Community Forums

yerbluez · 11-19-2022, 11:12 AM

Hi all, I'm a new member and I am looking for suggestions or advice on how to refinish the exterior of a 1993 Brave 27' RV. I am looking at purchasing this from a local guy tomorrow, he's the second owner. He is asking $6,000, the truck has 90k miles on it and one of the main perks is that he has renovated the entire interior, replaced the roof, and all the plumbing.

The main drawback is the exterior. The original owner apparently put hundreds of stickers/decals and whatnot. The current owner removed them and now it looks like a mess. Since it is fiberglass, I'm guessing the best way to do this is sanding the entire exterior and then priming and painting?

Here are pictures in the google photos link below -curious to see what other folks think of it and whether it's a good buy.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wHwawudTrfWpHwf66

Thanks for any suggestions!

Chargerman · 11-19-2022, 11:20 AM

I would first try GooGone. It’s a great product for removing sticker backing. You have to be patient though as it takes some time to get it to desolve it. Then I would buff it with a fiberglass restorer. 3M makes a good product for this.

sibe · 11-19-2022, 12:01 PM

Inside is cleaned up nice..
I noticed the AC looks like original... something to think on.. Mine on a 96 went bad..

Chassis with 90K.. well ask about service .. expect some work.. IMO.. Shocks, Rotors/brakes etc..
Possible Batteries.. are typical..
Tires check dates/cracking etc..

My last 2 older RVs one with 130K then the next one with 28K both required almost identical work sooner or later.. age plays a roll..

EXTERIOR... You may get Glue off, it is a job... Not easy..
I use this in my shop works well better than 3M when googone fails
https://www.dkhardware.com/grow-auto...t-3991976.html

I would shy away from scrapping, prime and paint.... $$$$$ unless you have resources and/Or a friend that does it...

IMO like i mention Expect to put what you are paying for it back into it to get everything where you need it to be 100 %...

Argosy · 11-19-2022, 12:57 PM

Acetone or xylene, sanding will load up the disks as fast you change them.

littlebob · 11-19-2022, 01:33 PM

check out full body rap, might be cheeper than a paint job

yerbluez · 11-19-2022, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chargerman

I would first try GooGone. It’s a great product for removing sticker backing. You have to be patient though as it takes some time to get it to desolve it. Then I would buff it with a fiberglass restorer. 3M makes a good product for this.

Had never heard of either of these, thanks for the suggestion! Yeah I know whatever I do will take a lot of hours and elbow grease.

yerbluez · 11-19-2022, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sibe

Inside is cleaned up nice..
I noticed the AC looks like original... something to think on.. Mine on a 96 went bad..

Chassis with 90K.. well ask about service .. expect some work.. IMO.. Shocks, Rotors/brakes etc..
Possible Batteries.. are typical..
Tires check dates/cracking etc..

My last 2 older RVs one with 130K then the next one with 28K both required almost identical work sooner or later.. age plays a roll..

EXTERIOR... You may get Glue off, it is a job... Not easy..
I use this in my shop works well better than 3M when googone fails
https://www.dkhardware.com/grow-auto...t-3991976.html

I would shy away from scrapping, prime and paint.... $$$$$ unless you have resources and/Or a friend that does it...

IMO like i mention Expect to put what you are paying for it back into it to get everything where you need it to be 100 %...

Thank you for the input. I'm new to RVs, but definitely plan to check and ask about all of the above. I can imagine I will have to put a bit of money into it, but not having to deal with an interior restoration is pretty great. It's a shame the original owner covered it with stickers, but is what it is.

I have a buddy who has a paint sprayer and does home painting. Asked him to take a look at some point and see what he'd charge for sanding and spraying it. I don't need it to look brand new, mainly just want to get rid of all the evidence of the stickers. A solid white paint job or other color would be nice, but it doesn't need to be shiny and looking like a brand new RV.

Dav L · 11-20-2022, 06:07 AM

You would never use any sprayer intended for homes on a vehicle. Completely different. The great majority of cost is the labor to prepare the vehicle for paint. Surface must be clean, sanded to 400 grit, cleaned again, degreased, masked and tack ragged prior to primer. This work is the same no matter what paint you use. You might as well end up with a new looking, shiny RV after doing this work (which you might be able to do yourself one panel at a time).

To get decals off, there is a tool called an "eraser" that is used with a strong power drill that is rubber and spins and "melts" the glue on contact and flings it off. This is how pros do it. Then use acetone to remove the last remnants.

After surface prep, then, primer, sand, clean, degreased, tack ragged, painted, then clear coated.

There is a ton of how to on this forum and on any car painting forum on all of the details.

Note that the cost of paint (automotive grade) is not cheap. And you have to use the system of paints that work together (primer, paint, clear).

The cost of the spray equipment is the least of issues. If you were to DIY, you can rent a compressor and buy a filter / regulator / air seperator and a spray gun. Learn on a small panel (not your RV!).

You may find that removing all of the decal mess, wet sand, compound and polish is all that is needed to restore the gelcoat back to good enough (no paint needed). do one panel as a test.

anyway, a house sprayer will create a mess. Yes it's a house on wheels, but it isn't painted as a house.

DRM901 · 11-20-2022, 09:51 AM

I would just get a good random orbit polisher and a bunch of foam pads. There are a lot of good products for compounding and polishing fiberglass. I've seen fiberglass boats that looked like **** before someone brought them back.

This is the "easy" solution that I would always try before the nuclear solution.

Sent from my SM-G973U using iRV2 - RV Forum mobile app

fatsurf · 11-20-2022, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argosy

Acetone or xylene, sanding will load up the disks as fast you change them.

You won't have a problem with this if you use the correct aluminum oxide paper.

Argosy · 11-20-2022, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatsurf

You won't have a problem with this if you use the correct aluminum oxide paper.

I'd love a solution cheaper, faster or less hazardous than solvent, what's the correct aluminum oxide paper?

Dav L · 11-21-2022, 06:27 AM

If the surface has a lot of decal adhesive residue, then any sandpaper will clog.
If the glue is thick, use the "eraser" mentioned earlier (about $100)
If the glue is not so thick, just use Acetone followed by PrepSol to degrease. Just wear gloves and there isn't any real safety issue if used reasonably.

Then try wet sand / compound to see if that improves the look good enough. Note you don't want to use any sandpaper that is more course than what is needed as that will just cause even more work (scratches / remove gelcoat).

And if that isn't good enough, then you could paint using auto grade paint.

No way use house sprayer or paint as that will essentially make the RV very difficult to sell as it will not look very good and likely will peel.

Where are you in Michigan? So am I

fatsurf · 11-21-2022, 06:47 AM

That is a tough question. It depends on your sanding goal. If you want a complete new surface I prefer 180 grit ALO disks then drop down to 220 then 320 disks on a DA. Follow that with a quality urethane or epoxy primer in multiple coats to both seal and provide a final sanding base. Final sand the sealed surface with wet & dry and move on to the finishing system of choice.

Bear in mind most marine paints are designed for brush and roller application and when done right flow out to a smooth and glossy finish.

PS it has been many years since I have been involved in boat painting and much has changed. Consult the manufacturer of the product for precise instructions and follow them to the letter if you want your paint job to last.

//Greg

Dav L · 11-21-2022, 06:58 AM

Hi, 180 on a DA will expose the filon fibers almost immediately. Too aggressive. Even for gel coat.

He needs like 400 WET and dry and hand sanded. This is AFTER the glue is removed.

He isn't trying to level the surface like if there was body plastic work...just trying to remove the surface aged gelcoat for compounding (recommended to test this first) OR to scuff up / degloss the surface up for primer adhesion (if painting).