Cladding and vapour control

Close the walls once, properly

Cladding is the point of no easy return. Before the first sheet goes up, confirm cable routes, pipe runs, window trims and where access panels will live. Tape a map on the windscreen if you need to.

Vapour control

Insulation without a vapour control layer is how moisture finds cold steel. Fit the membrane carefully. Tape seams, glands and penetrations. A half-hearted job defeats the product.

Leave the roof vent working. A sealed, insulated van with no airflow will sweat.

Batons and panels

Batons give you something honest to screw into and a small service gap. Keep them light. Overbuilding the frame eats payload and volume.

Cladding choices are taste and weight. Thin ply, tongue-and-groove and composite panels all work if they are fixed to structure and finished against condensation. Soften edges that people brush past every day.

Access you will need

Pumps, fuse boxes, tank senders and heater units all fail eventually. Design removable panels now. Future you, parked in the rain with a torch, will not thank a fully glued wall.

If you cannot explain how you will reach a joint later, do not bury it yet.

Figures in this guide are planning estimates. Confirm weights and prices against real products, and have gas and electrical habitation work signed off by a qualified person.