A camping lantern for an RV should be versatile and sized appropriately for your intended use. The lantern should provide enough light to sit around the campfire as well as the ability to be dimmed and used as a nightlight. Since you likely have an outdoor light on your RV to provide some illumination at your door, you may not need a big lantern to light up your walkway, but if you also plan to use it away from your camper, a larger size may be in order. For my family, we have chosen a midsize and small lantern, so we have options. Over the years, I will admit that we have hardly used the larger size lanterns. Below are what we believe are the best options available. Make sure to review the specs, run times or other important features of these lanterns to make sure they fit your needs. Companies change it up and make improvements pretty frequently and the stats below may have changed.
Our #1 Choice – GoalZero Lighthouse
Our favorite camping lantern is the GoalZero Lighthouse Mini. This is a smaller lantern but for us, it is the perfect fit. The light on the lantern can be illuminated in 360-degree mode or with one side illumination. One side lit: 500+ hours (low), 7 hours (high). Both sides lit: 400+ hours (low), 4 hours (high). This little lantern has an LED (output) if 5W max, 210 Lumens and 3500K LED’s. The reason we prefer this lantern to others is because of its size and the options it provides. Being so small, you can conveniently take it everywhere with you if you have a small bag or a jacket pocket. It can be used as a USB charger to charge your cell phone and has foldable legs for a sturdy base. The multiple brightness settings fits all our needs from a dim nightlight when sleeping to a picnic table lantern was hanging out at night. We have also used it as a small flashlight while walking around camp at night.
If you are looking for a little larger camp light, the GoalZero Lighthouse 600 would be my second option. This Directional and adjustable LED lights up to 600 lumens. Recharge the internal battery from any USB port, from the sun with a Goal Zero solar panel, or use the built-in hand crank to charge up in an emergency. Hand crank charges at 1W (cranking at 130 RPM). 1 minute of crank can power the light for 10 minutes on a low setting. The Internal lithium battery boasts 5200 mAh with a USB output, enough power to charge phones, headlamps, tablets, LED flashlights and all your other camping gear or survival gear and equipment. A bit bigger than the lighthouse mini but puts out more light and has longer run times.
Our #2 Choice – Streamlight Siege
This lantern is a more rugged than the GoalZero. Designed to be handled more roughly and keep on illuminating. This lantern is waterproof, and it can also float which makes it a nice choice for boating as well. This alkaline battery-powered lantern provides 360 degrees of light that can illuminate a larger area.
The 500 Lumen Siege Lantern features five C4 power LEDs, four white and one red with five output modes and a battery level indicator built into the on/off button. The red light mode option is a nice touch and can come in handy when trying allow your eyes to adjust to the dark and avoid blinding people you may come upon.
You can use the lantern with or without the outer globe cover. Remove the outer globe and hang the body upside down by the D ring for illuminating larger areas. When the outer globe cover is on you have a softer light that doesn’t project as far.
This lantern comes in numerous models and Lumen choices. It is a safe bet by a very reputable manufacturer. We believe you will be happy with any lantern choice you choose out of the Siege lineup.
Our 3rd Choice – Black Diamond Apollo
Whether you are cooking on the tailgate, playing cards in camp or sorting gear in the tent, the Black Diamond Apollo Lantern provides 225 lumens of bright, glare-free and fully adjustable light. Run time is average 50 hours. The Apollo runs on either its internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery or standard alkalines, and the lantern also charges handheld electronics via an external USB port. The redesigned housing features a collapsible double-hook loop for hanging in the tent or on a tree, as well as folding legs for setting on a table. Strobe and dimming modes allow for custom lighting, and a power meter displays for both alkalines and the internal rechargeable battery.
