Advice on repainting an Argosy

[jimin pa]

we have a 1975 argosy26 and we just love it! after a couple of years i scrubed and washed it down and you can see primer the paint is so thin we plan on keeping it so i want to repaint it just want to do it right.what type of primer and paint would be best (after i pull all the dents and dings)?

[starcraft]

Prep is everything for decent paint job. Maybe you have auto paint store you could talk to. Sometimes they have numbers of customers that do painting. I am not sure on primers or paints. I have seen some videos online youtube spraying with Rustoleum and getting decent results on old shasta trailer. Rustoleum makes silver chrome look that might be killer. Primers is great idea light shot would make paint look twice good.

[TG Twinkie]

Look for a thread by boatdoc. He repainted his Argosy using a roller. It looks great. He gives all the details on preparation and materials used.

[CanoeStream]

TG Twinkie has it exactly right!

Several of boatdoc's threads on the subject if you DIY:

• http://www.airforums.com/forums/f474...ler-36209.html
• http://www.airforums.com/forums/f474...ble-36224.html
• http://www.airforums.com/forums/f474...ler-38135.html

[jimin pa]

thanks all for getting me pointed in the right direction ,let me see if i can atach some before and afters

[Haoleman]

It all depends on the equipment you have and the results you want. Unless you do a restoration worthy of a classic car, I feel that if you are going to use it and not display it, anything that makes it look great from 10 feet away is good enough. I have auto body quality equipment but I also have to paint outside and had to do it on a day when we had the biggest Box Elder Bug invasion in history. So with a Binks gun in one hand and a pair of tweezers in the other I managed to do a decent job. Not perfect like in a spray booth but as you saw, still very acceptable and after all, it's a trailer! Something to be used and enjoyed. Not a "trailer queen". As to stripper, I used Zinsser Strip Fast Power Stripper at $23 a gallon and as someone painted it with a brush, it took a lot more. If you only have the original paint, it will come off quite easily. Plastic scrapers, stiff nylon scrub brushes for the difficult areas and a red scuff pad to finish which also preps it for primer. I used automotive epoxy primer as it really sticks and 2 part acrylic urethane top coat. The paint is not cheap. Cost of the primer,paint and hardeners plus solvents to paint my 20 was $560.00 and about 4 1/2 gallons of stripper.

[mandolindave]

Is the primer and paint that Boatdoc mentions still available, and does anyone know where I can get it. I looked on Westmarines website and the epoxy paint they advertised was one part with silicone

[mandolindave]

I don't own a paint gun, and need advice on what paint will work with a roller.

[mtbguy]

Hey Dave, I just responded on other thread, but be sure to look at Boatdocs threads. The Interlux perfection paint is the most durable paint you can use. Don't mess with West Marine, they have nice stores but are very expensive and will have to order it anyway- use Jamestown Distributors. I rolled mine on and it looks nice.

You have to use the correct Interlux two part epoxy primer underneath it but they have that in stock also. When you get to the painting stage, if you thin the paint properly with the brushing thinner it will look really nice.

The thing you can do to screw it up is try and "go back" to touch up an area you rolled 5 minutes ago. Don't do it! You have to keep moving when rolling it and the paint will self level pretty well. Any small imperfection can be dealt with later or with second coat.

[DryFly]

I'll be painting our 20' Argosy this winter or early spring (I hope). My question is do you caulk before painting or after? It seems to me that caulking prior to painting would be the way to go, but what do I know?

[mandolindave]

caulk before or after??? or another option, both? I sure don't know. I hope someone does.

[mandolindave]

Are you saying that the paints that Boatdoc used are still available, or are you saying the paint that you recommended is still available?

[mtbguy]

All of the paints used by both of us are still available

[mtbguy]

Originally Posted by DryFly

I'll be painting our 20' Argosy this winter or early spring (I hope). My question is do you caulk before painting or after? It seems to me that caulking prior to painting would be the way to go, but what do I know?

.
Boatdoc recommends caulking first. Letting it cure for a few days and then painting