40 Unique Campervan Gift Ideas – Vanlife Gift Guide 2024

Are you looking for the perfect gift idea for a campervan owner? I’ve got you covered. In this article, you’ll find 40 campervan gift ideas that any van lifer will love and appreciate.

Ever since we converted our ford transit campervan, all we ever ask for on Christmas and birthdays is gifts for our campervan. Despite only having a small amount of space, it’s amazing how much stuff you need if you want that space to be both comfortable and convenient.

At the same time, life on the road is one of those times when size really does matter. Is it asking too much to have all the conveniences of a traditional house, but in a compact form? I don’t think so.

Anyway, any van lifer will tell you that there’s always some kind of gadget or accessory that will make life on the road that bit easier. So that’s why in this guide, you’ll find a good mix of vanlife essentials, along with some fun and quirky ideas as well. 

So, with all that out of the way, let’s get to it. Here are 40 campervan gift ideas for vanlifers.

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Practical Gifts for Vanlife

We’re going to kick off this list with some practical gift ideas for vanlife. While these items might not seem like the most glamorous of options on this list, the campervan owner in your life will be over the moon with them. Trust me! 

1. Solar Shower

Unless the campervan owner you’re buying for spent a fair few quid on buying or converting their van, the chances are they don’t have a shower.  

With this in mind, one of the best practical gifts we received from a family member was a solar shower bag. We can fill it with water, leave it in the sun all day, and enjoy a nice warm shower in the evening.  

There are a fair few brands on the market; however, I wouldn’t recommend getting one that’s too cheap as the quality isn’t likely to be great.  

Advanced Elements are a mid-range brand with excellent quality products. And you don’t have to only take my word for it; click the link to see thousands of 4 or 5-star reviews on Amazon. 

2. Privacy Tent – Essential Campervan Gift idea

This next campervan gift idea goes hand in hand with the first idea as a privacy tent allows you to take a shower without the prying eyes of other campers.

These are especially convenient when pitched up somewhere for an extended period. Sometimes we even leave our loo in ours to save having it in the van. 

3. Camping Grill BBQ

When we are on the road in our van, our favourite method of cooking is to BBQ. While we are all geared up for cooking inside when we need to, it’s far more practical to cook outside.

Not only that, the reason that most vanlifers choose this lifestyle is so that they can enjoy the outdoors more. It’s great being inside the van, but we are all about the nature, ya’ll.

There’s honestly no better feeling than finding the perfect camping spot, putting on the bbq, and spending the evening outside taking in the surroundings.

We have one very similar to this folding camping grill and believe me; this is one practical gift idea that they will use time and time again. 

4. Camping Kitchen Wear

If the person you’re buying for has had their campervan a while, they’re probably already sorted on the kitchen wear front. On the other hand, if they’re new to vanlife, you could be on to a winner with this one.

The most important thing to consider when buying kitchen wear for a campervan is that it’s compact and lightweight. While a luxury set from Le Creuset would be lovely, it’s just not going to be practical enough for vanlife.

Luckily for you, most camping alternatives come at just a fraction of the price. Like this camping cookware kit, which condenses all the basics into a compact bag. Or a BBQ accessories kit to complement their camping BBQ.

5. Solar Powered Lights

Regardless of whether a campervan has electricity or not, having some solar-powered lights on standby is never a bad idea.  

These will come in super handy when you accidentally run your battery down. You don’t want to ever find yourself in the middle of nowhere with no light back up… that sh*t be creepy.

At the same time, they’re great to have around on those evenings when you’re simply sitting enjoying the outside. Anything that saves us running down our leisure batteries is always worth having in our eyes. 

6. Portable Wash Bag

One exciting, albeit un$exy, campervan gift on our list this year is this portable wash bag by Scrubba.  

During our recent extended road trip around the South of England, we realised we needed a convenient and portable way to wash our clothes. It’s not always an option to visit a laundromat, and while hand washing is OK, it’s pretty time-consuming.

That’s how we come across this little gem. It’s compact and vanlife friendly, but its inbuilt scrubbing washboard provides an effective way of washing your clothes. In fact, it promises to deliver washing machine results in just a few minutes. 

7. Camping Chairs

For obvious reasons, this campervan gift idea is geared more towards your newbie van lifer – for those just getting started, it can make for a fabulous welcome gift.

I couldn’t imagine going on road trip adventures without our comfy camping chairs. They are the first thing to come out of the van when we rock up to our camping spot.

Whilst not being the most compact option, we have zero regrets about buying our high-back camping chairs. Having that added neck support is a game-changer and means you can have a sneaky afternoon nap in the sun.

8. 12v Portable Fridge 

If you’re feeling generous, I don’t know any vanlifer who wouldn’t be beside themselves with this awesome campervan gift.  

We noticed during the summer in our van that even though we have a fridge in the back, it’s always packed to the brim with food. Leaving no room at all to refrigerate the beers on a warm summer’s day… Disaster.

This portable fridge by Alticool provides the perfect solution. It’s large enough to hold 24 330ml cans of cola and can be run off the vehicle battery while driving. It even has a freezer section which is hard to come by in 12v fridges.

9. Head Torch – Budget Vanlife Gift

On the slightly less exciting end of the scale, yet no less practical, is a head torch.

It’s inevitable that at some point or another, you’ll need to go outside when it’s dark. And holding a phone whilst trying to use the privacy tent or filling up water is never a sensible idea. 

I recently bought this head torch by Everbeam, and it was a solid investment. Not only is it one of the cheapest on the market, but it will come in super handy for both our road trips and early morning runs. 

10. Storage Solutions

When it comes to owning a campervan, any kind of practical storage solution is a gift from the vanlife gods.

It’s essential that we make good use of every last inch of space while keeping the van neat and tidy. Based on our experience as campervan owners, these are our favourite storage solutions:

• Packing Cubes: Any seasoned traveller will tell you that packing cubes is essential. Not only do they save space, but they also keep everything nicely organized, meaning we don’t have to fumble around looking for items.
• Hanging Storage Pouches: Any type of slimline hanging storage is an excellent campervan storage solution as it can be attached to most walls or the inside of cupboard doors. They’re super handy for those odd bits and bobs that you don’t want to leave hanging around.
• Mesh Bags: Mesh bags are a staple feature of those gorgeous campervans you see on Instagram. They make a great storage solution for fruit and veggies and can double as cute beach bags.

11. Life Straw – Practical Vanlife Gift

The Lifestraw makes an excellent and compact gift idea for campervan owners who are also hiking enthusiasts or love exploring out in the wilderness.

With the LifeStraw, you can drink from any water source (streams, lakes, puddles etc.), and they will filter out all the bad stuff. They protect against bacteria, parasites, microplastics, dirt, sand and cloudiness.

Ultralight and durable, the LifeStraw weighs less than 46 g and can filter up to 4000 litres of water! It’s the perfect survival accessory. 

Quirky Campervan Gift Ideas

OK, so we’ve covered the practical gifts for campervans that might not seem exciting to you but are guaranteed to be adored by them. But now we are entering the fun zone.

If you’re looking for something a little more lighthearted, this section is for you. I’ve got some cool and quirky ideas that not many camper owners would buy for themselves but make perfect gifts for vanlife all the same.

12. Travel-Sized Games

Thanks to social media, everybody sees the dreamy aspects of #vanlife. Warm summer days, enjoying the outdoors, freedom of location, the list goes on.

The reality, however, can be very different. The weather is not always on your side, and sometimes you can spend days stuck in your van.  

That’s why it’s handy to have some travel-sized games to keep you entertained. These make especially great gifts for travel couples, but there are games fit for solo players as well. 

13. A Real Plant

If you know a campervan owner who loves plants, a natural plant that’s camper-friendly is a unique and thoughtful idea that they will love.

The challenge is finding a plant that can survive life on the road. It needs to be something that’s low maintenance and isn’t going to take up too much space.

Some campervan plant ideas include succulents, devil’s ivy, snake plant, and peace lilies. 

14. Pop-Up Firepit – Cool Vanlife Gift Idea

I don’t know any camper or vanlifer that doesn’t long for nights huddled around the campfire staring up at the stars. Nights like those are what remind us that our chosen lifestyle is all worthwhile.

Depending on where you are, however, there are specific rules and regulations regarding campfires. I would only encourage doing so if 1. It’s allowed, and 2. You do so responsibly. 

That’s why this pop-up fire pit is a sensible yet quirky gift idea for campervan owners. It’s elevated off the ground to ensure it won’t cause a fire or leave any trace. Plus, it’s super convenient to put up and takedown.

15. Blow Up SUP Board

Stand-Up paddle boarding is all the rage these days! And it’s no surprise since it’s the closest most of us will get to walking on water.

We just purchased a blow-up paddleboard for our vanlife adventures in Europe, and it’s one of the best vanlife gifts we have bought ourselves. 

It folds away into a backpack so we can easily transport it from our van to the beach or lake, and it has become quite the vanlife hobby! If paddle boarding is out of the question, perhaps a blow-up kayak instead?

16. Neon Light – Quirky Campervan Gift Idea

One of my favourite campervan gift ideas on this list, these quirky neon lights will give any campervan character and edge. 

They are powered by USB, so they won’t drain much power, and you can choose from tons of designs and styles. I NEED one of these in our van! 

17. Marshmallow S’mores Kit

This next idea makes for a fantastic gift either on its own or as a fun add on to the fire pit.   

Because where there’s a campfire, there’s got to be marshmallows, right? And where there are marshmallows, there’s got to be s’mores. It’s the law of physics, so who are we to argue? 

18. Portable Espresso Machine

For the coffee-loving van lifer, why not gift them the gift of life itself. Because, let’s face it, who’s actually alive in the morning without a cup of coffee?  

Personally, I’m a cheap date instant coffee kinda girl, but I can see why this portable espresso machine would go down a storm with coffee connoisseurs.

To operate it, all you need to do is add the ground coffee, fill it with boiling, give it a few pumps, and voila. Coffee shop quality coffee without the need for batteries or electricity. Genius! 

19. Projector – Awesome Vanlife Gift

Movie nights in the van just hit different with this ultra mini compact projector.

We can set it up inside the van and watch movies on our blank white wall. Or we can hang a sheet outside and watch things that way.

This is, without doubt, one of our favourite campervan accessories, and the campervan enthusiast in your life will no doubt love it too! 

20. Mobile Gimbal

Life on the road is an adventure. It’s natural to want to take photos and record videos that will be our visual memories in years to come.  

As travel bloggers and photographers, we’ve got a lot of camera gear. However, one of our recent purchases is the DJI Osmo Mobile Gimbal, which I believe is a practical and quirky gift for anybody who travels.

The gimbal acts as a selfie stick and a stabiliser, allowing you to snap photos at the touch of a button while ensuring any video footage is smooth and seamless. 

10. Streaming Subscriptions

As much as we love the nature we also love movie nights! So an  Amazon Prime Subscription is a must. Or if reading is more their thing you can try Audible, Kindle, or Amazon Music instead.

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