One of the best parts about camping is getting outside and enjoying the outdoors. This includes the campsite area just outside your RV. In this article we’ll look at 15 simple RV patio ideas to help turn a simple campsite into a great outdoor living space.
Check it out and see what’ll work for you.
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Table of contents
List of RV Patio Ideas
Below we’ve listed some things you could have beside your RV to create a nice outdoor living space.
But what campers want – or need – in their patio area will differ.
Some people want to create a nice quiet space with minimal “stuff” while others prefer to decorate their campsite and add their personal touches to it.
Of course, much of this depends on how long they’re staying at the site. If you’re only staying at a site a day or two, you may not pull out all your decorative lights, etc…
So scroll through the list, take note of what works for you, and hopefully you’ll at least one thing will help you.
1) Use an Awning Extender for more covered space
Most RV’s and trailers come equipped with awnings, but even fully extended they may not provide enough shaded outdoor living space.
I discovered a cool product called the “Awning Extend’r” by Carefree of Colorado in the February 2018 issue of “Trailer Life” magazine.
The magazine has a full explanation on how to install the awning extender. (Link opens in a new window.)
The above picture is from Carefree of Colorado website.
The author from the Trailer Life magazine Kevin Livingston) states it is a relatively easy process to install the awning extender onto your existing awning, and it takes about 15 minutes.
The awning extender slides into the slot of your existing awning’s roller tube.
There are straps that attach to stakes in the ground to help stabilize the awning (you can see the orange straps in the picture above).
2) Block UV rays with an RV awning screen
This awning screen by Tentproinc attaches to your RV awning and provides a UV-blockade and helps to lower the temperature under your awning.
One end slides into your existing awning’s track and you attach the other end to ground stakes.
This shade panel allows you to enjoy a warm, sunny day while blocking up to 86% of UV rays.
Do you want some extra shade in your RV patio area?
RELATED ARTICLES:
- How to keep your RV Cool in the Summer (21 simple tips)
- RV Campsite Shade Ideas
3) Outdoor Rugs
Having a nice RV patio mat is a great way to define your outdoor space, provide a nice surface to walk on and it can help keep the inside of your RV clean.
It’s like you’re setting up an outdoor living room right outside your camper.
There are thousands of outdoor rugs on the market with lots of different styles and sizes available.
Make sure you pick a rug that is intended for outdoor use so it’ll stand up to the elements and is easy to clean.
The mat shown above is a 9×12 rug by the company Stylish Camping.
It is coated to stand up to UV light and can be swept off or sprayed with a hose to clean it.
Click here to see more details on this outdoor mat.
Reversible Outdoor Mat for Campers by EEZ RV Products
This outdoor RV Mat is popular on Amazon and is available in grey or brown and in a variety of different sizes.
If you need to refresh your RV patio, and you need a new camper decorating idea, then this mat may be right for your.
RELATED ARTICLE: Want to see more quality RV mats? Check out our article on Outdoor RV Rugs.
4) Put out a Welcome Mat
Do you love having fellow campers over to your RV? If so, a welcome mat is a perfect accessory for outside your RV.
It will help keep inside your RV clean and add some pleasant décor to your patio area.
When it’s time to pack up the site just toss the mat inside the door.
5) Picnic Table Cover
Covering your campsite’s picnic table with a nice cover allows you to easily wipe down the table, and decorate the site with your own touches.
This particular table cloth is vinyl and has elastic corners to fit a 6ft x 2.5ft table.
Our friends have a super cute picnic table cloth with watermelons on it, but I’m most impressed with the way they keep the table cloth in place.
They use these large clips and hang three from each side. You can even tie a weight to the clips if needed.
This is a good idea because it’ll work for any thickness of table. Clips that fit directly onto the table are limited by table thickness. (And our local parks have super-thick slabs of wood as the table top.)
I’m not sure where she got them but they look similar to Clip-N-Weights that you see attached to helium balloons.
6) Create ambiance with RV Outdoor Lights (Fun RV Lighting Ideas)
Lighting provides the ultimate ambiance for a campsite get-together. Gone are the days of kerosene lanterns and the campfire flame as your only light around the campsite.
Today there is a huge variety of outdoor RV lighting ideas.
There are outdoor lights that can provide any atmosphere: from festive to relaxed.
There are LED rope lights, Globe lights, standard Christmas lights and more.
RV Outdoor Lighting Idea #1 – Colorful Globe lights
These RV awning Globe lights by Camco fit into most RV awnings.
These are fun string lights for outside the camper.
RV Outdoor Lights Idea #2 – LED Light Strips
The LED light strip above is 20-feet long and is recommended to install under your RV’s awning.
It runs of 12-volt DC power that you can wire directly into your porch light.
They come with a wireless remote so you can change the color of your light strip.
The product photo above is really Photoshopped, but you can see genuine customer-submitted photos on Amazon.
Click here to see pics of these lights “in action.”
RV Outdoor Lighting Idea #3 – Inflatable Solar Lantern
I recently learned about these products.
I had no idea what an inflatable solar lantern was.
This particular one looks pretty cool and can be charged via solar or USB.
The best part for RV’ers and campers is that it folds down really small for easy packing and storage.
It comes with a strap so you can hang it from the edge or your awning.
RV Awning Light Clips
Do you need some clips to hang your lights (or flags) from your RV awning?
Check out these popular “Klippy Klips” by RV Designer.
7) Create great ambience with a Propane Fire Pit
We have an Outland fire bowl and we love it. It hooks up to a propane tank and you can easily start and put out your “campfire”.
In the picture above you can see it set up on the shore line when we were camping last summer. (We had a site more in the middle of the campground but our friends had one right on the lake!)
What we love about the Outland fire bowl:
- how you can easily adjust flame height
- how easily it can be packed around (easy to bring to a friend’s campsite if needed)
- you can enjoy a fire without stinking like smoke after
- can usually be used in places where there are fire bans (check local rules)
The one downside is that it isn’t a great source of heat, but if you’re wanting a fire for the ambience or some campfire cooking – without the smokey smell – then check out the Outland fire bowl.
Click here to see my Outland Fire Bowl review.
8) Get good Camping Chairs and RV Outdoor Furniture
Having a chance to relax under an awning and enjoy a cool beverage is the highlight of many folks’ camping trip.
If your camping chair looks like the one below then you’ve got a lot of catching up to do!
Zero Gravity Camping Chairs
These Zero Gravity camping chairs by Portal (shown above) can hold up to 350 pounds and can be locked into various adjustable positions.
Take a load off and a relax in comfort. It even has a little drink tray and cup holder.
Click here to see details of this chair on Amazon.
Coleman Folding Camping Chairs
If portability is your main concern then these Coleman camping chairs could be what you’re looking for.
They fold up and slip into a carrying bag.
The little cooler on the side holds 4 cans and keeps them cold so you can enjoy fishing, baseball games, or just a good game of bocce.
These Coleman camping chairs may be available at your local retailer, or you can see them on Amazon.
I have a folding camping chair similar to this, but mine isn’t Coleman brand. I can get in and out of it okay, but I realize that people with mobility issues might have some problems getting up from such a low position.
A family member with knee osteoarthritis prefers a “director’s chair” with the solid armrests to help push himself up and out of the chair.
Kids Unicorn Camping Chair (Walmart)
Do you camp with your kids or grandkids?
We bought our daughter this cute camping chair from Walmart a couple of years ago when she was 4 years old. It has a couple of drink holders on the armrests and is quite a sturdy little chair.
She doesn’t sit much when camping because there is so much to do and explore but it’s there for her if she needs to relax at the end of the day.
For more information on Camping Chairs click here to see out entire article dedicated to 12 Cool camping chairs.
9) Folding Outdoor Side Table – a portable RV outdoor furniture idea
Many camping chairs have built-in cup holders and flip-up side tables, but sometimes you still need a place to set down your book, your hot dog or coffee mug.
Thankfully there are portable, lightweight side tables.
The table above made by Trekology is available on Amazon if you want to see more details.
The one downside that I could foresee is that the legs aren’t adjustable to compensate for uneven ground. But if you do most of your camping at dedicated campsites you should be fine.
Indulge in some RV Outdoor Kitchen Ideas
Even if you have a beautiful kitchen in your RV it is still nice to get outside and prepare some meals outdoors.
And if you are in a hot location and want to avoid having to run your A/C then an outdoor kitchen can be a life saver. Instead of heating up food inside the RV you can do it outside.
Here are some RV outdoor kitchen ideas.
10) Portable Camping Cook Tables
The portable cook table featured above is made by GCI Outdoor. It folds for easy storage during travelling days. And makes a good centerpiece for your RV outdoor kitchen.
The center aluminum shelf is 24″ X 16″ and will fit most cooking stoves and grills.
I love the look of the four fold-out tables. Looks like there would be lots of room to prepare a small meal. The wine glass holder and drink cups might catch a few eyes too!
Click here if you want to see more details on Amazon.
Do you often camp on uneven, rocky ground? Then you may want to check out Eureka Camping. They have a Camp Kitchen model with adjustable feet to provide a stable surface even on non-level ground.
11) Portable Barbecue Grills
We have a Weber Q-series Barbecue that we have set up on our deck at home, and bring camping with us. It is large enough to make most meals, but it is also portable for picnics or camping trips.
You can see ours in the picture above sitting on the picnic table. (Looks kind of sad and lonely there doesn’t it.)
Ours is hooked up to a large propane tank with an extension hose, but you can also use smaller fuel bottles with it.
The model I have has a 21″ wide footprint, so it would fit on the portable table featured above (but we just put ours on picnic tables when camping).
The only complaint I’ve had with out Weber Q-series is the electronic igniter. It has given us trouble, so we usually use a BBQ lighter to get it going, but besides that it is a nice small barbecue that weights about 43 pounds.
The picture below is the Weber Q-series 2200 and it is available on Amazon.
The fold out trays on both sides of the grill are super convenient.
You can put your plate of raw meat or veggies on there: you don’t have to balance the plates on one hand while lifting the lid with the other.
The grill doesn’t come with the cart though…you have to buy the cart separately. And if you’re cooking at your campsite you’ll likely have a picnic table or a camping table to place it on.
Do you like the idea of a small portable barbecue?
12) Blackstone Tabletop Outdoor Griddles
In Facebook RV groups you’ll often see people debating the best outdoor portable grill for camping, and more times than not you’ll see the Blackstone tabletop griddle come out on top.
You can get it in a 17-inch version or a 22-inch version. (The 22″ version is shown in the picture above.) Just imagine the tasty breakfasts you’ll be able cook up if you had this in outdoor kitchen.
13) Screen Room for Eating
We got tired of swatting away bugs while trying to eat while camping so we bought a Coleman pop up screen room.
It is easy to put up and we place it over top of the campsite’s picnic table to keep flying bugs away from our food.
I’ve been really happy with it so far and it came in handy at our daughter’s birthday keeping the wasps away from the food.
You can likely find one at a local retailer, but if you can’t, you can click here to see it on Amazon.
14) Get some outdoor camping games like ladder toss
Have some fun while camping and get some outdoor camping games like ladder toss to play outside your RV. The set above is available on Amazon. (You should store it out of direct sun because it might damage the plastic poles.)
Check out this article on outdoor camping games for the family.
15) Put up a Hummingbird Feeder (but be cautious)
Do you love watching little hummingbirds zip around and sip from feeders?
It isn’t for everybody, but some campers choose to put up hummingbird feeders at their campsite, especially if they are staying there for an extended period of time. (And keep in mind that some people live in their RV year-round.)
This particular glass hummingbird feeder by Perky Pet has the yellow bee guards over the drinking holes and an ant moat up top so ants don’t crawl down into the artificial nectar.
The glass bottle means you’ll have to be careful packing it during travel days, but the plastic varieties can get brittle over time and leak.
If you like watching hummers and bringing a little bit of nature right to your doorstep, check these out.
You can hang it from your awning, a tree branch, or get ground stakes to hang it from.
But you’ll need to be cautious and aware.
According to this website hummingbird feeders can attract bears. So if you’re camping in an area with bears, I’d pass on this. We want to attract some nature to our campsite, but not bears!
I hope you’ve enjoyed these RV patio ideas.
No need to settle for a lackluster campsite anymore because with the awning extenders, RV outdoor lights, RV outdoor furniture (chairs and side tables), and more, everyone has a chance to set up an amazing RV outdoor living area.
There are so many great outside the camper decorating ideas and RV patio ideas….Pinterest is bursting with them!
If you have tried any of these products, or if you have any other suggestions on how to create an amazing outdoor living space for your RV, please comment below.
Check out these other RV posts:
If you want to find some organization ideas for INSIDE your RV check out these posts.
Want a BIG list of ideas? Check out our 61 proven RV storage ideas.
Is it your RV kitchen that gives you trouble? If so, check out these RV kitchen storage ideas.
Block nosy camping neighbors with one of these Campsite privacy ideas
Throw some shade on your RV patio with these RV campsite shade ideas.
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Thank you.
Tim from LearnAlongWithMe.com
Tim worked in construction for a few years before going to university. Then he worked as a community pharmacist for 10 years and now works as a full-time writer and online publisher. He has experience in several different, far-reaching lines of work.
“I sincerely hope you find the articles helpful and informative.”
Tim from LearnAlongWithMe.com
