Deck the halls with Cousin Eddie and his hilarious gifts for RVers

Welcome to the time of year when we celebrate Cousin Eddie, Randy Quaid’s hilarious character in the National Lampoon Vacation movies.

While Ellen Griswold’s Cousin Eddie appeared in three of the four Griswold Vacation movies, it was his co-starring role with a broken down RV (aka “ARR-VEE”) in the Christmas movie that turned him into a modern-day cultural icon, complete with a surprisingly wide variety of merchandise (see below).

Not only has Cousin Eddie himself become a cult figure, but his infamous RV has its own cult following, complete with its own merchandise. The beloved RV even inspired one RV-owning mega-fan to wrap his almost new motorhome’s exterior to resemble Cousin Eddie’s junker. Check it out in this post.

Sure, Cousin Eddie is rude, crude, and tone-deaf as a mule attempting to sing opera, but in the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation movie, he proves that what he lacks in social graces he makes up for in heart and good, if not misguided, intentions, which makes him kind of lovable. Kind of.

I suspect most of us have a version of Cousin Eddie somewhere in our family tree. I know I do.

I have been a fan of the film since it came out in 1989, and our family has an almost annual screening. Any scene with Quaid’s Cousin Eddie is always laugh-out-loud funny. Even though Eddie is a far-over-the-top character, Quaid adds small, quiet comic lines and touches that give him more nuance than the cartoon he obviously is. You can catch more of these each time you see the movie.

Clark Griswold was the role Chevy Chase was born to play and he makes the perfect counterpart to Eddie. A stellar supporting cast includes Beverly D’Angelo, Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Diane Ladd, Doris Roberts, Brian Doyle Murray, E.G. Marshall, John Randolph, Mae Questel (the original voice of Betty Boop), and very young Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis as the Griswold children.

If you want something fun and funny to watch this holiday season, check out National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. If you are already a fan, check out some of the vast array of Cousin Eddie and his RV merchandise available. It might make you laugh as much as the movie.

Apparel and merchandise

To be sure, the display below does not even scratch the surface of the Cousin Eddie merchandise available. That could go on for days. It seems as though a small industry has sprung up around this character. Even companies like Hallmark and Department 56 are getting in on the Cousin Eddie action.

These are some of our favorite Cousin Eddie merch picks. There are so many great choices, I broke them down into categories:

Don your gay apparel Cousin Eddie style:

Cousin Eddie ugly Christmas Sweater: Celebrate Eddie and his RV in this cozy festive holiday sweater.

Version 2 Cousin Eddie ugly Christmas Sweater: There’s more than one RV-themed Cousin Eddie Christmas sweater!

Cousin Eddie slippers: If it’s full, it’s full! These cozy slippers commemorate one of Eddie’s most famous lines.

Full Cousin Eddie costume: Outfit yourself like Cousin Eddie in the mornings with this full Cousin Eddie costume, complete with faux sewer hose.

Just the Hat: Eddie’s hat might look goofy, but it’s actually quite warm.

Just the shoes: They don’t make ’em like this anymore. Eddie’s infamous white shoes are here, just in case you know a Clark Griswold who needs a great gift!

Are you the family’s Cousin Eddie?: There’s one in every family and if you can’t identify anyone else, it just might be you!

Deck the halls with Cousin Eddie:

Hallmark Cousin Eddie’s RV ornament: You know you’ve made it when Hallmark commemorates it with an ornament!

Department 56 Cousin Eddie’s RV figure: Add Cousin Eddie’s RV to your holiday tableau with Department 56’s light-up figure.

Department 56 Cousin Eddie Figure: Not only can you add Eddie’s RV to your Department 56 display, you can add the man himself.

Big outdoor inflatable Cousin Eddie RV: Decorate outdoors with Cousin Eddie’s RV… but don’t you go falling in love with it. Eddie is taking it with him when he leaves next month!

More Cousin Eddie Fun

Cousin Eddie’s RV building blocks set: LED-lit Eddie’s RV building block kit provides fun for kids and adults alike.

Cousin Eddie RV mug: Have coffee with Eddie every day with this whimsical Eddie’s RV mug.

Cousin Eddie keychain: Why not keep your RV keys on a Cousin Eddie keychain?

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