Christmas on the Road: Creating New Traditions in Your RV

Sponsored by RV Roofing Solutions

Celebrating the holidays on the road? Join the conversation in our Facebook community and share your favorite holiday traditions using #LTRVChristmas.

There's something about your first Christmas on the road that changes everything. You're staring at your 2.5-foot tabletop tree, wondering where all your ornament collections went. Your kids are asking how Santa will find them without a chimney and in an RV that’s always on the move. And you're realizing that turkey dinner isn't happening in a kitchen smaller than most people's closets. And definitely not in that teeny, tiny, baby oven.

But here's the beautiful truth nobody tells you: Christmas doesn't have to look the same to feel magical.

In this episode of Learn To RV: The Podcast, Jennifer, Jenn, and Tasha gather together again in Florida to share our most cherished holiday memories from the road. From swimming on Christmas Day to ordering pizza on Christmas Eve, from seven-foot pencil trees squeezed into toy haulers to cookies that require milling your own flour, we believe holiday traditions can be just as meaningful in 300 square feet as they were in 3,000.

What This Episode Is About

We’re not here pushing the myth that holiday success is based on how many Pinterest decorations you get perfect. We share how amazing the holidays can be — even when you’re thousands of miles away from your extended family, living in a space small enough that a full-size tree would require removing furniture, and you’re navigating food allergies with limited counter space.

Jennifer shares her family’s first full-time Christmas tradition: doing everything differently. Tacos instead of turkey. Swimming instead of snow. Embracing change rather than mourning what they’d left behind helped them find the joy of the holidays.

Jenn shares how her family has built Christmas around experiences rather than things, from their first solo Christmas at Disney World to their current plans to gather with family at campgrounds. She reveals her daughters' favorite tradition — picking out a Christmas ornament every year to build collections they'll take with them when they eventually move out.

Tasha finally admits she may have a holiday problem: going on the road meant downsizing from three Christmas trees in her sticks-and-bricks to one 2.5-foot tree on a table. She also laments over not having the right tools or space for her grandmother's sour cream cookie recipe (it calls for eight cups of flour!!!). And she divulges why Matt won't let her have even one inflatable outside their rig.

And as always, we talk about ways to make community connection during what can be a difficult season.

This episode is essential listening if you're:

• Celebrating your first Christmas on the road and wondering how to make it special
• Missing your traditional holiday gatherings and struggling with the transition
• Living in a small space and wondering how to decorate without overwhelming your RV
• Navigating food allergies or dietary restrictions during the holidays
• Feeling isolated during the holiday season
• Looking for creative ways to celebrate outside of a sticks-and-bricks house
• Wanting to hear honest stories from other RVing families
• Searching for permission to create your own traditions
• Planning to spend the holidays at campgrounds with your RVing kids
• Trying to keep the magic alive even though everything is different

What You'll Learn

Unwrap creative solutions for compact celebrations. Tabletop trees and throw pillows you can change out each season can really save the holidays. Learn why Christmas Eve pizza might become your new favorite tradition and how Christmas nachos can bring more joy than the traditional feast ever did.

We share practical tips for managing holiday baking in tiny RV kitchens, including how one of us even mills their own flour on the road. Hear about Frank's famous meatball cookies (a chocolate cookie with red wine that is absolutely life changing!) and why gluten-free kids require extra planning before heading to remote campgrounds.

We talk about our favorite traveling traditions, like ornament collections that grow with our adventures. And about why experience gifts matter when you live with limited storage. Most importantly, you'll learn strategies for combating holiday loneliness on the road.

Ready to Dive Deeper?

We prove that Christmas traditions don't have to stay the same to be special. What really matters is creating moments that bring joy, connection, and meaning, wherever you are.

You'll hear stories that might make you laugh, like the kid who doesn't notice he keeps hitting the Christmas tree on the table, or make you tear up, like missing family members during the holidays. But overall, they'll release the pressure of putting together a perfect Christmas.

The conversation touches on everything from managing expectations to finding creative storage solutions for seasonal decorations. You'll discover that some of the best Christmas memories come from embracing the unconventional. Whether you're planning your first Christmas on the road or your tenth, this episode offers perspectives that remind you why you chose this RV lifestyle in the first place.

Where to Listen and How to Connect

You can listen to "Christmas on the Road: Creating New Traditions in Your RV" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you stream your favorite podcasts.

For bonus content and extended holiday content, join our Patreon Campfire Crew. Choose from three membership tiers offering exclusive episodes, merch, and more. Your support helps us create more authentic content like this for RVers like you.

Continue this conversation in our Learn To RV: The Podcast Community on Facebook. Share your own RV Christmas traditions using #LTRVChristmas and connect with other families navigating holidays on the road.

Find more real-life stories and resources about RV life with kids, full-time RVing, and building community. Visit learntorv.com and learntorvthepodcast.com.

The Real Message

Christmas on the road is about enjoying those moments after everything else is stripped away. The lights on the small tree twinkle a little brighter. When you can't bake all the cookies, the ones you do are so much tastier.

The RV life teaches us that home isn't a place. Home is the people you're with and the memories you make together. That is especially true during the holidays when your traditions change and spaces shrink. And what you're left with is what truly matters: connection, love, and presence.

So whether you're celebrating with tacos or turkey, in Florida sunshine or mountain snow, with a seven-foot pencil tree or a Charlie Brown tree on your counter, remember that you're not losing Christmas. You're discovering what it's always been about underneath all the trappings.

And sometimes, that's the greatest gift of all.

Sponsored by RV Roofing Solutions

While you're creating holiday memories on the road, make sure your home on wheels is protected for all your adventures ahead. RV Roofing Solutions provides thorough inspections and complete roof replacements so you can travel with confidence. Their experienced technicians understand the unique needs of life on the road, and they come to you nationwide. Visit rvroofingsolutions.com to schedule your roof inspection so you can focus on what matters most — celebrating the season with the people you love, wherever the road takes you.

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