Go RV, Go Green

Go RV, Go Green

With everything you do, you have the potential to make choices that better the world around you. Most people that spend time camping and traveling have a deep appreciation for nature. They are constantly looking for ways that they can positively impact the natural world.

There are actually close to 30 million Americans who spend a great deal of time in the great outdoors. Whether through biking, kayaking, hiking, and more, these people are always in search of their next great adventure. They tend to be lovers of nature, protectors of the landscape, and citizens who find purpose in leaving the world even better than how they found it.

While not all of them have discovered the joy in joining the ranks of RV Nation, many have. Those who aren’t there yet are likely on the fence. One hang up that many potential RV buyers have is wrapped up in their fierce love for Planet Earth. They long to do good and make a positive impact, and they view RVs as gas-guzzling machines on wheels.

However, it turns out that traveling in RVs, travel trailers, or campers is actually one of the most environmentally-friendly ways to travel. For a number of reasons, RV travel is greener than flying. Sleeping in your RV is greener than sleeping in a hotel. Also, not all RV’s are motorhomes, but even among motorhomes you can now find small, lightweight motorhomes both in gas and diesel that are very fuel efficient. Also, you can now get light weight travel trailers, toy haulers and fifth wheels. Many Travel Trailers and toy haulers can even be towed by fuel efficient and small SUV’s. So don’t worry about driving a gas guzzler and destroying what you live when you go to visit. Just seek out and purchase one of the many fuel efficient rv’s out there on the market and feel good about your vacation choices.

If you’re considering heading down to an RV dealership and looking for new or used RVs for sale, there’s a good chance that you care about your green impact on the world. When you spend your time out enjoying the world, you understand the importance of taking care of it. You want the things you do to make a difference. You want to make choices that bring peace, healing, and abundance to the world.

Many eco-conscious adventurers are taking the route of finding used travel trailers for sale before they hit the open road. Not only are they able to travel in comfort and style, they are also beginning to understand that they’re making an intentional decision to travel in a way that helps them to make an impact. Cook for yourself, and avoid the carry out and the waste that comes with it since you now have your own self contained kitchen for example.

Traveling in an RV today means extra efficiency and less weight. It means using solar power and conserving water. It even means greater fuel efficiency and, thanks to the large number of people that can travel together in an RV, it means fewer vehicles on the road.

The Green RV Industry

used campers for sale The green impact that RVs are making on the world is not simply due to the travelers. In fact, many RV manufacturers are taking the reins and progressing the way that their campers are made, as well as ensuring their materials are sustainably sourced. They have caught on to the fact that the world is in need and that RV travelers actually care about the environment. In order to meet needs, manufacturers are intentionally setting out to create sustainable, eco-friendly RVs.

Some RVers have an awareness of this incredible green progress taking place within the RV industry. As a gateway to travel and the outdoors, RVs are being restructured to ensure that they practice what they preach. Manufacturers are acutely aware that their customer base is passionate, motivated, and ready to lead the way in green efforts. This is a part of the reason why RV manufacturers, such as Forest River and Thor, have made strides towards transforming into an industry that focuses on bettering the world and ensuring that their practices and designs function seamlessly with green living.

When you think about traveling in an RV, consider the fact that nearly 80% of RVs are non-motorized or towed, such as those used campers for sale, which promotes greater fuel efficiency. Not only that, there are also a number of things that RV manufacturers are actively doing to make RV travel one of the most eco-friendly ways to travel.

  • RVs are being built lighter, using fiberglass, aluminum, renewable bamboo, and other green composites. Lighter RVs means greater fuel efficiency.
  • Many RVs are being designed with unique floor plans so feel nice and spacious while they are physically smaller and leave a smaller footprint.
  • Windows are tinted and inside blinds are solid now enabling more savings when cooling your RV.
  • You can also use your windows in the cooler months to also help by raising blinds and allowing heat from the sun to help heat your rv, again, saving you fuel costs and electric.
  • Lighter building materials and fuel-efficient chassis actually compare with the MPGs of large SUVs and trucks.
  • Wind resistance is being aided with new front-end designs. Many manufacturers are now installing caps on the front of rv’s that are designed to cut wind and help you move safely and efficiently through the wind.
  • Overall, RV manufacturers are using a variety of eco-friendly textiles, LED light fixtures, reclaimed woods, and other green components, in the manufacturing of RVs. They are also utilizing a number of eco-friendly practices in their manufacturing processes.

Green RV Travel

While RV manufacturers are consistently working towards creating more environmentally-friendly travel trailers, RV users are also going out of their way to ensure that they are reducing their carbon footprint and positively impacting the world. Going green by traveling in an RV is a concerted effort involving manufacturers and users alike. Consider some of these things that make traveling in an RV more eco-friendly than flying or driving and renting hotels:

  • Families that take RV vacations produce less carbon dioxide than families that rent a car, fly on a plane, and stay in a hotel. If you drove to Florida and stayed in your Travel Trailer or Fifth wheel your fuel consumption would be no where near that of an airplane and your exhaust as well.
  • RV users are increasingly utilizing solar power in order to provide energy and power their appliances and systems. Solar panels are literally designed for rv’s and easy to install and allow you to live off the grid, or cut greatly your electricity usage.
  • On average, an RV uses a mere 27 gallons of water each day. In comparison, an average household uses 150 gallons. On-board toilets and washing machines take just a fraction of the water that is needed from those systems in a house. The majority of RVers go even further and actively minimize the water they use while on the road.
  • RVs are using on demand water heaters now, again to cut consumption of propane and natural gas as well as electric. The savings and impact on our environment are massive and long lasting.
  • RVers often carpool with up to 7 people, which reduces the number of vehicles on the road. When many people are traveling together, they either take a few separate cars or they can travel together, light, in an RV.
  • RVers tend to be diligent about recycling when traveling.
  • Have fewer fires, when you do, use local firewood so you do not help transport non- native species that kill trees from place to place and aid in deforestation.
  • Make sure to put out fires completely
  • As those who travel in RVs often leave home for a good chunk of time, they have the utilities turned off in their homes. Having one home’s utilities off for even just one day saves an unbelievable amount of power and water. With most RVers hitting the road for one week, one month, even six months, or more, the amount of resources conserved is truly mind-blowing.

Go Green When You Go RV

travel trailers for sale As a lover and defender of the natural world, buying a new or used RV for sale is one way that you can travel and make a positive impact at the same time. When you are searching at an RV dealership, make sure and keep an eye out for a lighter frame and green materials used in a compact design. For example make sure it is fiberglass walls with aluminum wall studding. This will ensure it is lighter weight and the fuel savings will be substantial. Also, fiberglass walls are more durable, requiring less repairs as well as much easier to clean, so you don’t have to waste cleaners, water and time.

By keeping in mind other eco-friendly principles such as reducing water consumption, using solar panels, and recycling, you can further ensure that when you travel in an RV, you are going green!