True or false? RVs are an eco-friendly way to take the family on vacation.
It’s true! In fact, for a family of four, an RV vacation is more environmentally friendly than flying, driving a car, or staying at a hotel.
How can RVs be green? RVs are designed to maximize the minimum.
- They use lightweight materials to increase fuel efficiency. It’s even possible to get a similar MPG to many large SUVs.
- They’re smaller, so you only need to heat, cool, clean, and maintain a couple hundred square feet of space.
- RVs are efficient at conserving resources such as water and electricity. You can even live off the cord with a solar kit.
On top of that, RVs are increasingly being constructed from eco-friendly materials. So you really can have an environmentally friendly RV!
Making Your RV Greener
Want to make your RV even more eco-friendly? No problem—there’s a lot you can do to your RV. Here are 5 tips to green RVing.
Minimize your trash
Use fewer disposables when you’re camping. Instead of packing paper plates or plasticware, use real dishes instead. Also, find opportunities to reuse consumables like sandwich bags and aluminum foil. Refill plastic water bottles instead of tossing them out.
Be sure to recycle, too. If your campground doesn’t have a recycle station, put your recyclables in a bin and do a Google search for the nearest recycling center on your route.
Cut down on utilities
You can dramatically reduce your energy use by cutting back on the AC and heater. Park in shady spots in the summer and keep the windows open. In the winter, park where you’ll be exposed to the sun and shielded from north and west winds.
Save water by investing in a good water filtration system. You’ll save money on bottled water and reduce plastic consumption. Also, install low flow faucets to minimize your water usage.
Live off the grid by using solar kits as much as possible. This will reduce your power consumption and keep your RV’s batteries fully charged.
You might be surprised how much power you can save by upgrading your fridge. If you’ve got an older refrigerator, replace it with a high-efficiency marine model. You could cut its energy consumption in half!
Maximize your fuel efficiency
You can have a big impact on your fuel efficiency by making a few simple adjustments.
- Inflate your tires. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, properly inflating your tires can improve a car’s gas mileage by up to 3.3%. A 6-wheel RV will get even better results.
- Use bio-diesel whenever possible, instead of regular diesel.
- Reduce your weight by packing only what you absolutely need for your trip.
- Reduce your speed on hills. Enjoy the gorgeous view—RVing isn’t a race!
- Stay on top of your scheduled maintenance. Keeping your motorhome tuned up makes a big impact on fuel efficiency, and it extends the life of your RV.
Tank cleaners
Chemical cleaners and deodorizers are very harmful to the environment and pollute the soil and water. Instead, use enzyme-based tank cleaners, which are a natural way to keep your tanks clean.
And be sure to buy RV toilet paper that breaks down quickly (and isn’t too scratchy!).
Campfires
It’s not camping without a campfire, right? But campfires release ash and toxins. So we recommend fewer and smaller campfires to minimize your environmental impact. Also never burn trash—plastics and metals (and many paper products) contain toxins that are released when they’re burned.
How Eco-Friendly Can You Make Your RV?
Check out these numbers from a family that decided to go green with their RV vacations. Small changes really can make a huge difference!
Next Steps
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- Looking for an eco-friendly RV? Check out our inventory!
