RVs are a great option to provide recreational living. These homes on the wheels should act like a haven to enjoy nature closely on your recreational trips.
A perfect RV should act like a cozy and comfortable home while you’re on a leisurely interstate self-drive vacation with your family. It is supposed to give a vibe of a real house, at least.
Do you strongly feel the same thing?
Since you should always look for comfort on the move, I am going to discuss with you the different materials that you can choose for your RV interior walls.
Different Kinds of Materials that are Used to build RV Interior Walls
If you have visited an RV showroom, you would have come across many RVs that lack brightness and are dull. Moreover, they look metallic, uninteresting, and cold.
A turn off already, right? This is why I always imagine replacing it with other materials, something that gives the feeling of warmth and coziness.
Furthermore, it will make the time spent inside the portable home comfortable.
As I was thinking of sprucing the RV with different kinds of materials, this made me wonder, “what are RV interior walls made of?”
If you are wondering about the same, you don’t have to go anywhere, as I have listed everything you may want to learn on the subject.
Composite Plywood
Several people do not consider wood as a suitable material and think that it is not durable enough. Moreover, they feel that it is easily susceptible to water damage; it will rot, and deform quickly.
However, the problem is not with the composite plywood. It depends on how well you use the wood to construct the RV.
Appropriate construction of RV will not allow moisture to get into the wooden frames. Thus, it will prevent causing various nightmarish problems.
The interior walls, by using plywood, are made by compressing a wide variety of woods together. This squashing of woods creates a large wooden sheet that you can cut into various sizes.
For the innermost layers, mostly, inexpensive plywood is used. A wood veneer, which is also called a wood facade, is applied on top of the wooden sheet’s cutouts.
Then various plywoods are glued over one another. While sticking, make sure their grains run opposite to one another. This method adds flexibility, adaptability, and strength to the composite plywood
Merits
- Sturdy construction
- Long-lasting material – it will not break or tear easily
- Delivers a cozy and natural vibe – these wood grains make one feel comfortable and warm in comparison to metal or plastics that give the feeling of coldness.
- Easy to repair
- Allows flexibility
Demerits
- Susceptible to water damage – if there’s a leakage or a hole somewhere in the camper’s roof, the moisture will eventually penetrate into your interior walls. When the walls get wet, they swell up. The expansion of the walls will loosen and deteriorate the sticky holding of wood veneers.
- Difficult to maintain cleanliness
- This material is more on the heavier side
- Prone to rotting and mold – when wood gets slightly wet various organisms such as fungi begin to develop. Ensure that plywood does not get wet; however, if the wood does, clean it immediately.
Vinyl
Vinyl is becoming the most sought-after material for walls and flooring recently. It is a synthetic man-made material, and it does not exist naturally.
Vinyl is plastic material, but in contrast to other plastics, it is easily reusable. It is an environment-friendly material.
Besides its recyclable property, numerous other features make this plastic eco-friendly. It helps to preserve environmental resources because 57% of this material uses common salt, which is a replenishable resource.
Moreover, vinyl is composed of 43% of crude oil, which is a non-renewable resource. Thus, it makes this material environmentally safe.
Vinyl is becoming popular these days because it is resistant to moisture and humidity; it is robust, has a good life span, and it is economical. Also, it is available in a broad array of designs and colors in both solid and transparent.
Furthermore, this material is very straightforward to install and use. Hence, it makes vinyl significantly accessible to those people who love to do DIYs.
Merits
- Sturdy material
- Durable plastic
- Can easily resist humidity and moisture
- Have a reasonable price – the budget-friendly cost has made it easier to purchase this plastic in bulk. The installation of vinyl on the interior walls is done at a significantly lower price as compared to plywood.
- It is a manipulative and shapeable plastic – it does not require extravagant equipment to cut. A sharp knife will do the job correctly. Several vinyl sheets have sticky backs, so just peel and paste the adhesive side on the wall.
Demerits
- It can become brittle and weak with age
- It can easily crack as it ages – this material cannot last for several years. Usually, between two years, the boundaries of this plastic will start to crack or break. However, the plus point is that this plastic is affordable, and it is easily replaceable.
Medium-Density Fiberboard Or MDF
Medium-density fiberboard, mostly known by its acronym MDF, is an engineered wood product. MDF synthesized from wood fibers is mixed with resin and wax.
Medium-density fiberboard, in comparison to plywood, does not have any warping, grains, or knots. Also, it has a very smooth surface.
MDF utilizes shavings and sawdust. These little pieces of wood are the by-product of industrial milling.
The next process is to dehydrate these little pieces of wood. As they are dehydrated, these wood fibers are combined with resin and wax. Once mixed properly, these fibers are made into panels.
These panels are then compressed under high pressure and heat to make them rigid. Moreover, big industrial machines sand down the boards to give them a silky and smooth finish. Then, they cut boards according to fixed dimensions.
Furthermore, a medium-density fiberboard is an inexpensive material. It is a perfect choice to use instead of composite plywood.
However, this material does not have a longer life span. For the interior of the RV, apply glue on MDF, and then stick wood veneer on both sides.
This will result in a wooden board, and now it is ready to be cut into various sizes and shapes.
Merits
- It is economical – it is easy to buy many planks of MDF at a small price.
- Medium-density fiberboard accepts paints well.
- It is dense but a light material – choosing this as an interior wall material will not create a problem, especially for someone who doesn’t like to put more weight on their RV.
- It is a user-friendly material
- MDF is a welcoming base for wood veneer
Demerits
- It has a short life span and deteriorates in a year. When the glue that holds the sawdust in the medium-density fiberboard begins to decay, the whole thing falls apart rapidly.
- It is slightly heavier than composite plywood
- Exposure to moisture can cause MDF to lose strength and planks swell. Also, it can break when exposed to a small amount of water.
- Working with medium-density fiberboards creates a lot of powdery dust.
Why Are Inside Walls Essential?
Since I have already explained, what are RV interior walls made of, the next essential thing to consider is the need of interior walls.
Here are a few motives to have interior walls in the RV.
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Delivers Proper Insulation
The inside walls of the RV provide much-needed insulation to keep the camper cold on hot summer days. Moreover, it traps heat during cold winter days.
Hence, it is not feasible to only depend on RV exterior panels because it will not protect from harsh and extreme temperatures.
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Improves the Desirability
I know for sure that you will go for an RV that makes you feel close to your home as much as possible because you do not want to feel like you’re stuck inside a shipping container.
Therefore, using different types of wall paneling in the RV’s interior gives a welcoming and warm feeling.
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Makes a Camper Soundproof
On a personal note, I would want to keep my private conservations private as much as possible. Therefore, the most crucial role of an interior wall is to soundproof RVs.
Moreover, the interior walls also prevent the noises that are coming from public places or parks. You are actually creating a soundproof camper that will lessen the noise.
Final Thoughts
The RV’s interior should be aesthetically pleasing because the long RV journey will make you spend most of the time inside. The point is, you have to keep an eye on the quality of materials as well as their aesthetic appeal.
Moreover, it is essential to have a sound knowledge on the structure of RV interior walls, so you can decide which material to purchase easily to begin your family road trip.
I hope I was able to provide detailed information that you were looking for on “what are RV interior walls made of.” Not only that, but I believe that this article will also help you out in purchasing the suitable material for your camper.