Painting the outside of a camper? - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

maggie1975 · 12-07-2014, 05:49 PM

I have been searching the sight and am looking for anyone who has already addressed this question. We are picking up a 1995 Hi Lo Funlite24 this week. It needs a lot of work inside and out.... but the bones are good. So... the trailer was probably white and has yellowed quite a bit. I am wondering..... if any of you have repainted the outside of your trailers? If I am planning on keeping this thing till we run it into the ground then would it be okay to paint over the Hi Lo logo or is that considered totally a faux pas? I just want to personalize this trailer as much as possible. Has anyone ever painted their Hi Lo camper a color other than white?

charlie b · 12-07-2014, 06:15 PM

Hi Maggie
Keep in mind, it is your trailer and you can do with it any thing that is legal

. If you are able to spray paint it puts you a couple steps ahead, and there are special primers for aluminum to use before painting. If you have one with fiberglass sides, wipe the trailer down with silicone and wax remover first, then do a light scuffing (watersand) with 320 wet or dry sandpaper so paint will adhere. I personally would just use rustoleum paint, but you might want to go for a higher gloss.
No problem with me as far as painting over logos. I am from the era where we de-chromed cars so they lost all identity.
Make sure the support beams on both sides don't need replaced before you start all the work.
Mine will be burgandy when we finish it. (to match our van.)
Charlie

RichR · 12-07-2014, 06:21 PM

Your trailer could very well have been a beige or tan color, many earlier models were in that range. Look at some of the pictures in this article about 50 years of Hi-Lo.http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f52/50-years-hilo-1663/

Wrascal · 12-07-2014, 06:22 PM

It's yours, do what pleases you.

JackandJanet · 12-07-2014, 10:52 PM

OW! My eyes hurt from the picture Wrascal posted!

Keep in mind that white is the best color to reflect heat when the trailer is in sunlight, which it might be when you are camping. I'd be very cautious about getting much darker than white.

Also, I'd certainly remove the decals, rather than painting over them.

- Jack

renoites · 12-08-2014, 02:59 PM

My VW bus wasn't as wild as the one pictured.

I actually used a roller and brush to paint my hi-lo. Acrylic exterior house paint that very closely matched the factory color. Use a good brand. I used Kelly-Moore.
The only prep I used was to wash the exterior.
I did not remove or cover the decals. My hi-lo is 30 years old and didn't see the need.
I did not paint the lower portion. But the match in color is very close.
The color I used was called "barely khaki".

Wrascal · 12-09-2014, 09:15 AM

Wild? I'll give you wild (weird).

BattleBorn · 12-26-2014, 11:18 PM

You may laugh but I have a 1975 Cardinal that I only paid $600 for and wanting to keep my costs low, the aluminum exterior, I simply cleaned thoroughly, scuffed and keyed surface, taped off trim and went to Kelly Moore paints, explained what I was doing, they recommended a commercial quality exterior latex, I rolled and brushed two coats of white on it three years ago and still looks great, no flaking or peeling. Total cost to paint 14 foot trailer with one gallon plus tape and brushes, about $50 dollars.