Community Forums

kerrbe · 05-15-2019, 12:52 PM

Any idea what would be the easiest and inexpensive way to fix the peeling clear coat on bumper?

8.3Oilbuner · 05-15-2019, 01:37 PM

Hi Kerrbe; You are dealing with the same problem I have on the roof line of my 01 Monaco Windsor. Right at the top of my roof where it rolls over the radius of the fiberglass roof and the paint color meets the fiberglass, the clear coat is starting to peel. There have been posts here by Monaco owners on how they have dealt with this problem. Where mine is you can only see it when on the roof. I have scraped as much of the clear coat off that will come off easily and sanded the edges of the clear coat where it meets the paint. I did not sand the paint as there is not much there and you will get down to the fiberglass real quick. I then masked the area and used some spray clear coat I purchased at a local auto parts store and applied. This is not something that will come out looking nice on your bumper of your coach. If you want to see what others have done themselves try putting this in the search box at the top of this page, clear coat pealing on my Holiday Rambler or Monaco motorhome and you should have a wealth of reading. The best way to fix is to go to a shop and have it done by the professionals. That way it is done right and should last you for the length of time of your ownership of the coach. Bad part, not cheap from what I understand. I hope this gets you going, or not, on how you want to handle this problem. I just wish mine would go away, but I know that is not going to happen! Have a great afternoon!

Peterson143 · 05-15-2019, 03:12 PM

Kerrbe, in the interest of additional information to help you decide on what to do with the clear coat peeling. Agree having it professionally done is most likely the best way to go for a good look on the bumper but it is going to be expensive no matter where you take it. However, for what it is worth, if you go to "YouTube" and search for clear coat repair there is an endless supply of how to's for a DIY to try. There is one method that involves fine sanding and then a light clear coat spray on that gives almost professional results. Have tried it myself and it comes out about 95% perfect. If I had more practice it probably would have been closer to 100%. But the cost was under $20 out of pocket and the rest was my spare time to do the job. Mine is also on the roof so not as critical as yours but check it out and go with what you feel comfortable with.

kerrbe · 05-15-2019, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peterson143

Kerrbe, in the interest of additional information to help you decide on what to do with the clear coat peeling. Agree having it professionally done is most likely the best way to go for a good look on the bumper but it is going to be expensive no matter where you take it. However, for what it is worth, if you go to "YouTube" and search for clear coat repair there is an endless supply of how to's for a DIY to try. There is one method that involves fine sanding and then a light clear coat spray on that gives almost professional results. Have tried it myself and it comes out about 95% perfect. If I had more practice it probably would have been closer to 100%. But the cost was under $20 out of pocket and the rest was my spare time to do the job. Mine is also on the roof so not as critical as yours but check it out and go with what you feel comfortable with.

What kind/brand of clear coat spray did you use?

8.3Oilbuner · 05-15-2019, 09:31 PM

Hi Kerrbe; I used Dupli-Color Clear Coat. Got it off the shelf at Auto Zone. I do not think it is of high quality. For better quality go to your local auto paint supplier. They have clear coat in spray cans. Talk to the expert behind the counter and tell them what you want to accomplish. Just remember they are selling to the professionals so sometimes, depending on who you are talking to, they might be a little susceptible of what you are trying to accomplish. My experience only.

deandec · 05-15-2019, 09:40 PM

I have used SprayMax 2k Clear Coat.

The entire can must be used in 24 hrs or so.

So if you have a small project, you can coat it 6 or 7 times for durability.

zmotorsports · 05-17-2019, 07:27 AM

Unfortunately there is no cheap, easy fix if you want it to look nice.

On our 2003 Dynasty the clear on the eyebrow (over the windshield) and the bedroom slide started peeling severely several years ago. I ended up sanding them down, masking, repainting and clearing using PPG products and they looked great but I have quite a bit of automotive painting experience. That being said, it isn't rocket science but to have it come out good you have to take proper steps to ensure the failing clear is removed, the base color is applied as it will be damaged in the process and then a good quality clear coat is applied in order for it to last. Unfortunately you have to sand the base a little in order to give the clear a mechanical tooth to bite into and most being a metallic color will damage the base if you sand them so you'll find yourself applying some base color as well but this is somewhat of a good thing because you will also have that chemical bond along with the mechanical bond. The products themselves can be pricey but if you do the work yourself you can keep costs relatively low while still producing a very nice end result. If memory serves I bought the sealer, base color and clear for my several large areas for about $750 about five or six years ago and the rest was my "free" labor.

Mine held up great and would still be holding up great if other areas around the coach didn't start failing shortly after. Ultimately I ended up having the entire coach painted a couple of years ago because I was tired of chasing the peeling clear.

Pictures of how I did the few areas on mine can be found in my 2003 Monaco Dynasty thread. I think the spot painting was near the beginning of the thread. There is a link to the thread in my signature.

YC1 · 05-19-2019, 05:56 AM

If you have a compressor you can do it yourself.
People are afraid to tackle the unknown.

Do the youtube research. Sanded properly and then shot from a $10 harbor freight spray gun can provide excellent results. Get it on thick enough but not so much that it runs. If it runs just let it dry. Sand it smooth and then add a fresh coat. Once you have the paint smooth and without runs shoot it with clear. The two part clear looks like plastic once sprayed. If you get a drip, just sand it smooth. The trick I think when sanding is to have the garden hose running slowly to keep the paper clear. Fine sandpaper such as 600 grit is a good one to clean up drips. I like to hit it with 800,1000,1200 and then respray. The final clear coat should not need sanding but it is possible to do it if needed. It take a lot of patience and progressive sand paper and then polishing compounds. You really only need to do this if you want a show quality job.

You can probably paint the bumper for around $200 in products. The paint is painfully expensive but you might want to get a bit more than a pint if the color is used along your caps. Once you get confidence you can do the job. It is scary but doable. I painted an airplane in my garage and driveway. It took 4.5 months time and a couple hundred hours of painstaking work. It was a show off paint job and my first ever so there was a lot of learning and drips to fix. Go for it.

Or you may be able to have it powder coated for $100. Find a powder coater. I had my little giant powder coated years ago to match the RV. It has held up great.

King Richard · 05-19-2019, 09:58 AM

Keep a watch on the other areas for thermal cracking, my experience has been the peeling is first, cracking will follow. Mother Nature is amazing but sometimes cruel. Monaco is not alone with the problem from what I have heard. very sad issue.