formaldehyde

5 Reasons to Replace Particle Board in your Camper

Particle board is an engineered wood product made with wood chips and glue (synthetic resin).  The main reason manufacturers of small travel trailers use particle board for tables, countertops, doors, and drawers / cabinets is because it’s cheap.   Here are 5 reasons you may consider replacing particle board in your camper:

(1).  Particle board can be very heavy. It’s held together with glue (resin) and the weight can add up quickly.  We are in the process of replacing our 2020 Scamp 13’ table (actually two tables since we ordered the 54” bigger bed option) and we just weighed the smaller bed support table (20” long x 29.5” wide).  We used ¾” maple plywood purchased from Home Depot for our new table.  Our original particle board small table weighs 12.4 lbs., compared to our new fully varnished (high gloss interior polyurethane with 3 coats) small table at 6.8 lbs.  That’s a huge weight difference (the particle board table is about 80% heavier).

(2).  Particle board can be very weak. Because it’s made from wood chips and glue, it doesn’t have the structural strength of real lumber.  For most purposes in the small travel trailer, that’s OK because putting food or other items on a table generally won’t break the particle board.  However, any metal fittings that are screwed into the particle board have the potential of ripping out if exposed to a load.  That’s what happened one day recently when I was setting up our Scamp table.  As I was elevating the table to its upright position and sliding the thin metal brackets into their clamshell receptacles attached to the wall, one of the hardware fittings attached underneath the Scamp table ripped right out (all the screws and the particle board they were screwed into), leaving a big crater underneath the table.

(3).  Particle board is highly porous. So, if any moisture happens to leak underneath its veneer cover, the particle board can easily absorb the moisture, expand, and warp.  Additionally, it can be susceptible to mold which may eat through the board and cause various health issues.

(4).  Particle board can be toxic if manufactured with formaldehyde resin (which it commonly is). The resin can break down for years and release formaldehyde gas (called “off gassing”).  The gas can pollute the interior air of the small travel trailer and cause eyes to water, throats to burn, and difficulty breathing.  This gas is also known to be carcinogenic and toxic, meaning it may cause certain types of cancer.  It’s also been linked to an increased risk of allergies and asthma in children.  The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) states that “chronic exposure to formaldehyde may also cause general damage to the central nervous system, such as increased prevalence of headache, depression, mood changes, insomnia, irritability, attention deficit, and impairment of dexterity, memory and equilibrium.”

(5).  Particle board can be ugly. Although this may be a matter of personal preference, I’ve always found the wood veneer skins that are glued to many particle board surfaces to have a dated and artificial appearance.  In contrast, maple or birch veneers on plywood are really great looking.

It’s understandable that a manufacturer producing hundreds or thousands of units of travel trailers would choose particle board to save extensively on build costs.  However, that doesn’t mean you have to live with what some describe as “cut rate cheap junk” in your travel trailer.  For the 5 reasons listed above, replacing the particle board (or at least some of it) in your small travel trailer is worth serious consideration.  Because particle board has a lower expected life span compared to plywood due to being weak and porous, you might just have to replace it anyway in the near future (as in our case with our 12 month old 2020 Scamp 13’ table / bed).  If you do decide to replace any of your particle board with plywood, just make sure that the plywood type you choose is constructed with non-toxic adhesives (e.g. no formaldehyde).  The maple plywood sheeting we purchased at Home Depot is made without formaldehyde using a soy-based technology, “producing a water-resistant, nontoxic decorative plywood panel that is not prone to warp like solid wood and will not emit harmful fumes or degrade interior air quality.”

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly.