I've agreed to mill some 6/4 Red Oak that will be the planking for a restored 1940 flatbed military truck. It will not be a show truck but, of course, he is interested in a classic solid appearance which is why he is going with the thick clear red oak. If you are wondering why not white oak as I suggested to him, he simply had the red oak supplied to him.

My question is regarding the best finish for a utility vehicle that will be lightly used as a towing rig for his RV's. He will keep the truck garaged when not in use so the exposure to the elements will not be constant. He lives in the high desert of Central Oregon which is a very dry climate.

I suspect that a good finish would be the oil/varnish mixture 2 to 1. I've used a Boiled linsead Oil and varnish combination in the past and it seems to be satisfactory for some outdoor applications though it needs some regular maintenance. Another one I came across in the finishing forum is 1/3 Boiled Linseed Oil, 1/3 tongue oil, and 1/3 varnish.

Is there any treatment that will aid in UV protection? What's your secret recipe? And if it is a varnish/oil mixture what specific varnish do you suggest?

Thanks for your input.