A holiday in a camper or with a caravan in tow involves fewer emissions harmful to the environment than more traditional trips made by traveling by plane and staying in a hotel. This is supported by a research carried out by the Öko-Institut eV 2020 on behalf of the CIVD (Caravaning Institute Association of Germany). With the growing importance of greenhouse gas emissions, leisure travel is also under observation and many people are beginning to evaluate the effects of their travels on the environment and climate.
The study also confirms the conclusions reached by two similar researches carried out in 2007 and 2013. The data were calculated by analyzing the various components of a holiday: round trip, accommodation and meals, on-site mobility. The study also takes into account the production (material balance, production energy needs, maintenance) and disposal of recreational vehicles.
Due to their size and weight, motorhomes and caravan emit more greenhouse gases to and from, but this is more than offset by the lower CO2 emissions of the accommodation, in this case a campsite or a rest area. In fact, staying overnight in a hotel releases up to 10 times more CO2.
The comparison is therefore all the more favorable the shorter the distance to travel to reach the destination or the longer the stay. Even when traveling by train or bus, there are no better results: the CO2 savings associated with travel by public transport are not sufficient to offset the emissions related to housing. The comparison goes even more in favor of the recreational vehicle if we switch to air travel.
It is interesting to note that by simulating a trip with a semi-integrated vehicle, emissions can be reduced by 6 percent simply by reducing the speed from 120 to 100 kilometers per hour. The research also examines the impact that electric cars towing a caravan and the use of lighter materials in the construction of recreational vehicles could have.
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