Our 21 Best Gift Ideas and Fave Gear for RVers and Travelers

by Marc Bennett
Updated: December 8, 2023
4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

It’s that time of year again. Where we all sit around and scratch our heads trying to think up gift ideas for those we love! It seems that RVers and travelers can be especially tricky to buy for. But we’ve rounded up 21 of our favorite gift ideas that we hope will make your shopping easier, and help you find some goodies that really hit the mark.

From stocking stuffers to seriously awesome gifts, there’s a wide range in here to choose from, both in terms of type of gift and price point. These items are listed in no particular order and we have not been paid or sponsored to feature any of them. We just put our heads together to round up all our favorite things and included the ones we felt would be most enjoyed and used by our fellow travelers.

Happy shopping!

The Famous Instant Pot - In Three Sizes

The Instant Pot is super popular among RVers as we can do so much with this one simple appliance. We started out with the 6 Quart and love it so much, we just ordered the 3 Quart as well. So now we can make two dishes (or warm drinks eg. mulled wine) at the same time. Instant Pot Duo is the number 1 selling multi-cooker, combining 7 kitchen appliances in 1. It is a Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Marker & Warmer.

And it prepares dishes up to 70% faster! It’s a fantastic multi-purpose cooking pot that you can use to make meals, drinks, and even desserts – we use ours several times a week. It’s ideal for any RVer, home or apartment.. The Instant Pot is a must for any kitchen – once you try it, you’ll be hooked! Click to watch Julie’s video review of the Instant Pot.

Click here to learn more and/or buy an Instant Pot

Colorful Stainless Steel Tumblers

Great as a stocking stuffer, affordable gift idea and everyday use. We use these all day every day for keeping our hot drinks hot and our cold drinks cold! We have a set of 8. All in different colors so each guest can choose their own, for drinking water, wine, cocktails, tea, coffee and just about everything else.

They hold 12oz of fluid, are made of 18/8 lightweight stainless steel, double wall vacuum insulated, dishwasher safe and available in 12 fun colors. They are very durable, won’t break, and suitable for indoor and outdoor use, kids and adults alike. You can even buy them as travel tumblers for coffee and tea in 12oz and 20oz sizes. We love the tumblers as they fit perfectly in the cupholder of our Strongback Chairs. Click here to watch Julie’s video review.

Click here to learn more and buy the Maars Stainless Steel Tumblers

The Latest Large Scale Rand McNally Road Atlas

Many people love using a GPS for driving, and we agree they are a great navigation tool. But, we still like to reference our good ole fashion paper road atlas as part of our trip planning. Relying on GPS alone won’t keep you off bad roads, but proper route planning will help ensure a smoother, less stressful trip.

We have been fans of the Rand McNally Road Atlas for years and just picked up the 2019 version this week while visiting a bookstore for the launch of our own book. Our previous road atlas was a couple years old, so it was time to get an updated version. We have also used the Motor Carrier version. But personally prefer this large scale, spiral bound version as it is so much easier to read. Click here to watch Marc’s video review of our previous two road atlases. Click here to learn more or buy the Rand McNally Road Atlas

Pepperball LifeLite for Non-lethal self defense

We recently filmed a video on the Pepperball Lifelite. It is an impressive tool for non lethal self defense. Check out the video review on our reviews page for a good look at it. As a former police officer, I (Marc) am familiar with many personal defense tools. This is the biggest advancement in civilian personal defense weapons I have seen.

It looks like, and functions as a flashlight. But also has the ability to launch balls filled with potent pepper (like pepper spray, but in powder form) up to 60 feet. It even has a laser light to help to define your target at night. This is amazing to have the ability to immobilize a threat at such a significant distance, whether human or animal predator.

We are very impressed with this product. It’s not inexpensive at $299.99, but it’s a small price to pay for personal safety. You can use the Pepperball Lifelite for protection and peace of mind, without the potential consequences of other, more lethal weapons, should you need to use it. Click to learn more or buy Pepperball Lifelite – use code RVLV to get a 10% discount ($30 off)

Strongback folding chair with lumbar support

We have long been advocates for these chairs! I, Marc, have a back condition so this chair is extremely important to me as it has lumbar support. Over the years, we’ve encouraged others to try out my chair, watch their reactions, and seen them in their own Strongback Chair shortly afterward. Yes, they are that good!

The Strongback Chair offers superior comfort, and postural support and is suitable for a person up to 300lb. It comes in a few different versions/sizes. I have the Elite. Julie has the Guru, a smaller size suitable for most adults. The Elite is recommended for larger adults. We have done video reviews about both chairs.

Click here to watch Marc’s video review on the Elite and click here to watch Julie’s video review on the Guru, with a comparison to the Elite. You can even buy a Strongback Beach chair. For camp chairs, they may seem pricy, but these are much more than folding camp chairs. They are an investment in your health, wellbeing and comfort. Trust us, after you buy one, you’ll never go back to another. Click here to buy the Strongback Elite and click here to buy the Strongback Guru Chair

Bose Over Ear Soundlink Bluetooth Headphones

One of our tips for living harmoniously in a small space with your travel companions is investing in – and wearing – a great set of over-ear headphones. They are a fantastic way to allow you to listen to what you want without impacting others. Whether you listen to music, podcasts, YouTube, or doing video editing!

The headphones also provide a visual cue to others that you are otherwise occupied. Whether that’s watching or listening to something, or even just enjoying a bit of silence. It’s a bit like going into your own room or zone, even if you’re sharing an RV space!

We like that these are wireless headphones so you can walk around with them for phone calls, walking while listening to podcasts etc. No annoying cables to get tangled or in the way! The battery lasts a long time, is USB rechargeable, and being Bose, the sound quality is excellent. Click here to learn more or buy the Bose Over Ear Headphones

Living The RV Life - Your Ultimate Guide To Life On The Road

Of course, we highly recommend our own, brand new BOOK as the ideal gift idea for yourself, family or friends! 🙂 If you are just learning or relatively new to the RV lifestyle there is an astounding amount you will learn from this book. It truly lives up to it’s sub-title “ultimate guide to life on the road”. However, even seasoned RVers with many years of experience shared they also learned a lot from reading our book, and plan to gift or recommend to others considering the lifestyle to save them hours of trying to explain it all!

It also makes a great gift for those friends and family who think you are crazy for wanting to do this. After reading the book, learning about the lifestyle and how well you are planning and preparing for the RV life, they may just turn around and start supporting you instead. Who knows, maybe they’ll even join you out on the road!

The book also features many highly respected, experienced and well loved RVers – including Peter and John of The RV Geeks, Chris and Cherie of Technomadia, Tom and Cait of Mortons on the Move, Nathan and Marissa or Less Junk > More Journey, Erik and Kala of Livinlite.net, and many others.

Learn from solos, families, couples, part-time RVers, and full-time RVers who share their stories and insights. Each of the chapters are jam-packed with a wealth of information, tools, tips and resources to help you hit the road and thrive! It’s available in both print and digital. But the print version is really something special. Shoutout to Nate and Steph of Explorist Life for this great pic of them devouring the book! Click here to buy Living the RV Life

Thousand Trails Camping Memberships - On Sale

Our Thousand Trails camping membership saves us thousands of dollars each year. We started out with a Zone Camping Pass – which is a great way to try out Thousand Trails for yourself and see if you like it. It’s a low cost, low commitment way to get started in the RV life and pay a fraction in camping fees, compared to regular nightly rates.

There are also special discounts on membership upgrades like the Elite Membership (which we have), Elite Connections and Ultimate Odyssey – which gives you even greater access, benefits and longer stays, to campgrounds around the country.

With 80+ Thousand Trails parks and over 110 Encore RV Parks nationally (with the Trails Collection), you’ll be able to access almost 200 campgrounds, 2 weeks (or more) at a time, for under $1,000 a year. It’s a no-brainer for full-time, and even part-time or seasonal RVers… as it can save you so much money. But it can also be a great option for weekend warriors too.

It all depends on where and how often you plan to use it. You can click here to buy a TT Zone Pass direct, but if you want the best deal, we recommend you contact our trusted TT insiders who can work with you personally to get you the best deal and membership for your needs. They can even help you make your first campground reservation.

Click here to email Joanna and Pat Parizo at [email protected] or pick up the phone and call them at 631-921-1674 or 352-396-6835. Tell them you were referred by RVLove and they will share the best deals and discounts they have available for our followers.

Blix Electric Folding Bike

This high quality, electric, folding e-bike has absolutely brought the joy of biking back to Julie! She’s not a strong cyclist but we like to go out riding together. Julie has the Blix VIKA+ folding electric bike which makes it easy for Julie to travel far and wide with the wind in her hair.

She can keep up with me – even overtake me with ease on hills. Being foldable, it is easy to pack down and transport in the back of our car or in the RV. It comes with a lithium battery which means she can ride for 25 miles on a single charge. Blix electric bikes are made with quality components and a joy to ride, no matter what your fitness level.

Blix makes many other electric bikes including full size bikes, and an even more compact foldable bike – the VIKA Travel electric bike. We also have a coupon code RVLOVE that can save you $50 on any Blix Bike, but we’re not sure if it can be combined with the special promotion on the VIKA Travel e-bike this weekend. Click here to watch our video review of the Blix Vika+ electric folding bike and see why we love it so much Click here to learn more or buy a Blix Bike – and use the code RVLOVE to save $50

Magma Nesting Stainless Steel Cookware Set

This Magma stackable 7 piece set of stainless steel cookware has been an amazing addition to our RV kitchen. Made of 18-10 Marine Grade steel, they stack compactly to take up just 1/2 cubic foot of space! The versatility of sizes of these 3 pans has been perfect for our traveling lifestyle. Magma also offers induction compatible versions of this cookware, and larger sets, but our 7 piece set has been perfect for us. You can watch Julie’s view review of the Magma set here. Click here to learn more and to buy the Magma Nesting Saucepan Set

Sony RX-100 Digital Camera

People are always asking us about our camera and video equipment. To be honest we tend to capture most of our photos and video on the go either on our iPhones or this Sony RX-100 digital camera which we LOVE! It’s a small, very compact camera that captures amazing quality photos and video. And we can take it anywhere without attracting too much attention with our equipment.

We decided on this camera a few years ago after discovering that this was a popular choice of many professional photographers who don’t want to lug their heavy DSLR camera around with them. It’s been perfect for our needs. It works brilliantly in low light situations and even though the newer Sony RX100 VI is out already, we still find the Sony RX100 IV works perfectly for our needs. And of course, there’s the Sony RX100 V in between.

No, it’s not cheap, but it’s performance and compact size make it hard to beat. Click here to learn more or buy the Sony RX100 camera that we have

Happy Camper Holding Tank Treatment

We know this isn’t a glamorous or sexy product, but it is still something we love and use all the time. We figured it could make a fun stocking filler for the RVer in your life! After all, it will definitely get used and conversations with RVers inevitably come around to black tank/toilet talk eventually.

We have tried a number of different tank treatment products over the years and have found this to be one of the best. It is biodegradable and does a great job of controlling odors – both in your black tank and grey tank. Available in a variety of sizes and prices. Click here to watch Julie’s video review. Click here to buy the Happy Camper Tank Treatment

VIAIR Air Compressor

This is one of my (Marc’s) favorite tools in our RV. In our first few years on the road I got by with a cheap air compressor from Harbor Freight to inflate the tires on our RV and tow vehicle. It was noisy and slow but eventually did the job. I had heard others rave about their Viair Air Compressors, but wasn’t sure if it would be worth the extra investment.

As soon as I used one for myself, I could definitely see the value in investing in a much better quality air compressor like this Viair. It is, without doubt, a superior air compressor. It is quieter, faster, more powerful, and now selling at a reduced price. If you want to see a side by side comparison of the Viair with our crappy old one click here to watch my video review. Click here to learn more or buy the Viair Air Compressor that we use and love

USA State Sticker Map

This is probably one of the most asked about items when people see it in our videos and posts! We bought this state sticker map in our first year on the road and promptly placed it on the inside front of our slide on our first motorhome. It’s been a fun way to keep track of and share all of the states, as we visit them! And it’s been a great conversation starter when meeting other RVers walking around the campground.

Of course, these aren’t just for RVs – you can put it up at home as well. But be warned, placing those state stickers on the map is addictive, and it WILL inspire you to travel further and faster in an effort to visit all 50 states on the USA map! Click here to buy USA State Sticker Map

RV Success School

When we started learning about RVing back in 2013, we spent hundreds – if not thousands – of hours, researching, learning, shopping and comparing before making our RV purchase and hitting the road. The whole experience was overwhelming, time consuming, often confusing and even frustrating. We were constantly second guessing ourselves. We just wished there had been a clear path for us to follow, with trusted, experienced guides to take us through the process. It would have saved us from spinning our wheels, and definitely saved us a ton of time and money.

We built and launched RV Success School in May 2017 with the goal of creating the very courses and depth of information we wish had existed before we started out as full-time RVers, to make the road to RVing so much smoother for others. Now of course, we’ve also written “the roadmap to the mobile life” in our new book “Living the RV Life – Your Ultimate Guide to Life on the Road” which will get you off to a fantastic start.

A deeper dive

RV Success School goes even deeper and provides in-depth education on Choosing the Right RV for You, RV manufacturers, what to look for, choosing floorplans, extendfed warranties, insurance, recommended resources, RV safety and systems, repairs and maintenance, in-depth interviews with a wide range of other RVers in our RV Success Series.

We now also offer monthly Live Calls with Julie & Marc and occasionally RV industry experts (included in the bundles), and even one-on-one private consulting. This is extremely valuable for when you’re getting ready to make big decisions. Having us as a sounding board to confirm your choices are on track or help guide you in a new direction to avoid making expensive mistakes.

We’ve had students report savings of over $20,000 as a result of the information and resource we share in the school.

Rhinoflex Sewer Hose

I know. You’re probably thinking a sewer hose is kind of a crappy gift idea. But for anyone who has experienced the short comings of a cheap sewer hose, they will definitely appreciate the Rhinoflex! Besides, as we mentioned earlier when talking about the Happy Camper toilet treatment, just about every RVer ends up talking about black tanks and toilets eventually.

A gift like this is not only practical, but likely to generate a laugh. How about a brand new stinky slinky in your stocking? Hmmm maybe a bit big for that, so under the tree then. Any experienced RVer knows that the sewer hose is NOT something you want to cheap out on. So look no further than the Rhinoflex. Click here to watch my video review on the Rhinoflex, with some four legged guests. Click here to buy the Rhinoflex Sewer Hose Kit

Outland Firebowl Propane Fire pit

We put this on our Christmas wishlist in our first few months on the road and Julie’s dad came through as Santa! We love this propane firepit for so many reasons. It allows us to enjoy the warmth and ambiance of a fire without the smoke. It also eliminates the need to carry wood (not legal across many borders). And avoids having to worry about sparks flying and potentially causing a fire.

We use it year round, and find it really extends our evenings outside. This is especially true in the winter where it gets cold after dark, even in Florida or Arizona! This propane firepit is compact, easy to use, safe, and keeps us warm and able to stay outside late into the evening.

We use it with our 20lb BBQ propane gas bottle. Ours is the standard version, but would recommend you spring a little extra to get the Premium version with auto ignition. Click here to watch our video review. Click here to buy the Outland Firebowl that we recommend

Renogy 100W Portable Solar Suitcase

It surprises a lot of people to learn we went almost 3 years on the road in our first RV without any solar at all. And yes, that includes boondocking / dry camping from time to time! We finally bought this portable 100W solar suitcase and it has worked out great for us!

This solar suitcase was a low cost investment that allowed us to enjoy the benefits of solar, and keep our batteries charged, without breaking the bank. Plus, being portable, we can move the panel around during the day to make the most of the sun’s rays. If you’re new to RVing, unsure whether or not you’ll like – or even do much – boondocking, this is a fantastic way to dip your toe in the water. One without having to fork out thousands for a big, expensive solar system.

This panel comes in a nice, protective suitcase with a solar charge controller and alligator clips. Click here to watch our video review – note it’s a slightly different system to what is now available on Amazon, but overall very similar. Click here to buy the Renogy 100W Solar Suitcase

NOCO GB150 Jump Starter

This handy 4000 Amp 12Volt Ultra Safe Lithium Jump Starter is extremely powerful. It is able to start any passenger vehicle, truck or RV – up to a 10L diesel. We’ve used it several times already, both for jump starting our own vehicles or helping others. It comes in a handy carry bag with accessories including alligator clips, UBS charger, 12v charger.

The NOCO can be used to charge other devices as well eg. smart phones, cameras etc. However, we try to avoid doing that so it’s always fully juiced for if / when we need to jump start a vehicle. Well designed, sturdy and amazingly powerful for it’s size and weight. We recommend keeping a NOCO in your vehicle at all times. It will be there when you need it most.

Click here to watch our video review. Click here to learn more or buy the NOCO Jump Starter

Ultimate Journeys For Two Book

We love RVing around North America. But we also love dreaming about – and doing – other types of travel and adventures. We’re always keeping an eye out for other kinds of experiences we’d like to have, other places we’d like to see. This gorgeous book by adventure couple travelers Mike and Anne Howard is filled with an abundance of ideas, inspiration and stunning photographs that will have you packing your bags and booking your tickets!

The book is published by National Geographic. It makes a gorgeous gift for your other half or any other couple who loves to travel. And will help them discover new places and experiences to share with their loved one. Click here to buy the Ultimate Journeys for Two Book

Want More Great Gift Ideas?

These are just 21 of our favorite things. We’ve got plenty more over at our Amazon store – just click here to visit our storefront, where everything is organized into categories, or click the buttons below. You’ll find plenty more inspiration in there, for gear we’ve tried, tested, use and love.

Plus we have another 21 item gift guide updated Black Friday 2019. Click here to check it out.

Oh, and just so you know, when you shop at our Amazon store, our RVLove Gear Store or use any of our affiliate links, we earn a small commission which helps us keep the free content flowing. So thank you in advance! Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season filled with every joy!

Also Be sure to check out our Product Reviews Page and other related content below.