Whether solid wood or poplar or birch plywood. Wood in a camper is good. It can be wonderfully protected with oils and varnishes. Prerequisite: They should be environmentally friendly and healthy for living, and not pollute the indoor air. Here are some tips & hints on what to look out for. 

Article Contents:

• Introduction to the topic – indoor humidity in a campervan
• Emissions in campers – what to look out for?
• Treating solid wood & plywood in campers
• Oiling surfaces – a short guide
• What influence do temperatures have?
• Spontaneous combustion hazard of oils – what does that mean?
• Which product suits my project?

Making the interior of a campervan suitable for travel and durable is a complex craftsmanship project. The right insulation and damping are crucial to get subsequent condensation problems at cold bridges under control. Wet clothes, water vapor from cooking, and not least, liquid that we perspire – all this leads to very high humidity in just a few square meters. And wherever surfaces are unusually cold, this moisture from the indoor air will precipitate and drip as condensation. Windows are particularly critical, but also uninsulated or poorly insulated metal surfaces. To avoid mold growth on inadequately ventilated installations, a lot of constructive consideration is necessary.

One thing in advance: High humidity in a camper cannot be solved by a surface coating – but it is still important. Highly closed-pore wood coatings, applied on one side, would inevitably be infiltrated by moisture, become milky, and eventually even peel off. Therefore, more diffusion-open surface protection systems are generally the better choice for wooden camper conversions & furniture. Modern water-based varnishes, but especially natural oils & waxes are "open to diffusion" and have a clear advantage over conventional solvent-based varnishes. Whether to choose a varnish or oil is more a matter of belief at this point and, of course, a matter of personal taste.

EMISSIONS IN CAMPERS – WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR?

The topic of emissions in a camper is important. Life takes place in the smallest of spaces here. And if the vehicle is not used as a daily driver, there can also be long periods of inactivity during which there is usually no adequate air circulation. Therefore, the surface coatings should also meet high indoor air quality criteria. Our varnishes & oils are tested for indoor air and consistently meet the strict DiBT requirements from Germany and/or the baubook specifications that apply to ecological building in Austria.

Questionable emissions must be strictly distinguished from the characteristic oil smell. This typical smell arises during the oxidative drying of the oil and can only dissipate through intensive ventilation in the first few days after oiling. Simply put, it is comparable to the smell of garlic: it is initially unpleasant, but by no means a health hazard. But of course, everyone has to take this into account when choosing a product. 

All other selection criteria do not differ from those that apply to furniture: What should the look be? Raw wood-like, colorful or rather natural? Or haptic: Should the wood be palpable or feel rather smooth and waxy? And not least the question of what needs to be protected: Are they decorative cladding elements and fronts or possibly the worktop on which work and cooking are done.

The following table provides a good overview of our recommendations.  

TREATING SOLID WOOD & PLYWOOD IN CAMPER VANS

Before we give you further tips, one thing first: In addition to oil, you can also use varnishes to protect your camping boxes, furniture or wooden interior cladding. Each method is always a matter of taste. If you want to cover the grain of the wood panel, it's best to use a film-forming colored varnish. If the inherent wood structures should remain visible, oils that protect the wood from the inside out are suitable. Depending on the density and absorbency, the wood needs more or less oil for this, with plywood behaving comparatively thirsty. Most wood & wood-based materials in campers are oiled and have advantages not least because of their ease of repair. Therefore, this blog is a bit "oil-heavy":

OILING SURFACES - SHORT GUIDE & TIPS

Regardless of whether it is new, untreated solid wood or plywood: The surface must be dry, clean, firm, and free of release agents. Flaking coats must be completely removed so that the oil can penetrate. The wood should be sanded in stages – we recommend a final sanding with a grit of 180.

Applying wood oils is quite simple. The oil is simply applied evenly and thinly with a brush, roller, or rag in the direction of the grain. After a short exposure time, excess oil that has not penetrated the wood is removed and polished. The most common mistake is not wiping off the excess or wiping it off too late. The result can be a sticky surface.

Depending on the type of oil and the area of application, one to two coats of oil are sufficient. If you oil a second time, the first coat should have dried for a few hours. In addition, an intermediate sanding before the second coat of oil is not necessary. An exception here is the raw wood effect oil "Scandic-Oil" on a water basis.

Typically, the oil requires several days to completely cure in the wood. During this period, the freshly oiled surface should be treated gently, protected from water, and not cleaned with moisture. Good ventilation and daylight promote rapid curing - and the weather must also be right.

WHAT INFLUENCE DOES TEMPERATURE HAVE?

If you are planning to treat the wooden surfaces in your camper van, please also consider the weather. Temperature has a significant impact on the drying of the varnish or oil. If it's too humid or too cold, drying will be delayed at best. If it's too hot, the coatings will "set" too quickly. An oil might not even be able to penetrate the wood. So it's not a good idea to paint in sauna-like temperatures and on sun-heated wood. In general, the ideal temperatures are between +15 and +25 degrees Celsius.

But even at night, it should be warmer than +8 degrees Celsius. In early summer, it can still be noticeably cold at night, which is often not considered. This can have consequences: During the day, temperatures are in the double digits, and in the camper, they are even higher. The pores of the wood are wide open and very absorbent; the oil penetrates deeply. Perfect – that's how it should be! But at night, it cools down significantly. In this case, the pores tend to contract. This pushes the fresh oil out again, which then settles on the surface as "oil beads."   

This phenomenon usually occurs in the first few days during the oxidative drying of the oil. However, once the oil is fully cured, it will no longer leave its place of impregnation, even with strong temperature fluctuations.  

Tip: Observe freshly oiled surfaces and immediately remove and polish off any oil beads.

RISK OF SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION WITH OILS – WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

On packaging for oxidatively drying wood oils, you will always find a warning about the risk of spontaneous combustion. First things first: The oil itself is not spontaneously combustible. Rather, it is oil-soaked cloths or sponges that can spontaneously ignite due to heat accumulation. This is because naturally drying oils cure by absorbing atmospheric oxygen. This generates heat, which is normally released into the environment and is completely harmless. However, in oil-soaked and crumpled rags, cloths, or sponges, the heat cannot escape, so they can ignite in the worst-case scenario. Therefore, you should never leave oily cloths or rags carelessly lying around, but rather soak them with water and hang them outdoors to dry. Once treated in this way, they can be disposed of safely after drying. Alternatively, oil-soaked rags and sponges can also be sealed airtight in a glass container. Varnishes or water-based oils, by the way, do not tend to pose a "risk of spontaneous combustion."

WHICH PRODUCT SUITS MY PROJECT? 

If you want to buy an oil or varnish, the selection may initially seem vast and confusing.

The following table provides a good overview of our recommendations. You can find selected products in this flyer.