Every RV camper needs a good flashlight. In fact, as anyone who’s ever stumbled around a campsite in the dark can tell you, every RV camper needs several good flashlights. We sometimes boondock in rural areas that are pitch black at night.
We carry a bunch of flashlights in different styles and sizes, ranging from tiny handheld units to strap-on headlamps to the baddest of them all: our Stanley FatMax waterproof rechargeable LED spotlight (try saying that three times fast). The FATMAX is more than a mere flashlight – it’s a MONSTER LED LIGHT CANNON. It’s the perfect answer to that timeless 3AM question: “Hey, what’s going on out there?”
SIZE MATTERS. In an RV, smaller is better (at least that’s what I keep telling my wife).
Even if you have an old fashioned halogen spotlight, you should consider this new LED design. Overall, LED is better – a lot better. I replaced a dying old halogen unit with this LED model and have been very pleased with the change. The new LED lighting technology really offers some major benefits compared to older designs.
With HALF the size & weight of the old style, the LED spotlight burns cool – with a 10-hour battery life! (Click the pic for more info.)
This Stanley FatMax LED is 50% smaller than the typical spotlight – that makes it great for carrying in the RV, or in your tow vehicle. It’s small enough to fit in a backpack. My old spotlight was much more bulky.
The Stanley LED spotlight is lighter in weight than the old halogen designs. It weighs a mere 1.8 pounds, less than half of the old style. Again, this makes it easier to carry with you. I wouldn’t hesitate to take it on a hike or fishing trip.
Release the FatMax!
The LED spotlight is not only rechargeable, its battery life is excellent. It boasts a runtime of almost 10 hours. My old spotlight needed to be recharged every 10 minutes, or so it seemed.
This LED spotlight operates at a cool temperature. My old spotlight got hot enough to melt plastic and fry eggs – it literally burned a hole in one of my car floormats! This new LED light is cool to the touch. No worries about burning skin or your car seat.
This spotlight would also be ideal for boating – especially for clumsy people! And you can use it on a rainy night with no worries.
The FatMax LED is waterproof and submersible up to six feet deep. If you accidentally drop it in the lake, no worries – it floats in the water!
The Stanley LED kicks out 520 lumens of light. This is less than the old 1, 2, and 3 million candlepower spotlights, but it’s still a stunning amount of concentrated light. By comparison, the average run-of-the-mill basic flashlight will create only 10-20 lumens of light. Yes, this light is that much more powerful than the average – that’s why it’s a spotlight. Stanley makes other spotlights (including HID) that are even brighter, but they cost more, are not waterproof, are larger, and have less battery life. You can decide whether more light merits the price. By any definition, this “FatMax” is a satisfying spotlight, and a #1 bestseller.
My only beef with the Stanley LED involves the waterproof on/off switch. The design is a little weird: instead of a traditional trigger, there’s a rotating on/off dial. It works fine, but it took me a couple of minutes to get comfortable with it. I understand that it was designed in this fashion so that the light would be waterproof.
Fish it out and it’s good to go. (Click the pic for more info.)
One benefit of the on/off dial is that you can rotate the dial to the on position and the light stays on – no need to constantly press a trigger. So I guess the new on/off dial has its benefits, too.
There’s also a dimmer switch on the light. Of course, I usually have mine set to maximum brightness.
Overall I really like the Stanley LED spotlight. It is plenty powerful, and the benefits of LED technology make it ideal for RV travel. Every RV camper needs one of these.
In this file photo, an anonymous stranger annoys a school of fish with her FatMax spotlight. Why? We may never know.