How To Hang & Attach Lights On Your Awning
Want to spruce up your RV’s or van’s outdoor area? Hang some lights on your awning! We’re going to cover a few of the best ways to attach awning lights to your motorhome without damaging it in this post.
Having an awning on your rig really makes outdoor life that much sweeter when you’re camping. They not only provide a covered and comfortable place to eat and hang out, but they’re a great nighttime gathering place if you have some lights. Along with all the comforts of home, RVs with awnings create shaded spots where you can sit and enjoy a morning cup of coffee and watch nature roll by.
In the evenings, awnings are great for when the weather turns foul and you still want to be outside for a bit. If you are dispersed camping or boondocking somewhere where there is no external light, you can add lights to the awning. The lights are an excellent accessory that make it easier to see in really dark places and help keep prowling animals and mice at bay.
If you don’t know how to attach or hang lights to your RV, there are several ways you can do this. Everyone has their preferred method, but eventually you’ll pick the one that is easiest for you. The following ways will help you get light or lights onto your awning and give you added light while camping.
6 Ways to Attach Awning Lights
Tying Camping Lanterns to the Awning
This is not the typical method of adding light to the camper awning, but one that definitely does work. If you have several battery-operated camping lanterns (we don’t recommend hanging the propane types!), you can loop rope or shower curtain rings around different parts of the awning. Then attach the lanterns via the handles on top by tying the ropes through and around the handles or looping the shower curtain hooks through the handles and the sturdier bars of the awning. Close the loops in the rope or shower curtain hooks to make the lanterns secure. Here are a couple options for battery and rechargeable led lanterns.
Etekcity LED Camping Lantern for Power Outages, Camping Equipment Gear Accessories Supplies Survival Kits, Emergency Lights for Hurricane, Battery Powered Operated Lanterns Lamp, 4 Pack
$25.50 in stock
![Rechargeable Camping Lantern [4 Pack] - WdtPro Portable LED Camping Lanterns with Hanging Hooks, 3 Modes, Waterproof Camping Lights for Camping, Emergency, Hurricane, Power Outage](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31tLwXjxKaL._SL500_.jpg)
Rechargeable Camping Lantern [4 Pack] - WdtPro Portable LED Camping Lanterns with Hanging Hooks, 3 Modes, Waterproof Camping Lights for Camping, Emergency, Hurricane, Power Outage
Qulable Shower Curtain Rings-12 Pack- Plastic Shower Curtain Hooks O-Shaped Rings Hook Glide Easily on Bathroom Shower Rod(Clear)
Loop Rope Lights Around Awning Bars
Rope lights are lights encased in a long clear plastic rope. When lit, they look like a neon sign type of light, except that there’s no neon involved. They can bend and twist a little, allowing you to wrap them around the metal frame of the RV’s awning. You just have to be sure that your awning doesn’t collapse in the wind and you need to remove the lights before you collapse the awning to travel again. Here are a few options for rope lights to check out.
Areful LED Rope Lights, 16.4ft Waterproof Strip Light, 3000K Soft White, Flexible Indoor Outdoor Decorative Lighting for Home Christmas Holiday Garden Patio Party
JMEXSUSS 2 Pack 100 LED Solar Rope Lights,33ft 8 Modes Solar Rope Lights Outdoor Waterproof LED Solar Powered Rope Tube for Trampoline Tent Fence,Gazebo,Yard,Walkway,Path(Multi Color)
![iNextStation Neon LED Strip Light 16.4ft/5m 12V DC 600 SMD2835 LEDs Waterproof Flexible LED NEON Light for Indoors Outdoors Decor [ Warm White | No Power Adapter]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/416PPl-uxbL._SL500_.jpg)
iNextStation Neon LED Strip Light 16.4ft/5m 12V DC 600 SMD2835 LEDs Waterproof Flexible LED NEON Light for Indoors Outdoors Decor [ Warm White | No Power Adapter]
Use RV Awning Light Clips/Hooks
Some RVs have light clips or hooks that come standard on them. For all other RVs, you will need to buy these clips/hooks and attach them yourself into the awning’s railing. Once you have the clips/hooks attached to the flap of the RV awning, hanging lights is really simple. Just hook the tops of each light on the light string over a hook/clip and then plug them in.
Use Clothespins
Probably the cheapest method of all is to buy a set of plastic clip-on clothespins. Then just clip the top hanger of each light to the edge of the awning’s canvas. Be sure to point the clipping end of the clothespins upward so that the grip the clothespins have on the lights doesn’t fail and accidentally drop to the ground.
Colorful Plastic Clothespins, Heavy Duty Laundry Clothes Pins Clips with Springs, , Air-Drying Clothing Pin Set(24 Pack)
Rubber Slot Fixtures for Instant “Track Lighting”
On the underside of the rollout bars of many RV awnings you will feel a sort of open track area. There is a pull-down strap tucked into this slot leaves plenty of room to insert these unique rubber slot fixtures made just for hanging RV lights. Buy a bag or two of the slot fixtures and then insert them when the awning is fully unfurled.
Now the rubber fixtures act as a means of holding onto strings of lights. The strings of lights, however, have to have little plastic “T” tabs on top for this to work. The result is transforming the rollout bars on the RV’s awning into instant “track lighting.” You will need to remove all of this when it’s time to close the awning again.
Small Binder Clips
Binder clips are also cheap and work great. The little or medium ones work just as good as plastic clothespins but you can’t see the binder clips as easily. If you don’t like the look of the clothespins, or the clothespins don’t hold well, try the binder clips.
Binder Clips Paper Clamp for Paper-130 Pcs Clips Paper Binder Assorted Sizes (Black)
$9.99 in stock
Now that your awning is lit up and classy, you can enjoy your outdoor space even more. Consider getting a patio mat or other awning accessories to take your RV porch even further!
I loved this RGB LED light rope when I used it. It consists of several lighting modes. No matter how I want to decorate my RV, now I can do it with this LED strip. Help create a festive party atmosphere.
Hey Brennan, thanks for the feedback. Glad you love it! Party on!!
A must-have for camping trips, these canopy lights make outdoor fun even sweeter. You can eat comfortably, have a lot of fun at night when you have a great light.