11 Gifts for Van Builders and Future Van Lifers
So you have a loved one who has decided to shrug off conventional life and move into a van. Once you’re done making all the mandatory Chris Farley jokes, you’re probably getting to the acceptance and support stage.
As the holidays approach, that may leave you wondering, “What should I get someone who will be selling all their belongings?”
Finding gifts for van builders, as with gifts for vanlifers or road trip gifts in general, is a tricky business because van life demands a certain level of minimalism. You’ll want to get them something that won’t just get decluttered in a few months.
That means something useful and ideally, practical for their build (since converting a van is pretty expensive process with lots of things that are needed). But you don’t know their build plans exactly, so obviously things like building materials are out...unless you gift that in the form of a gift card to Lowe’s or another hardware store (not a bad idea!)
Building materials aside, here are some ideas for gifts that van converters can find useful, both now and in their future road dwelling days.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Tool Kit
Tools are the van builder’s bread and butter. It’s literally a road to nowhere without the right tools. So pave the way for them!
If they’re carpentry amateurs, get them all a set of the power tools they’ll need. Aside from saws, the Makita 6-pc Cordless Set is a great value for quality products.
If your giftee is a total tool newbie (and you can’t afford to splurge on their power tools), consider getting them a basic tool kit like this one from Entai with ALL the basics they’ll need for van building: tape measurer, level, utility knife, hand saw, and the like
Or maybe they already have the basic tools but are in need of some specialty drill bits, drivers, and all other bits and bobs of hardware. For that, nothing beats Black & Decker’s 129-piece drill bit and driver kit. At the low price of $40, you’ll save them tons of money on buying individual bits they’ll find themselves needing through the build.
Find it here: Amazon
Image credit Goal Zero
Goal Zero Anything
Powering up a camper van is perhaps the most important thing that turns it from a vehicle to a home.
And for power on the go, no brand is better than Goal Zero. From portable hiking solar panels to charge devices to full solar kits, they have it all with the quality and rave reviews to back up every product.
If you’re looking for a big gift, consider the Goal Zero Yeti 1500x Portable Power Station, an all-in-one power bank, charge controller, and 2000W inverter. Alternatively, there are similar power banks with a less powerful inverter for a big cost cut.
We understand that solar stuff can get expensive, so if you want to get your van building loved one a useful gift without breaking the bank, the Boulder 50W Solar Panel is an affordable option.
Plus, any vanlifer will love it because this pop-up panel can be set up wherever, whenever, which can save a lot of hassle of mounting it on the roof.
Find it here: Goal Zero / Backcountry / REI
Image credit BougeRV
Van Appliances from BougeRV
From solar panels and installation kits to AC/DC compressor van refrigerators and DC-powered heated seat covers (which are AMAZING- we have some), BougeRV has all sorts of little vanlife appliances and accessories that can really take a build to the next level.
Because BougeRV has so many useful products for van builders, make sure you do some poking around to figure out which your van builder might actually need.
For example, these have some of the best refrigerators for vanlife for those on a budget.
Alternatively, get them a gift card so they can pick out exactly what they need or want.
Find it here: BougeRV
Image credit Solgaard
Solgaard Solarbank Boombox
Want to know the secret to surviving a van build? Noise distraction, whether it’s a podcast, audiobook (which were my fave things during the build), or just some angsty music to match your mood when the angle of your cut is just off the mark.
Solgaard’s Solarbank Boombox is a 3-in-1 Bluetooth speaker, solar panel, and power bank. Not only can the sun fully charge this 10,000 mAh battery to play your tunes, but also charge your phone while doing so.
In the future, they can even upgrade their mobile music experience by adding the Shore-Tex™ Lifepack with an integrated pocket for the Solarbank Boombox that allows it to charge as they walk or hike. Plus, the Lifepack is made of 100% recycled ocean-bound plastic.
Solgaard is truly an up-and-coming sustainable gear company, as they also sponsor the removal of 5 pounds of plastic trash from the ocean for every product sold. In 2019, they removed 75,000 pounds.
That means this one doubles as an eco friendly gift for outdoor lovers or gift for outdoor adventurers.
Find it here: Solgaard
How to Live the Dream: Things Every Van Lifer Needs to Know book
For a more budget-friendly gift for a van builder or vanlife dreamer, this book by Kristine Hudson is fantastic as a little relaxing yet productive reading time after a long build day. Help them start learning the ropes of the road before actually hitting it.
Fills with tons of tips, stories, and funny anecdotes, Hudson provides a very real and honest picture of vanlife. And as you know, we think everyone should know about the realities of vanlife before jumping in headfirst!
Find it here: Amazon
The Dyrt Pro Subscription
If your van builder is getting close to realizing their vanlife dreams, a subscription to The Dyrt campground database can seriously make their first year of vanlife easier by taking the hassle away from finding campgrounds.
At just $35.99/year, this vanlife app and website duo provides offline campground search capability and downloadable maps (of trails, campgrounds, waterways, off-road tracks, etc), and lots of discount perks.
The Pro subscription also gives members 30% discounts at participating outdoor stores and 40% at participating campgrounds.
A vanlife gift that keeps on giving, especially since finding overnight parking is one of the biggest learning curves for beginner vanlifers.
Available: The Dyrt
Image credit Outdoorsy
Outdoorsy Gift Card
Maybe your giftee has been dreaming and scheming about vanlife for ages but hasn’t actually pulled the trigger to start the conversion process yet. Keep their stoke alive by giving them the gift of a temporary vanlife vacation.
With a gift card from Outdoorsy, your loved one can rent an RV or camper van from private parties. All they need to do is search for renters wherever they want to pick up the van, select their dates, and travel!
Outdoorsy is a great way to experience vanlife (or test it out) before one has a van of their own.
Find it here: Outdoorsy
Image credit MoonFab
MoonFab MoonShade™ Awning
Summer vanlife can be pretty darn miserable without the proper tools to keep cool. Rain can also make vanlife pretty darn miserable. Do you know what helps with both those scenarios? An awning!
MoonShade™ is an innovative portable vehicle awning that sets up easily and packs away into virtually nothing (while costing far less than pre-fabricated static RV awnings). Weighing only 8 pounds, it’s “heavy-duty, not heavy” and the underside boasts a reflective coating that magnifies any light underneath, perfect for when they invite you to their “home” for an outdoor dinner party.
Compatible with all kinds of anchor systems, it works (or can be adapted to work) on any van. While your van builder is toiling away at the interior of their camper van, give them a thoughtful upgrade to the exterior… that also blissfully does not require much effort to install. Trust us, they’ll thank you for that.
Find it here: MoonFab
Image credit UST
UST Sleeping Pad
One of the best ways to learn what you want in a van build is to just take your van out on a trip, no matter the stage of the build. We used to just throw a few sleeping pads and sleeping bags in our van during the build process and those trips helped us learn a lot about the things we wanted.
So even if your van builder is at the empty cargo van stage, a sleeping pad is the perfect way to encourage them to get out and start living the vanlife as early as possible.
Plus the colors of UST’s Freestyle pads will undoubtedly bring some fun to the arduous van conversion process.
Find it here: UST
Image credit Wood Spirit Arts
Shelfie Magnetic Shelf
Looking for something to give that’s useful both during and after the build? How about a Shelfie by Wood Spirit Arts?!
These magnetic walnut shelves come in a variety of sizes and stick perfectly via extra strong magnetic to the walls of any camper van. Provided they leave a little exposed on the walls (or appliances), they can be used to hold all sorts of items, like spices and other miscellaneous goodies.
During the build, they come in extra handy for holding drinks, tools, drill bits, and whatever else causes them to say, “I swear it was just here!” The floor of the camper van in progress is a black hole, so make sure the important things don’t get sucked in by instead using these moveable shelves as a mini workstation.
Etsy has tons of other unique gifts for vanlifers and van builders like these that will also allow you to support small makers and businesses.
Etsy also carbon offsets the shipping of all orders so you can start their eco friendly vanlife off right.
Find it here: Etsy
Image credit Pachamama
Pachamama CBD Tincture
Take it from someone who has been there, done that, and shed oh so many tears in the process: van building is super stressful. Most build days ended with a beer or two (....or four).
For those days when a post-build beer alone just doesn’t cut it, help them take the edge off with some natural, calming CBD.
Pachamama is the best we’ve tried (and we’ve experimented with a lot).
From Turmeric and Black Pepper anti-inflammatory full spectrum CBD tincture to muscle-soothing Athletic Rub, they’ve got tons of options, all made from the purest organic, single-origin Colorado-grown hemp extract.
Winners of the Clean Label Project Purity Award (the first of only three CBD brands to ever do so), Pachamama uses an innovative air extraction process to get their CBD. By using heat and pressure rather than chemical solvents, you get pure and totally non-toxic feel-good-formulas.
Build burnout is a real thing. Making the van building process less stressful is the biggest tool you can give them to succeed and achieve their vanlife dreams. This one’s a gift in the short term and an even bigger gift in the long term.
Find it here: Pachamama
**This post contains affiliate links to support the continued creation of these van life guides. This just means that if you purchase one of these eco rock climbing ropes from one of the links above, I get a small commission from the sale at no cost to you. Read more here or reach out with more questions.