If you want to learn more about how to panel your camper van, we’ve put together a very practical and detailed guide. It covers everything you need to know about the many types of materials available, how to choose the best one for each situation, and how much it will cost.
Improves aesthetics
Obviously, this isn’t a step in the process of making a camper. Nonetheless, if you plan to use the van often to travel and sleep in, I always recommend that you insulate and panel the van to the extent that is possible and within your budget, even if you don’t have a lot of money for that.
Materials required for flooring walls, ceiling.
There are a lot of different materials to choose from, but the most common ones for van interiors are wood or PVC. The budget and personal preferences of each person are the most important things to think about.
Using Wood.
Pros.
- It adds another layer of insulation to the van.
- You can find it in nature, and it will last for a long time.
- Provides aesthetics to the camperization.
Cons.
- Weighs more than PVC
- Has a higher price
- You have to take care of it.
Using PVC.
Pros.
- It’s very thin and light, but it doesn’t hold up well.
- It is more economical
- It is long-lasting and does not need to be treated.
Cons.
- It has no insulating capacity
- Has less aesthetic appeal.
- To anchor furniture, it’s not as hard as it should be.
Panel van with wood.
When it comes to materials for flooring, walls and ceiling, hardwood boards are the undisputed rulers of the world. Another thing is that we can choose from a wide range of different types of wood or wood-based products, each of which has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Plywood
People often see plywood in the doors and other parts of vans because it’s easy to cut. Some of the wood veneers used to make planks in the market today are glued together, pressed together, to use it again. These properties help make the structure strong, light, and stable.
Within the wide world of plywood, you can choose from a wide range of different types of plywood. It’s important to look at each one in light of our own preferences and needs.
- Pine plywood (heavy, strong, and expensive)
- Birch plywood (heavy, higher strength, and expensive)
- Poplar plywood (light and very inexpensive but too flexible)
- Okoume plywood (mid point in weight, price and strength between poplar and birch)
- Mixed plywood (formed with sheets of different woods)
Pine, birch, and okume plywood are some of my favourite types of plywood, but I like them all. In addition, and based on the extra features that different wood treatments have, you might also like:
- Phenolic plywood (very resistant to humidity)
- Marine board (same properties of phenolic with selection of higher quality woods)
- Finnish wood (super strong, non-slip birch phenolic plywood)
- Water-repellent and/or fire-retardant treatment (quite expensive special treatment on any type of wood)
Other wood products can also be found.
In addition to plywood, there are a lot of different types of wood products, like chipboard, DM or melamine-coated DM, and OSB (oriented strand board), which are all made of wood (heavier and not very resistant to humidity). These alternatives are cheaper than plywood, but in my opinion, they don’t perform as well or last as long.
This is something I would like to repeat: a bigger investment in materials now could save us a lot of time and money in the long run.
Thickness and recommended uses
Most of the time, the thickness of wood planks for interior panelling should be between 3 and 5 millimetres, but it can be as thick as 9 millimetres and even 15 millimetres.
There should be a 3 to 5 mm thick ceiling, wall, and door. If you want to cover parts of the wall that are not free, like closet backdrops, you should only use 3mm thick tape. I think the rest of the van should have a minimum thickness of 5mm.
The floor should be between 9 and 15 mm thick. Because this is an area that needs more hardness and resistance, thicker materials will need to be used.
Panel van with PVC
It is plastic, and it has some advantages over wood, like how quickly and easily it can be put together. It also has some drawbacks, like how hard it is to clean. It is just an issue of establishing priorities.
It is a cheaper part that has good effects on the roofing surface. When it comes to walls and shocks, on the other hand, it isn’t very strong. If there are places where there isn’t a lot of wear and stress, then the minimum thickness would be 6mm from there on out.
Panel van with frieze
It is a type of panelling that can be used to cover the walls of a van. It looks well and is good for parts of the van that don’t have any furniture to hold it in place, like the roof, doors, and walls.
Most wooden friezes are made of pine. Despite the fact that it is made of real wood, it is very light because it is very thin (about 6 mm). It gives a very warm and rustic feel where it is applied. Because you have to treat each board individually before you put it in, and you have to apply another coat of varnish after it’s already been put in. I think it’s well worth the work.
The PVC frieze comes in a variety of finishes and doesn’t need to be treated to keep its look.
Step by step guide to panel your camper van.
The process of panelling the inside of a van isn’t hard, but it takes a long time. Most likely, you will have to measure and cut a piece over and over again until it is the right size and shape. Given that this will be the surface to which the furniture will be mounted, you must not scrimp on strips or thickness while yet keeping a balance with the weight that you are adding into the vehicle.
Paneling material.
plywood, PVC and frieze. – strips that measure 20 x 30 mm
Installation tools.
- Screws (for wood, sheet metal thread or countersunk head self-drilling, rivets)
- Adhesive (to reinforce the union between the batten and the wood)
- A roller or brush can be used to spread sandpaper on the wood.
- A mitre saw or a disc saw must be used (for planks or frieze)
- A marker or pencil, a metre, and masking tape.
- Cardboard for stencils
You need to get to work as soon as you know what materials you will use to panel each part of the van and have all of the tools you need. There are two steps that must be done before the van can be panelled:
1. The Tracking.
The battens, which are long, solid wood slats, are used to level the surfaces of the van and make a framework for the panelling and furniture to be put on top of them. In fact, it’s recommended that the battens be aligned with the places where you planned to put furniture anchors in your camper.
Building a camper van that is 20 x 30 mm thick should be done. If you want to use a lot of battens, don’t be afraid to do so because they are cheap and easy to put up.
There should be racks that go in places that are deeper than others. This will make it easier to put up the panelling and make the van look more finished. You can use small metal squares and screws or rivets made of sheet metal for this.
Screw them right into the body of the van if you don’t want screws. This solution takes up a lot of space inside and only has a few places for each board to be anchored. There are some campers who do this in order to keep the air from leaving the air chamber, but if you have used a good insulation material, I don’t think it is necessary.
Placement of battens is not required, but it is a good idea to do this at this point in the camperization process. It is possible to attach the wooden panels to the ribs of the van, or even between the ribs. This reduces the number of anchor points, but it is still possible (which increases the amount of space available).
2. Wood treatment
Wood may be used if you decide to do so. Before you use it, you should treat it with the treatment you chose (filler or stain protection). It is better to do it this way because it is easier to apply and because it makes sure that the inside of each table or panel is well covered.
As for the varnish or other finish that has been chosen, the same is true. If you do everything before you leave, you will be able to work more comfortably than if you did it in the van. However, if you don’t know how the final look will turn out, you should wait until then.
There are a lot of reasons why I think you should always use water-based products on your walls. They dry faster, are less harmful, and won’t cause problems if you ever want to paint over them.
3. Floor paneling
A strong and durable flooring material should be used when installing the floor. Between 15 mm and 9 mm thicknesses is recommended when the van is tall and there is no obstruction. Never go below 9 mm in thickness.
Money is not an issue if you want to use Finnish plywood because it is the best material for a surface that gets so much wear and tear, like the floor. Another good idea is to use 15mm pine or okume plywood.
Following the installation, you can apply a vinyl that will not only protect the surface but also look good.
To start, cut the wood so that it will fit the floor and wheel arches when it’s put together. It may be very helpful to use cardboard templates and sketch a silhouette with them. You must, of course, take accurate measurements and cut with great care to make sure that your clothes fit. In order to get a more precise cut use a mitre saw or disc saw.
You now need to screw the floor of the van together with the parts that have been cut and checked for fit. In this case, you will screw the panel to the battens. If you haven’t, you can put the panel on the ground.
To do this, we will use self-tapping screws or anti-rust rivets as needed. Before you start screwing, make sure there aren’t any things in the underbody that could hurt or obstruct the passage. I countersink the wood with a bit to make sure the screw head doesn’t show. I suggest screwing around the edges and in the middle sections to make sure there isn’t any bulging.
4. Paneling walls
A camper van’s thickest sheet metal parts must be screwed in with help from brackets before the walls can be panelled. This is how it works.
In this case, the strips must be placed horizontally on the frieze. If you want to make a horizontal frieze, you can put the strips together in a vertical way. Then, if you decide to use panels, you will choose them based on what you think would be best for you.
To make the most of the panels in this situation, you shall cut them into parts. Similarly, you can countersunk the wood before screwing it so that the screw head does not protrude. In the case of the frieze, and while it is not required, getting a nailer will be much more discrete than screwing.
Once the floor and wall paneling are complete, it is time to cover the wheel arch with the chosen type of wood, making a square box. The construction will be built with battens and squares.
5. Panel van roof
Because it has a level surface and evenly spaced rafters, it is simple to construct. In this instance, battens should be put along the side of each roof rib. You will be able to screw the panel or connect the frieze to the wood as a result of this.
The frieze is the most attractive aspect of the space, but if you want something more modern, you may use plywood or thin PVC panels for the ceiling. The frieze is offered with a tongue and groove to facilitate installation. It will be considerably easier to put up if you have a nailer.
There are several methods for ensuring that the margins and touch-ups on walls and windows are the same color. To achieve this, you may use the same color silicone or sealer, as well as wood, metal, or plastic profiles and frames.
Related Link: Kev’s Travel and Van Life Essentials
