You don’t need rainforests to build RVs

The RV industry is identified as the largest consumer of tropical wood in the US, utilizing meranti or lauan plywood sourced from Borneo, Indonesia, which has contributed to a 50% decline in Bornean orangutan populations over 60 years. The text highlights that major manufacturers such as Winnebago, Thor, and Forest River, along with supplier Patrick Industries, lack the wildlife and forest protection standards common in other industries. It advocates for a transition to composite materials or Forest Stewardship Council certified wood to protect rainforests and Indigenous community rights.

• The US RV industry is the largest consumer of tropical wood in the United States, consuming an average of 500 trees daily to produce vehicles made primarily of meranti or lauan plywood sourced from Borneo, Indonesia.
• Deforestation driven by the RV industry's supply chain has contributed to a more than 50% decline in Bornean orangutan populations over the last 60 years and has impacted Indigenous communities living in those rainforests.
• Major RV manufacturers including Winnebago, Thor, and Forest River, as well as their supplier Patrick Industries, are criticized for failing to implement basic standards to ensure forest and wildlife protections, unlike most other industries using similar wood.

APA

Jones, S. (2025). You don’t need rainforests to build RVs. Mighty Earth. https://mightyearth.org/article/rv/

Chicago

Jones, Sydney. You don’t need rainforests to build RVs. Mighty Earth, 2025. https://mightyearth.org/article/rv/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Jones |first1=Sydney |title=You don’t need rainforests to build RVs |publisher=Mighty Earth |date=17 December 2025 |url=https://mightyearth.org/article/rv/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{jones2025you, author = {Jones, Sydney}, title = {{You don’t need rainforests to build RVs}}, publisher = {Mighty Earth}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://mightyearth.org/article/rv/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }