Part 8: Siding
Once the ceiling was up and ready to go, it was time to put up the siding in order to complete finishing each side of face of the interior of the van.
What I did, what I used, how long it took, and how much it cost?
For the siding, I went with 4’x8’ MDF (medium density fiberboard) panels that were prefinished white and then cut to size to fit our needs. To secure the siding, I used self tapping screws to fasten the boards to the sheet metal ribs of the interior.
The siding took 24 hours to install, which included a day each for the driver and passenger side, and then another day to panel the back doors and the sliding door.
The siding cost about $155 in total.
Why I did it (including counterpoints)
Prefinished MDF Panels: When it comes to panelling for the van it seems like again you have similar options that you would have for the ceiling. You can go for some time of rigid board (like tongue and groove) or you can go for a more lightweight alternative like an MDF panel or any other type of siding. Even though I went with tongue and groove for the ceiling, I decided to go with flexible panelling for the walls for a few reasons. The biggest was probably the flexibility aspect. The walls on my van have more curves and oddly shaped spots than the roof, and so for that reason (combined with my lake of craftsmanship when it comes to siding and panelling), it was just easier to have a material that could bend and flex to meet the specifications that I needed. You’ll see below why that ended up being a big pro and a big con. Outside of the ease of use that panels offer, they also tend to be cheaper in cost than lumber, and they come prefinished which takes out one more step in the process (so long as you like the way they are prefinished). For the aesthetic I was going for, it was great to have the panels prefinished as white and to have the pattern that they did, which was a type of wainscoting.
What went well
Flexibility of MDF Panels: Hands down the best part of using panels is the fact that they can flex during install. The walls of the van arc inwards as they move from the bottom to the top so being able to flex the boards when installing them to move through this curve was very helpful. Also, there were some places where there some one inch to two inch bulges that the panels were able to pass over easily. In most cases when a curve happens gradually, a rigid board is probably just as effective as a panel (assuming you install the boards in the direction perpendicular to the curve’s trajectory), but with these bulges that occur quickly over a small space, the panels can flex much more and accomplish some things that a rigid board cannot.
Precutting the MDF Panels: Taking some pointers from our work on the ceiling, we decided to cut out the hole for the back window prior to installing the panel over it, and again I was a really big fan of this. Of course, if we screwed it up it would mean we’d be out a $30 panel, but have a little faith, measure twice, measure again, make the cut, and it makes it all worth it when you go for the install.
Prefinished Boards: If you can find something that fits your needs, I highly recommend selected a panel that you don’t need to finish once it’s up on the wall. Not only will it save you time and let you know exactly what you’re getting when you walk out the door at Home Depot, but there are some additional benefits, one of which is the aesthetic where the boards connect. Typically these prefab boards are made so that even when you cut them, when you place them next to one another they look like the run together seamlessly. This is done often by having some sort of pattern routed into them, in my case, a type of wainscoting. This meant that when I cut them to size and lined them up next to one another, it looked almost as if there was just one large board on the wall and you could barely even tell where one board ended and another began. Might not matter to some, but if looks matter, it’s something to think about.
What didn't go well/What I might’ve done differently
Rigidity of Panels: For all the reasons I loved the flexibility of the panels, there is probably also a reason why I dislike it. Ultimately, when you have something that is less rigid being flexed across curves or bulges, it just won’t be as sturdy once it is installed. One downside of the siding in the van is that it does have a bit of give in places, and that consequently doesn’t feel super stable when you put pressure against it (say when you lean against it). Additionally, because the siding is flexible, it is not really meant to be weight bearing. When I install hooks, or anything for that matter, on the walls, I need to make sure I’m drilling into a sheet metal rib, which in a van they are sometimes not exactly where you want or need them to be. If you do go with a rigid siding (like tongue and groove) you can basically install anything you want on them as they’re rigid enough to bear weight themselves and the entire unit of boards is secured to the ribs in some way. At the end of the day, I still thing panels are better if you are a novice builder and don’t have the skillset or time to figure out how to nicely install and wrap rigid boards around complex curves within the van. But that being said, next build, I’m likely going tongue and groove all the way around the whole van from top to bottom.
Alignment of MDF Panels: Because the MDF panels were so flexible they sometimes did not align on the wall perfectly, and subsequently you could see one protruding behind or in front of another. It only happened in a couple places and is covered by things I have on hooks, but looking back, if I wanted everything to be perfect I might go with some sore of finish piece to put in between the two panels so that they have a more natural connection point where they meet.
Build tips
Creating Templates for Cutouts: Similar to the advice given for the floor and ceiling, be sure to get yourself a scribe and create some cardboard templates for oddly shaped cuts (e.g. wheel wells for the panelling). This will help out a lot when it comes to lining up your panels, and in most cases with siding, a lot of the driver side and passenger side are symmetrical, so if you build out one template, it will likely work for the other side. Might not always be the case so always double check before you cut, but often times it is.
Painting Cut Edges: Once you cut a board down to size, the edge that was cut will no longer have the same prefinished look. In my case, I just took a bit of white paint and went over the unfinished edge so that when I installed the boards they still looked as seamless as possible. So with that being said, keep this in mind when you buy panels, and if needed, buy just a little finish to help with these newly unfinished cut edges.
