RV gift shopping for the frugal -- and not so frugal

If you managed to escape the shopping crowds on "Black Friday" and are still puzzling over what to give your favorite RVer (or yourself), here are some suggestions to mull over. We've listed these gift ideas in price order, more or less, low to high.

Fancy (or simple) set of campfire sticks for roasting marshmallows or hot dogs. Starting around $5.00.

Flyshooter bug gun. Like that old adage among frogs: "Time's fun when you're havin' flies," you can make time fly while you zap flies with this great improvement over the old-time flyswatter. Attached retrieval cord means you don't even have to get out of your chair! Around $6.

Water thief. Not something you think much about until you get somewhere and find there aren't any threads on the water faucet, or the threads are "boogered" and you can't get your hose to thread on -- and you've got an empty tank.  Less than $10.

Dress up your awning at night with colorful awning lights. There's a wide range of these accessories, starting at a little over $10 to nearly $100.

12 volt blow dryer (hair, windows, doors when frozen shut). Look for reviews when shopping – not all of these are created equal. Around $20 to start.

"Campsite occupied" sign. Tired of sticking a lawn chair in your campsite when you pull the motorhome out for a quick trip, returning and find somebody stole your lawn chair? Now you can put out a $20 "campsite occupied" sign, drive away, and find on your return that somebody stole your $20 "campsite occupied" sign!

12 volt to USB charge outlet. With all the geegaws we have today that charge up on a USB port, having a couple of "12-volt outlet to USB" chargers is really getting essential. Our experience with electronic tablets tells us we want to buy the highest output available. This one has some of the highest output we've seen, comes with "smart technology" to keep it from overheating, and comes with a three-month warranty. Around $20

12-volt crock pot. Great deal after a long day on the road – a meal ready to eat. Just make sure you have power going to the batteries you're drawing from. If you're a "towable" owner, consider setting your crock pot in a box and plugging into the outlet when the engine's running. Motorhome owners won't have as much a worry about running the battery down. Starting in the $20 range.

Cash card for fuel. You pick your price.

Remote weather station: Start easy and cheap indoor and outdoor temperature, add humidity and barometric pressure. Go "whole hog" and add a wind and rain gauge. Low-end temperature-only systems start at a little over $10, and low-priced "whole hog" systems can be had for around $100. Add even more features, like "talk to my computer" systems rise as quickly as the temperature in Death Valley in July.

Quick levelers. With the innovative Camper Leveler you can level your RV or trailer on the FIRST try - every single time! No more guesswork! No more hassle! Simply drive up until you are level and then chock - it's that simple. The Andersen Camper Leveler provides 'dead-on' leveling at any increment from 1/2 inches to 4 inches - no other leveler is this precise - or this easy to use! About $45.00.

So many RVs are "up off the ground," meaning, to open the door, you need to climb up the steps, grab the door handle, then step back down as you swing the door open and yet not get clobbered. Stromberg-Carlson, who markets a nice line of assist bars for getting in and out of RVs now markets the "EZ Open Handle," an accessory that lets you open the RV door without having to step up to reach the factory door handle. Around $45.00


Got a real techy handyman? How about a non-contact infrared thermometer? Great for checking just how cold the air coming out of the a/c vent is. Or check how hot your tires or wheel bearings are. There are plenty on the  market for less than $20, but accuracy can be questionable. Here's one with relatively high ratings from users – and costs less than $50.00.

Camping club memberships. Get a discount on campground rates, some as much as half-off. Starting around $50.00

Binoculars. The art of RVing is enjoying the trip, right? How many times do you see things while heading down the road that are "just out of reach?" A set of binoculars can really make wildlife and landscapes come alive. You can pick up a set of binoculars for the grandkids to maul for a little over $10; an entry level pair of binoculars for yourself for around $25; and really blast the budget with super high-tech night vision binocs that can set you back up to and more than $10,000 a pair.

Save time, and Bengay – try an electric tongue jack for the travel trailer owner in your life. Our last rig came with the old "Armstrong" tongue jack, and one of the first upgrades we made was on an electric tongue jack. Mid $70's upwards to $300 range.

GPS system. We would really have been lost on our last trip without one. RVers will find the dedicated "RV friendly" GPS systems allow you to plug in height and weight, and have specific databases with helpful information. Don't be put off by the "around $300" price range – you may find the company will sell you a "refurbished unit" for way less than $100.

Rear view camera. Not just for motorhomes, a wireless rear view camera can really help when backing into a tight spot. If you're purchasing for a travel trailer, make sure you account for the distance between the driver's seat and the rear of the trailer, and know there are "obstructions" in the way. Our first wireless system that works in conjunction with our GPS unit wouldn't work at the back of the trailer – a distance just too far. Prices start in the $50 range and can shoot up to $1,000 for fancy ones with multiple cameras.

One of the nicest gifts we ever received came to us nearly 20 years ago. We're still using it – right now, as a matter of fact. What is it? A big wool blanket! Keeping us warm and cozy, and keeping LP fuel costs down, it also gives us warm thoughts about the couple who gave it to us. Starting at about $35 to more than $100.

Tired of dragging around your rig's 50-amp cord? A powered cord reel may be just the ticket to reeling that heavy cord back into your rig. For a bit over $100 you can hand-crank your cord back in; or go BIG and for less than $500 have an electric motor reel it back for you.

Chassis storage system. What's a matter – got too much stuff and no basement storage? Now with these clever add-on units, you too, can have basement storage. Starting at about $250.

Tire pressure monitoring system. Yes, these can be a little on the spendy side, but if you save yourself a blown tire and associated "collateral damage," it'll probably more than pay for the system. A four-tire monitoring system can be had for about $150, and expect to pay more for more tires covered.

Feeling really flush? How about a new flooring upgrade? Chuck out that old "shows-every-speck-of-dirt" carpet with some easy-to-care-for laminate flooring. You may be able to do the install yourself. Prices are all over the map – but your best bet is to buy your laminate from a 'big box' store like Lowe's or Home Depot. Starting at around $1.00 a square foot.

Electric inverter generator: Quiet, lightweight, useful. Honda comes with rave reviews, but we opted for a lesser-priced Yamaha. Enough kick to fire our roof air conditioner, small enough to stash away securely under our pickup canopy. Starting around $1,000 for the better ones.

A winter vacation. Some place warm and sunny. Priceless.

Protect those expensive batteries

They say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Here's the RVer's corollary: A battery in the box is worth at least two in the junk pile. Eh? If your rig doesn't provide "inside storage" for your house batteries, leaving them out in the weather, unprotected can be most unprofitable. A lot of older travel trailers have the house battery sit up near the hitch, well exposed to the elements.

What could the problem be? Exposure to the elements just ain't the greatest thing from the electrics. First, battery terminal connectors will oxidize at a much faster rate. Oxidized connectors make for resistance to electrical flow, and that's a real problem when you're trying to charge your battery--you want the best flow possible.

But there's more: Road debris, tree leaves and needles, et al, can take up residence on the top of the battery. Add a little water and you have the makings for electrical current leakage. Yes, for real, a small amount of juice can begin to flow from the battery posts across the medium you're growing on the battery. Even small amounts can add up, reducing the available amount of juice for your use, and eventually killing off the battery.

So take the big plunge: Invest in a battery box to protect your leaded investment. For less than $15 a pop you too can liberate your 'lectrics from the fear of exposure.

Build your own RV extension cord?

We've all had the experience: We have the rig settled at a friend's house, not really set up for an RV. Then we find we're just a wee-bit short when trying to plug your RV shore power cord into the outlet. It's a frustrating experience, and there's always the temptation to use an adapter and a light duty extension cord to make up the difference. Please don't. Electricity is a funny thing--when too "light" a wiring is used, not only do you endanger yourself with fire, you also run a good risk of damaging expensive RV equipment.

Here's the deal: Electrical wiring actually does have a certain amount of resistance to the flow of electrical current. The longer the wire run, the greater the amount of resistance. As the electrical current struggles against this resistance, it produces heat energy—hence electrical cables can actually get hot--sometimes hot enough to create that hideous problem known as fire. What usually "goes first," however is the under-rated fittings on the end of the cables. These can overheat and burn up, or on the way to that create even greater resistance to electrical flow. But even if that doesn't occur, the resistance of the wiring actually reduces the amount of voltage that can reach your RV.

photo: .ci.wausau.wi.us

So if you have too small an extension cord out to the RV, and then fire up a big power consumer—in the summer think air conditioning—and not enough voltage is present, then physical damage can happen to devices that need that power. So how do you work with this problem? Well, you could purchase a ready-made RV extension cord. For the 30 amp RV crowd, a 25 foot cord will probably set you back fifty to sixty dollars. For the 50-amp users, that same length could run you over three times that price.

Tempted to "do it yourself," and build an extension cord? It's do-able. But you need good working data on what size conductors to use in your cord. With the advent of the Internet, there are all sorts of sites that can help you figure out what your wire requirements are. Check out the sidebar for this story. But as you run your calculations, be sure to take into account the length of your existing RV shore power cord. One of our rigs has a 25' shore power cord, so building an additional 25' of extension cord would require figuring a full 50' run. Whatever you do, don't skimp on the wire gauge or the fittings.

If you decide to build your own, always double check your connections before putting your cord into service. We use the ohm meter portion of a digital multimeter to verify that everything it where it should be. Imagine our surprise when we completed a cable and we found two of the conductors reversed. How'd that happen? Squinting through bifocals at the included wiring diagram for one of the fittings, a slight misinterpretation of what the fine print and finer arrow we're pointing to led to what could have been a real problem.

If you're the least bit squeamish about your ability, drop the bucks on a commercially built unit.

And one more thing, when you use any shore power cord, it's never a bad idea to pull all the shore power cable out of the compartment before hooking up and using the shore power. Why? Well, since cable does have resistance, if you put enough load on your shore power cord, you could actually have the equivalent of a "heating cable" in your cabinet--like those things those poor folks in the north use to keep their pipes from freezing in winter.

Here's a resource for the do-it-yourselfer. This link will take you to a great calculator for figuring wire size needed.

Modular portable camping could change the way you camp

In the summer of 2009 Lawrence Drake's daughter asked him to go camping with her and her young family in Rocky Mountain National Park. In his search for a camper he could pull with his small SUV having only a 1,000 pound towing capacity, he came up short.

That led to the idea for a lightweight camper that could be quickly mounted on his small utility trailer. This was the beginnings of the development of the Tail Feather and the convenience and practicality of modular camper.

Light weight is not just a claim, its true

Four years of development have gone into taking every unnecessary pound out of the Tail Feather Campers. At under 900 lbs., including the utility trailer, it can be pulled by just about any vehicle that has a tow rating. And, its aerodynamic too.

Wood, particle board, steel, vinyl, fiberglass and other typical camper building materials are heavy. The Tail Feather Camper is made of strong, but lightweight materials. The additional cost of lightweight components more than pays for itself in fuel, maintenance and travel cost savings.

Same durable construction as white water kayaks

Tail Feather Campers are roto-molded from tough and rugged polyethelyne just like white water kayaks. They are injected with highly insulative PE foam for strength, durability and comfort, and are UV protected to prevent deterioration in the elements.

Modify to fit your needs

Tail Feather Campers are designed to fit your needs when you need it. The interior furnishings can be quickly folded away to accomodate your ATV, bike, motorcycle or small boat. Unload and set up for comfortable camping in minutes.

Diassemble the whole Tail Feather Camper in minutes and use your utility trailer for hauling. Switch the windows and cabinets around to fit your taste.

Watch this slide show of the simple assembly process:

Simplicity through and through

From a single screw driver required for assembly, lift off doors, and foldable furniture, everything in a Tail Feather Camper is designed to be simple - to assemble, to use, and to store.

A cozy sanctuary from the elements

Much bigger inside than it looks, you can sit four comfortably at the dinette. The six foot two inch ceiling with its gentle curve gives plenty of headroom for most people. The dinette converts easily to a 6' long full size bed or add the jump seats for a king size bed.

Learn more at the Tail Feather website, or go directly to their Online Store to build your own customized trailer.