Take the Garden With You: Grow Your Own Food in a Motorhome or Campervan

  • 27th Mar 2019

Whether you are a camping couple, or like getting away with the whole family, growing some food in your camping getaway vehicle can be a great way to enhance your holiday experience, and is also a way to make better use of your motorhome or vehicle while you are at home.

Why Grow Your Own Food in a Motorhome of Campervan?

Growing your own food is one of the best steps that you can take to live more sustainably and ethically. Having access to your own fresh food right there in your motorhome or campervan can make you healthier too. What is more, growing your own food in your camping vehicle can be a truly rewarding experience. There is nothing quite like sitting down to enjoy a meal prepared with your own delicious ingredients.

How Much Food Can You Really Grow in a Motorhome or Campervan?

You may be surprised by just how much food you can grow in just how small an area. While you are unlikely to be able to grow all of the food that you need – if you switch to a vegetarian or, better yet, an eco-friendly and ethical vegan diet, you will be able to grow a much bigger proportion of your weekly food than you might imagine.

Tips for Growing Food in a Motorhome or Campervan:

There are three key considerations when it comes to growing your own food in an RV. These are:

  • Space saving
  • Mobility
  • Practicality

Bearing these three things in mind can help you decide how and where to set up your growing systems, which in turn will help you to decide what exactly to grow. Let's take a look at each of these three considerations in turn:

Space Saving:

Utilising vertical gardening techniques like shelving, hanging gardens, stacking towers and built-in containers can help you make the most of the small space and turn your camping vehicle into a kind of mobile greenhouse.

Mobility:

Of course, in addition to thinking about where you will grow your plants, you will also have to think about the implications of the fact that you are growing plants in a moving vehicle. The fact that you need to be mobile makes growing food a in motorhome or campervan a little more complex than growing food inside a regular home or garden. However, while there are some challenges, these challenges are generally fairly easy to overcome. Fasten all space saving growing solutions carefully, and consider placing containers in your shower, or sink to avoid mess when in transit.

Practicalities:

In addition to thinking about how to make the most of the space, and keeping everything secure while you are on the move, there are also a number of other practical elements to consider when you grow your own food in a camping vehicle. For example, consider how you will water your plants – a rainwater harvesting system could make this a whole lot easier. You can also think about where your vehicle is parked, and how you can insure your plants get enough sunlight. Finally, composting household food waste, even when away, can provide a valuable growing medium to fill containers.

Follow these tips and you could be harvesting your own produce right there in your motorhome or campervan on your next camping trip.