A record-breaking 119 million Americans plan to travel 50 miles or more for the 2024 holidays, according to AAA, and popular HGTV couple Erin and Ben Napier will be among them.
But the Napiers’ mode of transportation is a bit unconventional for the holidays. Erin told House Beautiful on December 16 that they’re going on an adventure with their daughters — six-year-old Helen and three-year-old Mae — in their vintage camper for Christmas.
“We will head to Ben’s parents in our new-to-us camper that was designed to look and feel like a real house,” she said, revealing one of several ways their family is celebrating the season a bit differently than many families.
Luxury 2010 Camper Will Be Ben & Erin Napier’s Home for the Holidays
Erin first revealed their new luxury camper, which they named “Gru,” in July. The family already owns a renovated Airstream nicknamed “Jolene,” which they received as a gift in 2020 from their friends, country stars Chris and Morgane Stapleton. But in an Instagram post on July 27, Erin said it had become too small to travel in as a foursome.
“We’ll never get rid of Jolene the Airstream,” she wrote. “But we didn’t know how to camp with 2 kids the way we built it. So meet our new camper, Gru. He’s ugly on the outside, but real sweet on the inside. ? The cheapest beach, lake and mountain house in one.”
The Napiers purchased the camper from a family who’d bought it from Driftless RV Renovators, which is run by a Wisconsin couple who informed fans in the comment section of Erin’s post that it’s fully-renovated 2010 Jayco Eagle Super Lite 30.5 DBSA. The camper’s interior is featured extensively on their website.
“It even has a fireplace I’m excited to get cozy beside,” Erin told House Beautiful of their plans to take the camper for the four-hour drive to Ben’s parents’ house and stay overnight in it with the girls.
With Ben’s parents both working as United Methodist ministers, he and his three brothers had to move around a lot growing up. He graduated from high school in North Carolina, but much of his family has settled in Baldwyn, Mississippi — several hours north of Laurel, the town the Napiers have made famous on their HGTV show.
Ben & Erin Napier Say Their Family Skips ‘Elf on the Shelf’ Tradition
Spending Christmas in their camper isn’t the only thing the Napiers are doing a bit differently than other families this holiday season. For instance, though the Elf on the Shelf tradition is something millions of families in the U.S. do throughout December, the Napiers are not among them.
“We don’t do it,” Ben told Country Living. “We’ve got too much going on. We’ve had several people try to give us Elves on the Shelf, and we’re like, ‘No way.'”
Erin chimed in, “I appreciate people that have the stamina to do it.”
Another thing fans won’t find at the Napiers’ home during the holidays are the popular inflatable lawn decor many families set outside in December.
Ben told Country Living, “Not for us. We are anti.”
Erin agreed, telling the outlet, “I’m sorry, because our kids think they’re fun, but it just doesn’t look right with our house. I think they look right with a brand-new house, but ours is very, very old.”
Right after Christmas, the Napiers will be back on HGTV with a new round of season 8 “Home Town” episodes, premiering on December 29 and available to stream via Discovery+ and Max on December 30.
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Erin & Ben Napier ‘Excited’ to Hit the Road for Christmas Adventure