In my opinion there are some things to consider when contemplating a gift for an avid RV’er this season. Are they Full Time or Seasonal campers? Do they have kids and do the kids travel with them? Are they people considering buying or recently bought an RV? RV maintenance and start up costs add up real quick and the nature of this wonderful way of life or pastime requires a on-going money.
The Giant Teddy Bear…
It means a great deal to give a gift that shows one’s best intentions and Love but the practicality always gets in my way. The giant teddy bear you buy for example is not the ideal gift, while being a beautiful sentiment. Bear in mind that space and efficiency in RV’s are high on the list, especially fo Full Time folk. When we purchased our Travel Trailer my friends and family bought RV gifts for us. While we so appreciated these gifts, we ended up not using half of them as they were either impractical for our purposes, or not the items we were hoping to get in time. We all research the heck out of everything RV and very quickly set our minds on the items we need for our RV.
Bear in mind…
Storage and space are important. Those big bulky gifts simply take up too much space. The fact that you gave this gift puts a little pressure on their recipients as they will feel obliged to keep them and show their appreciation for the wonderful gift. The truth is that it won’t stick around for long. The same applies to the RV gift you thought was ideal.
This too will eventually be replaced. I take nothing away from receiving a beautifully wrapped gift but I would rather give a smaller cheaper present and focus the bulk of the value on what would truly bring the most value to it’s recipient.
This is what I really really want…
I happen to have a December birthday. When asked what I want for both my birthday and Christmas I simply suggest a gift card. I know you’re all saying that this is so impersonal but it simply isn’t. If everyone gives me a gift card I can focus on the things I need most. I consider any gift to be special but the fact that I can accumulate gift card value and buy what we really need makes a huge difference. This helped us get a lot of our RV necessities when we first got our Travel Trailer and will bring even greater value to Full Timers with way more wear, tear and maintenance on their vehicles and equipment.
Things I consider when buying a gift:
Is this what he/she really wants?
Will it be tucked away after a couple of days?
Does it have longevity and truly have impact on the recipient?
Am I buying this gift to make me feel good?
Can they use it anytime or anywhere?
The biggest gift you can give me is the gift of choice. Amazon and cards of their ilk do just that. There are a handful of similar gifts that fall into this category, like music and streaming subscriptions, gas, maintenance and Visa Cards cards. In today’s economy I struggle to find a better gift to give…
Happy Holidays and Safe Travels.
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