Hi all. This is my first post on the site since we purchased our 1988 Regal last fall. I've tried searching the site but there is so much information I haven't found anything that answers my concern. Our unit was repainted by the PO to the PO, and the silver paint is peeling off all over the unit. Under the silver paint, there is a coating of yellow coloured primer. We got an informal quote on a repaint and it came in at $15,000-$20,000 so out of the question. We were thinking of trying to do the work ourselves, however I'm nervous about simply putting paint stripper on the silver and then scraping it off. Does anyone here have any experience? My gut tells me we should be trying to leave the primer in place? Any suggestions or experience would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

I do not have an answer to your problem, but I have a similar situation, the PO painted brown over the lower dark brown portion and it is peeling off. So I will be following this thread along with you.. I am considering painting it my self, spray gun is cheap, paint can be expensive, but the preparation is really time consuming.

TRY THESE:

https://itstillruns.com/paint-rv-quick-5469378.html

http://www.motorhome.com/tech/...-your-rv-like-a-pro/

https://www.doityourself.com/s...orhome-get-organized

https://www.doityourself.com/s...torhome-paint-design

https://goneoutdoors.com/paint-rv-5416900.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTO3q7Bpkbw

I converted a GM4106 bus to a motor home in the 90s. Stripped and painted. But stripping can be a ton of work, but I got smart and bought a good paint stripper and then with an old paint spray gun painted the stripper on. Let it do it's thing and then took a pressure washer to it and off came the stipper and paint. In some places I had to repeat. Started one morning and was done that evening.

Next is priming. Because we have aluminum under the paint use a primer designed for aluminum or cheat and wash the coach with vinigar.

AND finally - GOOD LUCK!

quote:

Originally posted by Gary Carter:
I converted a GM4106 bus to a motor home in the 90s. Stripped and painted. But stripping can be a ton of work, but I got smart and bought a good paint stripper and then with an old paint spray gun painted the stripper on. Let it do it's thing and then took a pressure washer to it and off came the stipper and paint. In some places I had to repeat. Started one morning and was done that evening.

Next is priming. Because we have aluminum under the paint use a primer designed for aluminum or cheat and wash the coach with vinigar.

AND finally - GOOD LUCK!

Thanks for this Gary. So by what you've said, we would be stripping the current primer as well as the silver paint, then start with bare aluminum.

I never got as far as painting the Barth but I had plans...

Since the majority of the EOM paint was still well adhered, I considered wet sanding and priming right over it. Research showed that the OEM paint was a solvent based acrylic enamel. Lasted quite well really. However, further esearch shows that most of the exceptional modern polyurethane 2 part paints contain solvents that will lift acrylic enamel like a stripper!

So, keeping the old paint runs the likely change of stripping while repainting. (as opposed to before painting!)

OTOH, acrylic enamels are still available and could be used over the old. They are not as UV resistant or hard and durable as Urethanes, but will last as well as the OEM paint did, cost less, easier to thin and apply, and won't kill you with their fumes.

However, we painted my Cessna 172 10 years ago and we followed the example of our aircraft buddies when painting aluminum.

Strip first. One tip: when using the stripper it tends to evaporate quickly and run off vertical surfaces. To make it more effective we laid down a piece of plastic on the floor, then covered it with old fashioned burlap. Saturate the burlap then lift it, plastic and all, and lay it on the surface to be stripped. The burlap reduces running and the plastic reduces evaporation. After a few minutes we peeled back the plastic/burlap and scraped the paint right off. You can reuse the burlap with more stripper added.

Etch the bare aluminum surface with a chemical treatment, like Alodyne. This cleans the metal, etches it slightly, and leaves behind a colored surface which is corrosion resistant and an excellent base for paints. They vary in chemistry. Some contain chromates, some are phosphate based. Alodyne as its' name suggests, contains iodine, and produces an aluminum and iodate surface etch, great for paint application. Wear gloves and goggles.

Prime with epoxy primer. We used a 2 part AllGrip product.

Color coat with 2 part urethane like Imron. BE SURE to wear a respirator, these paints give off cyanates (think: cyanide!) while curing.

The paint came out shiny and needed no buffing. 10 years later it still looks like new. (BTW, the OEM paint was acrylic enamel here too. Another reason we stripped it completely.)

These products are all expensive and toxic so be careful! Wear gloves, goggles and have good ventilation.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve VW:

So, keeping the old paint runs the likely change of stripping while repainting. (as opposed to before painting!)

Strip first. One tip: when using the stripper it tends to evaporate quickly and run off vertical surfaces. To make it more effective we laid down a piece of plastic on the floor, then covered it with old fashioned burlap. Saturate the burlap then lift it, plastic and all, and lay it on the surface to be stripped. The burlap reduces running and the plastic reduces evaporation. After a few minutes we peeled back the plastic/burlap and scraped the paint right off. You can reuse the burlap with more stripper added.

Etch the bare aluminum surface with a chemical treatment, like Alodyne. This cleans the metal, etches it slightly, and leaves behind a colored surface which is corrosion resistant and an excellent base for paints. They vary in chemistry. Some contain chromates, some are phosphate based. Alodyne as its' name suggests, contains iodine, and produces an aluminum and iodate surface etch, great for paint application. Wear gloves and goggles.

Prime with epoxy primer. We used a 2 part AllGrip product.

Color coat with 2 part urethane like Imron. BE SURE to wear a respirator, these paints give off cyanates (think: cyanide!) while curing.

The paint came out shiny and needed no buffing. 10 years later it still looks like new. (BTW, the OEM paint was acrylic enamel here too. Another reason we stripped it completely.)

These products are all expensive and toxic so be careful! Wear gloves, goggles and have good ventilation.

Thanks for all this Steve. It makes me wonder if we're a bit crazy... It's just such a shame to look at the unit and see all this peeling silver paint, with the yellow undercoat showing, and then the blue stripes looking pretty good. Ugh. On the other hand, my husband thinks we should just have at her, starting on the front or back first where it's a smaller area to see how we do.

It would make sense to divide and conquer. If you can isolate the worst sections perhaps they can be done in stages.

I did not mean to discourage but it explains why professional paint jobs cost so much. There is much labor and mess.

If you stay with the older acrylic paints, you can blend in and reuse much of the old paint. They will last a good time and are cheaper and easier than the newer high tech paints. This is a practical compromise and allows the job to be split up. good luck

quote:

Originally posted by Steve VW:
It would make sense to divide and conquer. If you can isolate the worst sections perhaps they can be done in stages.

I did not mean to discourage but it explains why professional paint jobs cost so much. There is much labor and mess.

If you stay with the older acrylic paints, you can blend in and reuse much of the old paint. They will last a good time and are cheaper and easier than the newer high tech paints. This is a practical compromise and allows the job to be split up. good luck

Thanks! Now to see where I can find some aircraft grade paint stripper.

Has anyone tried that paint stripping water jet machine they advertise on the TV car shows. Looks like it would strip away any paint. I wonder how it would leave the aluminum, they say it can do a pick-up in a few hours.

https://www.bing.com/videos/se...79C312EC76&FORM=VIRE

Alumiprep and then Alodine on bare aluminum BEFORE applying an applicable primer and topcoat