In preparation for the holiday shopping season ahead, I thought I’d offer stocking stuffer ideas this year for my holiday gift guide for the RVer in your life. Last year’s gift guide was a list of general gifts for RVers and I updated that list and double-checked all the links so be sure to check that gift guide out as well.

But I liked the idea of a gift guide of little gifts. And, I mean, physically little, little enough to fit in a holiday stocking. However, the bonus here is that most are pretty inexpensive as well.

Many of the items on this list, I have mentioned before. I tried to link to the articles where I talked more extensively about the items. But I thought it would be handy to compile all the smaller RV must-have items in one place like a resource page. Plus, there are a few never-before mentioned items that I’ve found quite handy.  

Items for Outside the Rig

Water Pressure Regulator

This is a coincidence, but it turns out that all the stocking stuffer ideas for outside the rig that I came up with are related to hooking up to a water source. I’m sure there are more (and I hope you’ll share them in the comments) but these are the ones that rose to the top of my list.

Maybe because of the disaster that could’ve happened this item is seared into my brain. A water pressure regulator makes nearly all my gadget lists. I tell myself there’s no need to put it on another list and then I cannot help myself. It easily makes this list as it is small, inexpensive and so handy that no RVer should be without one.

In fact, for those exact same reasons, I’d recommend keeping an extra one on hand. I have an extra one now because I found one atop a power box at a site I pulled into. Obviously, the person before me used it then when preparing to leave unhooked it, set it on the power post and forgot it. If they had an extra one, there would be no issues at the next stop on their journey. It’s never fun to pause in the middle of setting up to make a run to a nearby store for a needed supply.

Water pressure regulators come in a wide variety of styles from the simple ones like I have to ones that include a way to set the pressure you want as well as ones that give you a readout of the exact pressure at any given moment.

Water Host Splitter

The second water-related item is a hose splitter. As you know from the post a month ago, this is a very recent discovery of mine. It’s so convenient to have access to the water source at your site without having to unscrew the hose from either your rig or the spout.

A hose splitter doesn’t qualify as a must-have item the way a water pressure regulator does. Nevertheless, I’m glad for the discovery and plan to always use one when I hook up my water.  

Water Filter

If you’ve done any traveling at all whether in an RV or not, you know water quality can vary widely from place to place. I’m not only talking about the minerals which can greatly affect taste but also the sediment that finds its way into the water lines. For taste, you really need a good water filtering system such as a Travel Berkey Water Filter System (which remains on my wish list and I’ll get one as soon as I figure out where to put it).

But for the purpose of this discussion, I’m not referring to taste necessarily. I am talking about keeping the sediment out of your water line from the source which, in turn, keeps it out of the lines in your rig.

So, at the water source, first I screw on the hose splitter, next I screw in the water pressure regulator and that is followed by a Camco water filter. In addition to the sediment screen, the water filter runs the water through charcoal which helps with taste, odor and removal of chlorine.

Pause for Helpful Tip: Turn on at the water for a second or two before you hook up to it to clear out any debris in the pipe. While this can include dirt and small rocks, the most common thing I’ve had come out is spiders.

I also have a sediment screen at the place where you screw the hose into the rig. This won’t affect taste or water quality but I figure it might catch any sediment that finds its way through the water filter. And while some might consider this overkill, I figure for less than one dollar, it doesn’t hurt having it on.

Quick Connects

The last one in this category is a quick connect water hose fitting. They are designed for easy hooking up and unhooking because you don’t have to mess with threading and unthreading (screwing and unscrewing hose from spout).

A quick connect can be particularly handy in cold or rain when fingers are not as nimble. At least that’s the time I have the most trouble getting a good grip. Also, if I’ve been at a place for a long time, sometimes it can be like a jar of pickles. Hard to open. Every now and again, I’ve actually had to use a wrench to get things to loosen up. Be sure to get the correct size.

Inside the Rig

I don’t know an RVer who doesn’t tout their love of Command strips and Command hooks. As someone with a fiberglass trailer where it is a much bigger deal to drill into the fiberglass, I particularly love the product.

And while most RVers will always have some on hand, they remain great gift because the time will come when a strip needs replaced or, more likely, the RVer will rearrange things and need a whole new batch of the strips to decorate. The strips are not reusable.

Packages of suction cups with hooks are another item that would be a great stocking stuffer for an RVer or a future RVer. Like the Command strips, it good to have extras on hand for the time when one is lost or one finds a new use for them, etc. These come in a variety of sizes. The smaller they are, the lower the poundage they hold. So a few different sizes would be a good way to go.

Finally, I debated about putting small organization items on this list. I just love the tiny plastic square and rectangle bins that help keep my kitchen drawers organized. And I equally love the handled baskets (though you’d have to have a pretty big stocking for those to fit) I use to organize cans and other food items in my overhead cabinet and refrigerator.

I went back and forth on these but ultimately decided they are probably best purchased by the RVers themselves because getting the exact right size and shape and color might prove difficult, I think, since every RV has different cabinet and drawer heights, widths and depths.

Good to Have on Hand

Earlier this year, I wrote about a terrible experience I had arriving at an RV park to discover they didn’t have the outlets on the power pole I’d come to expect from RV parks. And then there was the time an RV park’s website said they had sites with both 30 and 50 amp plug ins but when I arrived, I discovered they only had 50 amp. And Quill is a 30 amp.

These were good lessons for me for two reasons. First, do not believe websites. Ask questions to verify they have what you need and want from an RV park. Second, it taught me the value of keeping adapters on hand. They are small, inexpensive and, truly, can make a difference between a nightly hookup to electric or having to go without. I keep every possible conversion adapter on hand in a little bin in my basement.

If the RVer has a 30 amp rig, the RV power adapters they should carry are:

• 50 amp male to 30 amp female
• 30 amp male to a 15/20 amp female
• 15/20 male amp to a 30 amp female

If the RVer has a 50 amp rig, the RV power adapters they should carry are:

• 30 amp male to a 50 amp female
• 15/20 male amp to a 50 amp female
• 50 amp male to a 15/20 amp female

Varied length bungee cords are good for any RVer to have on hand. You just never know when something will need to be secured. Plus, over time they can stretch or be lost.  

Penlight

RVers know to have a few flashlights on hand. I keep two in my van and one within easy reach in my trailer. You never know when you’ll find yourself having to look at something on the rig in the middle of the night. Yep, it happens. Or, you arrive at your destination later than you planned and need to get setup in the dark. So, because RVers likely already have one, I’m not recommending adding a flashlight to the stocking. Though one would fit.

Instead, I recommend a pen flashlight. They aren’t powerful enough to set up at nighttime but recently I found having one came in super handy. To see all the activities during the morning session at the Balloon Fiesta, you arrived at the gate in the dark. Walking to the gate from my rig and then through some parts of the park with its uneven ground required light. Or, at least in my tendency-to-be-clumsy opinion, it did.

From watching other RVers YouTube videos, I planned on either using a headlamp or a flashlight. I didn’t want to use the flashlight on my phone as I wanted to have a fully-charged battery for photos. The night before the first event, I packed up a bag to take with me but really, didn’t want to take either a flashlight or headlamp because of the bulkiness.

When I grabbed a pen and small pad of paper to add to my pack, I saw the penlight. Aha. It was the perfect tool for the job. Lightweight, small and enough light to reduce the chance of splattering on my face on the walk to the launch field. (I have to say “reduce the chance” since me splattering is a possibility even in the full light of day.)

I have to be honest, it’s not by design but by coincidence that I even had one. It was a gift with a donation to my alma mater years ago. And it was so small, I just included it with my pens and pencils that transitioned with me to RV life. But from now on, it’s on my good-to-have-on-hand list for the RV.

Easy Stocking Stuffers for the RVer (not the RV)

RVers appreciate getting items for their rigs whether it’s items for the outside, items for the inside or the items that are good to have on hand. But no gift guide would be complete unless I added a few items for the RVers themselves. Here are a few ideas.

Gift cards are a no-brainer. It’s easy for the giver and the receiver. One tip when purchasing gift cards though. Make sure not to get gift cards for regional stores or services unless you know the RVer will be in that region. Stick with the big national chains. Those, RVers are most likely to find.

Rolls of quarters for laundry and parking easily fit into any size stocking, even those cute mini ones.

However, laundry items could make a cute theme gift in a basket, box or really big stocking. In addition to the quarters, add a box of dryer sheets, a package of dryer balls (they help clothes dry faster; I wrote about them in a RV hacks post) and a package of soap pods. Actually, I’d recommend two packages of soap pods. One regular and one for high-efficiency machines which I’m starting to see more and more.

Membership

I hold several RV-related memberships. And, soon, I’ll do a full post on those. But, by far, the one that brings me the most joy and the most value for the cost is my Harvest Hosts membership. For an annual fee, members get access to a map of Hosts. Then when traveling in an area, they can find a Host and overnight at their location for free. Hosts are wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, museums and other attractions. While the stay is free, the member is expected to patronize the business. But, really, it’s not a hardship to purchase a bottle of wine or pay the entry fee at a museum.

Membership is $79 per year. I have a link and coupon code for 15% off. You’ll see the coupon code to use in a little banner across the top. And the bonus is that the price you pay for membership becomes a locked-in price, meaning that’s how much you’ll pay for renewals as well as long as you don’t let it lapse.

It’s a pretty good deal that pays for itself if you just use it twice a year when you consider the cost of a night’s stay at an RV park. Click Here to get to join.

Finally, if you follow me on Facebook, you might have seen this picture. A Supersize LIFE reader sent it to me. Now, I’m in love with this Yeti Tumbler. They come in many colors but, you know, mine is purple.

But I put it on the list because it’s a great mug. My coffee stays hot. And the best thing about it is that it fits in my single-cup coffee maker which is no easy task. Many tumblers are 7″ or a little higher and that is just a hair too tall to fit in my coffee maker. But the Yeti fits. So I just love it.

More Gift Guide Ideas?

If you have any stocking stuffer RV items that should be added to the list, please share them in the comments.

As always, when you click on a link in this blog and make a purchase, it supports the efforts and costs of the blog. And, for it, I’m extremely grateful to readers. Happy Holiday Shopping.

Links to Referenced SSL Blog Posts Above:

• Ideal Gifts for RVers and Others
• How to Install a Water Pressure Regulator
• And Still More Fast, Easy, Low-Cost RV Hacks
• Making RV Park Reservations

To see products recently purchased by readers or to browse and shop at Amazon, follow either of these links. Huge thanks for your support.

• Degrees of Comfort Zippered Twin Bug Mattress Protector
• Ettore Grip and Grab Multi-purpose Reach Tool

Affiliate Link Disclosure. As a result of being an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.