Top gifts for RVers who already have everything
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Last year as the holidays approached, we had a long list of RV-related items on our wishlist. This brought about many strange conversations with our family and friends who had never RVed in their lives. Conversations that went something like, "I don't know what the heck it is, but it's on your list so I bought it for you." Our response: "Oh, thanks! It's a sewer hose extension, for when we're parked too far away from the sewer connection and need more hose." Not exactly the conversation people want to have at the Christmas dinner table, but it's all part of living our dream on the road!
There are a lot of lists out there about RV essentials: items you should have on-hand before taking your first RV trip. But, if you have a loved one who RVs and you're stuck figuring out what to buy, we have a few products that we've found useful, but that are a little more "off the beaten path for RVers."
For the chef:
Last week we talked about our top 3 small appliances for cooking in our RV. While any of those would be a great gift, we've gotta hand our top slot to the Presto Pizzazz Plus rotating pizza oven. This little oven takes up barely any space in the kitchen and it's super versatile. We have cooked so much more than just pizza on this little oven, even making fresh-baked cookies on more than one occasion! We see ourselves as pretty serious cooks, so we weren't sure that this appliance would hold up or if it was just a cheap product, but we've had ours for a year now and love it. Even if you're not a foodie, the Pizzazz is so easy to use! You don't need to worry about setting specific temperatures. Just plop your food on the tray and turn the time dial. If you want to get a teensy bit fancy, you can choose to run both the top and bottom heating elements, or just one or the other. Even kids can operate this appliance (just keep the little ones away when the tray gets hot!); their faces will light up getting to watch their pizza cook on the rotating tray.
A newer purchase for our kitchen is the TidyBoard Meal Prep System. We wanted a solution to our minimal counterspace and thought it would be helpful to have the meal prep containers built right into the cutting board. The board also comes with two strainers, and all the containers and strainers are collapsible, saving valuable space in the RV. We actually ended up shaving the edges of our board down so it would fit perfectly snug in our sink, but depending on the RV, this board might fit over the sink perfectly, creating that essential extra counter space. Even better, the board is made of high-quality bamboo and looks beautiful. We've really enjoyed having ours for the past few months.
We RVers sometimes have a little bit of cognitive dissonance when it comes to our ability to be environmentally friendly. We love nature (which is why we RV), but we guzzle gas to get to our destinations. We want to live sustainably, but find ourselves using too many disposable plates or not being able to recycle. One of our solutions was to purchase reusable mesh produce bags. We bring these to the grocery store, so we no longer need to use the plastic produce bags. We then can even keep the produce in the bags in the fridge, where they take up a lot less space than containers. I've even rinsed veggies still in the bag because the mesh drains the water! There's a lot of versatility with these things, and we can feel like we're making a small step in the right direction for our environment.
For the towing aficionado:
One of the most aggravating parts about RVing is getting into a site after a long drive, only to find out the site is unlevel. We've seen our neighbors getting in and out of their trucks a dozen times, constantly checking their levelers, using a level (or their eye!) to gauge their levelness, and making adjustments. We purchased a Level Mate Pro before we hit the road and often wondered if it would be a superfluous product. Now that we've been using it for over a year, we can safely say that we find it extremely useful. Even though there's two of us and I'm usually outside while Anthony levels the truck, I still go into the Level Mate Pro app to get an accurate tell on how much he needs to go up on the levelers. The few times our Bluetooth isn't working our the Level Mate runs out of battery, I lament needing to go into our storage bay and break out the leveler. The Level Mate Pro definitely has us spoiled!
For the hungry traveler:
We don't usually have really long drive days, but there's nothing better than a cold beverage when we're stuck in traffic or driving in the hot sun. I bought Anthony this car seat cooler for our first big road trip in 2017 and we've used it ever since. It's the perfect size for drinks and snacks, and has cup holders and extra pockets. The cover snaps shut, but we usually just place it on top during our drives so I can easily reach back and grab stuff. We've also used it when hauling groceries, especially if we're driving a long distance to get to the store. We just put our cold items in the cooler until we get back. Even without ice packs, the cooler's insulation helps keep our items from spoiling. There are other uses too besides just using it as a cooler. If you have kids in the backseat, this is a nice storage box for all their car activities.
For the digital nomad:
We've already made several changes to our internet setup since hitting the road full-time, but one purchase we don't regret is the Solis Lite hotspot. It's a 4G LTE hotspot that allows us to access signal from all 3 major US cellular networks. What we especially like about it, though, is that the hotspot is really small and can operate on battery. I've taken the hotspot into the truck on travel days so I can use my laptop and blog on the road! Just note that a monthly plan does need to be purchased in addition to the equipment. Many third parties have good deals on virtually unlimited internet, which is a must when you're working from the road.
For the snacker:
We kid you not, when we had our sticks n' bricks, we actually had a full-on popcorn machine, like the ones you'd see at a carnival. We loved that thing but obviously couldn't take it on the road, so we got a silicone popcorn popper bowl made by Hotpop. We use this bowl all the time and it's held up tremendously. The popcorn kernels pop evenly (though we have noticed a difference depending on weather and elevation) and we are definitely eating healthier popcorn than what we used to make in our giant maker. You can pop your kernels with or without oil and sprinkle just about any seasoning you can imagine. We've used just salt, flavored salts, and even cheese powder. What a fun snack to have in the evenings when snuggled up on the couch! We also love that the bowl is collapsible, and we're saving money by buying kernels in bulk instead of buying the microwavable bags.
For the neat freak:
Back in the summer, I made this reel describing how I use an electric duster to clean the RV window screens. This is valid and something I very much use this product for, but it doesn't even begin to describe all the uses I have found for this little gadget. I can dust just about anything with it because it comes with all the attachments you need to get into crevices. Around wheel wells anyone? It even has an attachment so you can turn the duster into an air compressor! As for less conventional uses, I have used it to de-wrinkle my clothes. We don't have an iron and have a steamer that we've yet to use in the rig and probably never will, because all I need to do is spray some wrinkle release spray on my garment and blast it dry with this duster. It's so powerful that it dries the spray in seconds, so I'm ready to don my outfit and hit the town! After our Association Island bug-fest, I plugged this baby into our outside outlet and used it to get rid of the spider webs that infiltrated our truck's side mirrors. And, it's possible I've also used the duster to blow dry my cat after bathing her, but I'll never admit to it. Needless to say, this thing is an amazing tool for the RV, or really for anywhere! Also, for RVers who boondock a lot, you can buy a battery-operated one! Score!
For the fitness buff:
I've got you covered with some of my favorite products to get your workout on in a small space. First off are these travel yoga mats with the prettiest hummingbird design. Don't listen to what the Amazon reviews say, because apparently they don't realize that travel yoga mats are thin. I love that it's thin enough to fold up and stuff in my ottoman (it even comes with a pouch), and after using this mat for a year, I can attest to its quality. The print hasn't faded one bit and it cleans really well. If you need some extra cushioning, just lay a towel on top or use a rug underneath (which is what I do).
When we were in pandemic lockdown and I turned our basement into a home gym, I bought these resistance bands that are totally no-frills and very packable, having no idea how handy they'd become in the RV. While I'm partial to resistance bands with handles and even more so to free weights, I can't beat how small these bands fold up. My career has a harpist has left me with chronic back pain, and so I keep one band by my bed to help with shoulder releasing at night, and the other two I keep in my ottoman along with my yoga mat and some other workout gear.
The latest addition to my workout equipment was my attempt to stay moving even during winter camping, which is something we apparently do every year. I don't mind a nice winter walk or hike, but sometimes going outside in the frigid temperatures is just brutal. I had been eyeing the new Aeroski all year, trying to figure out how to fit something so clunky into the RV. It's not very conducive to a small space. Eventually I decided that was never going to happen, but in reality, I'm pretty sure the Aeroski isn't anything super special, and it's just marketed really well (if you have one and love it, please don't disappoint me by telling me). So I went on the hunt for a similar piece of exercise equipment that's a little more small space-friendly, and I found the Canoe Slide Shape. Made in Korea, no reviews, but a great size and weight. I knew it wouldn't give me the shoop shoop like the Aeroski would, simply because the length is shorter so my strides would be as well. But I was willing to take this trade-off as long as the product was good quality. Well, I've had it for a couple months now, and I can say so far so good. I guess I'll have to go onto Amazon and be the first to review it. I love that I can just wedge it next to the couch when I'm not using it, and it takes me ten seconds to set it up. The "balance trainer" (as they call it) comes with resistance bands (with handles!) that attach to the sides, which are optional to use. It also came with a booklet outlining a bunch of different exercises that can be done for a full-body workout. I personally like to use it to music and "dance" as I slide. There's a bit of an adjustment period to learning how to balance on it, but it's a really fun option to have when I need to get some energy out in the trailer. Is it ironic that for my winter workouts I bought a ski simulator, even though it's real ski season and I don't actually ski? Hmm, I may need to think about my entire life and how I got to this point.
For the one who's always hot:
RVing can get pretty uncomfortable in extreme temperatures, so we take our climate-control devices very seriously. I bought two of these little USB fans to help get some airflow in the summertime and they're amazing for the price. Because they're USB-powered, we can use them when we're running the RV on battery only. The fans tilt up and down but don't swivel (I'd give them a 10/10 if they did), and they have 3 speeds which are all pretty powerful. What I love the most, though, is that the bases are very thin, and I actually found an adhesive hook that's the perfect size to hold the base, so I can attach these to the wall! I'd recommend the hook to you, but they actually came with these adhesive shelves. But hey, buy the fans and the shelves and you've got yourself a very strange combo!
For the one who's always cold:
We had a space heater when we first started RVing, but it broke right in the middle of the winter of our discontent. However, when we found this one, our old one became but a distant memory. This space heater has a thermostat dial, so you can have it kick on only when you need. It has a fan setting and two heat settings. The best feature is its safety control. If you knock the heater over it will automatically turn off. Fire safety is a big deal, especially in RVs, so we love products that go the extra mile to keep us safe.
These are just a few of the more unique gifts for your loved ones who have chosen to live tiny and/or nomadic. If you shop on Amazon for the holidays, please consider clicking through one of our links before you shop. Even if you don't buy the specific product we recommend, we still get a little royalty for your support. Thank you for coming along on our travel journey and happy holidays!