Words by Jan Lee
These days there's a seemingly unlimited list of features you can add to a new RV. Want to be able to bring your mom and dad along on a trip but afraid the wheelchair won't fit through the door of a motorhome? There are new design options that open doors for people with scooters and wheelchairs. Want to bring the ATV for an off-road diversion? Just open the back of a toy hauler and load it in. Afraid you won't be able to fit your whole family in a fifth wheel? Pick one with slide-outs and extra sleeping options that meet your needs.
Until recently, size and luxury were the governing issues when it came to designing the next year's industry roll-out — to some extent, they still are. Surveys show that RVers still appreciate the convenience of space, comfort and easy-reach appliances that they have come to expect back home, and don't mind spending a bit more to duplicate that sense of ease.
However, customer comfort isn't the only driving force these days. There's a new influencer wielding power over the designs and options that are showcased at tradeshows and it is becoming just as important to new design modifications as last year's sales.
Mother Nature.
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HomeGrown Trailers and ROAM Beyond
HomeGrown Trailers’ Timberline model fits nicely with semi-remote settings and jaw-dropping vistas.
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HomeGrown Trailers and ROAM Beyond
A new partnership between Homegrown and its sister company ROAM Beyond now allows travelers to skip the setup and experience the beauty of sustainable RV’ing from carefully chosen settings.
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HomeGrown Trailers and ROAM Beyond
The Timberline sleeps three comfortably and travels nicely.
An increasing number of RV manufacturers are retooling the way they build their tow-along trailers, 5th wheels, and motorhomes. California state laws calling for more eco-friendly construction materials are forcing a shift in how some manufacturers design and construct RVs for the public. Products that require fewer water resources during production, more recycling practices and more materials with lower volatile organic compounds (VOC) are increasingly being adopted by RV makers that want the eco-friendly stamp of approval on their brand.
But environmental laws are only part of what is driving this “green” transformation. Eco-conscious customers that are concerned about the impact that their travel choices can have on the environment are as well.
Corey Weathers, co-founder of the Washington State-based HomeGrown Trailers, said that the company's line of teardrop trailers was designed with that perspective in mind. The teardrop trailer, historically small, aerodynamic and often lighter than other tow-alongs is in this case, is enhanced by an even sleeker design and state-of-the-art materials that help reduce gas consumption.
“We made sure [the Timberline] was designed to be under 5,000 lbs so it could be towed by the Tesla X,” said Weathers. The Tesla X is Tesla’s mid-range all-electric SUV and is rated to be able to tow small trailers.
For the eco-conscious RVer though, a lighter, more compact trailer also means the ability to rely on smaller fuel-efficient trucks and SUVs. It means less cost at the pump.
Like many newer RVs these days, the Timberline relies on eco-friendly LED lighting, particularly because they reduce energy draw and carbon emissions. The old gas-hungry stovetop is also out, replaced by an induction cooktop, which is considered to be more efficient and environmentally friendly. It uses electromagnetic heating that heats the pot, rather than the surface under the pot (and by extension, the air in the trailer). That also means that the interior of the trailer stays cooler during the summer. Best of all: carbon emissions are kept to a minimum.
“Our big push was to make sure the trailers were sustainable,” Weathers explained.
Onboard solar energy is perhaps the RV industry's largest accomplishment these days when it comes to sustainability. The Timberline off-grid model comes with 600-800 watt solar panels, enough to adequately maintain basic utilities off-grid while using the RV's lithium-ion batteries. It owes much of that innovation to recent upgrades in solar-panel technology.
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Roulottes Prolite
The 12V weighs 950 lbs dry weight and is popular among travelers who don’t want to part with their fuel-efficient SUVs.
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Roulottes Prolite
Prolite’s 12V, which was released last year, offers off-grid travel and many eco-compatible amenities.
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Roulottes Prolite
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Roulottes Prolite
Companies like Sunflare Solar, based in California, are making it possible for teardrop trailer manufacturers (and others) to attach solar panels to curved surfaces with relative ease. The new copper indium gallium selenide solar panels (CIGS cell for short) are flexible solar panels that can be rolled out like a mat and attached to portable surfaces, including the exterior of RVs. According to Sunflare, CIGs produce even less CO2 than its earlier counterpart and have a wider capacity for absorbing sunlight. The company is currently partnering with RV, boat and 4x4 manufacturers that want to offer solar to their customers. Happier Camper, Vistabule and Nu Camp are three North American companies that use Sunflare Solar products.
Quebec-based Roulottes Prolite manufactures an ultra-lite trailer that is marketed throughout Canada, the U.S., and Asia and uses flexible solar panels, as well. At 950 lbs dry weight, the 13.1-foot-long Prolite 12V is equipped with a galley, induction heating and adequate sleeping quarters for three, as well as a host of other included and optional features. Brad Harvey, who handles Prolite sales for North America says that much of its customer base comes from people who want to be able to RV, but don't want to give up their fuel-efficient mid-range cars and SUVs. They see a light-weight tow-along as a huge economic advantage.
“They drive their cars to work and get 50 miles to the gallon, but they want an RV,” Harvey said. “They say ‘I am not going out and buying a truck that gets 10 mpg because then I am driving a truck to work.’”
Harvey said the new bendable, adhesive solar panels have been a boon for Prolite, which also offers solar as an option with its other larger RVs.
Of course, small isn't for everyone or every family. For those who aren't sure they are ready to downsize, there are still ways to incorporate eco-friendly amenities into their travel plans.
The Mercedes Sprinter van has caught the eye of several RV manufacturers in recent years, largely because of its fuel efficiency and adaptable layout. Not surprisingly, Winnebago Industries is one of them. Both the Winnebago Era and Revel are advertised as off-road-capable Class A motorhomes that coincidentally rely on low-carbon-emitting features such as CIG solar panels, an induction cooktop, and of course, LED lighting. The Era and Revel aren't considered light or mid-range SUVs, but they do prove that even heavy-duty vehicles can turn an environmentally-friendly eye.
But as Weathers points out, eco-friendly isn’t just about what options you include in your rig. It begins with how the RV is built – right down to how the materials are sourced, used and recycled.
“In order to be sustainable," Weathers explained, "it has to be sustainable throughout its lifespan." The way the RV is manufactured, including the materials that are used, the renewable power the company uses, the features it includes and the vehicle it may require to tow it (e.g., high efficiency vehicles that are easy on gas) sets what he calls, "the path of least resistance" for the user. Eco-smart choices at the design stage make it possible for the new owner to make sustainable choices in transportation and energy use as well.
And while HomeGrown's efforts are a personal commitment to what they believe in, they are also a reflection of a growing effort by RV manufacturers to shift toward energy-efficient choices that are in sync with Nature's needs. Innovations are coming to the market every year that not only allow manufacturers to adopt better, cost-efficient and environmentally-friendly choices but also make it easier for RVers to do the same.
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Peter Holcombe
Winnebago’s Era and Revel camper vans were designed with fuel efficiency and sustainability in mind. They include induction cookware, which has low emissions and a solar option.
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Winnebago Industries
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John Hake
The single-burner induction cookware is included in both of Winnebago’s Era and Revel models.
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John Hake
The single-burner induction cookware is included in both of Winnebago’s Era and Revel models.
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John Hake
LED lighting is prominent but well placed for maximum effect in the Era and Revel models.
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