If you own a recreational vehicle (RV), should you feel guilty about using it because of the "poor mileage" it gets on the road? Definitely not! Just the opposite is true. Owning and using an RV is one of the most conservation-minded things you can do. Here's why:

Maybe you own a compact car that averages 30 miles per gallon, and an RVthat gets only 10 miles per gallon. Chances are, you and most other people with compact cars drive alone. With an RV, though, used for camping, you're carrying four or five persons in the vehicle, meaning you're getting more "people-miles-per-gallon" (PMPG) for a savings. That translates to a PMPG rating of 40 or 50, instead of the 30 the compact car gets.

But that's only the beginning. When you leave home for a vacation in your RV, you save all kinds of energy before leaving, and after you're on the road. In your permanent home, you can shut down heating systems, cut off the hot water heater, lower energy use of a refrigerator which won't be opened and closed, and make sure there are no leaking water faucets.

Anyone who has camped in a motor home or travel trailer knows what a true conservationist vehicle it is. Such RVs carry limited quantities of fuel, food, and water, and the occupants learn how to get by with a lot less. For example, a typical RV water heater holds six gallons instead of the 40 gallons of a home model. Six gallons are plenty for dishwashing and bathing because RV showers are designed to conserve water, and everybody learns that in a hurry.

Water for toilet flushing is measured in pints rather than gallons, so less energy is needed to purify and supply water, to heat some of it, and to process sewage. Most RVs also are dependent on 12-volt batteries for all power, except when on a utility hookup. Owners and their children quickly learn to turn off unneeded lights. Much of what is learned while camping this way will become a habit back home later on, thus saving more energy.

RV owners know water weighs eight pounds per gallon, so they only haul what is necessary from one campground to another. For each 100 unnecessary pounds, there is a one percent penalty in fuel use on your gas tank when moving the vehicle. Why carry along 500 pounds of water if you won't be needing all of it? You can save bottled gas when driving by shutting off the refrigerator. It will remain cold, and if your campground has electricity, use that power source entirely.

Your RVwill travel most efficiently at 50 miles per hour. For each five miles per hour over that, you lose one mile per gallon. Drive 65, and it will cost you three miles for every gallon of expensive gasoline. Carrying chairs, grills, and bikes on the outside of the RV will cause wind drag and cost you more gasoline use; put whatever possible inside the vehicle.

Begin driving early in the day to save fuel waste caused by stop-andgo traffic, and the need for air conditioning. Pace your speed to avoid red traffic lights, slow runs up hills, or having to stop and start on inclines, all of which use more gasoline.

To save energy (and money), use your RV often, and have fun.

Editor's Note: Gordon Charles, who died May 2 at the age of 86, had provided The St. Ignace News with four of his "Outdoors With Gordie" columns to use throughout the month. Mr. Charles was a contributor for many years to this newspaper and several other northern Michigan publications.