Choosing the Right Foundation: A Guide to AVC Wall Kits
Hey everybody, Matt here for AVC! Welcome back to the blog.
One of the most frequent questions we get in the shop is: "What should I use for my van walls?" It’s a big decision. Your walls aren’t just the backdrop of your build; they handle moisture, absorb sound, and provide the structure for your cabinetry.
Today, we’re breaking down the four different ways we offer wall kits here at AVC—from the budget-friendly DIY route to our high-end, pro-favorite felt solutions. By the end of this post, you’ll know exactly which kit is right for your adventure vehicle.
What’s Included in Every AVC Wall Kit?
Regardless of the material you choose, every AVC kit is designed to be a complete solution for everything from the floor up.
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Walls & Ceilings: We provide all the vertical wall panels and the full ceiling solution.
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Wall-to-Ceiling Supports: This is a crucial "bridge" piece that creates a clean, crisp line where the wall meets the ceiling. It hides gaps and makes the ceiling much easier to remove for maintenance later without tearing your whole van apart.
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Granular Customization: During checkout, you can choose pre-cut options for lighting, specific window brands (CRL, AMA, etc.), and support holes for the factory 8mm inserts.
The Four Wall Kit Options at a Glance
| Material | Weight (per 4x8 sheet) | Best For... | Finish Required? |
| Paper Pattern | N/A | Extreme DIYers / Exotic Materials | Yes |
| SurePly (Underlayment) | 19 lbs | Budget-friendly / Complex curves | Yes (Upholstery) |
| Baltic Birch | 26 lbs | Maximum strength / Screw retention | Yes (Stain or Fabric) |
| Felt Wall Kit | 11 lbs | Lightest weight / Sound absorption | No (Ready to install) |
1. The Paper Pattern (The DIYer’s Dream)
If you have the tools, the time, and a desire to save on freight costs, the Paper Pattern is for you. This is a full-size printed template nested to fit on standard 4x8 sheets.
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Why choose it? It allows you to use materials we don't stock (like exotic woods) while using our proven geometry so everything fits the first time.
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Packed with Info: Our patterns include markings for zone lighting, roof ribs, and multiple window patterns from various manufacturers.
2. Wood Wall Kits: SurePly vs. Baltic Birch
If you want a pre-cut wood kit, we offer two main flavors. Both are excellent, but they serve different needs.
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SurePly Underlayment: This is our "economical" wood choice. It’s lighter and has more "bend" to it, making it more forgiving on the complex curves of a Ford Transit.
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Baltic Birch: The industry standard. It’s 100% hardwood plywood, offering the best dimensional stability and screw retention. If you plan on screwing bags or light accessories directly into the wall, this is the winner.
Why We Always Recommend Upholstery
In the shop, we almost always wrap our wood panels in Landau (an 1/8-inch closed-cell foam) and fabric. Why?
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Moisture Regulation: Fabric absorbs moisture from cooking or breathing at night and expels it during the day. Clear-coated wood can't do this, which often leads to condensation dripping down your walls.
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Sound Absorption: Fabric and foam kill the "echo chamber" effect, making your van significantly quieter on the highway.
3. The Felt Wall Kit (The Modern Standard)
This has quickly become the most popular choice at AVC. It is a synthetic, felt-like material that comes pre-cut and ready to bolt in.
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Ultra-Lightweight: At only 11 lbs per sheet, it is less than half the weight of Baltic Birch.
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Zero Finish Work: It requires no glue or fabric wrapping. You take it out of the box and mount it.
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Quiet and Durable: It offers the best sound absorption and comes in 42 different colors.
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The Trade-off: Felt is "floppy." It doesn't hold screws well for accessories, and it's less forgiving if you try to make custom cuts at home without the right tools.
4. Custom Touches: ACM and Bamboo
For those looking for something a bit different:
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Bamboo Plywood: A beautiful, sustainable alternative for ceilings that takes a clear coat perfectly.
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ACM (Aluminum Composite Material): A plastic core sandwiched between thin aluminum skins. It’s enameled, easy to wipe down, and perfect for commercial or food-service builds.
Don’t Forget the Foundation: The Aluminum Furring Kit
Before you put up any wall, you have to deal with the Transit’s natural curves. Our Aluminum Furring Kit (available in 5-piece or 7-piece sets) screws into the van to "plane out" the curves. This gives you a consistent, flat surface to mount your panels to, ensuring all your seams line up perfectly.
Building Your Community with Grover
Before we head out, I want to mention Grover. It’s a free app for the vanlife community that AVC is helping fund. It’s a great tool for:
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Trip Planning: Map your journey and find campsites.
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Saving Spots: Pin your favorite BLM land or campgrounds to a private archive.
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Troubleshooting: Use the built-in AI chatbot to scan instruction manuals for your van's components when something goes wrong on the road.
Next Steps
Choosing your walls is a big step toward making your van feel like home. If you have questions about which material is right for your specific climate or build style, don't hesitate to reach out! Thanks for reading and we'll see you next time!
Links (clickable):
Check Out All Our Floor Options:
Wall to Ceiling (Included with all wall kits):
How To Install Wall to Ceiling:
Wood Wall Kits:
Felt Wall Kit: