15 Christmas gift ideas for RV travellers

OzPig Traveller

Just in time for Christmas is this new, smaller and more affordable version of the popular Australian-designed OzPig portable wood-fired camp cooker and heater.

Designed to bridge the gap between camping stove and fire pit, the new OzPig Traveller features a large rectangular top opening and more efficient compact body, so you'll burn less wood.

Like the original OzPig, the Traveller is manufactured from pressed steel and fully robot welded, and does everything from wood-fired heating, BBQ and chargrill cooking to camp oven and wok cooking.

It weighs 17kg and the base price includes a warming plate, spark arrestor, lifting tool and carry bag.

Priced at $299, from BCF.

Sh*t towns of Australia book

Hot off the press, this 192-page paperback is the perfect gift for RV travellers who can appreciate tongue-in-cheek ‘ocker’ humour and aren’t easily offended.

Authors Rick Furphy and Geoff Rissole (not their real names) have used material from their popular ‘Sh*t towns of Australia’ Facebook page, which has over 150,000 followers, to compile this politically incorrect and often hilarious 'guide' book.

All up, 60 places are covered, from more obvious candidates like Coober Pedy and Logan, to tourist hot spots like Byron Bay and Melbourne. Some of the most offensive Facebook comments are included in the book, along with a witty ‘Significant events in Australia’  timeline and ‘How to speak Australian’ guide you're unlikely to find on any Tourism Australian website.

$14.95, from Booktopia.

St Johns First aid kit

St John Ambulance sells a number of first aid kits, specifically designed for RV travellers.

The Caravan and Camping First Aid kit comes in a fishing tackle-style plastic box and includes a number of wipes, bandages, scissors, dressing, etc for dealing with a range of first-aid emergencies.

Also included in the kit is a poncho, glow stick, waterproof matches and whistle/compass.

$57.95, from St Johns Ambulance.

Camps 10 Australia Wide 

This ‘bible’ for RV travelers includes details of more than 5000 ‘authenticated’ free or low cost camping areas around Australia.

Each location is accompanied by useful information including if the camp spot is close to the road and is pet friendly, has a pleasant outlook, mobile phone coverage and dry weather access.

The 2019 10th edition includes 950 new campsites and a GPS co-ordinate is provided for every listing.

$64.95 from Camps Australia Wide.

Life Beach Cabana

We’ve tried a few beach umbrellas over the years, but this is one of the best for the price.

Featuring a patterned cotton fabric canopy with powdercoated steel frame, it works like any over-sized umbrella but with a few useful additions designed to make it cope better with big winds.

These include four fabric strips that drop down from the main canopy, with a large pocket at the base that's filled with sand (damp if possible for additional weight), to anchor and hold the umbrella upright.

$59 from BIG W.

Rio freestanding hammock

This universal hammock stand with double hammock from online retailer Rio Hammocks is made using cotton material and heavy duty steel, and assembles in minutes without any tools if you believe the blurb.

Rio also sells a variety of other more conventional 'tree to tree' hammocks, including lightweight nylon parachute hammocks from $50.

$193 from Rio Hammocks.

Tiwal portable sailboat

Feeling generous?

This gift will set you back more than $10,000, but what price for a European-built inflatable sailing dinghy that fits in the boot of your car, or caravan tunnel locker?

The Tiwal inflatable dinghy range packs into two carry bags (weighing 25kg and 20kg for the Tiwal 2, and 28kg each for the Tiwal 3) making it easy to transport the knocked-down dinghy to the water's edge.

A generous sail area delivers this dynamic little craft way more speed and thrills than the 3.2-metre (10ft 5in) size would suggest.

A modern carbon-fibre rig, a deep centreboard and alloy hiking rack ensure the Tiwal also flies in strong winds and is really fun to sail.

See Tiwal Australia.

ARB digital deflator

ARB's E-Z Deflator with digital gauge makes it easier to adjust tyre pressures when hitting the dirt or sand.

With a claimed accuracy of +/- 1psi between 15-75psi, the easy-to-read blue backlit display features multiple pressure readouts including PSI, BAR, KPA and KgF.

The E-Z Deflator has up to 200 hours run time on a set of 2 x AAA batteries which are supplied with the unit. Also included is a sturdy cotton canvas pouch.

RRP is $79, from ARB.

Saracen Ultra hitch lock

Melbourne-based Purple Line specializes in security devices for caravanners, with a range of wheel and coupling locks to suit a variety of different set-ups.

The multi-purpose Saracen Ultra hitch lock can be used to secure a caravan or trailer in three ways: securing the hitch to the tow vehicle when the trailer is hitched up to the tow vehicle; securing the hitch when the trailer is unhitched from tow vehicle, and securing the safety chains through the lock body when the trailer is unhitched.

Priced at $189, from Purpleline Australia.

Enduromax Mate

There are plenty of annexe or ground mats available on the market but the EnduroMat Mate range is among the best.

Available in a range of sizes, they're made from a durable PVC welded fibre that's also fire retardent. The mesh style fabric is designed to let smaller particles fall through, to keep things cleaner outside your van, while still allowing enough sunlight to pass through if you're camping on grass.

The mats are also lightweight, easy to clean, and feature a non-slip, mildew resistant and UV-protected surface.

From $104.50, at Enduromat Mate.

Palm Outdoor unbreakable glassware

Palm Products’ fancy range of unbreakable drinkware add a touch of glamour to any camping experience.

The Melbourne manufacturer sells its ‘BPA-free' range of stylish glasses, bowls, jugs, plates and other high quality injection moulded components, around the world.

Choose from the regular range of glassware from around $6 each to the award-winning Mark Newson range with coloured bases, from $9.

See Palm Outdoor.

Woolly Warmers

These are a great idea for those who feel the cold, suffer from arthritis or other aches and pains, or just appreciate locally-made natural products.

The therapeutic heat pads are hand made on a farm in Boort, in north central Victoria, from allergy-free soft wool, cotton and wheat, Just throw in the microwave for a couple of minutes and they stay warm for ages.

There are 21 different options targeting all parts of your body.

From $30, from Woolly Warmers.

Novelty t-shirt

Themed or novelty t-shirts are easy to find on the internet if you’re really struggling to find that perfect but affordable gift for the ‘vanner in your life.

One tongue-in-cheek example we found was this ‘We sleep around’ T-shirt from online retailer Spreadshirt. It's also available as a hoodie, for winter travel.

$24.91, from Spreadshirt.

Helinox lightweight camp chairs

Nobody does bullet-proof hiking umbrellas or super-compact, super-lightweight camp chairs, tables and stretcher beds, quite like Helinox.

Not only are they light and compact, when packed up they’ll squeeze into just about anywhere, and they're so light you can carry them to the beach or favourite campsite without breaking your back. They’re also made from top-notch materials so should last a lifetime.

From $104 from Helinox Australia.

Buy a Bale gift donation

Rather than buy a gift that gets shoved down the back of the garage or ends up on Ebay, why not help out a struggling farmer with a gift donation, courtesy of a family member or friend.

The Buy a Bale campaign run by Rural Aid focuses on supplying fodder and other essential items for farmers in need, with all funds raised used to support farmers.

Donations start from $20 for a bale of hay, with other options including fuel ($1.70 a litre), or 11,500 litres of water ($450).

See Buy a Bale.