Whether you have built your RV from scratch or have spent hours searching online for the best mobile home out there, there is no doubt in our minds that you will have spent a lot of time fine-tuning your vehicle.
Everything from the engine size to the kitchen appliances would have been taken care of. With all these gadgets and gizmos, the home comforts and the most comfortables, have you thought about design?
Wall panels might seem like a dry subject, but in reality, they can be the difference between a room you sleep in and a home away from home.
The problem is, like everything in your RV, you will have to weigh up more than just the wall’s style. There are a couple of factors that you need to consider, like weight, cleanliness, and material, before you can jump into design.
Don’t worry though! We have gathered up all the information you need to be thinking about when it comes to RV wall panels. We have even searched the internet for the best RV wall panels you can buy.
Click through our top picks, and decide which design best suits your style. Or you can go one step further and choose the panel which has the best features for your vehicle.
Best RV Wall Panels
- Best RV Wall Panel - DumaWall’s Vinyl Wall Tile
- Easiest To Maintain RV Wall Panels - Rochling’s Foam Plastic RV Wall Panels
- Cheap But Great RV Wall Panels - RV Parts Nation’s Vinyl Wall Tiles
- Easiest to Install RV Wall Panels - Targwall’s PVC Wall Panels
- Best Looking RV Wall Panels - Weekend Walls’s Reclaimed Redwood Panels
Best RV Wall Panel
We have labeled DumaWall’s Vinyl RV wall paneling as our best because it has everything you need at a great price. They are easy to install without any messy grout ruining the thin lining, which is perfect for first time DIYers.
The panels themselves are 25.6 inches by 14.8 inches with a depth of 5 mm. You can cut these large sheets down to the perfect size. Because the panels aren’t very thick, you might need to heat the RV up more in the winter, but who doesn’t love to snuggle up!
The material is super lightweight and doesn’t absorb water, so you don’t have to worry about mold or rot ruining the RV. To be 100% waterproof, we suggest you use silicone sealant on any groove connection between the paneling.
It is also able to hold its own against direct sunlight, so you shouldn’t expect any sun damage from exposed walls.
The only downside we can find is from the lack of design choice. There are 6 colors for you to choose from, all of which are different shades of browns, greys, and whites.
Pros
- Easy To Install
- DIY Beginner Friendly
- Large Sheets to Cut To Size
- Lightweight
- Durable
- Waterproof
Cons
- Basic and Small Design Choice
- Not Insulating
Easiest To Maintain RV Wall Panels
Rochling’s wall panels have a high mechanical stability while being lightweight and robust, but the reason why we love them is due to their low maintenance plastic material.
You can clean these panels with any normal and commercially available cleaning products that you would have in your home. They are made from closed pore foam, which means that nothing can get through the material, making it super waterproof. This means you can splash a whole pond onto this panel and know that your wall is safe.
Because Rochling’s panels are so durable, you don’t have to worry about scratches breaking this watertight material and ruining the “no rot” safety net you have installed.
Along with their easy to maintain structure, these panels are highly resistant to UV radiation while being fantastic insulators due to their air pockets. This, in turn, makes them great at soundproofing.
The only reason why the Rochling didn’t take first place is because of its environmentally harmful materials and its rather hefty price tag.
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Made To Size
- Lightweight
- Durable
- Waterproof
- Insulator
Cons
- Expensive
- Plastic Aesthetic
- Not Good For Environment
Cheap But Great RV Wall Panels
RV Parts Nation creates a custom shaped Vinyl for your walls to create a seamless look and to prevent leakage, termites, and damages. A properly sealed wall panel will protect your RV from the outside world, and if there is less for you to seal, then there is less chance of getting this process wrong.
These strips of Vinyl are thin, lightweight, and durable, so you can be safe knowing that your RV will not be weighed down, and your kids won't scratch and dent the fabric. However, like DumaWall’s Vinyl RV wall paneling, the thin material won't create the best installation for you during the colder months.
Because the panels are cut to size, the material will make a snug fit onto your RV. All you need to do is take off the sticky tape and slowly lay down the material. Easy!
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Made To Size
- Lightweight
- Durable
- Cheap
Cons
- Not Insulating
Easiest to Install RV Wall Panels
All of the panels we have shown you are easy to install, but if you want real tiles in your RV, then Targwall has your back while still keeping it easy for you. These ties have a taupe effect on their design, so the pattern looks like concrete, despite the plastic nature of the PVC.
PVC stands for Polyvinyl Chloride, which is a flexible plastic used to make items like hose pipes and shoes. To be successful, this material needs to withstand all types of weather and daily wear and tear, so you know these panels can continue to be amazingly strong against whatever you throw at it.
Being plastic means that it is super easy to clean and water resistant.
Pros
- Easy To Install
- Made To Size
- Lightweight
- Durable
- Waterproof
- Insulator
Cons
- Expensive
- Concrete Aesthetic
- Not Good For Environment
Best Looking RV Wall Panels
Weekend Wall’s RV Panels are made out of 100% natural redwood, which has been time worn due to years of exposure to the sun, rain, and snow.
It has created a beautiful variety of brown tones which would feel warm and inviting in any room. As the wood is recycled, each piece will look different, but that will only add to the woodland vibe.
Despite its wooden background, each piece is only 1-4 feet long and 1/4 inches thick, so you don’t have to worry about bulky blocks taking up your precious space. Again, these tiles are designed to be easy to install, and you can either drill or glue these panels to the walls.
Unfortunately, as the panels are made from wood, they will absorb any water which has been splashed onto them, and they need to be cut down to size by a jigsaw if you want to install them into an unusual space.
Pros
- Beautiful Design
- Great For The Environment
- Easy To Install
- Insulator
Cons
- Expensive
- Not Waterproof
- Not Lightweight
RV Wall Panels Buying Guide
There are three things you need to consider when it comes to RV wall panels, and this doesn’t include design. Design is up to your individual taste, but these factors are important no matter your style.
Weight
Unlike the tiling you may plaster onto your kitchen at home, an RV’s wall panels need to be lightweight.
If you use panels that are too hefty, the engine will have to try much harder to move the vehicle, and you will have to reduce the number of heavy items (like TVs and Refrigerators) that you carry with you; otherwise, your fuel tank will reduce to 0 much quicker than it should.
Weight affects your whole experience and seeing as you won’t be taking off these panels after they have been stuck on, you want to be smart with your choices.
That being said, you don’t want walls that are too thin. The ideal size of these panels is between 2 and 2.5 inches thick.
If the panels are thick, they will help your RV create a layer of insulation. This means that the RV will be warmer in the colder months and cool in the summer heat. It will also develop a layer of soundproofing so that you can create some distance between you and the campsite.
Finding a balance between the two shouldn’t be hard, as materials have been designed to cater to these exact needs, but as an RV enthusiast, you need to be aware that thin doesn’t mean light!
Cleanliness
Cleanliness might be an odd feature to look out for, but if you have a young family, then keeping everything clean and tidy can be a huge problem, especially in such a small space. Ideally, you want a wall panel that is easy to wipe down without absorbing the moisture.
If the material absorbs the water, then you will eventually find mold, rot, or swelling in the structure of your vehicle, forcing you to take apart this metal beauty and start your DIY process from scratch.
As with everything in life, there needs to be a balance between “easy to clean” and “slip resistant.” Normally, easy to clean materials are super slick to stop water droplets from hiding in any nooks and crannies.
However, your cups and plates will slide around the RV kitchen cupboards as the vehicle moves along the roads without these little bumps.
This means the best wall panels will be easy to clean but will also have some friction for your kitchenware to grab onto. If you aren’t planning on hanging pictures or cups to the wall, then this might not be an issue for you, but if you’re a space saver, then keep an eye out for “Slip-Resistant” materials.
Material
Relatively speaking, you will find four types of wall panels, Composite Wood, MDF (Medium Density fiberboard), Vinyl, and Plastic. Each one has its merits and drawbacks, so make a note of what your RV will likely need.
Composite Wood
Composite woods are a type of plywood made up of cut offs from different trees. They are pressed together to create a large sheet that can be cut down to whatever size you need. Due to their miss-match history, the layers are super cheap, and because of their pressed creation, they are amazingly durable and hard to break.
Despite its strong durability, composite wood does not do well with water. If you get a leak, or if you like to flood your floors as you mop, then this material will absorb a lot of the water, causing mold and rot to set in your RV.
MDF
Despite Composite Wood’s cheap materials, Medium Density Fiberboard is even more affordable. Similar to how Composite Wood is created, MDF is made from pressing and gluing the sawdust of other woods together between sheets of wood veneer. It is a super lightweight material as well as cheap.
The downside to such a cheap and lightweight material is its durability. MDF deteriorates very quickly, and you may need to replace it after just a year.
Vinyl
Vinyl is a popular choice for many DIY projects. It can look like real wood or anything you want it to really. It is super easy to install even if you are new to DIYing, and it doesn’t cost as much as real plywood.
Unlike the wooden options, you don’t need to use a saw to cut the Vinyl to the correct size as scissors or a knife will do the job just fine. Some Vinyl also has a “peel and stick” method to make the process of installing the panels even easier.
The problem with Vinyl is, again, durability. This material has a tendency to crack in the heat and wear thin after around a year.
The upside to this issue is that the cheap and easy to apply materials could allow you to change your style every couple of years.
Plastic
Just like Vinyl, Plastic has a tendency to crack in the heat. It is also a terrible choice for the environment. However, those are the only two drawbacks.
Plastic is ridiculously easy to clean, can have some great insulation properties if the paneling has air pockets to trap in the heat, and is super lightweight while being amazingly strong.