for the person you’re shopping for and the occasion you’re celebrating:
- Outdoorsy Gifts (birthday/holiday gift ideas)
- Educational Gifts (gifts for the whole family)
- Functional Gifts (housewarming gifts)
- Experience Gifts (birthday/holiday gifts)
Within each category, we organized the gifts by general price ranges, starting with the most budget-friendly options. These are general guidelines to help you understand what you might spend, not guarantees. There’s a ton of variability out there, and while we did our homework, we couldn’t possibly capture every scenario.
Outdoorsy Gift Ideas for RV Living
There’s a good chance that the full time RVers in your life love the great outdoors. These gift ideas will help them make the most of their time with nature.
Roasting Sticks
Price Range: $10 – $30
Roasting hotdogs and marshmallows over the fire is a camping classic. That’s why roasting sticks are a thoughtful, practical gift idea four nature lovers. And when you’re RV living, you don’t just need roasting sticks. You also need a simple, compact way to store them when they’re not in use.
That’s why we love these marshmallow roasting sticks from Jolly Green Products. They come with a heat-resistant carry case so when you’re done roasting, you can safely store them away until next time.
Hammocks
Price Range: $20 – $40
Is there anything better than laying in a hammock surrounded by nature? We definitely don’t think so!
Hammocks are another practical gift for the nature lovers in your life. We particularly love the Bear Butt camping hammocks we bought ourselves for Christmas last year because they’re durable, reliable, and easy to store in a small living space.
Outdoor Games
Price Range: $20 – $50
We absolutely love outdoor games! In fact, most of the gifts we’ve given our kids on the road have been outdoor games. Our favorites so far are badminton, ring toss, and this simple catch ball set. If our son is still into disc golf next year, this disc set is definitely going on his Christmas list.
When shopping for full time travelers, remember: size matters. Avoid purchasing games that have large components, tons of little parts, or don’t fit nicely into a compact carrying case.
REI Co-op Membership (Gift Card)
Price: $30 (as of August 2022)
We love REI. During our first 10 months on the road, we bought hiking boots, camping chairs, winter gear, outerwear, and a cute puzzle from there.
And at just $30 for a lifetime membership, it’s a gift that travels with us. It feels fun and familiar to be able to swing into an REI no matter where we are in the country. Here’s a few reasons why we’re glad we’re REI Co-op members:
- They don’t sell crap. The outdoor gear they offer is quality you can trust.
- They’re customer service is the best. We’ve always been so well taken care of.
- We get discounts on equipment rentals and 10% cash back on purchases all year.
The best way to buy a membership for someone else is to buy them a $30 gift card that they can use at checkout to purchase their own membership. Check out all their fun gift card designs.
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Folding Outdoor Knives
Price Range: $15 – $80
Every camper should have good folding outdoor knives on hand.
That’s why when my friend gifted me an Opinel knife right before we set out on our cross-country adventure, it instantly made the short list of personal items from the house that wouldn’t be sent to live in storage.
Fishing Equipment
Price Range: $30 – $60
I think the picture below is worth more words than I could ever write in this section, so I’ll keep it short. Even if the full time traveler you love has never fished before, entry-level fishing equipment is a great gift idea that will keep them having fun all year long.
We’re big fans of these starter sets we got for the kids last Christmas. It’s got everything new fishermen need to get started with the hobby. And they offer a money back guarantee, so if you aren’t satisfied with the gear, you can always return it.
CamelBak Hydration Packs
Price Range: $40 – $100
CamelBak hydration packs were another gift we got ourselves last Christmas. And we can’t say enough good things about them!
It’s so much easier to stay hydrated on the trails when you’re not lugging around a massive water bottle. And they’re pretty easy to keep clean and refill. Plus, there’s additional room for light snacks or a hitchhiker like Barbie.
Camping Chairs
Price Range: $50 – $100
Being a full time traveler means that the entire world is your living room. And when the entire world is your living room, it just makes sense to invest in a camping chair you love.
We were gifted 2 REI Co-op Camp Xtra Chairs as a housewarming gift when we were we just starting out on our full time travel adventure. And we still love them! They’re huge, extra comfortable, and durable.
Pro tip: my family gifted us these camping chairs while we were in town visiting. Instead of buying chairs they thought we’d like, they took us to REI and let us test out a bunch of different chairs. I still think about that time we spent together every time we pull these chairs out!
Hiking Boots
Price Range: $50 – $200
I’m at home in nature, so maybe I’m biased, but a new pair of hiking boots is one of the most romantic gifts I can think of. It suggests: let’s go for a walk and do nothing except experience the beauty of nature together. Feel free to grab that sentence and write in your partner’s anniversary card. You’re welcome.
I’m a huge fan of Merrell’s Moab hiking boots. But I’ll admit, I’m not the most experienced hiker, so here’s a guide we like on the best hiking boots to help you make the best decision for you.
Pop-Up Gazebo Shelters
Price Range: $200 – $500
Space is limited when you live in an RV. And nobody wants to stay cooped up in the camper when it’s raining or when the mosquitos are getting a little too intense.
Portable gazebo shelters give your loved one more living space that’s protected from the elements. And since they can be folded down and packed away when not in use, they make a practical gift for RV living.
There are many outdoor gazebos on the market, but our favorite (by far!) is the Quick-Set by CLAM gazebo shelter. We’ve had ours for almost a year and we love it because it:
- Pops up and folds back down in minutes
- Is spacious enough for our family of 4 (but they also come in smaller sizes!)
- Is reliable and durable enough to handle frequent use
Educational Gift Ideas for RV Living
Whether you’re shopping for kids or lifelong learners, educational gifts are so much fun and will definitely be appreciated on the road.
Outschool Gift Cards
Price Range: Your Call
If you’re shopping for kids, Outschool is such a great option. This online learning platform lets you search for classes based on your kids’ interests, ages, schedules and more. Josie has been loving her weekly Minecraft club on Outschool. Lee’s getting ready for an escape room group activity.
You can purchase gift cards on Outschool and schedule them to arrive via email at a specific date and time.
If you’ve got kids of your own and want to try Outschool before you buy, we’ve got you covered! Get a $20 credit to try out your first Outschool class when you use our referral link.
Books on Outdoors Skills
Price Range: $10 – $30
We live pretty much nonstop in some of our country’s most beautiful and wild places: state and national parks, national forests, national seashores, and national recreation areas. There’s no better way to learn outdoor skills.
Our family is particularly interested in foraging, reading nature’s signs, and campfire conversations right now.
Audible Subscription
Price Range: $15 – $150
I was already an Audible fan before we set off on our cross country adventure. I loved spending mornings, evenings, and weekends outside in the garden with an audiobook on in the background.
So once we had to put most of our books into a storage unit, Audible became that much more important (we use Kindle more often now too!). I listen to books after the kids go to bed. And the whole family loved listening to the Wizard of Oz as we drove through Kansas.
You can buy Audible Premium Plus gift memberships directly on Amazon. With subscription lengths of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year, there’s an option for every budget!
Travel Map Vinyl Stickers
Price Range: $15 – $40
One of the first gifts we got from a friend after we announced our full time travel plans was a travel map vinyl sticker. It’s so fun adding another state to the map as we travel across the country. What I love about this gift idea is that there are cute options in every budget range.
Don’t forget to check Etsy for even more custom travel map sticker options (like this one – how cute?!).
Books or Apps About Stargazing
Price Range: $5 – $50
We regularly find ourselves living in some pretty remote places. With light pollution out of the picture, the night sky becomes an even more vibrant learning opportunity for kids and adults alike.
There are awesome pocket guides, books on stargazing, and low-cost, high-quality apps (on the App Store and Google Play) for gifts that work across various budgets.
Tappity Subscription
Price Range: $5 – $35
This gift idea is for the science-loving kids in your life! The kids love having the Tappity science app downloaded on their tablets for travel days, rainy days, and lazy days. No tablets? No problem. You can also play Tappity on desktop computers.
Tappity offers 100s of interactive science lessons (with new content launching each week) across a huge volume of topics. The kids love it because they can interact with the teachers and other students in real time using polls and other features.
Tappity doesn’t offer gift cards (at least not at the time of this writing), so giving the gift of Tappity might be a bit of a challenge. But at around $6/month, a $36 gift card will cover half a year’s subscription and give your loved one plenty of travel day entertainment.
Nature Journaling Supplies
Price Range: $20 – $100
Recording the experiences you have with nature is such a beautiful way to grow your respect for Mother Earth. Enter: nature journaling.
To get started, all your loved one really needs is a sketchbook, a writing utensil, and some time to sit still in nature. If you have a little more room in the budget, John Muir Laws has a couple great books, one for older readers and one for teaching kids to nature journal.
And this nature journal specifically for birdwatching is going on my personal birthday wishlist!
Self-Contained Art Supplies
Price Range: $20 – $100
Our kids love finding painted rocks left behind by campers who came before us. So we definitely need paint and paint brushes with us on the road so we can do some painting of our own. We keep them (and our other art supplies) in a storage container under the Murphy bed in our travel trailer.
If you’re going to buy a gift like art supplies (with lots of parts and pieces), it’s super important to buy a container, too. Without a container, the gift will be difficult to manage on travel day.
We found this awesome turnkey kit on Etsy that would be make such a fun and thoughtful gift for kids.
Camp Board Game
Price: $30 (as of August 2022)
We discovered this board game while staying at Caddo Lake State Park in northeastern Texas (ps. Caddo Lake state park is on our list of best state parks in eastern Texas!). And it was an instant family favorite.
Our favorite thing about Camp is that players of all ages and abilities can have fun at once! The game is basically great outdoors trivia, but with 4 separate levels of play. Younger plays can respond to easier clues while the adults learn things they never knew before using level 4 clues.
Basic Yoga Tools
Price Range: $20 – $100
I love indoor yoga. But there’s something really special about practicing yoga in some of the most beautiful wild places on Earth that takes the edge off of the stress that comes with day-to-day life. I cherish moments like that and hope to include even more of them as we begin camping off grid out west in a couple weeks.
A simple yoga mat and a yoga block are an excellent way to help someone get started on a beautiful yoga practice (what a gift!). And while I haven’t personally tried this one, I’m buying myself the UpCircleSeven Yoga Wheel with the first $40 I make off of commissions from writing this blog post (thanks, readers!).
Functional Gift Ideas for RV Living
Sometimes the best gifts you can get for someone else are the things they need that are no fun to buy for yourself. That’s where functional gifts really shine.
Money For Gas or DIY Projects
Price Range: Your Call
Gas cards may sound like a super boring gift idea. But I think most full time RVers would agree: giving someone a gas card is like giving them more freedom to explore and roam. I can’t think of a better gift than that!
We’ve been lucky so far. We haven’t had to do too much in the way of RV repairs. Mitch has replaced a sink and done a couple other small things here and there.
But still, we expect some DIY repair and aesthetic projects to come up eventually and it’d be fun to have a little extra saved up when the time is right to tackle them.
Fire Starter Kit
Price Range: $10 – $20
Our kids loved learning how to get fires started during the first part of our trip out east. Fire safety is such an important skill for anyone to have and that’s why it’s a functional gift that’s extra thoughtful.
It’s also budget friendly! You don’t need any fancy equipment. A simple magnesium fire starter is all you need to start learning these skills.
Sticker Collection and/or Photo Albums
Price Range: $10 – $50
Photo albums make a great gift idea for full time travelers. We don’t personally store our photos in albums while traveling right now, but we’re getting ready to start a sticker collection in a photo album (we don’t want to lose all the stickers we’ve collected on our travels if/when we part ways with the RV).
So whether your loved one is into storing photos or stickers in memory albums, this is a super practical gift that will keep them smiling for years to come.
String Lights
Price Range: $15 – $30
When we sold our house in October, I was worried about how the family would do without a big Christmas tree in the family room and a big house decked out in lights.
But by the time we hit the road in November, I’d seen enough inspiration in Facebook groups to know that our camper would be a total Christmas vibe come December. And it really was.
But the fun doesn’t stop after Christmas when you travel in an RV full time. If we’re in a campground that offers electricity, you can bet we’ve got the string lights up at least 50% of the time.
Electronic Toll Pass
Price Range: $10 – $100
Having an E-ZPass or an I-PASS will make it more convenient to pay the tolls in several states (mostly located in the eastern half of the country).
E-ZPass and I-PASS can be used at tolls in the following states: Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Florida, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Deleware, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Maine. Georgia is coming soon!
Purchase a transponder and load it up with money for their first couple passes through the toll booth. It’s a totally practical gift that’s also super thoughtful, especially for travelers in the eastern half of the country.
Rooftop Vent Covers
Price Range: $30 – $80
A rooftop vent cover may not sound like the most exciting gift in the world. But this is a super practical, thoughtful gift. Here’s why: we’re able to have our large exhaust fan (and all that air movement) on even when it’s raining outside. We can even keep the vents open while we’re driving.
We chose the MAXXAIR vent covers because they’re the ones our RV dealership had in stock when we picked up the RV. We’ve been really happy with them! Just make sure you keep the receipt handy these in case the recipient prefers a different model for their rig.
Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Price Range: $50 – $250
My mom got Mitch this Le Creuset dutch oven last Christmas. And we’re all so happy that he has it! Some of the best meals he’s made on the trip have been cooked over the campfire this way.
If you’re looking for a gift for a person who’s the head chef aboard the RV, this one could be just the thing. The paint may burn off the dutch oven if you use it over a fire, but for us, that just adds to the charm.
Electric Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot)
Price Range: $80 – $200
My boss gifted us a 6-quart Instant Pot electric pressure cooker and we’ve quickly grown to love cooking with it. It makes great food; Josie requested Instant Pot mac & cheese for her birthday dinner and it was such a special treat (we don’t have an oven in our camper).
Mitch also loves how accessible it makes some of our favorite meals. Pot roast is our favorite example. Pot roast is something that we used to have to cook overnight. But with an Instant Pot on board you can throw together a delicious pot roast in one afternoon!
Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Price Range: $150 – $300
When you live in a tiny home surrounded by nature, the inside of your camper is going to get messy. This super practical gift will definitely be appreciated on the road.
Our cordless vacuum cleaner has a small footprint, making it a good fit for the full time RV lifestyle. We love it because it makes it really easy to clean up the camper at the end of the day. It runs on battery power so you don’t have to worry about having it plugged in.
Plus, it has a removable hand vacuum, which we love for cleaning out the truck.
Backup Camera
Price Range: $150 – $600
We love our backup camera because it makes it so much easier to get into back-in campsites. The camera captures sound so I can get out of the truck and direct Mitch into the campsite without needing to yell. We deserve an A for effort on being kind and respectful neighbors to our fellow humans in nature, am I right?
This gift idea falls into one of those purchase categories that isn’t completely required for RV living, but it definitely makes things a bit easier when you’re on the road. Another point for practical and thoughtful gifts!
Experience Gift Ideas for RV Living
Mitch and I absolutely believe that experiences are so much greater than things. Give your loved one the gift of a memory that will last a lifetime.
Movie Theater Tickets
Price Range: $15 – $60
Who doesn’t love a good trip to the movie theater to see the latest and greatest? We definitely do! Even though we have movie nights at the camper quite often, there’s something about getting into a theater that feels special to us as full time travelers.
Grab an AMC gift card and send your loved one(s) to enjoy a movie night out on the town.
Fishing Licenses
Price Range: $20 – $40
We got spoiled spending the winter in eastern Texas, a state that allows fishing without a license from shores and docks inside their state parks. Mitch and I can easily spend a whole afternoon fishing, especially if there’s a park for the kids to play at within eyeshot.
But not all states allow fishing without a license. In fact, most don’t allow it. Learn more about how fishing licenses vary by state. Find out where the gift recipient is headed and surprise them with a fishing license. They’ll thank you for the experience!
Tickets to Sporting Events
Price Range: $20 – $80
One of the big perks of the full time travel lifestyle is that you can literally live wherever you want. If you want to go see the Red Sox play in Boston, you can find a campground nearby and make it happen.
If you’re shopping for a sports fan, get an idea of their planned route and surprise them with tickets. Or you could get a Visa gift card and let them choose the game for themselves!
Concert Tickets
Price Range: $20 – $80
Similarly, concert tickets are great for the music fans on your list. If you aren’t confident enough in their taste or their planned route to actually buy tickets, you could always go the Mastercard gift card route and let them choose their own adventure.
America the Beautiful National Parks Annual Pass
Price: $80 (as of August 2022)
One of the first gifts we got when we announced our travel plans was an America the Beautiful National Parks pass. This is such a great gift because it gets you into more than 2,000 recreation areas managed by the National Park Service, the Forest Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service (to name a few) for free.
You can learn more about the America the Beautiful National Parks Annual Pass on the US Geological Survey’s website.
Tours
Price Range: $20 – $250+
Some of our favorite experiences so far have been tours from local experts. Our favorite tour of the trip so far was the dolphin watch and snorkel tour by Honest Eco Tours.
Tours are super fun, but they aren’t something we can afford to do all the time as full time travelers (when you live in an RV full time, every day can’t be a vacation, unless you have deep pocketbooks). So a tour experience is definitely something that the full time travelers in your life will appreciate.
There are lots of fun websites to explore to find tours and activities in areas you know they’ll be visiting. Check out the experience Get Your Guide offers.
Reciprocal Zoo and Aquarium Passes
Price Range: $40 – $165
If your loved ones enjoy zoos and aquariums, consider a membership with an organization that offers discounted admissions to 100s of zoos, aquariums, and science centers nationwide with an AZA or ASTC Passport reciprocity program.
We don’t have a membership like this yet, but it’s definitely going on our family’s wishlist this year. We’re eyeing the membership gift certificate from the Western North Carolina Nature Center.
Reciprocal Museum Passes
Price Range: $80 – $165
Just like the reciprocal membership programs offered by zoos and aquariums, the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) offers free admissions to 1,000+ other museums in the network with certain membership levels.
We’re considering getting a Family Plus membership from Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites so that we can take advantage of sites across the country.
CityPASS
Price Range: $80 – $500+
We’ve never used CityPASS (we tend to camp more in remote areas than near big cities), but if the full time travelers in your life are visiting any of the cities currently in CityPass’s network, this experience gift would definitely be a hit.
Depending on the city they are visiting and the number of people you’re buying passes for, a CityPASS gift can range greatly in price. Take a look at their website to get a better feel for your options.
Theme Park Tickets
Price Range: Your Call
Mitch’s parents gifted us a family vacation to Disney World last year. We called it the Most Magical Experience Gift on Earth. We made priceless memories watching the kids experience Disney World for the first time with their grandparents, uncle, aunt, and cousins. We couldn’t be more thankful!
Here are daily, per person ticket prices on some of the most common theme parks in the US (and here’s the study I referenced for this research – it’s fascinating if you’re into it!):
- Tropic Falls at OWA in Alabama: $22.50 / person / day
- Six Flags Great America in Illinois: $45 / person / day
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Florida: $100 / person / day
- Universal Studios Florida: $129 / person / day
- Disney World Theme Parks in Florida: $129 / person / day
- Disney California Adventure Park: $149 / person / day
We hope the RV Living Gift Guide left you with plenty of gift ideas and inspiration so you can cross that full time traveler off your shopping list. We explored 4 categories of ideas:
- Outdoorsy Gifts (birthday/holiday gift ideas)
- Educational Gifts (gifts for the whole family)
- Functional Gifts (housewarming gifts)
- Experience Gifts (birthday/holiday gifts)
Tell us which of these gift ideas you like best in the comments! And, if you have a gift idea that you think we need to add to our list, get in touch with us!
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