11 Tips for Spending Christmas in an RV (and LOVING it!)

Every family has their favorite holiday traditions and pastimes. However, living in an RV can make things a little more difficult for you – but it can also give you the opportunity to create even better memories and make new traditions just in time for the holidays.

So, how do you make the most of spending Christmas in an RV? Spending the holidays in an RV is more fun than it sounds, you can spend your day making new experiences by traveling to new destinations, getting to know new people, and even eating out while still holding onto traditional Christmas fun.

I have prepared a list of 11 Tips for you to LOVE spending Christmas in your RV this year!

Preparing for Christmas in an RV

Before every Christmas Day, a person should always be prepared. Especially in an RV. Spending Christmas Day in your RV will be a lot different than spending it in your home with family and friends.

But that doesn’t mean the preparation should be any less fun or exciting. Below are 5 Essential Ways for you to Prepare for Spending Christmas in an RV.

1. Prepare Yourself for Bad Weather

Before all of the Holiday fun can truly begin, make sure that you are watching out for the weather.

Depending on where you are, you could be having a REALLY White Christmas. If this is the case, prepare an emergency kit for the RV filled with batteries, first aid supplies, extra blankets, etc.

Because you are going to be on board the RV, you are also going to want to make sure you have a repair kit for the RV in case anything should go awry in the cold weather.

If you plan to travel anywhere for the Christmas Holiday, prepare the RV for winter driving in whatever capacity is necessary for the amount of snow you will be getting.

Remember, it never hurts to be prepared. This way, you can make sure nobody gets hurt and you can really start to enjoy the Holidays.

2. Cut Down Your Very Own Tree

An amazing part of the experience with spending Christmas away from home is the decorating – especially when it comes to picking out a tree.

Now, you could go the artificial route and find a fake, yet still beautiful tree that can fit the dimensions of your RV.

However, if you have the opportunity to do so, you should take advantage of the fact that you are outdoors and camping!

Places such as the National Forest in the U.S. allow you to cut down your very own tree for Christmastime. Just make sure you have a permit before you go around cutting down a tree to haul into your RV.

Picking out and cutting down your very own tree is a classic tradition, and a great one for you to share with your kids!

3. Make Room For Gifts

As space is going to be limited, sacrifices might need to be made. Rather than stuffing your RV full of gifts, just make some room for them!

Whether this means clearing out a designated spot for your Christmas Tree with enough room to place the gifts around it or even placing gifts in your living area by the fireplace – whatever you decide, you don’t want to be packed in.

Try not to have so many gifts that you have to get rid of everything you own just to make room for them.

Living in such a tight space also means that you’re going to need to get creative with where you hide the gifts before Christmas. Perhaps consider using the storage that is often found underneath the bed in the master bedroom.

Use whatever small, extra space you have to keep the gifts safe and hidden until they are ready to be placed under the tree.

4. Don’t Skip Decorating

One of the best parts of Christmas for me and my family has always been decorating. Just because you and yours are camping out in an RV makes no exception.

While it’s a small space, you can still have fun decorating both the interior and exterior of your RV.

Consider doing some of the following:

Deck out the Exterior with Lights and a Wreath
Place Some Mini Christmas Trees Around the Interior
Hang Your Stockings Above the Fireplace
Decorate Your Spot at the Campground
Switch Your Comforter to a Cozy Christmas Comforter

Living in an RV doesn’t mean you can’t decorate for Christmas, but it does mean you really can enjoy the simple things in life. Sometimes you just don’t have enough room to store all of those Christmas decorations.

If that’s the case, just try to keep the decorating simple, and to a minimum. But, if it’s your family’s tradition at home to go a little crazy with the decorations, there’s no reason you shouldn’t get to keep that tradition alive.

No matter how you decide to decorate the RV, just remember to have fun with it. Create some new memories!

5. Mail your Christmas Packages from Christmas or Santa Claus!

If you happen to be camping down in Florida or up in Indiana over the Holidays – make your way to one of these great destinations to mail out any Christmas Packages! They also make for a great day trip!

Christmas, Florida: In this town, you can visit a Christmas Tree that stays up and decorated all year long! Or take a visit to their very own Christmas Museum!

Right in Christmas itself is an old fort! Fort Christmas Holiday Park is a great place for you to take the kids for an educational experience before the holidays really begin.

Another Perk: It’s only 50 Miles from Orlando!

Santa Claus, Indiana: Visiting the Old Post Office here is a timeless tradition. You could send out your very own Christmas Package from Santa Claus and make one child really happy!

Take a trip to Santa’s Candy Castle and indulge your sweet tooth! At his Candy Castle, Santa offers a variety of candy and hot cocoa for everyone who believes in his name!

Spend a day at Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari! Here you can spend the day riding Roller Coasters and other fun rides at a great Holiday Themed Amusement Park!

What to Do on Christmas Day

Just as the build-up for Christmas Day was fun and exciting, you should be having fun on Christmas Day. Take advantage of your time spent in the RV and at the RV Park to make some serious Christmas Memories!

Here are 6 Essential Tips guaranteed to help you have a great Christmas in your RV!

6. Go Somewhere Fun!

As mentioned above, the best thing about spending your holiday in an RV is the complete mobility you have. You can go and do whatever you want, wherever you want!

So, why not take a trip to someplace fun and exciting for the whole family? There are tons of places around the country that celebrate the holidays big time!

It’s always fun to plan a family Christmas Vacation. Speak with your family about where they may be interested in visiting for the Holidays and find a nearby campground so that you have a place to sleep that night.

You don’t have to stay cramped in the RV all day, go out and have fun. Christmas is all about spending time with the ones you love, so take the RV out and have some fun with it.

In fact, making new memories for the kids, rather than giving them loads of gifts is something that they can hold onto in later years.

Remember, gifts are temporary. Experiences last a lifetime!

7. Have Christmas Dinner with Families at the RV Park

One of the greatest things about camping out is that you can meet all kinds of people from all over the country. So, why not take advantage of that?

On Christmas Day, get together with some of the other people camping out at the RV Park and host your very own Christmas Dinner!

Everyone can contribute something to the dinner, and you could set up a large table outdoors to decorate and eat your dinner together.

One great thing about RVs is that they come equipped with all of the necessities one would need for cooking a Christmas Dinner.

The kitchen space may seem small, but since everyone is contributing their part to the dinner, you aren’t going to need a ton of space anyway. So, just have fun with it!

Spend your holiday by devoting quality time with new friends!

8. Go Out for Dinner

If you aren’t one for meeting new people or socializing in big groups – take your family out for dinner! If it happens to be just you and your significant other, this could make for the perfect ending to Christmas Day.

This could become a classic tradition for the whole family, pick a restaurant that you all will enjoy, and make a habit of visiting there every year – or whenever you can!

Doing this means you don’t have to go through the hassle of making your own Christmas Dinner with the small kitchen space in your RV.

It will give everyone time to stretch out and unwind for a bit before loading back up in the RV that night.

9. Have a White Elephant Gift Exchange

Similar to hosting a Christmas dinner, this idea requires coordination with the other families in the RV Park. However, if you put in the effort – this could be a memory your family treasures for years to come.

All you should do is find a few families that are willing to participate in the gift exchange with you. Set a budget for spending.

After this is set, go out and buy your gifts and decide on a designated area for all of you to place your presents in preparation for the exchange.

When the day comes for the exchange, play the game as you typically would, assigning each other numbers to pick a gift, or steal a gift from another person.

Keep going until all of the gifts have been unwrapped!

10. Go Caroling Around the RV Park

Why not brighten up another camper’s day by bringing the Holiday Spirit to them?

As a family, plan out a few families or neighbors around the RV Park that you think would really benefit from being caroled to. Pick some of your favorite Christmas songs or hymns and take it to their front door!

This activity is something the whole family can participate in – and it’s a great service to bring smiles to the faces of others. Even if you don’t know who they are.

This could give you the opportunity to get to know some new people and make some great new friends!

11. Donate Your Decorations When You are Done With Them!

A great part of spending Christmas in the RV is your ability to enjoy the simplicity of holidays for that year. You don’t need to get extravagant with the decorations – especially if you plan on spending Christmas at home next year.

So, when all is said and done, why not try to give back a bit?

After all, Christmas is the season for giving. So, when you are done with your decorations, go ahead and wrap them up and store them carefully.

You can donate the decorations to your local Goodwill, or anywhere else you see fit. But, why not allow someone else to enjoy those decorations as much as you did?

Keeping Your Holiday Traditions Alive – Extra Tips

Just because you are spending time away from home for Christmas this year, it doesn’t mean you can’t still do the same fun things in your RV.

Everyone has their own favorite traditions at Christmastime, but here are a couple of extra things you can do to keep the Holiday feeling alive while on the road.

Bake Christmas Cookies: This is a timeless classic. Your RV has its own kitchen, and baking cookies usually doesn’t take too much room. It’s nothing like cooking an entire Christmas dinner in the RV. And when you’re done, you can deliver the cookies around the RV Park!
Watch a Christmas Movie: Being in tight quarters in the winter is the perfect chance for you to get cozy with your loved one and kick back and watch a Christmas classic together. Turn on the fireplace, grab a few blankets, and settle in!
Go to a Candlelight Service: Although you may not be a part of the local congregation, this is a good way to remind your family of the real reason we celebrate the Christmas Season.
Visit a Live Nativity: This includes something for everyone. Live Nativities often have animals for the children to pet, and parents still get to teach their children about the importance of the Christmas Holiday.
Volunteer: Try volunteering at a Local Food Bank or Soup Kitchen on Christmas Morning. Christmas is all about being grateful and giving to those less fortunate than yourself. This is a great opportunity for families with children.

Even though you may be far from home, you can still bring back the feeling of spending the holidays as you would at home. Take advantage of living in a small space and make time for family.