How to travel in 'eco' mode

Go off-grid in eco mode

Travelling in eco-friendly mode is possible, in fact it’s a must! Motorhome​ travellers have a green outlook on life, because they are used to living in close​ contact with nature, and embracing an environmentally friendly lifestyle. But the​ environmental crisis is here for all to see, and even those who choose to holiday​ in a motorhome can - and in fact must!- develop an increasingly eco-friendly​ mindset.

So, when we set off on a holiday aboard our Ducato-based motorhome, we must never forget that we will only be able to continue enjoying the beauty of our planet if we, together with millions of other people, take care of our environment. This is the message reiterated every year on 22 April, during Earth Day, the big environmental event celebrated by people all over the world. But this is not the only moment dedicated to safeguarding the quality of our air and protecting our soil: the United Nations General Assembly has decided to establish the International Day of Forests, which is celebrated on 21 March.

The motorhome, school of of sustainable living

Those who choose a motorhome holiday are naturally inclined to favour an eco-friendly tourism model. Various studies show that a motorhome holiday leaves a smaller environmental footprint than other types of holidays, such as those that involve driving cars and staying in hotels. Motorhome trips consumer less energy, waste less water and overall generate fewer CO2 emissions. This is because motorhome users live in a smaller environment, consume less energy for lighting and air conditioning, and exploit renewable resources by using photovoltaic modules. They also have to must reckon with the on-board reserves, which are limited in terms of energy, fuel and water: there can be no wastage, so saving resources comes naturally. We could also say that a motorhome holiday is a school of life that teaches us to evaluate and optimise the limited resources available. In addition, once those who travel in a motorhome arrive at their destination, they tend to move around using environmentally friendly means: the bicycle has forever been the faithful companion ofmotorhome owners.

A more environmentally friendly travel option

Everyone should know the rules for looking after the environment by now, but a quick reminder every now and then doesn’t hurt! First of all, we should try to organise our waste as effectively as possible, by sorting and recycling it. We should try to keep plastic consumption to a minimum and use reusable shopping bags made of eco-friendly materials as much as possible. We should also pay attention to the products we use in the motorhome for cleaning and the disposal of waste liquids, favouring environmentally friendly ones. Reducing our electricity consumption should be the norm for fans of life in a motorhome: the answer is to install solar panels, while we can replace the old lamps in older motorhomes with low-consumption LED ones, now standard on newer vehicles. Those who install an air conditioner in their vehicle can choose a particularly efficient model with lower consumption, but also save energy by deciding to limit the use of the device and not setting the temperature too low. Lastly, saving water is a great way to reduce water consumption.