Quote:
Originally Posted by damnyankee36
The trouble with any coating, such as a polyurethane, when the wood expands and contracts, along with the sun's affects, it will always eventually crack, lift, peal, etc. The better products will last longer but the end result will always be the same.
Sealing with your choice of an oil or preservative like the others have suggested is your best bet IMO. You will have to occasionally reapply it but it's a whole lot easier than stripping and reapplying a coating. An hour spent twice a year is all it would take to reseal.
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The above is good advise. Wood is like a sponge, always absorbing/losing moisture, and growing/shrinking as it does. You can try and fight it, but much like resisting gravity, you will eventually lose.
So rather than fight, the smart plan is to chose a wood that is naturally tough and resistant to rot, and then more or less let it do it's thing. No harm in giving a it little help with UV and pest protection, but if using a sealer, make sure it's able to move with the wood. Think of it slowing the process, not eliminating it.
For these reasons, the "creo-coat" suggested above has my vote so far for a user truck. Also, Southern Yellow Pine, which is what the factory chose to install in our trucks is very good choice. It is extremely tough (unlike White Pine), is full of resins which bugs hate, and is not crazy expensive.
I've seen plenty 50+ year old trucks with original wood which is still in good shape. The trick is allowing the wood to dry after it gets wet. If it stays wet long enough, fungus and mold can invade and spell ruin.