I have been a member of this forum for a while now and I have benefited from the good advice and solutions that are shared. Each time I looked at my 1993 class A I was discouraged at the faded paint and cracked peeling decals. I began to research possibly repainting it myself. There was an immediate cloud of negotiate comments on each forum I looked at. Finally on a little known forum for tiny trailers and home built teardrop campers I found sound advise from people who had actually did what I was thinking of. About 2 months ago I bought an airless paint sprayer from Harbor Freight for my grandson to help him with a commercial job he was painting. I watched him paint metal doors for a church and lacquer some heavy wood doors for inside the church. I was very impressed with his skill with the machine and the resulted he achieved. That's when I decided to go for it and the work began. I spent over 80 hours removing the old decals, sanding scrapes and scratches and rebuilding the front door.

OHCfGkNlNMdWBNhl?I think it's a rule here that you have to provide pics of any paint job. Could be wrong. :B

I am working on it. The previous post finally has a picture of the m/H before. In this post is one of my grandson painting. The painting is being done on my Harbor Freight airless sprayer in a 40' paint booth built in my back yard. The day we were painting we had winds as high as 30 mph. Inside with our heaters it was fine. We used Sherwin Williams bonding primer and Sherwin Williams 100 series acrylic latex gloss paint.

The end result was a very nice looking motorhome that I would be proud to drive. Altogether I spent $950 which includes the 40x14x12 paint booth, the paint, supplies, new rubber moldings andcnew fiberglass inside and outside door facings.

Here is another picture. My advice to anyone who wants to improve their RV is to become informed but not paralyzed. These units are built by people like ourselves, not by some higher being. We can get great results by spending the time and elbow grease needed to succeed. Thanks to all on this and many other forums who gave me ideas, encouragement, and the right attitude to get er done. Jeff

Nice job there. I've always had the opinion that if someone else can do it, I can too. I "can" do it, but some things I'm limited on because of time, space, or the cost of the tools to do the work. But mostly, why pay someone else when I can do it myself and save all those labor costs.I think the reason some folks give so much "static", especially when it comes to painting, is because they've never tried to do anything themselves. They would rather pay someone than get their own hands dirty or spend the time.In the end, you have a personal investment into the finished product you can be proud of. You know the value of your work and you appreciate it and that makes using it even more special.I think you and your son did a nice job there! Looks very good.So, just curious? Did you leave the temporary paint house up and convert it into a greenhouse?

Painting my 93 Dutchmen | Good Sam Community

24 Replies

gaymeadowsman
Explorer
Feb 24, 2017
You have a very Classic look going on. Very nice job.
jbilling
Explorer
Feb 24, 2017
For those who are thinking of painting their RV. Just roll up your sleeves and go to it. Jeff
jbilling
Explorer
Feb 24, 2017
I'm very pleased with the final outcome. I wondered when I started this project if I wasn't exceeding my capabilities. But I just kept at it one task at a time and it turned out great. Thanks for the kind words. Jeff
jfkmk
Explorer
Feb 23, 2017
Man, that looks awesome!
westend
Explorer
Feb 23, 2017
Very classy, a job well done!
jbilling
Explorer
Feb 23, 2017
Well I finished the Dutchmen paint job today, I added two accent stripes. The upper strip is a dark blue and the lower stripe is teal. These colors match the awnings and the interior colorings. I think they make the white and grey come alive. Jeff
2012Coleman
Explorer II
Feb 15, 2017
Very nice job - maybe a good retirement gig?
westend
Explorer
Feb 14, 2017
jbilling wrote:
Aruba5er and Western, yes I will do 2 full length stripes in dark blue over turquoise. As for the Harbor Freight airless unit, it worked great and is still working. I have several more projects for it. The secret to airless sprayer, Harbor Freight or Graco or whatever is as always prep and cleanup. I am not a big reader of instructions but on complex items I follow the directions to the letter. My grandson (a professional house painter) was impressed with the unit. Before starting the job I ordered an assortment of spray tips for the different paints and primers. The tip that ships with the unit was way to big #515 it would go through a gallon of paint Fast!!!
Stripes sound great!
Yes, the trick with airless sprayers is to keep them clean and use oil on the pump shaft every time it's used. My Graco has a bottle holder that carries that shaft oil dispenser bottle. It just takes a few drops or a healthy squirt to oil the shaft.

I think my Graco is about 15 yrs old. It has paid for itself many times over. I did have to take it in for pump seal replacement, once. I got caught up spraying some military stuff for a collector and the last gallon was some type of self-mixing epoxy and I didn't have a solvent that would work. Before I could get solvent, the pump, lines, and gun all had to be broken down and cleaned, a long tedious process.
Campinfan
Explorer III
Feb 14, 2017
She looks real nice. You and your grandson probably had some good quality time together. I miss my grandfather and cherish the times we had working together on little projects.
RollandB
Explorer
Feb 13, 2017
Great work, you should be smiling big as you head down the road.

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Painting my 93 Dutchmen

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