Diving into the RV lifestyle for the first time can be intimidating. There’s lots to learn and consider. So, we wanted to hear from experienced RVers which products they would recommend for newbies. Whether you have friends who are just getting into the RV life or you’re looking for ideas for yourself, here are the best gifts for new RV owners, according to Lippert Brand Ambassadors Bob and Grace Bouchard, a.k.a. 2 Veterans on the Move.

After traveling full-time for four years, we knew it was time to upgrade our hitch. Our previous hitch was made of aluminum, so when we found out that the CURT CrossWing hitch was made of all high-grade steel, that made it a top priority on our list!

Something that was important to us when upgrading our hitch was finding something that didn't take up a whole lot of space in the bed of our truck.  Additionally, because the hitch weight is only 60 lbs., it makes it easy to install and remove from our truck bed without having to wait for additional assistance.

Overall weight is always something on our mind, so with the CURT CrossWing’s lightweight design, it only adds a minimal amount of weight to our payload capacity, and the design only takes up a small footprint in the truck bed compared to traditional 5th wheel hitches. Because of that, the CrossWing hitch provides plenty of use for the truck bed even if you’re not connected to the RV.

So, when we recently bought our new 5th wheel, we also upgraded our hitch to the new CURT CrossWing. Having this high-grade steel hitch has provided us with much more peace of mind when traveling, something we would have loved as first-time RVers! Not only does it ease our minds, but it allows us extra space to store items on travel days while still offering 20k lbs. of towing capacity!

The CrossWing’s coupling mechanism makes hooking up much easier as well, simplifying our travel days and getting us out on the road quickly. And with the ShockDrop™ shock-absorbing technology, it really helps give us a smoother ride while towing. It’s no surprise that after the first few weeks of traveling with it, it quickly became one of our favorite travel day upgrades!

One of the best things about camping is relaxing and enjoying the views that RV travel can take you to. But if you don’t have the right chair, the amount of time you may want to sit outside can quickly change. That’s what we love about the Lippert Big Bear chair, it is hands down the most comfortable and roomy camping chair we have ever experienced!

This chair not only provides comfort when taking in the view, but it’s also still very lightweight and stores easily, which means it’s great for RV travel or taking with you to join friends at a campfire. Its durable material means it will hold up to daily use and pairs great with the Lippert picnic popup gazebo!

The Lippert picnic gazebo is great for creating additional space when traveling. In a matter of minutes, you can set up an outdoor living space to enjoy. It provides shade from the sun and provides a space to fully enjoy amazing camping weather.

But, as much as we travel, we also know that not every day is great camping weather, and you aren’t always going to have ideal outdoor conditions. Rainy days happen and let’s face it; camping is outdoors which means there are times we may be sharing that space with more bugs than we would prefer. Having this gazebo not only allows you to still enjoy being outside when it rains but the mesh walls are tight enough to keep bugs out when closed up too! As easy as the Lippert gazebo is to set up for an outdoor living space, it has many more uses than simply hanging out in.

Earlier this summer we were transitioning out of one RV and into our new RV. To help with the transfer, before we took our RV to trade in for our new RV, we placed as many items as we could into the gazebo. We put the wind panels up and closed the gazebo to help keep our things out of the weather. Doing this made the transfer into the new RV at the dealership much quicker as we took delivery of our new RV. Once we returned to our site, we were able to simply transfer our remaining items from the gazebo into our new home-on-wheels.

We’ve seen plenty of other outdoor options but the simplicity of setting up the Lippert gazebo where one person can handle setting it up in under 10 mins. can’t be understated. Then adding in our outdoor mat, furniture, lights and getting our flags hung up, we’re ready to enjoy our extended outdoor living space in under 30 mins! 

It's a great spot for relaxing outside, working on travel plans, or simply hanging out with friends!

When looking for a new RV, one of the things that is a top priority for us is the functionality of the stovetop. Some RV stovetops can have burners placed so closely that you may not be able to have full use of each burner while cooking. The offset burner design on the Furrion 3-burner range allows you to have full use on all three burners at a single time.

In addition to the functionality, this burner range is made with a high-quality diecast grate that gives it a residential-style look. The grate’s design also allows for easy access to clean up any mess, to keep your stovetop clean.

Not only can you use all three burners at once, but the design allows you to use residential-size cookware and does not limit you to small travel-sized pans. This means your meal options while traveling are wide open to be as creative as you want!

As full-time travelers, having dependable suspension components is the #1 priority for us. In our first few years on the road, we experienced a few issues with our suspension that created travel delays and ultimately led to us upgrading the suspension on our first RV. From those experiences, we knew suspension would always be something we would want to have the very best of.

Because of the importance we place on our RV suspension, when we purchased our new RV this year, upgrading the suspension was going to be one of the first things we did. So, when we saw that the Road Armor equalizer and heavy-duty shackles came standard, we were thrilled! A big reason for that is that we know they are reliable parts that provide us the confidence that we will have a smooth ride and will hold up against rough roads.

Having confidence in the equipment and components on your RV as you travel down the road not only provides a smoother ride, but it also allows you to focus on what really matters, which is experiencing the views that RV travel can take you to!

We didn’t know how much a difference having a Thin Shade installed would make until we didn’t have one! Not only does it help keep the heat out on those hot summer days, but it also helps with privacy for the RV door window.

Having this addition to our RV screen door has been great for us knowing that we can keep the door open and not worry about Bailey scratching at or trying to get through the screen door. It allows us to keep only the screen door open so that we can all enjoy all the beautiful views.

Disclaimer: These photographs, recommendations, and approximations are intended for demonstration purposes only and do not reflect the specifications of any particular tow vehicle, recreational vehicle, or trailer. Always consult the manufacturer’s Owner's Manual.