The countertop - still particleboard!

One of my biggest complaints with our popup is that they used particleboard around the shower/toilet, and for the countertop.  Water and particleboard don't mix.  Think sponge that doesn't shrink again when it dries.  Great choice in materials around the two water sources.

So, I assumed with the high-tech shell construction and solid wood in all the cabinets that the countertop couldn't possibly be particleboard.  Outside chance it was solid wood, maybe aluminum-over-foam like the 'pod's shell, maybe solid plastic?  Heck, the shower is all plastic (ok, the door isn't but that gets covered...)  I discovered my answer during our week-long trip two weeks ago.  It wasn't perfectly level so water on the countertop kept going to the back right corner of the counter (by the window on the 171), dripping over the edge in the process.  The edge trim apparently isn't watertight.

Yeah, its particleboard under there.  Expanding like a sponge.  So much for having a camper in perfect shape.  Now I want to rip the countertop out and replace it with something waterproof.

Hey camper manufacturers - you hear that?  Waterproof!  Let's keep particleboard out of our campers, ok?  Especially you FR.  If you can make the shell aluminum over foam, you can make the countertop plastic over foam.  Wouldn't that be lighter, too?  Double-plus!

Putting particleboard around a water source does not work.

    Why they use it would be a big question. To save money for the manufacture is the only answer I can think of. In the long run it does not save the consumer money. That hurts to know the counter top is particle board or MDF. Our camper is out of warranty if we keep our camper that will most likely be our next Forest River improvement replaceing counter top. Another option I wish we had, a RPod without particle board it would have been well worth the small extra cost. As I think about it I should have known since the counter top and table match. The table already started sagging in the middle I ended up gluing and screwing braces to the bottom to straighten it.   David