Gifts for RVers … What presents do you give nomadic folks who live in small spaces?
Here are gift suggestions for things we love to receive that the RVers on your
shopping list may also appreciate.
RVers look at “things” with two thoughts in mind. Where will I put it? How much does it weigh? No matter how large the RV, space is limited. RVs have limited cargo carrying capacity, as well, which means if we have too much stuff the RV will weigh more than what is deemed safe.
I’m a firm believer in exchanging strong hints with those whom we exchange gifts. More accurately, I believe in exchanging lists of desired gifts. Giving and receiving presents chosen from the items on our lists sure beats taking a wild guess and coming up way off base. Include things in a range of prices, and make the list long enough so there can still be some surprise.
In lieu of a list from your RVing friends and family, you may want to use our list for some ideas. These are things that many RVers would like and could use.
Gift cards and gift certificates. These are easy to find, easy to mail, and I don’t know of any RVer who can’t use them. Gift cards for gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, and big-box stores are all good choices — if you know that your RVer will be in an area that has that particular business.
Postage stamps. Even with e-mail and paying bills on-line, we still mail things. Stamps for regular First Class mail are classic. But, we use more for post cards stamps. Postage for the flat rate Priority Mail envelopes is another good choice.
Magazine subscriptions. We are readers and gladly pay the mail forwarding cost on magazines. This is one of those gifts where you get to think about and thank the sender each month, or however often an issue of the magazine arrives.
Food baskets and other food gifts. One of my favorite gifts from Bob’s sister was a box filled with envelopes of assorted dry soup mixes, bags of odd shaped pasta, packages of dried fruit, and small pouches of flavored instant potatoes. Another sister gave us dried apple slices she had dehydrated and pinto beans they’d grown on their farm. My nephew has sent gift trays with sausage, cheese, and crackers. We thought of them for weeks after the holiday, as we enjoyed meals made with these foods. Other good ideas are regional specialties. And, we receive and particularly enjoy fruitcake!
Collections. Yes, RVers do collect things. The trick on this one is knowing enough about the collection to make sure you send a desired addition to it. In our case, we collect Santa Clause Christmas ornaments — but not just any and all of them. We look for small, sturdy, somewhat flat ones that will easily pack, travel, and display in an RV, and that have an old fashioned or country look to them. I also collect brooches and pins to wear, while Bob collects pliers. While adding to your RVer’s collection can be a big hit, it’s also easy to miss on this one.
Consumables. Everyday things that we use and use up, and need to regularly replace are great gifts for RVers. These are things that may not seem as “gifty,” but can be the most practical and appreciated. Natural cleaning supplies. Personal care items such as shampoo and deodorant. Pet treats. Paper napkins and paper plates. Batteries.
Something else to consider is if you will be giving your gift in person or mailing it. Of course, there will be shipping costs to you if you mail it. But, what you might not think about is that if the person you give it to uses a mail forwarding service, the recipient will pay to have it reshipped from their mail service to their temporary location. If you send a gift that doesn’t fit in an envelope, be sure to let the recipient know, because packages often take longer to reach their destination and you don’t want your RVer moving on to his next destination leaving a package lost behind.
Article Retreived From: http://www.rv-life-and-travel.com/gifts-for-rvers.html