There's always something missing from a campervan. That final gadget or accessory is ever elusive, the one that will make life on the road complete. This is great news if your loved one is a vanlifer, because you'll never run out of gift ideas for camper people in your life. Here, we've collected a list of items that any camper would be happy to receive. They're things we ourselves have bought for our vans, so each one is a perfect gift for campervan owners, according to campervan owners. Whether or not they've already got everything, we're sure you'll find something they didn't know they needed.
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Shane, the founder of The Van Conversion, is a campervan professional dedicated to helping people transform ordinary vans into homes on wheels. He has authored Roaming Home, and teaches The Van Conversion Course, guiding many people through their van builds. Shane also writes The Van Conversion Newsletter, where he shares practical tips and insights. After completing two van builds and living on the road full-time since 2020, he is passionate about sharing his expertise with others.
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Roaming Home: The Perfect Gift for Campervan Owners
We'd be remiss if we didn't mention our own gift for campervan aspirants everywhere, Shane's own Roaming Home. It's the perfect gift whether your loved one needs help with an existing build, or whether they've been talking about it for years and need a kick to get started.
A source of inspiration and a powerful, step-by-step instruction manual all in one, Shane's book is everything an aspiring vanlifer needs to make their dreams a reality. Give your loved ones the gift of knowledge.
Essential Accessories for Every Campervan
There are things which every campervan needs to be complete. You might not realise it at first, instead focusing on core components like electrics, gas, and water. When you get out on the road, you'll find that you're driving around in the equivalent of a hotel room; the essentials are there, but it's not a home. In our experience, the below items add comfort, convenience, and quality of life, filling in the gaps and making a campervan feel like a part of your day-to-day.
Portable Power Station
A portable power station is the perfect gift for campervan owners. A big rechargeable battery with mains, USB, and DC outputs, it seamlessly supports an existing electrical system or handily does the job of one.
We love EcoFlow's River series of portable power stations. Their sleek, compact designs hide enormous batteries boasting the fastest charging times on the market. Multiple charging ports power any device imaginable, including mains appliances. The battery packs are even expandable. If you're in the US, BougeRV also make excellent portable power stations, including the ultra-rugged 1120Wh Fort 1000.
Portable Solar Panel
A portable solar panel pairs perfectly with a portable power station, making a great package gift for campervan owners.
Portable solar panels are ultra-thin and fold up for easy stowing and carrying. They're designed to be used outdoors, meaning you can set up for the day in your favourite spot and keep everything running from the power of the sun.
Multi-tool
The classic gift for camping enthusiasts and handimen is also the perfect gift for campervan travelers.
Every van should have a toolbox, but there are many small jobs that can be quickly sorted with a multi-tool. They'll use it for the rest of their lives and wonder how they ever did without it.
Aeropress
They're hardly niche these days, but the secret weapon of the traveling coffee connoisseur still makes an excellent gift for campervan users who need their morning hit.
The Aeropress is a compact, portable coffee maker that makes a perfect brew anywhere. The starter kit contains everything you need, but we'd recommend adding the aluminium filter circle to save on buying disposable ones in the long run.
Camping Chairs
A set of comfortable folding chairs is exactly the sort of thing that gets overlooked when building a van. You set out on your first trip, park up somewhere beautiful, and slap your forehead in frustration. Sunset's in fifteen minutes and you've got nowhere to sit.
A comfortable chair that blocks draughts and folds up tightly is among the best gift ideas for camper users.
Leveling Ramps
Not exciting, but completely essential. Leveling ramps ensure you're parked perfectly level, no matter how bumpy the ground.
All vanlifers know the headache of finding a perfect park-up and spending half an hour manoeuvring around trying to get the van level. A set of leveling ramps is the best gift for RV owners that they didn't know they needed.
Comfort Enhancers for the Cozy Camper
Having dealt with the essentials, let's move on to the cozy touches that transform a home into a sanctuary. These gift ideas for RV travelers keep chilly nights at bay and turn on the mood lighting.
Mini Lanterns
Nothing sets a relaxed and cozy mood like candlelight. A set of miniature lanterns gives you a warm flickering ambience but, crucially, without the risk of an open flame.
When exploring gifts for RV lovers in your life, choose something that's compact and which has a handle for easy tidying when it's time to turn out the lights.
Warm Strip Lights
Fairy lights are so ubiquitous that the vanlifer in your life probably already has them strung up. They're wonderful, but they don't give off much useful light and often come with an inconvenient battery pack. A more practical option is 12V strip lighting.
A quality length of dimmable LED strip lighting wires easily into an existing electrical system, making for controllable and permanent mood lighting.
Magnetic Drinkware
This is a neat way to avoid missing out on the pleasure of drinking out of glassware when out and about. Glasses with magnetic bases pair with sticky magnetic coasters and mats.
How many times have you lost a drink to an uneven outdoor tabletop or bumpy ground? Magnetic coasters are made from sticky rubber that stays firm on any surface, holding drinks in place outside and on the move.
Sheepskin Rug
No matter how well insulated the floor might be, it'll feel icy to bare feet on winter nights.
Sheepskin rugs fit naturally into the floorplan of most campers due to their narrow shape and relatively small size, making them a perfect gift for campervan users heading to cold climes. Whether you go for real or faux sheepskin, the deep fluffy pile delicately keeps feet warm no matter how cold the floor is.
Insulating Window Covers
Continuing on the subject of insulation, no job is complete without insulating window covers. Glass is a terrible insulator, and when the temperatures drop, it's important to cover your windows with something warm.
A good set of insulating window covers attach magnetically to windows frames and fit snugly into the window, keeping warmth in and closing you off from the outside world.
Indoor-Outdoor Camping Blanket
Take it from someone who knows: at some point, your cozy campervan blanket will get taken outside. Once the boundary has been breached, it won't be long before it's matted with grass and full of dust.
This makes the camping blanket another excellent gift for campervan travelers. Slightly slick and drizzle-proof, they shrug off outdoor debris and moisture just like a sleeping bag. Also like sleeping bags, they're designed to pack down into an easily-storable package.
Outdoor Gear for the Caravan Camper
The great outdoors is what it's all about, and we'd hope that the vanlifer in your life spends plenty of time outside. Consider these gift ideas for a camper who wants to make the most of their freedom in nature.
Folding Barbecue
Many starting vanlifers buy a conventional barbecue and immediately get sick of how much space it takes up and the way it rattles around in transit.
A fold-up barbecue is among the best gifts for RV people due to its low profile and portability. The one pictured above folds up almost completely flat, allowing it to be stashed away almost anywhere when not in use.
Cobb Outdoor Kitchen
Did you know that the world of outdoor cooking has moved on from the humble barbecue in recent years? The new state of the art is the Cobb hybrid grill.
Unbelievably, the Cobb barbecue can roast, smoke, bake, boil, and fry to perfection. I promise you that I have successfully roasted a chicken in one of these. They're brilliant fun to experiment with and would make a fantastic gift for campervan chefs of all stripes.
Portable Coolbox
What barbecue would be complete without cool drinks? How are you going to keep meat cool on a hot day before the coals get going?
A portable electric coolbox would be a welcome gift for campervan grillmasters who know how to enjoy summer to its fullest. Most portable options these days are 12V and highly efficient, meaning they can even handily replace a dedicated fridge in a less fully-furnished camper.
Moonshade Portable Awning
An awning is practically an essential campervan component. It provides shade and shelter, effectively extending a van's usable space and allowing you to spend time outside whatever the weather.
Fixed awnings are generally expensive and complicated to install. A portable awning would be a welcome gift for camper owners who haven't yet comitted to a fixed installation. Moonshade's awnings are lightweight, sturdy, and very easy to set up. When not in use, they pack down into a small carrying bag that's easy to stow in a storage nook. Moonshade offer international shipping to the UK.
Collapsible Kayak
Inflatables? Am I shopping for my kids? It may seem far-fetched, but portable kayaks are brilliant. I've used mine far more than I ever thought I would, and it's significantly added to my outdoor adventures.
A good portable kayak, whether inflatable or fold-up, is lightweight and packs down surprisingly small. With a good hand pump, they're ready to go in no time, making even a thirty minute lake paddle a worthwhile mini-adventure. I've even fished out of mine.
Bike Rack
Among the sports pursued by vanlifers, cycling is surely the best represented. Many start out manoeuvring their bikes into their vans like Tetris pieces, but at some point, it's time to upgrade.
A bike rack is a great gift for campervan cyclists as a permanent solution to the inconvenience of hauling bikes around.
Portable Tech for the Modern Camper
A rustic aesthetic and getting back to basics are honourable pursuits, but the modern world isn't all bad. There are some entertainments that don't need to be left behind when the vanlifer in your life goes on the road. Consider these devices for when the weather's bad and the evenings are long.
Mini Projector
Snuggling into bed and putting on a film is a great campervan pleasure. It's easy to miss your big television when out on the road, but you don't have to.
Mini projectors are very impressive these days. At a moderate price point, you can get excellent picture quality in a shockingly small package. Shane swears by his mini projector, and hosts film nights in his van throughout winter.
E-book Reader
Every vanlifer needs an e-reader. I made a point of putting up a bookshelf in my van, because I jibe with the old saying that 'a house without books is like a room without windows'. However, a campervan bookshelf will never replace a home library.
An e-book reader fills in the gaps, saving shelf space for essential volumes whilst keeping you supplied with fresh reads on your travels.
Mobile Wi-Fi Router
Many vanlifers wonder how to get Wi-Fi in a campervan. Some people make do with hotspotting their phones, but this is murder on the battery and limited by the strength of your phone's tiny antenna.
A better solution is a mobile Wi-Fi router. Paired with an internet-specific SIM card, a dedicated mobile router has a much stronger antenna and its own rechargeable battery. An essential gift for campervan remote workers.
Portable Air Conditioner
Air conditioning would be a real luxury on hot days in a campervan. Unfortunately, traditional air-con is a dubious proposition for off-grid use due to its high power draw.
An innovative solution is a smaller portable unit. Portable air conditioners are on the rise as battery technology improves. The big battery can be charged at home, providing hours of efficient cooling on the road.
Portable Speaker
This could almost be in the 'essentials' section at the top of this article. Every campervan should be equipped with a sturdy, waterproof Bluetooth speaker with a big battery.
We don't need to explain why this would be a welcome gift for campervan owners. They charge quickly via a 12V cigarette port, they're compact, and they're more than adequate for small spaces. Give the gift of music to the vanlifer in your life.
Sustainability Gifts for the Eco-Conscious Camper
The van life often goes hand-in-hand with a more eco-conscious philosophy. Many travellers seek to offset the emissions of their van by living in a more sustainable way when on the road. To help them do this, take a look at the innovative, eco-friendly replacements for normal products below. Your green-hearted vanlifer will thank you.
Scrubba Wash Bag
Featured in our article on campervan laundry, the Scrubba wash bag is an elegant and simple solution to getting laundry done on the road.
It's a waterproof drybag with an integrated washboard. Filling the bag with clothes, water, and detergent, and scrunching it with hands and feet cleans laundry without the use of electricity.
Portable Solar Shower
Most vanlifers do without a dedicated shower. Installing a shower in a van is complicated, expensive, and takes up space. For your summer hygeine needs, we'd highly recommend a portable solar shower.
Portable solar showers' surprising performance is marked by their simplicity. A simple black bag which collects heat in the sun, they're easy to hang from a branch or roof rack. You'll be amazed by how quickly they warm up and that they hold enough water for a full wash, including your hair.
Biodegradable Soap
A perfect pairing for a solar shower, biodegradable soaps are made with all-natural, plant-based ingredients.
Becasue they contain no chemicals or oils which disrupt ecosystems, biodegradable soaps can be safely used when showering outside. Friendly Soap is a favourite of mine; I use their shampoos and conditioners as well.
Coconut Bowls
I love my coconut bowls. They're light, beautifully textured, and don't get chipped when they're rattling around in the drawer.
A set of coconut bowls is an excellent eco-friendly gift for camper kitchens, thanks to their low-carbon production and the fact that they're made from a natural by-product of the coconut industry.
Hand-cranked Camping Lantern
A good camping lantern is rarely thought of but always appreciated. Most are rechargeable by USB these days, but some also incorporate a hand crank for off-grid charging.
A good lantern is sturdy, gives off lots of light, and can be hung up to provide wider illumination. The hand crank completes the package, allowing you to charge up without plugging in.
Final Thoughts
We're sure that you'll find something in this list that would make the perfect gift for campervan people in your life. If you're really at a loss, you can't go wrong with a copy of Roaming Home, Shane's beautiful van conversion handbook. Get your van living loved ones something they'll really appreciate this giving season.
Don't forget to subscribe to The Van Conversion Newsletter for everything you need to get started with your own van conversion (we'll send you a free wiring diagram when you join).
If you're looking for some guidance with your van conversion, you might be interested in our book Roaming Home, or in our online course The Van Conversion Mastery Course. You'll learn directly from our founder Shane how to convert a van into your dream home - no prior experience needed.
Until next time.