Your RV awning helps keep you comfortable and well shaded no matter where you and your RV end up. To make your awning even more useful, consider upgrading it with some of the awning accessories listed below.
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Awning Lights to Make Your Space a Little Brighter
You’ll need some lighting under your RV awning if you want to hang out on your campsite after dark. While most RVs come with a small exterior light, these rarely offer enough light. Consider adding one of these types of awning lights for brighter nighttime fun.
LED Rope Lights
How you power your awning lights is important. You don’t want to have millions of extension cords running the length of your RV or getting damaged in bad weather, nor do you want lights that drain your RV battery while boondocking.
One solution is to look for lights that come with a small battery pack. These days, that usually means an LED string light. Other times, you can look for weather-resistant outdoor bulbs with power ratings that won’t be a massive drain on your supply. All that said, we think the easiest way to go is with those popular LED RV awning lights.
Because the are LED, these won’t drain your RV battery quickly and they are made for RV awnings, meaning installation is a cinch.
Solar Powered LED String Lights
If you’re like most campers, you value living lightly on the land… and occasionally want to camp away from the hustle and bustle of cities, where most spots with shore power are situated. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to enjoy an inviting, awning-covered RV patio!
If that sounds like your situation, consider solar-powered string lights, a fun, safe, and powerful way to add a little bit of levity to your campsite. After a full day’s charge, they should light up your campsite for up to twelve hours… which can be immensely helpful if you’re out in the woods with nothing but the stars to guide you.
Motion Activated Security Lighting
Of course, style isn’t the only reason to have lighting. If you’re looking for something powerful to keep the party going past sunset, there are plenty of strong lights that work well outside of an RV.
You might also want to consider this type of lighting as a security measure when parked in unfamiliar places. Much like your standard security lighting at home, these bulbs can also come with motion sensors that will trigger when someone walks by.
How you hang these lights is another consideration. Some RV awnings come with built-in hooks for this very purpose. Other lights might be heavier and require more serious hanging hardware. Consider this as you shop!
Awning Mat Options to Bring the Indoors Out
An awning mat is another one of the RV awning accessories you’re definitely going to want to invest in. A mat will help keep dirt off of your RV floors and will make hanging under the awning a more comfortable experience, particularly if you enjoy being barefoot.
Faux Grass Mat
Perhaps the most common RV mat is the bright green faux grass, much like astroturf. While these might not be the best looking mats out there, they’re built with absolute function in mind.
These mats spray clean easily and prevent dirt and sand from tracking into your RV. Tough, plastic-based fibers cling to the bottom of your footwear then trap and hold anything that falls off. Many also boast that they are slip free, meaning you won’t lose your footing walking through. And many are UV resistant so they won’t fade in the sun.
Mildew Resistant Mat
Another factor to consider is moisture. Many mats are advertised as mildew resistant for folks concerned about rain affecting the lifespan of the mat or causing some nasty build up.
A mildew resistant mat will ensure you avoid any kind of mold on your mat, and most are easily cleaned as a result. With just a little soap and water, you can rinse and scrub most of these mats and let them air dry before storing them for the trip home.
Awning Shade for When You Need a Break from the Sun
Sitting in direct sunlight is never fun. While the awning itself will help keep some sun off your face, it can’t block sunlight coming from all directions. This is where an awning shade comes into play.
Full RV Sunshade Kit
One of the most common RV awning shades comes in a complete kit. You can buy these kits online and they come with everything you need to create your own cool space. They come in various sizes depending on your RV and they typically feature a vinyl-coated polyester shade.
These shades are attached to the edge of the awning and they anchor to the ground with bungee cords. They are easy to install and can be rolled into the awning for storage.
Drop Shades
Drop shades simply hang off the edge of the awning and don’t necessarily need to be anchored in any way. Of course, even a slight breeze will move these shades. However, they are considered a very easy option for some added comfort and can reflect up to 85 percent of the sun’s rays.
Awning Side Shade
A front shade already offers a lot of extra protection. That said, if you really want to upgrade your patio game, you can invest in side shades, too. You’ll have a totally screened porch in no time, and for way less money, time, and effort than you’d spend to erect one outside of your home!
Along with providing additional shade and cooling down the patio temperature, awning side shades can also help reduce the wind flowing through your outdoor seating area, whether you use them with or without a front awning shade.
Awning Screen Room
Of course, you can get really upscale with your shade options by going a step further and getting yourself an RV screen room. Screen rooms for motorhomes are essentially four-sided RV awning sun shades. So instead of just one panel of sun-resistant material, you’ll get three, and these will create a small room to keep out the bugs and offer extra shade.
Practical Awning Accessories
Looking for even more RV awning accessories to make using your awning the best experience that it can be? Consider the options listed below.
Camco Awning “De-Flapper”
As fun as this product’s name is to say, the thing it’s fixing is no fun to go through. If you’ve ever had an RV awning flapping around in the wind, you know what we mean. Not only is it annoying, but it’s dangerous and it’s all too easy to lose your awning entirely if it’s not secure.
If you’ve got issues with your awning flapping around, we highly recommend investing in Camco’s awning de-flapper. The universal fit should work no matter what make, model, or size awning you’re securing. Choose from an entire de-flapper kit or just the replacement straps; either way, you won’t spend more than $25, which is an incredible deal for helping ensure the safety of one of your rig’s most expensive accessories!
RV Awning Cover
Protect your RV awning like the investment it is with an affordable, durable RV awning cover. This accessory can keep your canopy safe from weather, debris, and more. It fits awnings from 16 to 20 feet long and a diameter of 3.65 to 4.75 inches, which is essentially every main RV patio awning on the market, both electric and manual.
As you can see, there are several great accessories you can pick up to make using your RV awning a great experience and ensure the awning stays in tip top shape. Which ones will you buy first?
