Some people will tell you that Christmas in a motorhome or a campervan is a daft idea. Those people are just wrong. Very wrong.

In fact, with a little forward planning, it can be absolutely magical – the perfect balance of cosy and Christmassy. You’re pitched up in the best motorhome, free from the usual domestic chores, there’s simply no room for unpopular relatives to invite themselves, plus you’ve got all the traditions you love, packed into your neat and twinkling home-on-wheels.

Just don’t forget to pack the presents (and if you’ve not started your Christmas shopping yet, our gifts for motorhome owners and gifts for campervanners guides will have you covered).

If you’re planning on spending Christmas in your motorhome, these are our tips to help you get the most from your festive stay.

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Preparing for Christmas in your motorhome or campervan

For the very best Christmas motorhoming experience, you really need to be prepared.

Picking a site

Find a good all-year-round site close to home, friends or family, or something festive – a Christmas market, a stately home, or somewhere with proper winter walking.

There are a variety of sites to choose from that are open all year, some of which are family-friendly, some of which are adults only motorhome sites.

Arrive by 23 December at the latest, so you can be pitched, plugged in and propped up with a mince pie before the big day.

The pitch

Go for a full-service pitch if you possibly can. Hardstanding is also your best friend in December: it could keep you from sinking into a muddy quagmire, especially if you find you’ve been driving your motorhome in the rain to reach the campsite.

The awning

If you have one, a sizeable awning is worth its weight in pigs-in-blankets. This is the ideal spot for gatherings, muddy boots and wet coats. Install a draught skirt and a wheel arch cover to keep in the warmth (and don’t miss our tips for how to keep a campervan warm in winter for more advice on beating the cold).

Groceries and consumables

Plan your shopping, both for Christmas goodies and for touring essentials, such as gas, the best motorhome toilet chemicals, and spare gadget batteries. Plan how you will keep your food and drink cool – nobody wants warm wine or balmy beer. (Glühwein excepted, of course!)

Christmas in a motorhome: decorations

Lights

This is your chance to turn your motorhome into a rolling, fairy-lit beacon of joy. You’ll find battery-powered LEDs work wonders inside, while the weatherproof ones are essential for brilliant exterior lighting. Go multicoloured for retro fun, or stick to one colour for something that says ‘classy’, rather than ‘Blackpool Illuminations’.

Tree and decorations

Size really matters here. Too big and you’ll be eating your sprouts in the washroom. A compact artificial tree is perfect – no dropped needles, so no vacuuming.

Pop it in the awning or on a side table, and decorate it with bright baubles and battery-powered candles (real flames in a ’van are as welcome as overcooked sprouts).

Festive scents

Swap the real candles for a reed diffuser. Fill your van with the smell of cinnamon, cloves, pine or orange – it’s safer, and still says ‘Christmas’ louder than Uncle Brian after a couple of ports.

Presents

As anyone who has loaded a motorhome before will know, storage is limited, so you’ll need to hide presents under the bed or the sofa. And if there are children involved, be ready with a convincing yarn about how Santa managed to squeeze in through the Truma flue or the roof vent!

Christmas in a motorhome: food, drink and entertainment

Games and entertainment

Choose your games wisely. Motorhomes simply don’t have room for Monopoly meltdowns or Twister-related injuries.

Opt instead for compact crowd-pleasers such as Uno, Bananagrams or Pass the Pig. If you’ve got Wi-Fi, download the Heads Up! app – it’s daft, noisy and brilliant after pudding. Don’t forget Christmas films and the King’s Speech, either.

The best 12V smart TV for a motorhome will help you enjoy the full viewing experience.

Listening to music

Load up your Christmas playlist and connect to a quality Bluetooth speaker. Even ‘Silent Night’ sounds better with proper bass.

Christmas dinner on tour

Yes, you can cook a full Christmas dinner in a motorhome. But you need a game plan tighter than Santa’s schedule.

Food prep

Do as much as possible at home. Peel and chop veg, make the stuffing and freeze anything that you can – it will slowly defrost while you’re on the road, saving some of that precious fridge space.

Turkey time

Forget about a whole bird unless you fancy jamming it in the oven until Boxing Day. A turkey crown fits the oven, cooks faster and leaves plenty of room for roasties and Yorkshire puddings.

Veg and sides

Stacking steamer pans are great – three types of vegetables on one ring. Just crack a window and the roof vent unless you want your ’van to double as a sauna. If you’re on electric hook-up, an air fryer or slow cooker can be a lifesaver. Consider cooking non-motorhome-friendly food in the awning on a small gas cooker, or even outside on the barbie.

Enjoying drinks

No fridge space for fizz? Stick it outside in a bucket of icy water. In December, it’ll be at serving temperature for days.

Getting power

Heating, cooking, it all adds up. Take two gas bottles and use gas for heating and cooking if you can. Leave the electric for essentials such as the kettle, the TV – and of course,
the fairy lights!

Tips to keep warm over Christmas

• Modern UK motorhomes are Grade III insulated – which means that winter touring is positively civilised
• In an older motorhome, it will help to pile on the layers: thick socks, a chunky jumper and a 12-tog duvet
• Use propane in winter – it will carry on working down to minus 42°C, while butane conks out at around minus 2°C
• Never block the floor vents in your vehicle – they’re essential for safety, however draughty they might feel
• Crack open a window to cut down on the problem of condensation in your van – yes, even in December!
• If you have water-tank heaters, make sure they’re switched on. Also, keep a waste-water container beneath your outlet tap and leave the latter open to prevent it from freezing. Keep the waste pipes sloping downwards, too
• Always keep a functioning carbon monoxide detector in the motorhome
• In frozen ground, pre-drill awning peg holes with a cordless drill!

Lead image: Getty Images

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