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RV Happy Hours

RV Happy Hours are the Best Happy Hours

RV Happy Hours

We were only a couple months into our RV life when I found out that another RVer had described me as a “happy hour every day” kind of girl. I howled with delight at this description because, well, it’s true. I’ve definitely been to my fair share of happy hours over the years. And the best happy hours I’ve ever been too are RV happy hours.

Maybe you’re camping near people you already know, or maybe you’ve just made some new friends. Either way, if you’re all in the same camping location, it’s really easy to have everyone just gather together in one spot. We’ve made lots of great friends this way by just striking up conversations with people we meet, and then suggesting they come over for a drink in the afternoon. Here are few tips for the RV happy hours you may attend or put together.

Location, location, location….and weather

Whether you’re in a campground or boondocking, sometimes it’s easiest to just have a happy hour at your site. All you need to do is put out the call to any nearby friends, and you’re all set. If you happen to be boondocking, you’re more than likely already set up in a beautiful spot. Just remember to take the weather into consideration. We once hosted a happy hour at our boondocking site in Moab, and we inadvertently picked a night where the wind picked up to 35 mph. We ended up with 15 people inside our RV! It turned out to be a hilarious night, and I was just happy we were able to squeeze that many people inside.

RV Happy Hours are the Best Happy Hours 1

However, you may be in a situation where the campsite you’re in is less than ideal for hosting, or you want to meet up with RVers who are in different camping locations. In these cases, a local brewery is always a good option for a meet up. It’s casual, sometimes there are food trucks, and they are generally housed in fairly large spaces with lots of room for people to gather.

Brewery Happy Hour

Let’s eat

If you’re having cocktails you’re definitely going to want some food to absorb all the booze. But don’t feel obligated to cook a full meal. I generally set the tone with the invitation and ask everyone to bring a small appetizer or snack for everyone to share. My go-to contribution is usually a simple meat and cheese plate. I typically already have the ingredients on hand and it’s easy to prepare. I also have a tried-and-true onion soufflé dip that’s always a hit (see below for recipe.)

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We’ve also had last-minute gatherings where we didn’t have time to prepare anything, so we just asked everyone to eat before they arrive. Either way, just make sure everyone is on the same page so you don’t end up with a bunch of drunk and hungry people at your RV at the end of the night.

BYOB….and C & C

Most experienced RVers know, when you’re invited to someone’s rig, bring your own drinks. But also, importantly, bring your own chairs and cups. We always keep a pair of easily-foldable chairs with us for just that purpose. Many RVers may carry one or two extra chairs, but it’s always a good idea to bring your own to make sure you’ve got a comfortable place to sit. And don’t expect someone who lives in an RV to necessarily have extra drinkware. We always make sure to bring our own cups with us.

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RV Happy Hour Essentials

In addition to easy to carry chairs, a bag cooler is an important happy hour tool. Your RV host probably isn’t going to have room in their fridge for your frosty brews or chilled wine, so a bag cooler will let you keep your beverages at the right temperature. It will also let you keep your beverages right next to chair, so you don’t have to get up or go anywhere to refill.

A couple of fold-up tables are also a good idea if you’re the host. It will give people a place to put their drinks, and a central place for food if appetizers are being served.

RV Happy Hour Outside

Just the two of us

While RV happy hours are always fun with lots of friends, there’s something to be said for a happy hour with just me and my husband. Whether we’ve had a long day of driving or a day of exploring, there’s nothing better than just a quiet evening at home – in whatever beautiful location our home happens to be at the time.

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And if you ever happen to run into us on the road, please say hello. I’ll be sure to invite you over for happy hour.

Onion Soufflé Dip for Your RV Happy Hours

16 oz low-fat cream cheese

1 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion (1 large onion)
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t garlic powder
1 t Tabasco
1 chopped green onion

RV Happy Hour Onion Souffle Dip

Mix first seven ingredients together in a bowl (cream cheese through Tabasco.)
Put into a 9 x 9 pan and sprinkle chopped green onion on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.
Serve with crackers.

Enjoy!

Jen Nealy Author Bio

Author

Jen Nealy

Jen and her husband Deas have been traveling in their RV since 2013, during which time they estimate they have had at least 1000 happy hours. They travel with their dogs Shorty and Jake, and blog at nealysonwheels.com.

7 Responses

  1. Thank you so much for the WONDERFUL & INSPIRING article, Jen! We’ve been fulltimers for 9 months but still learning a lot. Love your fun and informative writing style.

  2. We are just months from signing on the dotted line for our 2019 Tiffin. Then it’s off to wherever the road takes us. Articles like this inspire and motivate us to get to the finish line (or should I say the starting gate). We’ll be sure to look for new friends and plenty of happy hours. Look for us…we’re American Gypsies.

    1. Well, you’re in the right place, Elsia! Feel free to browse around the website to learn more about our benefits, our mail service, our education offerings, and our RV community! If you find you’d like to join, you can click the ‘Join’ button in the menu above.

    1. Hi Jean!
      There is a menu item in the upper right corner of the screen that says “Join.” Click that and it’ll take you through the process of signing up! 🙂

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