Celebrating Christmas in a RV

Celebrating Christmas in a RV can be filled with more magic than you might have guessed! Let’s get into the RV Christmas spirit! If you’ll be in your RV for the holidays this year, you may be wondering how you’ll go about celebrating. After all, decorating and cooking a big meal in such a tiny space could prove to be a challenge. On top of that, you may be traveling away from family, friends, and home, meaning new traditions will likely have to be established.

Fortunately, it is completely possible to have an enjoyable Christmas in your RV. In fact, you might even find you enjoy a simple holiday in your tiny space even more than you expected.

Try the ideas below for making this Christmas an awesome one.

Fabulous Decor Ideas

Let’s begin by discussing decorations. No Christmas season is complete without some sort of decor, and this means finding a way to make your tiny home-on-wheels festive is an absolute must.

Here are some of our favorite ideas for decorating your RV for the holiday season:

Tree Ideas

The most important part of any home Christmas decor is the tree. Unfortunately, most trees are too big to fit in an RV. Try these alternatives to the traditional Christmas tree instead:

• Pencil tree

• Tabletop tree

• Half tree

• Felt tree

Christmas Light Projector

Want lights on the outside of your RV, but don’t want to bother with putting them up and taking them down every time you move? This Christmas lights projector is the perfect solution. It projects light and images onto your rig, and setting it up is an absolute breeze.

DIY Decor

Some other decor ideas that we love are super simple to put together yourself and can be thrown out at the end of the season, meaning less stuff to store in the RV. For instance, we’ve seen some people tying ribbon around their cabinet doors, making them look like gifts. Another idea is to use a needle to string red and green pom-poms onto a piece of embroidery floss to make your own cute garland.

Gift Ideas for RV Life

Whether you plan to be in your RV for the long term or you’re just taking a trip, finding smaller, more portable gifts is a must when spending the holidays in a trailer or motorhome. Additionally, it can be nice to seek out gifts that can be used during your travels.

Here are some of our favorite gift ideas for RVers:

For the RV

Finding a gift for the RV is a wonderful idea. For instance, the family cook might appreciate an Instant Pot for RV cooking. Meanwhile, the person who tends to do RV repairs may like a multi-tool. We also really like this collapsible wagon for lugging things around the campground.

Toys and Games

Shopping for a kid? We love LEGO for a small yet versatile toy gift. Games are also a super fun option and can be compact. Look for travel versions of classic favorites for smaller games that store well. Other great, compact games include Set and Bananagrams.

Experience Gifts

RVers appreciate new and exciting experiences. Therefore, it only stands to reason that they’ll also love a good experience gift. Consider giving your loved ones a reciprocal museum membership or money to pay for a class or camp. These things don’t take up any space at all, and give the recipient memories to last a lifetime.

Related Read: The Ultimate RV Gift Guide

Seeking Out the Best Holiday Events

One of the advantages to being in the RV during the holiday season is the ability to travel to the most fun and exciting celebrations. Whether you’re looking for a fantastic light display, a super fun party, or something else entirely, you can get there.

Some of our favorite holiday events around the country include the following:

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Disney World, Orlando, FL

A super fun party with special character meet-and-greets, an amazing fireworks show and parade, and delicious snacks, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an event to remember.

Related Read: 8 Reasons to do Disney in an RV

Christmas Town, USA Events

Christmas Town, NC

If you’ll be in North Carolina for Christmas, consider visiting Christmas Town, USA. This amazing town goes all out with their decorations and events throughout the holiday season.

Strawbery Banke Candlelight Stroll

Portsmouth, NH

History lovers will adore the Strawbery Banke Candlelight Stroll. This event features reenactments of historic holiday celebrations and a collection of well decorated historic homes.

Balboa Park December Nights

San Diego, CA

Every year, Balboa Park is turned into a winter wonderland featuring an enormous number of lights and a fantastic poinsettia display. Additionally, the park hosts all kinds of live entertainment, and all of the park’s museums offer free admission.

Find campgrounds near me in these areas and more!

Finding Friends to Celebrate With

Nobody wants to spend the holidays alone. Why not seek out some friends to celebrate with? To do this, we recommend joining a club such as Fulltime Families or Escapees and attending an event. That said, you can probably find some friends through online forums, Facebook groups, and in campgrounds. With over 60,000 active members, The RV Bunch Facebook group is a great place to connect and meet other RVers.

Enjoying a Christmas Meal

Finally, there is the question of how you will procure a Christmas meal to enjoy. Cooking a whole holiday dinner in a tiny RV kitchen is difficult, but not impossible. That said, there are other options if you don’t want to attempt it.

Try these tips and suggestions in order to ensure you have a delicious meal on Christmas Day:

Use Electric Appliances

Pull out the Instant Pot and NuWave Oven in order to ensure you have enough cooking appliances to get everything made.

Set Up Additional Prep Spaces

Not enough counter space? You can create more prep space by setting up a folding table.

Start Early

If you plan on serving foods that can be made in advance, take advantage of that fact and start cooking a few days before the holiday arrives.

Move It Outside

Feeling cooped up in your RV kitchen? You can always move outside. Electric appliances move outside without much issue, and the grill is great for cooking certain foods.

Head to a Restaurant

Of course, cooking isn’t mandatory. You can always head to a local restaurant for dinner, or even grab a premade holiday meal to enjoy at home.

Attend a Potluck

Alternatively, you might choose to attend a potluck. Attend a campground-hosted event or host your own with the friends mentioned above. Either way, you’ll share the cooking load with others, making the holiday a lot less stressful.