Criteria for painting fiberglass.
 

We have a 1990 25ft Classic HiLo. When I look at the upper half exterior I see some spider cracks(probably from flexing.) No holes or gouges. These are at the corners. Some black shows through the fiberglass on close inspection. I use gell gloss each year and it gives it a nice shine. How do you determine when it needs a paint job? Is this something a do it your selfer can do? I don't have any big barn to work on this to keep it free from dirt. I've looked at other HiLo of the same vintage and the fiberglass looks the same. I'm a real novice when it comes to body work. Any thoughts?

Sam

I am certainly no expert on the fiberglass paneling used on the exteriors of RVs. That said- I would not attempt a DYI painting project on any vehicle that I was concerned about final appearance on without a relatively sophisticated home painting booth and appropriate equipment and experience. Ditto on decals- which are meant to be replaced if anything, and not painted over. A body shop/paint shop is where I would have it done.

In the meantime- my experience is that the best way to go is with cleaning products and polishers designed to remove oxidation and then to prevent further degradation from sun and airborne pollutants. Seems you have been doing that up till now.

Rick

Painting fiberglass
 

The bottom line is it worth the price given the age of the RV? I immagine it would cost thousands of dollars to have a collision shop do this.

Sam

You said you give it "gel-gloss- each year. i assume that is some type of wax? Spider cracks in the gel coat- if there is gel coat-should be repaired with gel coat which you can get at a marine or hardware store. There are dozens of videos on the internet/you tube on dong gel coat repairs. Spider cracks allow moisture in and you don't want that.

Why not try looking at some of the fiberglass restore products out there? again, a WEST Marine or your rv dealer should carry some. I would try that first. Relatively inexspensive solution if you supply the elbow grease and the great thing about a hi-lo is you won't have to be climbing around up on a ladder for most of it. I would also google a search on removing decals from fiberglass----again, it is doable and if you wanted a new decal once that was done you could go to a shop and get one or someone mentioned that somebody on this forum does them.

Rick

Fiberglass painting
 

My HiLo dealer gave me the name of the body shop they use for repairs. I,m sure we have had the spider cracks for a number of years. Sometime next year I will take it in for an estimate. I can onlu guess it will be in the thousands. This year someone in our HiLo club is giving us a cover to use. I have way too many items on our to do list to worry about the paint job this season. Thanks for the advice,I have looked on the internet and seen people that paint their classic cars ect. Doesn't seem like a do it yourself job that I would want to tackle.The gell gloss seals ,cleans and protects.I was hoping someone who was a bonified bodyshop worker would tell me the steps necessary to accomplish this repair.

Sam,

After doing "composite" repairs on aircraft for several years with all the proper equipment, it's definately a tough and potentially expensive job for DIY. If it's just the gelcoat spider cracking, you could get some gelcoat as Rick suggested. Scuff up the existing gelcoat, apply the new in a super thin layer and wet sand when you're done. Of course, there's the painting that would have to be done but hey, you could save yourself some money by doing all the prep work. Work progressively down from course grade wet paper to whatever you can get. We routinely use 1200 grit as the final sand, but that can be hard to get. Another good source for supplies would be Aircraft Spruce on the web. They have pretty cool stuff. Moisture is definately the enemy of fiberglass. It seeps in and expands once it freezes, potentially making a mess. Our 737s, DC-9 and Lear 35 usually fly where it's 40 below, but that's colder than what you guys experience up there. Send me a PM if you have any more questions....I'd be more than happy to give suggestions!

Phil

Gel coat painting
 

Phil thanks for the reply. I have an article where this winebago owner (architect) did all the prep work and repainted his RV. Like you say alot of prepwork. He had a friend more experienced spray on the clear coat. He purchased the right spray equipment then sold it on E-bay. This article was in the July2011 issue of Motorhome magazine. Some have even gone to Mexico to have paint jobs done. Cheaper,yes and also more dangerous.