You don't mention the era of your trailer you are stripping...some products work better on some clearcoat/plasticoats than others. However, having tried just about everything out there by now...here's my 2-cents ~
Quote:
Originally Posted by dklimek
So is there no hope in finding the removall 220 if you are looking to buy it local? I would rather use this product, as i have read you dont have to run around the camper scraping all off...and i have a few airstreams to do so it would save me alot of hassle.
I used Kleen Strip Aircraft Stripper to strip the clearcoat on our '64. It worked VERY well, but burns your skin and is nasty stuff.
I used both Napier Removal 220 & Citristrip to remove the Zolatone from the inside of our '56. They are both much more environmentally friendly and don't burn your skin. The Citristrip actually worked better than the Removall, smells MUCH better (Citristrip smells like orange sherbet the Removal like ant spray) and is readily available at Home Depot/Lowes/etc. and in smaller amounts. We have 1/2-2/3's of a gallon (we bought 2 gallons) of the Removal leftover - if we had used the Citristrip I could have saved $$$ (it's cheaper) and bought a smaller amount - but I ordered the Removall and didn't want to pay shipping to send it back, so I used it.
No product makes the clearcoat or paint jump off the trailer...it's work, no matter what. If my '56 had clearcoat (it doesn't) I would go with the Citristrip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dklimek
Also, i have read alot about polishing the campers with nuvite...where can you get this?
You don't mention the era of your trailer you are stripping...some products work better on some clearcoat/plasticoats than others. However, having tried just about everything out there by now...here's my 2-cents ~I used Kleen Strip Aircraft Stripper to strip the clearcoat on our '64. It worked VERY well, but burns your skin and is nasty stuff.
I used both Napier Removal 220 & Citristrip to remove the Zolatone from the inside of our '56. They are both much more environmentally friendly and don't burn your skin. The Citristrip actually worked better than the Removall, smells MUCH better (Citristrip smells like orange sherbet the Removal like ant spray) and is readily available at Home Depot/Lowes/etc. and in smaller amounts. We have 1/2-2/3's of a gallon (we bought 2 gallons) of the Removal leftover - if we had used the Citristrip I could have saved $$$ (it's cheaper) and bought a smaller amount - but I ordered the Removall and didn't want to pay shipping to send it back, so I used it.
No product makes the clearcoat or paint jump off the trailer...it's work, no matter what. If my '56 had clearcoat (it doesn't) I would go with the Citristrip.
Also IMO, "everything you need to know about polishing"...great website!
BTW, welcome to the forums!
Shari
The first one i am doing is a '65 26'...any idea on about how much citristrip i should look into picking up?? What did you find the easiest to use for scraping the clear coat off the trailer?
We used the Aircraft Stripper on our exterior and used less than two gallons on our 19-footer, so I would start with two gallons. If you are using CitriStrip and buying it from Home Depot or the like, if you need more it's readily available - if you get too much you can return it.
We used the CitriStrip on the interior - brushed it on and power washed it and the paint/Zolatone off in strips. However, I would not necessarily recommend using a power washer on the exterior* because it could loosen/remove the sealant in the seams - there is no sealant on the interior seams - at least on our '56, so we used it on low pressure (1400 psi).
With the Aircraft Stripper, I brushed it on and used a soft, wet terry cloth towel to remove it and the clearcoat - basically because I didn't want it to splash all over and get on my skin - it burns. It was easier to control wiping it off then hose the remaining residue off.
The thing I found is how different strippers and techniques work on different trailers. Also temperature and humidity have an effect - so the bottom line is you need to figure out what works for you and go for it! If the clearcoat is mostly worn trough - a scraper really doesn't help - the texture of the towel is enough. I did use a plastic scraper on some of the areas where the stripper dried out too fast though.
Shari
*Ifyou are planning on scraping out all the old sealant and resealing all the seams anyway (with Vulkem &/or Parabond - NOT silicone), you could probably use the pressure washer (low powered - like 1400 psi) everywhere except directly on the seams and just wipe off those. Then reseal all the seams before polishing.
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We used the Aircraft Stripper on our exterior and used less than two gallons on our 19-footer, so I would start with two gallons. If you are using CitriStrip and buying it from Home Depot or the like, if you need more it's readily available - if you get too much you can return it.
We used the CitriStrip on the interior - brushed it on and power washed it and the paint/Zolatone off in strips. However, I would not necessarily recommend using a power washer on the exterior* because it could loosen/remove the sealant in the seams - there is no sealant on the interior seams - at least on our '56, so we used it on low pressure (1400 psi).
With the Aircraft Stripper, I brushed it on and used a soft, wet terry cloth towel to remove it and the clearcoat - basically because I didn't want it to splash all over and get on my skin - it burns. It was easier to control wiping it off then hose the remaining residue off.
The thing I found is how different strippers and techniques work on different trailers. Also temperature and humidity have an effect - so the bottom line is you need to figure out what works for you and go for it! If the clearcoat is mostly worn trough - a scraper really doesn't help - the texture of the towel is enough. I did use a plastic scraper on some of the areas where the stripper dried out too fast though.
Shari
*Ifyou are planning on scraping out all the old sealant and resealing all the seams anyway (with Vulkem &/or Parabond - NOT silicone), you could probably use the pressure washer (low powered - like 1400 psi) everywhere except directly on the seams and just wipe off those. Then reseal all the seams before polishing.
Hmm..no pressure washer? I dont want to reseal all the seams, but ours isnt very high pressure and can spray very wide...about how long did you let the Citristrip sit before toweling it off? Also, its 81* here, partially cloudy.
David
Hi Guys I have 26' trailer to strip I have hung out with some car restorers . What they use to remove clear coat and paint is corn starch or baking soda. They sand blast the surface and the baking soda dicinagrates on impact and is soft enough that it will not heat or warp the outside skin
anybody have any oppinions?
Hi Guys I have 26' trailer to strip I have hung out with some car restorers . What they use to remove clear coat and paint is corn starch or baking soda. They sand blast the surface and the baking soda dicinagrates on impact and is soft enough that it will not heat or warp the outside skin
anybody have any oppinions?
What your friends are doing for cars, is fine, because they will paint the cars with primer, and then a color.
If you attempt to do that on your Airstream, you will ruin the finish of the sheet metal. That's not a good thing if you plan on clear coating the trailer again.
Clear coats are removed with a good stripper, that will not attack the metal.
Aircraft stripper does a good job, but is not cheap.
Cheap strippers do not do a good job, unless you do the trailer several times. By that time, you have spent as much money as the Aircraft stripper would cost, plus all the time you will have to spend.
Essentially, automotive painters are in the dark, when it comes to painting an Airstream.
No acids of any kind should ever be used on the exterior, or you will eventually pay dearly, if you do.
First of all I totally agree with Andy, I would never use any kind of blasting technique with an airstream no matter how friendly the media is on a car.
Secondly, I have not used the Citristrip mentioned but again, the Napier product was almost EASY to use. I did it on my front lawn (in a nice residential neighbourhood) in one day. I blasted it with the power washer and the clearcoat blasted right off. I was all over my grass and did not even kill the grass. In fact in a day or so I had a 25 foot green oval on the lawn where the grass grew faster because of all the water I was dumping on the trailer! RemovALL 220 - Industrial Paint Stripper Brushable Grade by Napier Environmental
I think this is the link you want. This will not burn your skin, you can walk away and leave this stuff on the trailer for hours and it will not dry and go hard like automotive/aircraft stripper. I wish I had known about this product when I was doing my last car restoration.
Best of luck. ( I might have a couple pictures if you need to see it)
So if stripping is resolved with RemovAll220 or Citristrip (no acid washes please), what are the options for coating and protecting? Are there options other than new Plasticoat/Clearcoat/Mirror Polishing or Painting? I am not interested in a mirror shine, nor in painting, nor re-coating with the same Clearcoat/Plasitcoat. Is there a "natural" coating available that lasts longer and is easier to apply than what A/S coated mine in as new (early '90's era)?
So if stripping is resolved with RemovAll220 or Citristrip (no acid washes please), what are the options for coating and protecting? Are there options other than new Plasticoat/Clearcoat/Mirror Polishing or Painting? I am not interested in a mirror shine, nor in painting, nor re-coating with the same Clearcoat/Plasitcoat. Is there a "natural" coating available that lasts longer and is easier to apply than what A/S coated mine in as new (early '90's era)?
The most recent Clear coat, is a 2 part mixture.
It basically lasts 5 to 6 years as well.
There is "no" other product that you can use.
Automotive clear is designed to adhere to paint, not raw metal.
You have several choices.
1. Re clear coat the trailer.
2. Paint the trailer metallic silver, using primer etc.
3. Strip the trailer and polish it, but you must wax it once a month.
4. Strip the trailer, polish it, reapply clear coat.
5. Wear very dark sun glasses, so you don't see the problem.
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