RV industry 'going green'

A key theme at the recent National RV Trade Show in Louisville, Kentucky, was innovation in RV manufacturing. Manufacturers attending and exhibiting at the show say "going green" is one way for the industry to improve and appeal to a wider range of consumers.

According to the SouthBendTribune.com, manufacturers are already using lighter weight composite materials for RVs. New lines of Class A and C motorhomes are using the new materials, which can significantly cut down on fuel consumption and allow the RVs to get upwards of 20 miles per gallon of fuel.

"It makes them as much as 2,500 pounds lighter," Keystone RV president and CEO Ron Fenech told WSBT-TV.

These lighter weight materials are also being used inside the RVs on everything from flooring to cabinets.

Other environmentally friendly things being used in today's motorhomes include fuel cells, wind power and solar panels.

"Twenty-five percent of the RVs manufactured now have solar panels," said conservationist and RVer Brian Brawdy.

The industry, which has been severely impacted by the recession, is hoping that making RVs greener will appeal to buyers who might not have thought about purchasing a motorhome previously.