Sustainable camping
How to travel as environmentally consciously as possible in a motorhome
The world is becoming increasingly networked, digital and fast. Of course, this has some advantages for us. We can get from A to B quickly, the flight from Hamburg to Berlin costs just 30 euros and the cruise ship can take me to all the beautiful coastal towns in the Mediterranean in a week. But what impact does this have on our environment, our nature and on us humans? 76 of the most popular cruise ships run on polluting heavy fuel oil (NABU, 2018) and many studies have shown that the ozone produced by airplanes remains in the atmosphere for up to 100 years. We need to change the way we travel, otherwise there will be no more lush green mountain landscapes or ice-cold natural lakes in the long term. The best way to travel in the long term is definitely not by plane or cruise ship. The best and most environmentally friendly way to travel around Europe while being autonomous, free and flexible is camping. Find out below how you can make your camping vacation even more sustainable in the future and thus make an even greater contribution to changing travel in the future and living in harmony with nature.
Passenger
Our Ahorn motorhomes offer space for the whole family thanks to the optimal layout of the rooms and various tricks, such as the additional fold-down bed or the fold-out dinette. Many campers can accommodate up to five people and some even sleep up to seven. Make the most of this space and go on vacation together. Not only does this improve your carbon footprint, but you can also split the cost of fuel and campsite fees. Besides, traveling together is always the best thing anyway. If no friends or family have time to travel with you, it is also possible to offer free seats during the trip on a carpooling platform. This way you can meet new people, share the costs and perhaps get some vacation inspiration.
Water and electricity
Water and electricity consumption are probably the most environmentally damaging factors during a hotel vacation. 24-hour receptions, brightly lit entrance areas and air conditioning systems that run around the clock are a major challenge for the energy supply of some hotels. Instead of regulating according to individual consumption, the aim is to provide hotel guests with an all-round carefree package in every situation. Added to this is the daily exchange of hundreds of towels and bed linen as well as the operation of spas, saunas or wellness areas in many hotels. The situation is different in a motorhome. Here you have the option of regulating your own consumption and adapting it to your needs. You only use as much as you need and the rest is stored in the tank. Here you can make sure that you don't always light up the entire interior in the evening, but also light a small lantern to sit together in a cozy atmosphere. You can also save up to 2 liters of water a day by turning off the water when brushing your teeth and soaping up when washing your hands. To save water when cooking, wash fruit and vegetables in a bowl where the water can be reused instead of under running water.
Fuel consumption
Fuel consumption is probably one of the environmental factors that you can influence the most. There are a few simple things to bear in mind here. For example, always pay attention to your tire pressure. On our Ahorn models, this should always be between 4.5 bar at the front and 4.8 bar at the rear. Also adjust your speed. After all, you are on vacation and not on the run. A rule of thumb says that the perfect speed for long journeys should be an average of 100 km/h to keep fuel consumption as low as possible. Another point that is not only good for your environmental balance, but also for your sense of stress: avoid traffic jams. It is always best to start your vacation early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid rush hour traffic. It is also best to look at the route in advance to take any detours into account. Once you have arrived at your destination, you can even get your bike out of the garage with our new Canada models and cycle or walk short distances. Many campsites are within walking distance of beautiful places or sights, so it is often worth taking a walk through the countryside.
Choice of campsite
Of course, campsites are always more sustainable than star hotels. But there are some differences here too. Some campsites have now committed themselves to glamorous camping and offer pools, bars and high-quality sanitary facilities in addition to pitches. When choosing a campsite, you can look out for certain labels to be sure that the campsite is environmentally friendly. The "European Ecolabel", "Green Key" and "Green Globe" indicate that a campsite officially pays attention to sustainability and does not use electricity and water unnecessarily. So if you not only want to pay attention to your consumption during the trip, but also want to keep your ecological footprint as low as possible once you arrive at your destination, find out in advance whether a campsite has been awarded one of these labels.
Food
You go on vacation to get to know the country and its people. What is part of this? Regional food, of course. Make sure you don't take all the food from home with you. Of course, there's nothing wrong with coffee from home or your favorite muesli, but make sure you cook fresh and regional food and go to the local weekly market to get inspiration, support local jobs and try regional delicacies. You should also make sure you cycle to the nearest supermarket more often rather than buying too much at once. Although the fridge in the new Ahorn models is really very spacious at 140 liters, it is still often the case that you misjudge what you need when shopping and then have to dispose of food.
Equipment
The equipment for your personal motorhome is important. You should naturally feel comfortable in your camper and always have all the utensils you need with you. A camping table, chairs and crockery are essential. But the camper community is large and you can often benefit from each other. One person buys new chairs, another needs to expand their crockery set and a third no longer likes the cereal bowls. This makes for a lively swap and buy exchange among travel enthusiasts. You don't always have to buy something new. Many second-hand items are still in great condition and may be enough to get you started. Relevant Facebook groups offer the opportunity to buy well-used second-hand items for little money and thus keep your own consumption low. Every product that can be recycled and does not end up in the bin is good for the environment and you have saved money. Another option for reuse is good old-fashioned repairing. Not everything that is damaged has to go straight into the garbage can. Many things can be repaired and you can also let off steam creatively, perhaps even embellishing the torn upholstery of the camping chair with a motif or two.
Conclusion
As you can see, it's not that difficult to make your motorhome trip even more sustainable. The environment will thank you for it and most of the time it's really fun to be inspired by regional cuisine, use less fuel or turn old into new. Of course, we know that you can't always pay attention to everything and sometimes it's really difficult to behave in an ecologically sound manner. But if everyone takes a small step in the right direction, a lot can be done.
