Readers share their odd RV hobbies

We recently asked about what hobbies you bring along in your RV. We got SO MANY responses that I broke the follow-up into two parts. Read part one, the most popular hobbies among RVers, here. Today, we are going to look at odd hobbies that some of you take along that are not as common as the ones in part one but are interesting nonetheless. In some cases, only one person sent in the hobby. In others, a few of you share the same interests.

As I said last week, some of the responses were surprising and some of the hobbies on today’s list are not odd in the sense of being unusual. For instance, I would have expected things like golf and birdwatching to have been on last week’s list. However, we actually did not have a lot of people claiming these as hobbies, so that’s why they are part of today’s post.

For some of you, the act of traveling itself is the hobby.

Linda B. explains:
“Our real hobby is traveling. I am loaded with Pinterest, apps, and books to research on where to go and what to see next.”

Ron T. also sees travel as his hobby:
“Traveling (not camping) is my hobby. I also collect maps, tour guides and other travel ephemera some of which goes with us when on the road. I visited enough museums to eventually decide to pursue museum work as a career and continue to visit museums as a retiree, so that’s another hobby I take with me on the road, I guess.”

So what are the other odder RV hobbies you love so much that you travel with them?

• Rock painting
• Woodworking
• Spinning
• Weaving
• Leatherwork
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Genealogy
• Orienteering/Navigation
• Golf
• Coin collecting
• Car collecting
• Basket weaving
• Bird watching
• Rock hounding
• Stained glass
• Geocaching
• Making radio control boats
• Writing

Painting rocks

Of all the entries for part 2 of our RV hobbies roundup, rock painting was the most popular. Seems a lot of folks like to make art from rocks. Sometimes they are kept, other times given as gifts. Still others like to leave them behind as little treasures for someone else to find.

Rock painting is the ONLY hobby Sandra P. takes with her on the road (that’s one of her creations above). She says:
“On the road, I limit my craft to painting rocks (the one pictured is about the size of a quarter) of places we visit, and watercolor note cards to send back home.”

Wayne C.’s wife also enjoys rock painting. Wayne writes:
“My wife enjoys painting small rocks so she’ll take maybe 5 lbs. of rocks and a basket of multicolor paints and brushes and sit at the covered picnic table relaxing. I’ll usually just take a book to read.”

Puzzles plus!

A number of you like to take along jigsaw puzzles in your RV. In addition to puzzles, though, we LOVE Suzanne P.’s secondary hobby, as she explains below:
“I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles, and bring several, along with a puzzle mat that rolls up when I want to turn the table back into a dining table. Also, it’s not exactly a hobby, but I also keep a trash stick (aluminum rod with a retractable spike) to pick up other people’s trash (and hopefully help to keep camping spots open).”

(Like puzzles? These are some of the RVtravel.com staff favorites!)

More elaborate fiber arts

Last week, unsurprisingly, we had a lot of crocheters, knitters, sewers, embroiderers, and even quilters, but I was surprised at how many of you got even more involved with fiber arts on the road. We had a number of spinners and weavers answer our poll!

Teresa S. shares:
“I like to pack my spinning wheel and fiber to spin into yarns. I also pack yarns and knitting needles and crochet hooks. For longer trips, I might also take a small weaving loom with me. I love to sit outside with my spinning wheel. It is a great conversation starter with people passing by.”

RVs and collecting

While the things you collect are different, quite a few of you use your RV to help with your collecting and collectibles hobbies. Here’s what you had to say about it:

“I actually use my RV to help me with my old car hobby. I have a Travel Lite 625SL truck camper that I use to go to old car swap meets and car shows around the country. When possible, I like to sleep in my camper on-site at the swap meets and, of course, getting to and from the events I just pull over anytime to rest or sleep overnight.”
—Jeff B. (that’s Jeff’s car collecting rig above)

“My hobbies are coin collecting and photography. They allow me to search for that piece of history in coinage and collect the beauty of nature on film (memory card).”
—Andrew K.

Lastly, Bob P. collects bird sightings:
“I’m an avid birder and travel to places where I can see as many new birds as possible.”

Wood and leather

A few of you bring along leather working and woodworking hobbies, as well.

Chuck I. makes Christmas presents throughout the year:
“I take along woodcarving projects. I have been doing woodcarving for many years; I give them away at Christmas each year. I have to keep on a timeline so that I get them done a ways ahead of time.”

Bob H. makes and sails radio-controlled boats. Above and below are photos of two of his creations. Bob says:
“I build and sail radio control boats. I bring some of them with us when we travel. Sometimes I find a lake, and sometimes all I can run them in is a swimming pool at an RV park. These pictures were taken in Palm Springs, California. For scale, the tugboat is three feet long, and the barge is forty inches. People are fascinated—some have never seen a remote control boat before.”

Navigating the old-fashioned way

Jim A. likes to chart his travels the old-fashioned way. He writes:
“I’m an old aviator and now a collector of maps and aerial navigation charts. So now when we travel I have enough new and old maps to get us just about anywhere in North America. Two suitcases are full of map books and state maps, city maps, USGS Topo Maps, Old Aviation Sectional Charts and all sorts of other maps that I’ve collected. With our 4-wheel drive tow car and my maps, we’ve found the remnants of old mining towns and wide spots in the road that all but time have forgotten all, over the Southwestern U.S., Western Canada and Alaska.”

Navigating the new-fashioned way: Geocaching

This is a hobby I have participated in a little bit with my nephew, and I can tell you that it is tons of fun and can be done ANYWHERE in the world. Never heard of geocaching? Learn more here.

Because there are geocaches hidden literally everywhere, geocaching is an especially fun hobby for RVers who travel. Todd H. explains:
“We are avid geocachers. We carry a ladder, poles, tools, etc. We get out every day and get some exercise and explore new locations. It is the perfect hobby when traveling!!”

Journaling the journey

Lastly, while many people love to catch up on reading during their RV trips, a few of you, such as Jerry S., prefer to write. Jerry shares:
“My wife and I have been RVing for over 17 years—49 states and most of Canada. During that time we took our cameras and documented our travels. So much so that we published a few books for friends and family. At that same time, I sat under the stars around a campfire and wrote (and published) six books. Two business books, one self-help book, and three fictional stories. I just love the ‘self-dynamics’ of writing under the stars.”

##RVT1099