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Old 10-21-2014, 12:50 PM   #1
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Help, please. Bad gel-coat on my Damon MH.

Our new-to-us 2000 Damon Challenger is white with a green skirt. The green is protected with gel-coat, which is peeling/flaking badly, making the whole rig look as though it has mange, not a good look for a MH. We're in Houston, and it was previously stored under a shelter where it got hit by the unforgiving Texas sun, day in and day out, on the passenger side and the front end. The back and the driver's side are in pretty good shape.

We had hoped to have it painted, but our budget won't allow that right now. I need advice on how we can get the gel-coat off without totally destroying the paint itself.

We also think that having the rig professionally washed and waxed after we remove the gel-coat will make a huge difference in its overall appearance. What sort of facility will do that? When I had a 40-foot Teton, back in the 90s, I did it myself a couple of times, over a period of about three days each time. Husband and I are both in our mid-70s now and neither of us is able to do stuff like that any longer. I know some truck stops have truck washes, but won't that be like taking a car through a coin-operated car wash?

Any input/ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
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Old 10-21-2014, 12:55 PM   #2
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Are you talking about gel coat or clear coat? Me thinks you mean clear coat. If you have gel coat flaking off, you've got big trouble.
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Old 10-21-2014, 01:19 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by topdownman View Post
Are you talking about gel coat or clear coat? Me thinks you mean clear coat. If you have gel coat flaking off, you've got big trouble.
Forgive me, please, but I don't know the difference. I thought they were one and the same. The color is still present where the (whatever)-coat has lifted. Does that mean it's clear coat? If so, can I wetsand it and then buff the color up?
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Old 10-21-2014, 01:43 PM   #4
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Yes, that's clear coat. Gel coat is the top layer of your fiberglass. If that comes off, there's big trouble. I really think the only fix is to sand and repaint but I'm not a paint expert. Modern automotive two-stage paints are designed as a color coat, then a clear top coat. So if you remove the clear coat, the bottom coat would not be very durable and would probably fade in short order.
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Old 10-21-2014, 01:49 PM   #5
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Yes, that's clear coat. Gel coat is the top layer of your fiberglass. If that comes off, there's big trouble. I really think the only fix is to sand and repaint but I'm not a paint expert. Modern automotive two-stage paints are designed as a color coat, then a clear top coat. So if you remove the clear coat, the bottom coat would not be very durable and would probably fade in short order.
Thanks, TDM! What you've told me makes me think perhaps we can do this ourselves, with lots of prior research and by moving slowly and carefully. (Heaving a big sigh of relief.)
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