8 Best RV Awning Lights – Exterior LED Waterproof Camper Lights

Last Updated January 12, 2023
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Sitting outside your RV is one of the joys of the RV lifestyle. RV awning lights let you take that joy even into the darkest nights, with attractive and functional options that give you everything from a gentle glow to bright light for delicate work. Today we’re reviewing the best RV awning lights on the market to help you find the ones that work best for your RV and lighting needs.

Best RV Awning Lights

RV awning lights can be functional, decorative, or both. You’re spoiled for choice in the type, brightness, and style of light you choose, with many great options in just about every category.

Our list below includes a range of different RV awning light configurations to help you find the perfect model for your needs and aesthetics.

Best Strip Light for RV Awnings

RecPro RV Camper Motorhome Travel Trailer LED Awning Light

RecPro RV Camper Awning Party Lights
The RecPro RV awning light product picture

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The RecPro RV LED Awning Light is a permanently mounted LED light strip designed for use inside and outside an RV. It’s designed for 12V systems, but also has the option for you to purchase a 120V AC adapter.

It measures 25’ long and puts out an exceptionally bright 2,250 lumens of white light. That’s plenty of light for late-night bbq’s, game night, or any other activity under your RV’s awning.

It works best when you wire it directly into your lighting system with a switch. That makes it much easier to use long-term. The system comes with six durable polycarbonate mounting strips to provide a secure permanent mount under your RV’s awning.

One of our favorite features was the IP68 water- and dust-proofing. It can stand up to anything mother nature has to throw at it and lasts for years, even under rainy and dusty conditions.

If you’re looking for a bright utility light for under your RV awning, the RecPRo RV LED Awning Light is a highly-effective and competitively priced option.

Pros – Things we liked
Can be used inside and outside
25 feet long
2250 lumens
6 durable polycarbonate mounting strips
IP68 waterproofing
Cons – Things we didn’t like
Will likely need to buy extra wiring

Best Rope Lighting for RV Awnings

Camco LED RV and Camper Interior and Exterior Rope Lighting

Camco LED RV and Camper Rope Lighting
The Camco LED RV awning light product picture

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The Camco LED RV and Camper Rope Lighting is designed for use both inside and outside your RV. It can be mounted pretty much anywhere with ease, including under or around your RV’s awning.

The light itself is a bright blue rope style light that puts out a surprising amount of light. It’s 16 feet long and quite thin, measuring just 6mm in diameter, perfect to fit into any nook or crevice you want to slip your lighting system into.

We wouldn’t say that this could be your only source of light on a very dark night, but it does add a comforting and attractive blue glow to your under awning space. They’re weatherproof and come with a water-resistant plug that fits into any standard 120V AC outlet.

While we wouldn’t recommend the Camco LED RV and Camper Rope Lights as your only outdoor lighting source, they do provide a lovely glow for what they are. These would make great outdoor or indoor night lights to help you get around without putting out too much light.

Best RV Awning Lights for Versatility

Dream Lighting 12V Waterproof RV Awning Light

Dream Lighting Waterproof RV Awning Light
The Dream Lighting RV awning light product picture

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The Dream Lighting Waterproof RV Awning Lights are 12V powered light strips designed for interior and exterior use. They measure 21.6 inches long and are rated at IP66 for a dust- and water-resistant setting.

The lights are mounted in a black aluminum housing that can be surface mounted and sealed to your RV using either screws or mounting tape. It connects to your RV’s 12V power system and provides 750 lumens of bright white light at the flick of a switch.

What’s cool about the Dream Lighting is how versatile it is. Its small size and multiple mounting options make it easy to install just about anywhere you need light, not only on your RV’s awning.

If you’re looking for a quality utility light for your RV’s awning, doorway, or any place really, the Dream Lighting Waterproof RV Awning Light is a great option.

Best RV Awning Lights for Small Budgets

MICTUNING RV Exterior LED Porch Utility Light

MICTUNING RV Exterior LED Porch Utility Light
The MICTUNING RV awning light product picture

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The MICTUNING RV Exterior LED Porch Utility Light is a compact heavy-duty Awning light. It measures just 3.9 inches wide yet provides a full 750 lumens of bright white light.

The housing of the light is made from die-cast aluminum and has an IP67 rating. It can stand up to outdoor use, including wind, rain, and even snow or ice.

It requires permanent mounting and wiring, using 12V DC power as its source. When checking it out, we found the actual installation process to be reasonably painless.

It comes with all the mounting hardware you need and requires nothing from you other than a bit of sealer around the edges.
The price was one of its best features. The MICROTUNING was one of the most affordable yet functionally useful lights we reviewed here.

If you’re looking for a no-nonsense awning light that provides a lot of useful light, the MICTUNING RV Exterior LED Porch Utility Light is a good and affordable option.

Best Novelty RV Awning Lights

Coleman LED String Lights

Coleman LED String Lights
The Coleman RV awning light product picture

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Coleman is one of the biggest names in the outdoor and RV space. One of their most famous products, the ubiquitous Coleman lantern, is now available in a string of LED lights.

Each string has ten small LED versions of the classic lantern. It stretches over 80 inches total and is powered by three AA batteries.
We’ll admit it, we really, really got a kick out of these lights. They aren’t that bright (for decoration at least), certainly not enough for utility purposes, but they’re just downright cool.

The little lanterns glow around your awning, adding a touch of whimsy and a nod to the camping of yesteryear. Given their relatively low price we don’t see any reason not to pick up a string or two to brighten up your campground.

Best Overall RV Awning Lights

Adventuregy Magnetic LED RV Awning Lights

Adventuregy Magnetic LED RV Awning Lights
The Adventuregy Magnetic RV awning light product picture

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The Adventuregy Magnetic LED RV Awning Lights are modular light strips designed for use on a variety of different awnings and materials. The system comes with four individual light strips plus all the connectors you need to get them set up.

Unlike most of the awning lights on our list the Adventuregy can be used either individually or as a full set. It comes with three different power options, a standard 120V AC plug, a DC cigarette style plug, and a pair of battery clamps that let you run the lights directly from a car or RV battery.

The lights themselves each produce 480 lumens, plenty for most uses. They can be connected together with a series of switches and even come with a remote control for easier use.

We honestly loved this lighting system. They can be mounted to the metal portions of your RV, your RV awning, or even to the underside of something like a portable canopy using both the integral magnets or hook-and-loop fasteners. We found them incredibly easy to setup, extremely versatile in how they were used, and just a joy to work with.

If you like the idea of having multiple lights in a single awning light kit, the Adventuregy Magnetic LED RV Awning Lights are the ones for you. Best of all, they’re very reasonably priced for the value they provide.

Best RV Awning Lights for Premium Budgets

Camco Decorative RV Awning Globe Lights

Camco Decorative RV Awning Globe Lights
The Camco Globe RV awning light product picture

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The Camco Decorative RV Awning Globe Lights are hanging lantern style lights that come in a string of six or ten. The ten string can extend up to 30 feet to cover the full length of your RV’s awning or be shortened some for a closer lighting effect.

They use a round globe lantern shape and are available in a range of different colors. They’re easy to hang up as well, with small clips that fit seamlessly into your awning’s mounting track.

They use standard 60 watt A19 bulbs, but unfortunately don’t come with any bulbs from the manufacturer. You also have to do some assembly to set them up and they can’t be mounted permanently outside your RV.

That being said, they’re still attractive lanterns that give a gorgeous ambiance to your outdoor space. One thing to keep in mind though is that they are quite pricey, especially when you factor in the need to purchase additional bulbs.

Best RV Awning Lights for Unusal Spaces

Carefree of Colorado RV Awning LED Light Strip

Carefree of Colorado RV Awning LED Light Strip
The Carefree of Colorado RV awning light product picture

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The Carefree of Colorado RV Awning Light Strip is a flexible LED strip that can be attached almost anywhere on your RV. It’s designed to fit all standard Carefree brand awnings but is also usable on a variety of other awning types.

The strip is a total of 195 inches long with an 8 inch power cord coming off the end. It’s quite easy to install just about anywhere, but doesn’t provide the polished look of some other awning lights.

The upside of this design is that you can adjust the length of individual sections just by cutting them with scissors at specific points. You’ll need to have a basic knowledge of wiring to do this effectively, but it gives you a ton of flexibility in where and how you use the lights.

If you’re confident in your DIY skills and want the most versatile awning light possible, the Carefree of Colorado RV Awning LED Light Strip is the way to go.

Compare the Best RV Awning Lights

Table Comparing the Top 8 RV Awning Lights
Image Title Price Rating Buy
OpenRecpro RV Camper Awning Party Lights Compare RecPro RV Camper LED Awning Light
$$$
90
Buy on Amazon
OpenCamco LED RV Awing Lights Compare Camco LED RV and Camper Rope Lighting
$$
90
Buy on Amazon
OpenDream Lighting 12v Waterproof Awning Lights Compare Dream Lighting 12V RV Awning Light
$$$
90
Buy on Amazon
OpenMictuning RV Exterior Porch Light Compare MICTUNING RV Exterior LED Porch Utility Light
$
92
Buy on Amazon
OpenColeman Lantern LED String Lights Compare Coleman LED String Lights
$
92
Buy on Amazon
OpenAdventuregy Magnetic Led RV Awning Lights Compare Adventuregy Magnetic LED RV Awning Lights
$$
94
Buy on Amazon
OpenCamco Decorative RV Awning Globe Lights Compare Camco Decorative RV Awning Globe Lights
$$$$$
92
Buy on Amazon
OpenCarefree of Colorado RV Awning Strip Light Compare Carefree of Colorado RV Awning LED Light Strip
$$$
82
Buy on Amazon

Types of RV Awning Lights

There are too many different types of lights, light strips, and light cords to count, but for most RV purposes, the five options below provide the best value.

LED Porch Lights – LED porch lights are the most basic and utilitarian awning light option. Little more than a few lights placed strategically around your RV’s awning, they provide ample illumination without using much power but do little to add to the ambiance.

The bright side is that they’re inexpensive, easy to install and last for thousands of hours of use with their durable LED bulbs.

Rope Lights – Rope lights are one of the easiest to install, most durable, and least expensive awning light options out there. They’re fully contained within a plastic or rubber sheath to protect against wind and rain while still providing a reasonable amount of light.

They generally aren’t quite as bright as other types of awning light, but they are near the top from a longevity standpoint.

Fairy Lights – Fairy lights are available in several different forms, with one of the most common being functionally identical to classic Christmas lights. They’re strings of lights that have small individual bulbs.

You can choose from those pulled close to the power cord or many that dangle beneath them, creating the illusion of small fairy’s twinkling in the night.

There’s a wide range of different bulb types, sizes, brightnesses, and colors available in fairy lights.

LED Light Strips – One of the newest products to become available for the RV market are LED light strips. These are similar to basic twinkle lights, but provide far more light in a more directed fashion.

They’re a flat strip of LED bulbs that can be permanently attached to the edges of your RV’s awning and other parts of your RV. One place we often see them is along the bottom of your RV or even as additional decorations on the roof or sides.

LED light strips are inexpensive, available in a wide range of different colors and brightness levels, and modular.

They can be attached with nothing but special tape using innovative design elements that allow you to create complete circuits.

Hanging Lanterns – Hanging lanterns are another popular option. They’re very similar to fairy lights, but with far fewer individual lights that are generally brighter.

They were initially based on traditional East and Southeast Asian paper lanterns, but have since become available in various styles and forms. Hanging lanterns are considered by many to be one of the classiest ways to light your RV’s awning.

Buyer’s Guide to Buying Best RV Awning Lights

The best RV awning lights combine function with a pleasing form. Picking them out comes down to a few key factors such as price, installation difficulty, brightness, and the type of light they are.

Price

RV awning lights are an affordable add-on for your RV under most circumstances. You can get very serviceable LED lights for around $20 that provide a lot of utility lighting.

As you get into the more decorative lights prices start to go up, with some of the most expensive topping out above $100.

Ease of installation

There are different types of RV awning lights, depending on what level of installation you’re comfortable with. Some are designed to go up and come down when you extend your awning, allowing you to put them out as needed or leave them off.

Others require permanent mounting and must be hardwired into your RV’s electrical system. Consider whether you prefer a more involved initial installation or are alright with a lighting system that you have to put up like a lantern.

Common installation methtods include adhesive strips, hanging clips, or slipping into the mounting rail of your RV.

Power Supply

In the past, your only real options for RV awning lights were hardwired strings of Christmas twinkle lights or individual porch lights. Thankfully, you can get everything from solar-powered lights to battery-operated ones with both primary and rechargeable battery packs now.

We’re big fans of the solar-powered lights because of how easy they are to use, but keep in mind that they’re often somewhat dimmer than battery-powered or hardwired lights and won’t function unless you had plenty of sun during the day.

Lights wired into your RV’s electrical system require more initial hassle but don’t need recharging.

Color

White lights are most common but you can also find a wide variety of other colors. These include gentle yellow, light blue, and other ‘utility’ colors as well as more fanciful mood lighting such as red, green, purple, etc.

Voltage

The voltage of RV awning lights is a key factor in whether or not they can be readily used on an RV. Most RVs have both 12V and 120V electrical systems, but for lighting, you should only consider 12V lights.

They’re much easier to wire or plug into your system and generally draw less power than a 120V set up would.

Brightness and Mood Settings

Something that only became available within the last decade for RV awning lights was different brightness, twinkle, and mood lighting settings. Many of the best RV awning lights allow you to change the brightness between various settings or even alternate the light’s color.

Some are even programmable for really cool displays if you purchase a separate module.

Weather Resistance

RV awning lights need to be certified safe for outdoor use. That means the ability to stand up to wind, rain, and even ice as required.
Thankfully, most RV awning lights offer significant water resistance and can handle any wind your RV’s awning will survive.

Top RV Awning Lights Video

Final Thoughts

RV awning lights are a practical add-on for your RV that has the added benefit of being a stylish accessory.

You can go for a utilitarian option with bright white LED light strips or pick out something more fanciful and decorative.

So long as you know the basics of what you’re looking for it’s easy to pick out the best RV awning light for your needs.