5 Great Outdoor Rugs To Make Your RV’s Campsite Cleaner & More Comfy

When you set up camp at any site, whether you’re at a campground or boondocking in the middle of the forest or desert, an outdoor rug is an excellent addition to your camping area. Not only is it inviting and aesthetically pleasing, but it also provides a space off the ground where you can relax and set up your camping chairs. If you have pets or young children, a good-sized outdoor area rug offers them a safe and relatively dirt-free place to play. It also helps to keep dirt and debris out of your RV.

With so many good reasons to own a nice outdoor rug, the real question is which ones are worth your investment and will serve you best for a long stretch of time. In this post, we take a look at outdoor RV rugs – why you may want one, what to look for when you’re shopping for one, and five of the best ones available.

What Makes a Great Outdoor RV Rug?

When shopping for an RV outdoor rug, remember that you’ll set it outside your RV at the start of your camping trip, and it will usually remain there throughout your stay. At the end of your trip, you’ll clean it off, roll or fold it up, and store it in your RV until your next stop or until the next trip. With all of this in mind, these are the four most important qualities of a good RV outdoor rug:

Durability

When you invest in an RV outdoor rug, you’ll want it to last. It should serve you well for several seasons, possibly through all kinds of weather and, depending on your family and your lifestyle, through all kinds of use. Resistance to mold and mildew is a key feature of the durability of an outdoor rug because it will be exposed to moisture so frequently.

For all of these reasons, durability is one of the most important qualities of a good RV outdoor rug. That brings us to the construction of the rug.

Quality of the Material

The question of durability is mainly answered by the quality of the material the rug is made of and its construction. You want your RV outdoor rug to be made of a durable material that will withstand rain, salt, sand, dirt, possibly paws and toys…and lots of traffic.

UV resistance is another key component because you don’t want the colors of your new rug to quickly fade from sun exposure or the material to break down. And again, in addition to the ability to withstand exposure to the elements, resistance to mold and mildew is a key consideration.

Pay careful attention to what the rug is made of, and also to its construction, especially the edges. You don’t want to buy a rug that starts to fray the second or third time you roll it out. So you want a strong and durable material and a well-constructed rug overall.

Easy to Store in the RV

Weight and space are always concerns for RVers, no matter how large your RV may be. Whether you travel in a 40-foot motorhome or a Class B campervan, you need an outdoor rug that will be easy to store.

You don’t want a rug that’s too heavy, and you definitely don’t want a rug that’s incapable of folding or rolling into a reasonably small package that’s easy to store. This, of course, will vary depending on how much storage space you have available in your RV, but as always, the more compact, the better.

Easy to Clean

This is a big one! Your RV outdoor rug needs to be easy to clean. It needs to be not only easy to sweep clean but also easy to wash. Remember – not only will the rug be outdoors, exposed to sun and even inclement weather for long periods of time, but you’ll also probably eat and drink (and therefore spill things) on this rug.

The sandy little feet of your kids, the muddy paws of your pets, and your spilled wine grape juice need to be able to clean up easily, or you’ll be tossing that rug out before you know it.

Stain resistance and ease of cleaning are very important. RV outdoor rugs made of polypropylene, for example, can simply be hosed down and hung out to dry before storing away.

5 of the Best RV Outdoor Rugs to Enhance Your Campsite

With all of the above in mind and without further ado, let’s take a look at five of the best RV outdoor rugs on the market today. Please note that these are offered in no particular order. And of course, we don’t own them all ourselves, but we know how to search reviews for what’s really important for RV use.

Reversible Mats Outdoor Patio / RV Camping Mat

This outdoor rug is relatively soft and lightweight (pros and cons here), and is made of polypropylene. Some reviewers say it feels plasticky… but that’s because it is. Polypropylene is a plastic. It’s also touted as heat-resistant, though we noticed that some reviewers mentioned that it can get hot in the sun.

These rugs are coated with UV protection and come with loops built in at the corners for the purpose of staking the rug to the ground — a convenient feature, since wind happens.

This particular rug is 9 feet by 18 feet and weighs about 11 ½ pounds. Reviewers noted that it’s easy to store in the included carry bag.

It comes in several different styles and colors and is reversible. Easy to clean, it can be swept or shaken, hosed down with water, allowed to dry, and stored.

KOZYFLY Buffalo Check Rug

We include this option for those who prefer a smaller (and thus less expensive) RV outdoor rug. At 4 feet by 6 feet, this low-pile rug is lightweight (5 pounds), easy to store, and highly rated by Amazon reviewers. It’s thicker and heavier than many similar-sized mats, but it can be thrown into the washing machine (cold water, hang dry), which is a definite bonus. Many commenters mentioned that it dries very quickly.

This RV outdoor mat comes in a few sizes and three color schemes, but you’ve gotta like checks! Black and white, gray and white, or red and white – these are checkerboard rugs. Designed and made in the USA, the company that makes this rug offers a money-back guarantee, no questions asked, so it sounds as though they’re pretty confident you’ll like it.

SAND MINE Reversible Mats

This is another polypropylene rug that comes in three sizes – 5’ x 8’, 9’ x 12’, and 9’ x 18’, and in a variety of styles and colors. UV-coated to protect against fading, this type of plastic material is popular among RVers for durability and ease of cleaning. They also store easily and get excellent reviews from Amazon shoppers.

One thing we want to reiterate, though, is that these polypropylene rugs can get very hot in the direct sun. This would be important to consider if you have small children who might be running around with bare feet, or pets with tender paws.

These RV outdoor rugs have corner loops built in and come with stakes to secure the rug to the ground, as well as a carrying case for easy storage.

Camco Large Reversible Outdoor Patio Mat

These 9’ x 12’ reversible mats are super popular among RV owners. They’re inexpensive compared to similar RV outdoor rugs, they’re lightweight, and they’re easy to clean and store. Made of hollow polypropylene tubes, these rugs are mold- and mildew-resistant, easy to clean, and feature quality edging to prevent fraying, enhancing their overall durability.

The Camco Outdoor Patio Mats have built-in corner loops, enabling you to stake them down at your campsite (though the stakes are not included). They’re very large and are noted by reviewers to be among the best deals available in RV outdoor rugs.

CGEAR The Original Sand-Free Outdoor Camping Mat

We include this RV outdoor rug, which is more of a durable outdoor blanket, as an alternative to the typical outdoor mats. Though these are billed as “sand-free” and advertised as “allowing sand, dirt, and dust to fall through the fabric without coming back up”, some reviewers didn’t find this to be the case. Some noted that sand does collect and remain on the mats (though many other reviews disagree, so your mileage may vary).

These are actually multi-use mats/blankets noted as having military-grade construction, with a patented technology that ensures excellent durability. The manufacturer says that these mats are resistant to water and UV damage and are quick-drying.

The Original Mats have heavy-duty corner D-rings for staking down and are available in two colors and four sizes (8’x8’, 10’x10’, 12’x12’, and 14’x14’).

Final Note

While we’re on the topic of RV outdoor rugs… we’d be remiss if we didn’t include an awesome rug for inside the RV. We’ve used washable area rugs in our rig for years. But this past year we discovered a new one that’s leaps and bounds better than our old ones — My Magic Carpet washable area rugs.

These rugs add warmth and comfort to your RV while preserving the flooring beneath them in high-traffic areas. They enhance the decor of any RV and they’re the highest quality interior area rugs we’ve ever had.

For more information, here’s our video on My Magic Carpet RV indoor area rugs:

 

My Magic Carpet offers an excellent discount to RVgeeks readers & viewers. Use Discount Code RVGEEKS to save 25% on your entire order when you buy direct from the My Magic Carpet website.

Conclusion

If you’re in the market for an RV outdoor rug, the five noted in this article are well worth considering to enhance your campsite while providing you with an outdoor space, typically under your awning, where you can sit off the dirt, sand, or grass while also helping to prevent dirt, mud, and debris from being tracked into your RV.

If you’re also in the market for indoor rugs for your RV, we highly recommend My Magic Carpet.

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