Sitting by a campfire at night is wonderful. That is, until you walk to the RV and trip on a tree stump. Thankfully the newest LED RV outdoor lights can help you find your way without breaking a leg or busting your budget. Not sure where to begin looking for a light set that works for you? Check out this review of the best outdoor RV lighting options for rigs of all sizes.
Getting back to nature is why we RV. But many campgrounds and RV parks are dimly lit tripping hazards at night. Finding your way around a dark RV campsite is tough without a good outdoor RV lighting package. Campfire glow or an LED flashlight are helpful, but nothing beats the current selection of outdoor lighting for motorhomes, trailers, and vans.
Exterior RV LED Porch Lights
A well-lit doorway is a popular choice for RVers looking for all-weather illumination of their entry way. Exterior RV LED porch lights are easy to install and rugged enough for outdoor use. The light output is usually enough for most campers. Just one or two lights are usually needed for better campsite lighting.
This is a fairly basic RV outdoor lighting solution but it’s long-lasting and affordable. The downside is exterior RV light color choices usually only come in white or yellow. Our favorite porch light kits include:
Leisure RV LED Porch Utility Light
RV owners love this porch light. Priced at less than $20 for two, it uses 12 volts to produce 280 lumens. This is plenty of lighting to illuminate a dark campsite. These lights come with a simple wiring system that is easy to wire into most RVs. Each RV porch light kit includes two removable lenses. One is transparent and the other is amber, so you can adjust the lighting to your needs.
The Leisure RV LED porch light also comes with a switch that allows you to operate it like any other RV light. With a 60,000-hour life expectancy, you’ll enjoy plenty of well-lit campsites in your travels.
Kohree LED RV Porch Light
Want even brighter RV outdoor lighting? The Kohree LED porch light is a better choice. This LED RV porch light produces a bit more light than competitors. As a bonus, it uses 12 volts, but can produce 320 lumens instead. Like other RV outdoor lighting kits, it also comes with a transparent and amber light filter.
Built for durability and to last a long time, this light is also waterproof and is easy to install. Customers almost unanimously rate it five stars on Amazon product reviews.
Best RV Awning Light Strips
RV awning light strips are relatively new on the camping circuit. They add extra night lighting for RV and campground patios, and use minimal power too. The small strips or strings of lights can be attached to the underside of most all RV awnings. Since RV awning light strips reflect off the canvas, they scatter powerful bright lighting in campsites and the surrounding area.
You can install RV awning light strips as permanent or temporary RV upgrades. Small and easy to set up or remove, they’re appealing for anyone who wants a quick camp setup. Some RV awning light strips can be programmed to change colors. With one switch you can change your RV patio lighting to suit a variety of moods.
Seagenck RV Led Awning Party Light
These RV awning strip lights are fun, bright, and easy to tuck out of the way. They come with strong adhesive tape so you don’t need to mess with any hooks or clasps to attach them to your RV. Seagenck RV Led Awning Party Lights have an expected lifespan of 50,000 hours.
Each strip is 16.4 feet long. Just one or two of these RV LED awning strip lights are needed to line the outside of your RV. Flexible and pliable, the light strip can mold to fit around corners and oddly shaped surfaces.
Carefree 901092 Universal White LED 30
The Carefree awning company makes the most popular RV awnings. This is how you know their 901092 Universal White LED RV awning LED strip lights are built to last. Each roll is 16-feet-long and comes with a 26-inch lead. This lets you easily trim the strip to fit the length of your awning. Each roll comes with a 2-prong plug for replacement on Carefree awnings, or for use with Solera and Dometic awnings. Just cut off the 2-prong plug and connect to wires using the included butt-splice wire connectors.
Most customers are happy with their purchase. A few remark that the strip lights adhesive isn’t the most durable. It might be good to bring a set of tape or clips for extra hanging strength.
RV Outdoor Lighting Strings
String lights are similar to RV LED awning light strips. But, string lights are designed to be more visible. Many come in fun designs that invite your neighbors and friends to come over and party. RV outdoor lighting strips (or string lights) come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. This makes them perfect for RV campers who like to customize their RV outdoor lighting to go with the seasons and different locations.
They tend to produce weaker, more mellow light. Overall, RV string lights are better as accent lights. Select enough high quality RV string lights to light up your campsite beautifully.
Outdoor String Lights Globe Patio Lights
These vintage looking “Edison-style” RV string lights are beautiful, durable, and useful. The smallest strand is 25-feet-long, which is more than enough for most RVs. If you want a few more lights to work with, 50-foot and 100-foot long strings are also available.
You get two spare bulbs, just in case one breaks or needs replacing. They’re easy to install with a cable tie or cup hook, fix it or place it anywhere as you need. The best part is that if one goes out, it won’t affect other light bulbs. Hang your RV strip lights from an RV awning, wrap around trees, or hang anywhere else for better campsite ambiance.
KDEEIE Outdoor String Lights
The KDEEIE string lights are durable and extremely fun! Each bulb is made from shatterproof material because they are designed for outdoor use. These outdoor RV lights come in a variety of colors that can change on a whim with the remote control. They come in a roll of 50-foot string that includes a remote for adjusting color, brightness, and flashing patterns.
RV Tabletop Lanterns
For another kind of camping light, try basic RV tabletop lanterns. These camping decorations have been for a long time. No longer built to power by propane or camping gas, these battery-powered RV patio lanterns are easy to transport, set up, and pack away.
Even the best RV camping lantern has drawbacks, however. They’re smaller and more compact than other options. It’s also easier for someone to block the light and illumination may not extend as far as a string/strip of lights. But you can take them anywhere you wander, and make a good back-up lighting source for camping.
BioLite Alpenglow
The BioLite Alpenglow is a modern-day lantern that provides bright, powerful light for camping. Powered by a lithium-ion battery, this little lantern produces up to 250 lumens. The LEDs within it are dimmable though, so if it’s too bright you can tone it down.
Pair this sleek and shiny lantern with a Bluetooth device to set timers and view the battery level. This unit features a 3200 mAh rechargeable battery. Use it to power other equipment like your cell phone.
Black Diamond Moji Lantern
Lightweight and portable, the Black Diamond Moji lantern is ideal for campers with small RVs. Tiny but mighty, each little lantern can produce 100 lumens. This may not seem like much by itself, but users testifiy they provide a good amount of light for their small size. Buy a few of them and spread them throughout your campsite for more RV outdoor lighting at night.
The Moji lanterns feature dimming switches for custom modd lighting. And if you want to hang them, you can do that too. Overall, this is a small but deceptively powerful camping light.
Conclusion
There is no one-size-fits-all RV outdoor lighting kit for everyone. But many different types are now available for RVers. From string lights to built-in RV awning lights, you can find the right package that suits your camping style, storage limitations, and of course, your camping budget.
