Clearcoat peeling

[DJbyRequest]

The clearcoat on my 1988 excella 1000 is peeling at the top, how can I remove the old finish in the bad spots and repair it. The sides of the trailer are in great shape but hate the look of the clouded clearcoat.

[Rog0525]

1. Strip and polish the whole trailer
2. Strip and polish just the affected area

Of course re-clearcoating the bad area is an option too but it's just a matter of time until the rest of the clearcoat peels/fades

[FireFighter]

Originally Posted by Rog0525

1. Strip and polish the whole trailer
2. Strip and polish just the affected area

Of course re-clearcoating the bad area is an option too but it's just a matter of time until the rest of the clearcoat peels/fades

A/S just paints the tops white now you could do this instead of polishing or re-clear coating.

[Rog0525]

Originally Posted by FireFighter

A/S just paints the tops white now you could do this instead of polishing or re-clear coating.

Painting the top white is an order option on a new unit, not one I would consider but to each his own.

[dmreilly10000]

Originally Posted by Rog0525

Painting the top white is an order option on a new unit, not one I would consider but to each his own.

My 1991 Excella 34' has the top center panels painted white. You would never know it from looking at it on the ground.

Unfortunately, the lower top panels on mine is peeling too.

[dmreilly10000]

Originally Posted by Rog0525

Painting the top white is an order option on a new unit, not one I would consider but to each his own.

My 1991 Excella 34' has the top center panels painted white. You would never know it from looking at it on the ground.

Unfortunately, the lower top panels on mine are peeling too.

[ALANSD]

If you strip and recoat the top, the hard part is not getting the stripper on anything else.
I recently stripped the lower grey 1/3 of my motorhome, and anywhere the stripper contacted the plasticoat (clear) it came off. I judiciously masked out with heavy brown paper and blue tape, and plastic sheeting, and I kept a can of mineral spirits and a hose nearby for mistakes, which thankfully because of the position of the area I was stripping, were few.
I did get some on my wheel well lip moldings, and so I went ahead and polished them out. I did'nt realize they were clearcoated until the stripper bublled up the coating, and I was surprised to see how great they shined up later.
You can strip your roof, but you might end up stripping the whole trailer before its over.

[Rog0525]

A lightweight painter's drop cloth and masking tape would be relatively inexpensive if only the top is to be refinished.

[ALANSD]

Yes, and I used scrap poly wrap, the heavy duty stuff they wrap around carpet. It worked great and then went to the recycling center.

[DJbyRequest]

Originally Posted by DJbyRequest

The clearcoat on my 1988 excella 1000 is peeling at the top, how can I remove the old finish in the bad spots and repair it. The sides of the trailer are in great shape but hate the look of the clouded clearcoat.

What have people used with success to strip the clearcoat? Is it a laquer finish or some type of urethane. And what finish would be suitable to replace the original. On the very top the idea of white coating makes sense as I am in a very hot climate.

[nickcrowhurst]

DJ, a popular and efficient stripper is the "Aircraft" stripper, stocked by Wal-Mart. I used this on my top sections, and re-sprayed using cans of Clear-cote available from Airstream dealers. These are very expensive, but far better than any others I've tried. The end result was "good enough", for the top sections. My finish would not have been adequate for the areas nearer to the eye. I was attracted to the white painted roof, until I saw one on a trailer of our vintage (1988). With the later wide-bodied trailers (8ft 6 inches), the top centre is flattened, and the white is not noticeable. With the older trailers, the white is too apparent for my taste. You will find many threads on this subject by using the search facility on the "exterior restoration" forum. Good luck. Nick.