Stripping painted A/S?

[mlium]

Hi gang. I'm not a current Airstream owner but I've been harboring the bug for years now. I'm looking at small Airstream or Argosy motorhomes and I've seen a couple that look like they've been well-maintained but some have been painted. Thought I'd ask you all for advice on how I could get the paint off so I can polish it to its aluminum glory?

Sandblasting?
Some sort of chemical stripping?

Any advice is appreciated. Certainly not going to seriously consider buying one of these painted things unless I can be relatively sure I can get it back to polished aluminum.

--
Mark

[startrekker2001]

Originally Posted by mlium

Hi gang. I'm not a current Airstream owner but I've been harboring the bug for years now. I'm looking at small Airstream or Argosy motorhomes and I've seen a couple that look like they've been well-maintained but some have been painted. Thought I'd ask you all for advice on how I could get the paint off so I can polish it to its aluminum glory?

Sandblasting?
Some sort of chemical stripping?

Any advice is appreciated. Certainly not going to seriously consider buying one of these painted things unless I can be relatively sure I can get it back to polished aluminum.

--
Mark

Mark
I stripped my 31' Excella using Klean Strip Aircraft Stripper. It is available at automotive paint stores.

For Polishing, I use Nuvite NuShine II that comes in various grades or grits. It is a paste and is best used with the Cyclo Polisher.

For best information go to www.perfectpolish.com . That site has the best information available and is the site where I obtained my polish, polishing cloths and polisher.

The total outlay for the stripping and polishing materials for my 31 footer was about $800. Considering most pro's want $125/foot that isn't too bad.

Annual or semiannual polishings will cost roughly $200. Trust me, you will get lots of comments and ooooing and ahhhhhing. It is really worth the time and effort.

Check out my photo gallery to see the results. Just click on STARTREKKER2001.


Vic Smith

[Janets Husband]

Originally Posted by mlium

Hi gang. I'm not a current Airstream owner but I've been harboring the bug for years now. I'm looking at small Airstream or Argosy motorhomes and I've seen a couple that look like they've been well-maintained but some have been painted. Thought I'd ask you all for advice on how I could get the paint off so I can polish it to its aluminum glory?

Sandblasting?
Some sort of chemical stripping?

Any advice is appreciated. Certainly not going to seriously consider buying one of these painted things unless I can be relatively sure I can get it back to polished aluminum.

--
Mark

Mark
The Argosy is supposed to be painted. The end caps are made of Gavanized steel and the rest is Aluminum.
Painted need not be a bad thing if it is done right.
No need to polish, just wash and wax it once or twice a year.
Keep looking, you'll find what you are looking for.