76% of travelers have reported interest in more sustainable travel. With Earth Day approaching, now is a perfect time to boost environmental education and provide eco-friendly best practices. Since its start in 1970, Earth Day has influenced the passing of important environmental laws such as the Clean Air, Clean Water, and the Endangered Species Acts and continues to drive positive sustainability efforts. To show your Earth Day support this year, share these eco-friendly travel tips with your RV customers:

1. Maximize Your Fuel Efficiency

Unsurprisingly, large vehicles like RVs don’t have the best reputation for fuel efficiency. On average, gas mileage can range from 8 to 26 mpg, depending on the type of motorhome you choose to drive.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, once speeds reach greater than 50 mph, gas mileage begins to decline at an increasingly rapid rate. To get the most out of your gas tank, avoid going over the speed limit and use cruise control when possible. Cruise control will help prevent rapid acceleration and braking, which can decrease your gas mileage by 10% to 40%.

A few other methods to reduce fuel consumption include:

• Packing lightly (less weight equals less work for your RV)
• Planning out your route and potential stops (helps prevent detours and wasted gas)
• Turning off your engine instead of idling (inhibits unnecessary fuel exhaust)

2. Find Ways to Conserve Energy

In an RV, your air conditioner, furnace, and refrigerator consume a great deal of energy. You can reduce energy consumption from your RV’s heating/cooling systems with strategic parking. Take advantage of the shade on warmer days and the sun on cooler days to maximize natural heating and cooling resources. However, you’ll want to be careful not to leave the fridge in direct sunlight or open the door excessively as this will result in additional energy being used to keep the contents cold.

3. Watch Your Water Usage

It can be easy to go overboard on the amount of water you use. Water is commonly wasted by taking long showers and running the faucet while washing dishes or brushing your teeth. For example, leaving the water running while brushing your teeth uses four gallons of water (compared to .25 gallons if you turn it off). Making seemingly small changes in your daily activity — like turning off the water while brushing your teeth — can help environmental sustainability efforts.

You can also save water by only washing full loads of laundry. Whether you do laundry in your RV or use laundry facilities on the road, being conscious of your load sizes will limit the amount of water necessary to get your items clean. And if you want to save even more energy, try hang-drying your clothes while you camp out!

4. Visit Sustainable Campsites and Parks

In addition to practicing individual sustainable habits during your RV travels, you can stay at recognized sustainable campsites to enhance your eco-friendly efforts. For example, some campsites have received the Kamp Green certification, meaning they’ve taken clear steps toward promoting and practicing sustainable camping. You can also choose to visit national parks with LEED-certified facilities. This means that their infrastructure and buildings were built to have more eco-friendly qualities.

5. Be Conscious of Your Supplies

Being mindful of the supplies you use while RVing can have a beneficial impact on the environment. For example, every year in the United States alone, 40 billion disposable utensils are used and thrown away. You can mitigate your personal contribution to the landfill by investing in nondisposable utensils to keep in your RV.

Additionally, be aware of the cleaning supplies you’re using. Opt for plant-based dish soap and biodegradable cleaning materials to minimize environmental and personal exposure to harmful chemicals.

Last but not least, keep a reusable bin on hand to hold your recyclable materials. Regardless of whether or not your campsite offers recycling, you just need to do a quick online search to find a drop-off location nearby.

Conclusion

Earth Day is one of the greatest reminders to appreciate the world’s natural resources and minimize our environmental impact. You can choose to support the Earth Day mission this year by keeping these RV travel tips in mind on your next adventures.

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