Lance Camper recently announced that its truck campers and travel trailers have become Certified Green by TRA Certification. Lance travel trailers and truck campers have both earned the Emerald level of certification with optioned solar units receiving Emerald off-grid status.
“Lance is the first truck camper manufacture to earn green certification,” said Mandy Leazenby, TRA Certification president. “We are excited to have such a forward-thinking company in the program. … Being an RV manufacturer in California comes with more strict requirements on product emissions, so Lance has always been ahead of the game. … The Lance manufacturing campus blew me away, and it was exciting to see a manufacturer so knowledgeable about even the most minor components in its RVs.”
The manufacturing campus includes 420 solar panels, climate-controlled zoned heating and A/C, motion-controlled lighting mixed with natural lighting and extensive recycling. Lance campers are manufactured in Lancaster, Calif. The manufacturing plant benefits from the solar energy available, and it also sends it back into the grid.
For their Green Certification, Lance units are evaluated in four categories: resource efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, and indoor air quality.
With regards to resource efficiency, Lance production recycles, or reuses more than 90 percent of manufacturing waste. They utilize numerous jig and CNC systems to reduce waste and maximize material usage. Several materials are cut to size by the supplier, and many materials are shipped using reusable shipping containers. Lance RV construction contains very little wood, and the Euro-lite cabinets utilize poplar, which is sustainably harvested.
In the category of energy efficiency, Lance units are well-insulated and incorporate LED lighting. The roof is Energy Star–rated, and the A/C is ductless. Lance units are pre-wired for solar panels both on the roof and side, so you can park in the shade and move a portable solar panel to a sunlit area.
These units are water efficient by containing a low-flow toilet, lavatory faucet and shower head. Lance travel trailers use either tankless water heaters or an energy efficient combination furnace and water heater.
Lance campers incorporate low VOC interior components, including sealants, composite walls, carpet, hard flooring, according to the company. Some carpet is used, but units contain mostly low VOC hard flooring which makes for easy clean-up and healthier indoor air quality. Lance also has a mercury-free policy which means that for components such as electronics and mattresses, Lance chooses a supplier that offers a mercury-free option.
“Lance is setting the standard for green very high and I’m hoping it excites other manufacturers to compete for green-ness,” said Leazenby. “These products aren’t just built green; they’re built smarter.”
“At Lance, our eco contribution is attuned to the breath of Mother Earth – conforming to nature rather than the other way around,” said Gary Conley, national sales manager for Lance.
Visit the Certified Green RVs website for more information at certifiedgreenrvs.com.
