Thanks Bob,
I'm going to go with Andy, it apprears he is willing to sell his product. I will get the forum informed of progress. Thanks to all for help and quick responses.
Darrell
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Thompson
The answer is pretty simple on this one, go with Andy and Inland RV's paint system if he is willing to sell the products to you. His system has a history of success which is very important. Things have evolved in the short time since I painted my trailer. At the time, if I wanted his paint system, the only way to get it was to take my trailer to California and leave it with him for up to 5 weeks then go back and pick it up. It would have been cost prohibitive.
From what I have read, Andy may now be willing to sell the necessary materials. Its hard to beat a proven winner!
In lieu of that, I would now go with the Dupont Imron 2-Phase system. It differs slightly from the original Imron used as OEM paint on the Argosy's in that it is 2-Phase or basecoat/clearcoat. From what I've read, the OEM paint on Argosy's was 1 phase Imron , no clearcoat. I would discuss your project and intentions with the most informed person you can find at the place which will mix the paint. Tell them you plan to sand with 120 grit paper, then apply 2 coats of flexible epoxy primer, then 2 coats plus 1 "fog" coat of color paint, then 2-3 coats of their best clearcoat. Use only their best products! When I painted mine, I talked with the Dupont people, but they didn't seem to know their product, so I went with PPG. They didn't know how to mix the Honda color I wanted so I went with a chip from their color book. That color was GM 3822 and is just a shade darker than the Honda color.
I would lightly wet sand between the last coat of epoxy primer and the 1st coat of silver. Make sure the trailer is completely dry before painting the 1st coat of Silver. Us an air nozzle to force any water out from under any masking.
As for Alumiprep and Alodine, I would pass on it and instead use the best possible flexible epoxy primer and rely on the physical bond created by the 120 grit sandpaper.
As for color, I would use the light metalic silver from the Honda Accords of the past couple years. Go to a Honda Dealer, find a light metallic silver Accord and get the paint code numbers off the driver's door post. Have the paint mixer use that code. If they can't mix it, go to someone who can! Do not rely on a small chip paint sample from one of the color books at the paint dealer. You want to see what the color looks like on a large object like a car.
As for stripping the paint, I'm not the one to give you directions other than remove anything you don't want destroyed, then do the best masking job ever on what can not be removed! Don't copy what I did for stripping the clearcoat. The stripper I chose was a poor choice!
You have to appreciate, when I was in the process of painting my trailer, I didn't have an example to follow like the one I have presented. And, I was having a hard time getting reliable precise information for the process. Even Ted at PPG gave me some poor directions on some things and he runs the local PPG store. About the biggest thing I had ever painted before this was a windsurfer, and that was 4 years ago, so I had to step up several notches to do the job properly.
ANDY::>> What do you charge to sell the products and instructions to someone who is too far away from you to haul their coach in? I'm in Dallas, Texas... Can you also tell the approx shipping?
...Now my thoughts on the finished product. Can you believe it, the Parrbond is already drying and cracking and it hasn't even been on there 3 months. Talk about a mediocre product! I'm going to throw the 3 remaining tubes in the trash. What a lousy solution to sealing an Airstream! To me, Parrbond is a bad joke! ...
I noticed the same thing with Parrbond. But, it does not appear to be cracked to the core, just on the surface. Although no cracking/crazing is preferable, the seams are not leaking, and they were before.
In hindsight, I wonder if I let too much sun hit the area before the Parrbond had a chance to dry?
Bob-
I am spot painting my Airstream and wonder what paint code you used for painting your Airstream. I own a bodyshop and am finding it difficult to get a good match.
Thanks
Bob
See post #42 of this string. I chose color code #3822, a GM wheel paint color from the early '90's. It is just a shade darker than I prefer, but once started, I wasn't of the mind to buy different paint. In bright light, it is a very near match to the Propane tank cover which I didn't paint, but left as aluminum. Since I live in Texas, if I had it to do over, I'd go with the bright silver Honda used in the 2000 Accords. That color is a bit more platinum and would be a bit cooler in the bright summer sunshine.
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2002 Toyota Tundra If the big three auto makers go down, somebody else will pick up the slack, our need for vehicles will continue.
Just read your post. I've just purchased an 87 34' Excella. The sides are in good shape but the top needs redoing. Would you still recommend painting for a better long term solution. I want to have it professionally done, as I don't have the time or expertise myself. Do you know of anyone professionally in my area?
Stewart Lanier
Greensboro, N.C.
Hi Stewart, I don't know of anyone in your area to recommend so I won't be able to help with that topic. As for painting the Airstream, absolutely, I would do it again if faced with the problems the factory clearcoat presented. I should be ashamed, but I've only waxed it once since painting it, and it still looks great. When I read Andy from Inland RV and he says wax your polished Airstream every 3 months, it sounds a lot like aluminum slavery. That's not for me! I want as low of maintenance as I can get, but still have good looks. Polishing the door hinges, the door hood, the ends of the awning, the clearance lights, etc. is way more polishing than I really want to do.
It's been two years since I painted it and I would only be 1-2 years from having to replace the clearcoat if I had clearcoated it instead of painting. That's a sobering realization. The paint should be good for another 10-15 years. I've seen nothing in the PPG paint I used which would lead me to believe it is inferior in any way to any other paint method. It's doing great!
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2002 Toyota Tundra If the big three auto makers go down, somebody else will pick up the slack, our need for vehicles will continue.
Thanks Bob for your reply. Since at present only the top needs redoing, I have learned that some people have stripped and painted just the top with white urethane. Like you, I want my unit to look nice but I don't want a lot of maintenance. I want to get it in pristine condition inside and out and then be able to enjoy it. What's your take on that approach?
I used the same approach to prepare my trailer. It was a lot of work, but it was fun, and now.......it is an absolute joy for traveling and it usually draws a crowd.
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2002 Toyota Tundra If the big three auto makers go down, somebody else will pick up the slack, our need for vehicles will continue.
just read thru your full post....i know it is years old....i just wanted to say that i am printing this out and taking it to my local paint and body shop....
your coach looks great....could i drop mine off at your home and pick it up in a couple of weeks....smile...anyhow it looks great...
Bob, thanks for your work and thread on painting your Airstream. I've trying to decide what to do with my Bambi. I think you have helped me make the choice. I had been thinking of AlumaGrip because I had had a 1959 Bonanza aircraft for 18 years and it had been painted long before I had bought the plane. With a little touch up it look great when I sold it. Painting is a lot of work, however it last a long, long time. When I'm 80 I can still squat it off with a hose. Polishing would be out of the picture.
Thanks again Don
Fabulous!!! such a great thread.
what a treat to go through the whole process.
Just a question: i have a deep scratch on my new 2006 CCD, I was gonna try Duplicolors scratch fix 2 in 1 system but does anyone have an idea what color silver i might use to get as close as possible??
again thanks
Wow, I never thought about painting my airstream. I do have a 1979 Cessna 182Q that needed some work on the skins. These areas needed to be repainted and the craftsman did a great job.
I might have to ask him about the cost of painting my Airstream. I suggest going to the local airpark and asking the locals who does aluminum work. These guys use aircraft paint that is exposed to all kinds of conditions. i would be curious about the answeres.
I paint aircraft components and do paint touchups all the time. First thing is, sanding is a big NO NO. Scratches in the skin can cause cracks in the skin, do to fatigue buildup. To get started we clean the parts or exposed skin with a acid wash and then rinse. An Alodine conversion coating is applied next then rinsed with water and then dried using compressed air. Now it is time to apply an epoxy primer, Generally no more then 1 or 2 coats. Excissive primer only adds weight. We do not wet sand, no need to if primer applied properly. We finish it off by appling 2 wet coats of poly. If any body is interested I can give you product names and P/N's
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