Jul 26, 2022-- With more OEMs and aftermarket customers expressing interest in the electrification of RVs and extended boondocking capabilities, Dicor Products, an AIRXCEL® brand, is pushing an industry-wide collaborative effort to help ensure that the next generation of RVs will be designed to be more energy efficient than ever before.
“True efficiency can’t be achieved with a single element; it comes from the cooperative power of an RV’s design and components working together with the overarching goals of extending the vehicle’s range of usability and reducing its cumulative carbon footprint,” explained Anthony Wollschlager, Airxcel group president. “With Dicor’s roofing and sealants our products touch many different systems on an RV so we’re in the unique position to act as a unifying force to push impactful design in the electric RV market.”
This is a natural progression for Dicor as the company has continually led the market in energy efficient design. Dicor’s Polar White PVC Roofing was the first RV roofing of its kind to be Energy Star and Cool Roof Council Rated with an initial solar reflectance of 0.86 retaining over 75% of its reflectance after 3 years. Additionally, both Diflex II and Tufflex by Dicor have been recognized by the Cool Roof Rating Council for their efficiency in thermal emissivity and solar reflectance.
If an RV does not have an air conditioner, these energy efficient roofing products will naturally keep the vehicle’s interior temperatures lower by reflecting solar energy and siphoning off residual thermal radiation.
RVs with AC units also benefit greatly from energy efficient roofing because of the cooperative power of whole-system efficiency. With an energy efficient roof ACs do not have to work as hard to keep the coach’s interior cool and require less energy to maintain consistent temperatures.
Diflex II in Polar White, for example, has an SRI of 108, three points higher than its nearest competitor. RVers benefit from not only the efficiency of the roof itself to deflect and siphon off heat but also the added bonus of that roofing helping to extend the longevity of climate control systems on board their RV like air conditioners. Diflex II is also 36% lighter than the competition improving driving efficiency when RVs are on the road, critically important to RV enthusiasts dealing with rising gas prices.
“End users are becoming increasingly conscientious of energy consumption and sustainability because they want to go off-grid for longer stretches of time and to more remote locations,” said Wollschlager. “We have the ability at Dicor to be partners to both RV enthusiasts and RV builders by providing products that improve the overall energy efficiency of the entire rig. With Dicor products on board our OEM partners can elevate the draw of their coaches in a very meaningful way for modern RV users.”
In the coming years, Dicor will continue to build on its strong partnerships with leading OEMs and independent builders in the recreational vehicle industry to develop more efficient products and systems for all segments of the RV marketplace.