Americans enjoy RVing for a variety of reasons; travel flexibility, budget and being able to take creature comforts and pets along. Perhaps two of the biggest draws are the physical and spiritual aspects of spending quality time in the great outdoors.
Although RVs have gotten a bad rap as gas-guzzling hunks of metal, the RV lifestyle actually lends itself to being eco-friendly. RVers tend to tread lightly naturally, because of their limited space and resources. They shop only for what they need, reuse containers, and can be pretty fanatical when it comes to fuel and water conservation. Plus, plenty of RVers enjoy living "off the grid." They are some of the highest consumers of solar and wind energy products and can live for months at a time without using any electricity to run their household.
As RVing continues to grow in popularity, so will the demand for RVs to become more eco-friendly habitats. Enter Ty Adams, Portland-based freelance journalist and creator of the bioTrekker campaign. Biotrekker started as a grassroots project to realize Ty’s dream of a “truly green touring machine.” Adams recently traveled the country in his 34-foot biodiesel-powered bus, field testing and advocating biofuels along the route. And his campaign has only just begun.
With assistance from Monaco Coach, Rocky Mountain Institute and other partners and sponsors, the latest project, Soltrekker, involves the creation of the first Eco-RV. “Sunny,” a 27 foot, 1994 Safari Trek diesel and the newest member of Adam’s team, is getting a green makeover.
What started your passion for green RVing?
At first, it was just an afterthought of an entirely selfish agenda to have fun and hit the road. I was working as a magazine editor of Monaco Coach Corporation's RV travel magazines and pitched the idea that they put me on the road in a motorhome full-time as a publicity campaign for young RVers. I'd written a story about biodiesel and was amazed at the potential, so I thought, "I'd also like to run this company motorhome on biodiesel."
Well, Monaco passed on the idea of just giving me a motorhome, which turned out to be the best thing that could of happened, because I was forced to do it all on my own. They did give me a discount on a coach, but I purchased it myself and decided that I wanted to make the campaign completely about biodiesel advocacy. I remember thinking, "Well, if it really is something I believe in, then I have to be willing to pay for it," so I did.
Biodiesel turned out to be my gateway addiction to renewable energy and sustainability and all things green and the more I learned about this stuff, the more I wanted to incorporate into a custom built RV. I've fallen in love with the idea of a rolling green-building showcase.
What features will your Eco-RV have that a regular RV doesn't?
The feature I'm most excited about is the solar water heating system. As far as I know, it has never been done before on an RV, and solar thermal technology is so simple, straightforward and relatively inexpensive, but it has the potential to make a huge impact. Everybody knows about expensive solar PV for electricity, but solar thermal is like its unknown, red-headed stepchild that is just waiting to blossom. We're also considering adding radiant floor heating, especially if we can get a little assistance with that installation from a local green builder. Another pie-in-the sky idea is to install a greywater recycling system, but that's probably a second-generation concept.
The other first-generation systems include a diesel engine powered by both biodiesel and pure vegetable oil; a top-notch solar PV system; super efficient LED lighting throughout; better insulation including dual-pane windows; the latest in composting toilets; some design treats that make better use of the space; recycled, reused or natural sustainable materials throughout; and a rainwater harvesting system.
Can you go into more details about the rain harvesting system? How will you make that work on a rig?
We actually just finished putting together the custom-made stainless steel gutters for it. The gutters are only 1.5 inches wide, but they will run the length of the RV for 23 feet below the roofline. We'll rivet them on and seal the top so that rainwater runs in. At the back of the gutters, we'll install a pipe downspout that runs back into the RV rather than down to the ground. Once we punch it inside the RV, the pipe will run along the wall to the floor at a downward angle into the freshwater tank under the bed, so gravity will do all the work to get it there. Then, if we decide we want to make it potable, we'll have to install a better filtration system from the freshwater tank to the faucets. Or maybe we'll just use it for showering and greywater use. The calculations tell us that we'll get about 40 to 60 gallons of water from one inch of rain.
How far along are you on the Soltrekker project?
We have completely stripped the exterior for painting in mid-April 2008 and we have most of the interior removed down to bare walls, ceilings and subfloor, so it's a blank canvas at this point. We also just incorporated as a non-profit. We will have the exterior finished for a debut at the Greener Homes and Gardens show on May 17 at the Portland Expo Center. They're going to show a biodiesel movie on the side of the rig. As for the interior, that will take a bit longer, although we're aiming for some time in July 2008.
What are your plans with Sunny once you are finished with her? National tour perhaps?
At first, I'd like to focus on the Northwest and really tap into the local sustainability scene. We will be doing presentations at schools, RV shows, home shows, festivals, biodiesel station openings ... pretty much wherever there is an opportunity to share.
What does the future of green RVing look like?
I'm really optimistic about the future in general and that includes green RVing. There is this beautiful, sustainable, abundant and balanced civilization waiting for us and all we have to do is convince ourselves that it's possible and then create our way into it. There will probably be some growing pains as we transition from non-renewable to renewable energy, from non-sustainable to sustainable, and we're not as far ahead of that as most of us would like, but there are amazing things happening all over when it comes to sustainability. I see hope and inspiration everywhere. As for the RV industry, I think that it might be a little slower than others to catch on, but there's a market. You know there is when you've got these crazy people spending their own money to build green RVs because they can't wait for the factories to do it. And where there's a market, no good capitalist is going to ignore it for too long.
For information on The Biotrekker project, visit biotrekker.com.
How to become a more eco-friendly RVer NOW!
• Installing a solar panel or wind generator can power up your lights, charge your laptop and cell phones and more, all with renewable energy
• Convert to biodiesel if you have a diesel engine
• Use eco-friendly cleaning and personal care products onboard
• Use biodegradable and bacteria-based holding tank products
• Shop locally when traveling; visit the farmer’s markets, etc.
• Don’t take a vacation from recycling
• Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage
• Don’t speed. According to the California Energy Commission, “Just slowing down from 65 mph to 55 mph can increase your miles per gallon by as much as 15 percent.”
• Compost your scraps
• Drive longer distances with your holding tanks empty, more weight equals more fuel used
• When you get to your destination, use human powered transportation
For more information on how to keep RVing green, visit gorving.com.
This article originally appeared in the April 2008 edition of Natural Awakenings Portland.
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