Your Guide to RV Lighting

RV lighting has come a long way in recent years. If you invest in the right brands and technology, you can equip your RV with powerful, inexpensive interior and exterior lights that provide exceptional energy efficiency for tens of thousands of hours. Regrettably, regardless of how experienced you are with RVs, it can be incredibly difficult to determine which specific lights you should purchase for your vehicle. After all, there are thousands of RV lights available for purchase online, and almost every seller professes to have the best and most efficient products available. Which lights are an absolute must-have? Which brands and models last the longest? And which ones burn at lower temperatures?

We’re committed to providing RV owners across the country with all of the advice and resource they need to enjoy their traveling adventures to the fullest, which is why we’re going to be discussing RV lighting today. Believe it or not, the lights you choose to install on your RV can have a huge impact on the quality and enjoyability of your RV excursions. For example, if you choose to pick up a series of chintzy exterior lights, odds are good that you’ll be spending a significant portion of the year kicking yourself when they burn out at inopportune moments. Nothing kills an exciting camping session with friends and loved ones faster than a busted awning or porch light. And let’s not forget to mention the joys of being pulled over and fined for a dead license plate tag light in the middle of your trip. To make sure that your RV travels are as safe, convenient and worry-free as possible, let’s take a few minutes to talk about which lights you should choose for your recreational vehicle.

The Many Benefits of RV LED Lights

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), LED is one of today’s most energy-efficient lighting technologies. That’s because high-quality LED lights are more durable, last longer and provide superior light quality compared to conventional lighting types. In fact, some of the best LEDs lights use up to 75% less energy than incandescent lighting and last 25 times longer. Those numbers should make it abundantly clear why more and more RVers across the country are starting to swap their old vehicle lights out for LED upgrades.

At first glance, it might seem like LED models are more expensive than other lighting options, but it’s important to remember that the quality and longevity of LED lights more than make up for this price difference. Would you rather pay $50 for a stylish and efficient awning light that lasts 50,000 hours or save $20 dollars on a low-quality alternative that burns out after 5,000 hours? Moreover, the optimized efficiency of LED lights will drain your vehicle’s batteries at a substantially slower rate, giving you much more flexibility with your vehicle’s power usage. Last but not least, LED lights burn at much lower temperatures, which will keep your RV’s interior much cooler throughout the summer months.

Simply put, if you want to get the most bang for your buck when buying RV lights, you should almost always choose LED models over others. LED lights will save you invaluable time and money over time because they’re tougher and last longer than other types, meaning that you can focus on enjoying your RV trip and exploring the open road instead of fretting over buying and installing replacement lights every couple of months.

Exterior RV Lights

RV exterior lights include awning party lights, porch lights and license plate tag lights. We’ll be discussing the importance of each and providing some suggestions on specific products below.

Awning Party Lights

Party lights are a fantastic choice for RVers who enjoy participating in nightly activities around their vehicle’s exterior. In many cases, campers will use party lights to illuminate the area around their RV while they relax at a nearby table or fire pit. The greatest benefit of awning party lights is that they allow you to light up your RV’s exterior without worrying about portable lighting kits, bulky and inconvenient units that need to be plugged in and strategically placed around your vehicle each and every time you head outside at night. We’d also be remiss not to mention the huge amounts of invaluable storage space that awning party lights will save you. Perhaps most importantly, party lights come in a wide variety of stylish colors, including everything from vibrant reds to enchanting blues, allowing you to bathe the space around your vehicle with an enthralling glow. This unique feature makes party lights ideal for RVers who frequently host parties and other social gatherings with friends and family. Ultimately, these aren’t an absolute necessity, but they’re incredibly useful and fun if you’re interested in participating in any nighttime activities near your RV.

When looking for awning party lights, we highly recommend doing your research to ensure that the LED model you pick up is fully waterproof and lasts for at least 40,000 hours or more. Unfortunately, many RV light providers falsely advertise their products as “fully waterproof” when they actually aren’t. For example, we’ve done extensive tests on the IP65 Crystal Resin Waterproof LED strip light from 3M that some of our competitors sell and found that they simply can’t stand up to the elements. At RestoreRV, we offer a wide variety of LED awning party lights for fantastic prices. These lights are incredibly durable, last for 50,000+ hours and come in several different LED and PCB colors. We also use a combination of crystal resins and silicone sleeves on all of our lights to ensure flawless coverage and 100% resistance to water damage. Last but not least, all RestoreRV party lights come with a polycarbonate mounting channel, meaning that they’re easy to install and don’t need to be unplugged every time you close your awning.

RV Porch Lights

RV porch lights serve a very similar purpose to awning party lights. They don’t quite have the same style or personality, but they’re very effective at lighting the exterior of your RV at night, making them excellent for social gatherings near the vehicle’s exterior. They can also be used as security lights for your RV, trailer or camper. Generally speaking, LED porch lights are incredibly efficient and easy to install on just about any type of RV. They usually last just as long as party lights, too, so if you’re in need of high-quality lighting but aren’t interested in a party light, then a porch light might just be the perfect lighting solution for you.

Just like party lights, you should take the time to research every porch light you consider buying to ensure that it will hold up to the outside elements. There are hundreds of providers on the market that are selling faulty lights that can’t stand up to corrosion and water, and making the mistake of investing in one of these products will leave you with a dead porch light in no time. Above all else, prioritize light lifespan, durability and element resistance. Even the coolest porch light is worthless if it dies three weeks after you buy it. If you’re interested in looking at a quality model to get you started, we suggest checking out our 8.5” LED RV Porch light. This unit features a round dome design and comes in a variety of colors, including black, chrome and white. More importantly, the 8.5” light runs on only 12 volts of power and gives off a powerful LED glow that will last for over 50,000 hours. It’s also fully resistant to corrosion and utilizes a weather-tight fit, resulting in unrivaled performance no matter how harsh the weather becomes.

LED License Plate Tag Lights

Each state in the U.S. has different rules and regulations regarding RV travel. In most states, you’re required to either use a tail lamp or a separate lamp to illuminate your vehicle’s rear license plate at night, making it clearly legible from a distance of 50 feet away. The best way to avoid worrying about hefty traffic violation fees is to look into installing a high-quality LED license plate tag light. These lighting units are very inexpensive (we sell them for under six dollars) and can be purchased in large quantities. Their surface mount design/mounting holes make the installation process identical to that of an incandescent light. The key difference is that these LED lights feature much longer lifespans and enhanced durability, ensuring that they won’t fail partway through your RV travels.

Again, be on the lookout for faulty products when shopping for LED license plate tag lights. Ideally, you’ll be able to find a model that’s fully waterproof and under seven dollars per light. If you’re interested in looking at one of our lights, we highly recommend the Black LED License Plate Tag Light. These 5mm lights utilize innovative mini-LED lighting technology and tight epoxy seals to ensure exceptional lighting power and 100% resistance to water. Our plate tag lights also boast an impressive lifespan of up to 100,000 hours, ensuring that they’ll shine bright and strong for several years.

Interior Lighting

RV interior lights include vanity lights, lumen lights, pancake lights, decorative ceiling lamps and surface mount lamps. Here’s a short description of each:

Vanity Lights

These attractive lighting pieces are used to add an elegant touch to the interior of RVs. In many cases, designers will utilize white frosted swirl shades and satin nickel bases to achieve a contemporary look. Regardless of your personal tastes, LED vanity lights are an excellent choice for RVers because of their long lifespans and low power demands.

Lumen Lights

Lumen lights are durable and bright units that are excellent tools for updating your RV’s interior light setup. In fact, these lighting solutions are so effective that they’re often used by OEM (original equipment manufacturer) builders. Best of all, lumen lights use up to 80% less energy compared to traditional RV lighting and feature virtually no heat buildup, making them safe to touch at any time.

Pancake Lights

LED pancake lights are double dome ceiling fixtures for campers and trailers. These 12-volt lighting solutions can generate up to 3200K of warm white glow and are designed to operate on a wide voltage range. They also feature clear PC lenses and surface mounts for convenient installation and use. Most importantly, LED pancake lights offer outstanding lifespans of up to 60,000 hours.

Decorate Ceiling Lamps

Decorative RV ceiling lamps allow you to mimic the class and style of a full home. These elegant ceiling lights come in a variety of different styles and sizes, so we encourage you to look around online until you find one that matches the unique look of your own RV. In any case, LED ceiling lamps give off a bright and warm glow that lasts for thousands of hours, making them ideal for RVs, trailers, apartments and tiny houses.

Surface Mount Lamps

Order High-Quality Exterior and Interior RV Lights From RestoreRV LED surface mount lamps are durable and stylish pieces that allow you to brighten your home with up to 3000K of warm white light. These lighting pieces offer incredible energy efficiency (up to 80% less energy use compared to traditional RV lighting) and feature surface mounts that make them very easy to install in most RV models. Similarly to lumen lights, surface mount lamps barely heat up when used, making them safe to touch at any time.

If you’re interested in picking up any form of interior or exterior lighting for your RV, then don’t hesitate to call RestoreRV at 574-848-0405 today! We develop, manufacture and import some of the best RV products on the market, including gear from Atwood, Suburban, SHURflo and other leading brands, allowing us to offer a massive selection of party lights, porch lights, plate tag lights, dome LEDs, RV LED awning lights and everything else you need to illuminate the inside and outside of your recreational vehicle. Best of all, we buy direct and warehouse large quantities to ensure that we can offer the best prices and fastest shipping in the industry. Regardless of the make or model of your vehicle, we can work with you every step of the way to find a smart, affordable and reliable lighting setup that beautifully complements the aesthetic and style of your RV.