Are RVs Eco-Friendly?

Renting an RV is a big decision, but ultimately one that can save you money and is better for the environment. For example, if you want to go on a family vacation and yet do your part for the environment, there are environmentally friendly alternatives to traveling by plane, train, or car. One way is to stay in an RV. An RV is a motor vehicle that transports its living quarters and has been used as a house on wheels since the 1950s.

It is common for these vehicles to be used as recreational vehicles – but they can also be used as stationary homes. So, when it comes to finding an eco-friendly option for your next trip outdoors, to a sports event, or music festival, make sure to check out RV rentals in your area. With RVnGO, we make finding the right RV rental hassle-free. Simply create a free account at RVnGO.com today and start planning your next RV getaway.

Eco-Friendly RV Benefits

There are plenty of other Eco-Friendly advantages for RVers besides being perfect for carpooling large groups of people and saving on using carbon-heavy resources like hotels, planes, or trains. For example, depending on the RV, you may have additional green features like:

• Solar panels
• Higher fuel efficiency for size
• Potential for electric vehicle towing
• Low energy-usage
• Less waste
• Diesel engines
• Biodiesel compatible

Advantages of Using an RV

An RV offers all the benefits of staying with friends or family without any of the downsides. You can stay in the same place, and enjoy home-cooked meals, and they are also great for bringing your pets along. The benefits offered by staying at an RV lot or resort are many.

Depending on the location, they may offer a variety of amenities including Wi-Fi and cable TV service, laundry facilities, on-site managers, barbecue areas, and dump stations. 

Staying and traveling in an RV can be significantly more eco-friendly than staying in hotels or an Airbnb by lowering your carbon footprint.

The real environmental benefit of using an RV for your next vacation or trip is simply saving on using a lot more resources. A plane ride or staying at a hotel will increase your carbon footprint significantly more than traveling in RV. Recreational vehicles are also the perfect group trip choice. Instead of having to take multiple cars, many have enough space for half a dozen people to sleep.

Many Large RVs Use Diesel

Class A and C RVs often use diesel rather than regular gasoline. What this means is that a lot of the largest RVs produce fewer pollutants than you would expect. Diesel burns 25% to 35% cleaner than regular gasoline. So, while the use of oil is often unavoidable, you can at least know that your RV is producing much less pollution.

Biodiesel

There is also the use of biodiesel. More and more people in the RV community are using biodiesel, which is a cleaner-burning alternative to petroleum-based fuels. Biodiesel is made from waste products from existing crops, like soybeans.

Biodiesel blends can be found all over the US and are marked with a blue and black biodiesel sticker. You’ll also see the BXX mark where XX will indicate the percentage of biodiesel in the blend. For example, most of the diesel fuel available is technically called “biodiesel blend” and is a mixture of 80% regular diesel and 20% miscellaneous oils like vegetable oil or animal fat.

There are some specifications on what can be labeled biodiesel blend, but most are “biodiesel blend” rather than “100% biodiesel.” The amount of biodiesel in a gallon of diesel depends on the price per gallon. There is no standard definition for how many gallons of fuel must have been derived from plants before it can be called biodiesel.

Using Biodiesel in RV

You can run your diesel engine on a biodiesel blend, but you may need to change the air filter more often in the beginning. Two main differences between biodiesel and diesel fuel are that there are minor deposits released from tank walls. You may see more deposits when you start using biodiesel.

RVs Are Typically Environmentally Focused

RVs use less waste and are made to use resources more efficiently. The lifestyle of camping or using an RV also makes it simpler to go eco-friendly. No one wants to deal with a lot of waste or items within their RV. The RV lifestyle has always been about the search for freedom, going where you want, when you want. But environmental awareness is also a defining characteristic of RV living.

One of the ways that RVs are eco-friendly is by using solar panels or other alternative energy sources to power electronics. Other less obvious ways are to use showering facilities at campsites instead of filling up on water, only take long rides when necessary, and try not to idle your engine in one place for too long.

RV Manufacturers and Going Eco-Friendly

We all want less of an environmental impact; manufacturers know this and have been working hard to design RVs that utilize less energy. A new system called the TRA Certification is helping with that by ranking their models according to how much they help you live an eco-friendlier life. The company awards motorhomes, trailers, and other recreational vehicles a bronze, silver, gold, and emerald rating according to their green performance.

The rankings indicate how well a given model meets the Treadmill Review’s standards. Emerald is its highest rating. However, that is not the only way to track efficiency. Plenty of companies and other organizations rate and rank RVs. Lightweight campers and travel trailers will typically be the most fuel-efficient and eco-friendly.

What About Electric RVs?

RVs are even going green with electric RVs on the horizon. Companies are unveiling their plans for electric RVs that would completely get rid of the need for gasoline. Companies like Winnebago Industries, Inc. are already testing out electric motorhomes.

In the future, RVs will become more energy efficient than ever before and ditch that reliance on gasoline. However, you do not need to wait until the future to turn your RV trip greener. With an electric truck, like the Ford F-150 Lightning, and an RV trailer rental, you can avoid oil altogether!

Rent an Eco-Friendly RV with RVnGO Today!

When it comes to your next RV trip, avoid the hassle of finding an RV with RVnGO. At RVnGO, you can pick between dozens of available RVs near you or your destination. You can then reserve your RV from real hosts with ease. With our RVnGROW initiative, every RV your rent contributes to the OneTreePlanted initiative. You contribute to planting trees and helping fight deforestation by renting through RVnGO! Book your dream RV today by going to RVnGO.com.