Community Forums

deandec · 07-31-2015, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramets

A little over 5yrs. ago I had our 2000 Dutch Star painted. To this day it looks great, and surprises people that it's 15yrs. old. I had 3 coats of clear applied, and man it shines.

Looks Great! Who did the work?

Hikerdogs · 07-31-2015, 01:51 PM

Depending on the brand and model full body paint may be a standard part of the package. However if you're expecting the same quality as an automotive paint job you may be disappointed. Most motorhomes are painted after they are completely assembled. Cars and trucks are painted before assembly. Ensuring all seams and corners get properly coated, and there is no overspray on areas that aren't supposed to be painted.

The motorhome paint department (or contractor) may remove some accessories like the wiper blades and door handles, but everything else that doesn't get painted is left in place and masked. As such you are depending on the accuracy of the person doing the masking to be sure the paint can be applied to all parts that need it, and cover everything properly that doesn't. There will always be panel seam areas that don't get covered as well as those on an automobile.

In addition the car bodies and fenders are run through a 450* oven to cure and set the paint. This can be done because there are no soft parts attached that could be damaged by the heat. Motorhomes on the other hand can't be run through an oven for curing. The intense heat would damage the fiberglass panels and other parts not intended to be subjected to high temperatures.

In my opinion full body paint is better than fiberglass with gel coat and decals. However it isn't the same quality as a modern factory paint job on an automobile or truck.

MSHappyCampers · 07-31-2015, 01:56 PM

Our 13 year old Windsor has full body paint and it still looks great! The streaks on the sides just wipe off with a dry cloth! I have never polished it and you can see yourself in it! If I ever bought a new coach it would DEFINITELY have that feature, whatever the cost!

Up North · 07-31-2015, 02:04 PM

Thanks for the responses folks! Very good post Hikerdogs. The coach brand is Jayco Greyhawk model. Not your top luxury coach but still a respected brand from what I'm reading here.
I have several months to decide. In the mean time I will call Jayco and ask them about the process they use. And what the process is if it's not fbp. Might be a good way to see if they try to sell me up or just give me the facts and let me decide.

rodz · 07-31-2015, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs

Depending on the brand and model full body paint may be a standard part of the package. However if you're expecting the same quality as an automotive paint job you may be disappointed. Most motorhomes are painted after they are completely assembled. Cars and trucks are painted before assembly. Ensuring all seams and corners get properly coated, and there is no overspray on areas that aren't supposed to be painted.

The motorhome paint department (or contractor) may remove some accessories like the wiper blades and door handles, but everything else that doesn't get painted is left in place and masked. As such you are depending on the accuracy of the person doing the masking to be sure the paint can be applied to all parts that need it, and cover everything properly that doesn't. There will always be panel seam areas that don't get covered as well as those on an automobile.

In addition the car bodies and fenders are run through a 450* oven to cure and set the paint. This can be done because there are no soft parts attached that could be damaged by the heat. Motorhomes on the other hand can't be run through an oven for curing. The intense heat would damage the fiberglass panels and other parts not intended to be subjected to high temperatures.

In my opinion full body paint is better than fiberglass with gel coat and decals. However it isn't the same quality as a modern factory paint job on an automobile or truck.

450 degrees would melt all sealer, adhesive and any plastic parts.

This is from Newmars web site using automotive BASF paints base coat/clearcoat. Motorhome paint is baked at 160. It's to be treated like any other aoutmotive finish.

Civdiv99 · 07-31-2015, 02:52 PM

I don't have FBP, but I have SBP (some body paint)

I am commenting because there is a certain level of care necessary for the best experience regarding the finish, painted or not.

As far as workload - well, here is what I do. Note mine is going on 11 years old, has lived outside in the weather 24/7. Once a year, I polish the gel coat and the paint, and I treat the decals. Twice a year I apply a sealant. To everything, paint, decals, everything.

I use a good quality automotive dual-action (random orbital) and 6" foam pads. I use name-brand polishes and sealants. Since I have an aversion to falling off a ladder, I use do the job on a $200 6' scaffold from a certain box store. It breaks down and stores easily.

Since I keep up on it, I can do this in under a day, and I will typically work in sections for maybe an hour or 2 at a time. I am not retired, so I will do this over the course of a week or 2 in the spring or fall (not a rigid thing, I just try to get to it).

I've found if you don't let it go, the polish product I use can be mild, and more of a "cleaner." Unfortunately, labeling of products in this arena means what you or I call something vs what the label says may not be in the same county.

The attached pic is from earlier in the week spur of the moment thing. It's still shiny, the paint and gel coat are slick and smooth, and the decals, while no longer pristine looking, are certainly still presentable. I don't think I have one on this tablet in a completely sunny environment.

Hikerdogs · 07-31-2015, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodz

450 degrees would melt all sealer, adhesive and any plastic parts.

This is from Newmars web site using automotive BASF paints base coat/clearcoat. Motorhome paint is baked at 160. It's to be treated like any other aoutmotive finish.

The only sealer on the automobile body at the point it's painted is between the quarter panels and the roof. This sealer can easily withstand the temperatures. Other than that the 'body" is a completely empty metal shell. No plastics, No upholstery, nothing but metal.

A motorhome on the other hand is painted AFTER it is completely assembled. That's why the manufacturers use a much lower temperature to set and cure the paint.

Instructions that come with most motorhome full body paint jobs caution the owner not to wax or apply sealant to the painted surface for a minimum of 30 days. This is to allow the paint to completely cure. All solvents will not completely evaporate during the short period the paint is exposed to the 160* baking process. It takes days and even weeks at normal ambient temperatures for all the solvents to completely evaporate and the paint to fully cure.

450*F is the standard temperature used to cure paint on the GM cars. Some of the newer formulas only require 300*F to 350*F.

Here's a link to an excerpt from the "Automotive Painting Handbook"
https://books.google.com/books?id=Tr...20cars&f=false

Ramets · 08-01-2015, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deandec

Looks Great! Who did the work?

Had it done at Precision Paint in Bremen, IN.

charles tuit · 08-01-2015, 07:50 AM

Before having my 02 Journey painted I was all ways looking for another coach. In 08 had my coach full body painted. Fell back in love with it and have never considered another since. I figured that paint save me a lot of money. Still have the original 02 with now 193,000 miles.

Cat320 · 08-01-2015, 01:31 PM

FBP is worth every cent...as noted $6k is cheap for FBP. It will protect your coach for many years. We attended a rally in May the average price for FBP was quoted as between $25k and $30k.

rodz · 08-01-2015, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs

The only sealer on the automobile body at the point it's painted is between the quarter panels and the roof. This sealer can easily withstand the temperatures. Other than that the 'body" is a completely empty metal shell. No plastics, No upholstery, nothing but metal.

A motorhome on the other hand is painted AFTER it is completely assembled. That's why the manufacturers use a much lower temperature to set and cure the paint.

Instructions that come with most motorhome full body paint jobs caution the owner not to wax or apply sealant to the painted surface for a minimum of 30 days. This is to allow the paint to completely cure. All solvents will not completely evaporate during the short period the paint is exposed to the 160* baking process. It takes days and even weeks at normal ambient temperatures for all the solvents to completely evaporate and the paint to fully cure.

450*F is the standard temperature used to cure paint on the GM cars. Some of the newer formulas only require 300*F to 350*F.

Here's a link to an excerpt from the "Automotive Painting Handbook"
https://books.google.com/books?id=Tr...20cars&f=false

Did you read that? From your copy, base,coat is baked at 160. Clear coat would be the same.
E coat and powder coat are baked at 450. I have a heated paint booth in my shop. We cure paint at 140.

Up North · 08-01-2015, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat320

FBP is worth every cent...as noted $6k is cheap for FBP. It will protect your coach for many years. We attended a rally in May the average price for FBP was quoted as between $25k and $30k.

Which makes me wonder what I'm getting for $6 grand. I think Jayco lists it as a option at almost 7 grand. Dealer said he would pass it on at his cost which he quoted me at $5750.00
I'm guessing in the end I will take the option.

Nowabeachbum · 08-01-2015, 03:46 PM

RV's are never a good investment so how long are you going to keep it? Not long, minimize the pain, don't paint it. Making it part of the family, paint it.
Just a comment I started out with Jayco then found out they make Entegras!

Hikerdogs · 08-01-2015, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodz

Did you read that? From your copy, base,coat is baked at 160. Clear coat would be the same.
E coat and powder coat are baked at 450. I have a heated paint booth in my shop. We cure paint at 140.

I don't doubt that some base coats and clear coats can be cured at 140*F to 160*F. My point is that there is a completely different process used for painting an automobile before assembly and painting a fully assembled motorhome. Initial (if not all) paints used in the production of an auto can be cured at much higher temperatures than paints applied once the vehicle is fully assembled.

As for body repair it has to follow the same parameters currently used in painting an RV. The fully assembled bodies can not be subjected to the same temperatures as the bare metal shell of an automobile body.

The different processes yield different quality paint jobs. Maybe some RV manufacturers are better at it than others. However after inspecting hundreds of full body paint jobs on new RV's I've seen very few that I would consider to be the same quality as a factory paint job on a new automobile.