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The new year is nearly here, and that means it’s time to start thinking about what RV new year celebrations you might have and what you’ll do to welcome the new year. You could of course just have a traditional New Year’s party. There is nothing wrong with that. That said, as an RVer, you have an opportunity to add a unique twist to your traditional celebrations.
Here are some of the best RV new year celebration ideas.
Meet Up with RVing Friends
The best way to celebrate anything is always with friends. Make plans to meet up with some RV friends to have a New Year’s celebration together. Break out the Clam tent and a space heater to keep warm, invest in silly hats and party horns, use an outdoor TV to watch the ball drop, drink some sparkling cider, and have a good time.
If you’re boondocking, feel free to make as much noise as you like when midnight rolls around. That said, if you’re in a campground, you will need to make sure to follow any quiet hour rules they’ve posted.
Some families opt to “ring in the new year” a bit early so they can make some noise and then send the kiddos off to bed. Others welcome the new year silently. One year we were with friends from Sweden, and we watched the Swedish countdown livestream and rang in the new year while the sun was still up.
Have a Community Campfire
In my opinion, campfires are a good way to celebrate anything. Definitely plan to have a new year’s campfire. Tell stories about your favorite things that happened in the past year, and discuss things you learned over the last twelve months. Talk about what you hope to do in the coming year, and share resolutions and goals over a yummy s’more.
If you’re with friends, you will obviously want to invite them. That said, if you aren’t with friends, consider inviting your RV neighbors. Chances are, some of them don’t have any new year’s buddies either and would love to connect over a campfire.
Welcome the New Year with a Hike
Many people like to welcome the new year with a New Year’s Day hike, one of the most perfect RV new year celebration ideas out there. I absolutely love this idea and have been on a few hikes on January 1st myself. Hiking is a wonderful way to reconnect with nature, and spending time in nature is the perfect way to start a new chapter. I love that hiking also gives us time to reflect on things that happened over the past year and what direction we are planning on heading next.
On top of all that, hiking gives us time to reconnect as a family unit and check in with those we love to see how everyone is doing—something that should be done regularly, but especially at turning points such as the new year.
Start a Travel Journal
No matter how long you’ve been traveling, it’s never too late to start a travel journal, and the new year is the perfect time to jump into it.
A travel journal can include pretty much anything you like. You can write stories you want to remember about your travels, keep details on where you stayed and what you liked (or didn’t like) about a place, or take notes on places you’ve been and places you missed that you’d like to come back and see.
I’m terrible about keeping such notes, but I find myself wishing I had them on a regular basis, so I’m thinking I might need to start a travel journal this coming year and making it one of my RV new year goals to keep up with it.
Give the Rig a Good Cleaning
Nobody wants to start a new chapter in a messy environment. Use the RV new year as your cue to get some cleaning done.
Get rid of the clutter and give all the new holiday gifts a place to live. Scrub the sinks, tub, and toilet, sweep and mop the floors, and wash the windows. Spray your water tanks clean and clean your freshwater system with bleach.
You might also wash the outside of your rig and touch up the seals on the outside of your RV to make sure they are ready for a RV new year of travel.
Make New Travel Plans
If your family is at all like my family, you tend to slow down quite a bit during the winter season and use it as a time of rest and reconnecting with friends and family. That said, the new year is when I like to sit down and hammer out spring travel plans. If you haven’t already, use the days leading up to the new year to figure out what you’ll be doing for the next several months.
Chat with your family about what they’d like to see and do, check in with friends to see when and where you might meet up with them, then start creating a travel route and making campground reservations. A new year of traveling fun is something to get excited about!
Buy a New Home-on-Wheels
Finally, if you’ve been thinking about purchasing a new RV, you might consider using this season as shopping season. When a new year rolls around, many new RV models are released, meaning you’ll have some new options to choose from. On top of that, the RVs left over from the year before tend to be marked down, meaning you could save some money.
Hoping to buy used? December and January are a good time for this too because the RV market is slow, meaning you’ll likely pay less during the cold months.
There you have it: 7 terrific ways for RVers to welcome the new year. I’m probably going to use most of these ideas to plan my RV new year celebration. What about you?
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