My wife convinced me last summer to paint the inside of the trailer.As I've read multiple times the process is as follows:1. Lightly sand the walls with electric sander - mechanical adhesion. 2. Wipe down the walls with water3. Wipe down the walls with TSP 4. Rinse walls - removing the TSP.5. Prime & Paint.Tried and true.This morning I was told that the sanding was never done, and when she was pulling back the painters tape, it was peeling off.I'm at a cross roads.She wants to put up wall paper on two of the walls - which will stick to the paint.My question is this: Will the freeze/thaw and movement of the walls cause the paint to peel and I'll be redoing this in 6 months or do I need to sand off the paint, and then reprime/paint the walls?Thoughts?ThanksJosh

Do it right and do it once. The paint is your base for the wallpaper.I wouldn't apply wallpaper over paint that does not adhere to the wall.

Gbopp - Thanks so much for confirming my suspicion. I went back to the trailer today, and was able to sand the walls - with some 60 grit to pull the paint off and then rough up the walls.What shocked my wife was when I took a scraper blade, and just pushed it up the wall, and the paint peeled off like it was held on with a static charge. She was shocked. So, after a few hours of sanding, and elbow grease, and more hand sanding and scraping, it's all roughed up, repainted, windows and doors cut in, and ready for wallpaper. thanks so much for the prompt reply!josh

RV manufacturers seem to just love slathering some sort of furniture polish containing silicone oil everywhere inside the RV. Silicone is probably one of the best release substances there is and it is very difficult to remove all traces of it. Even sanding doesn't get it all. The surface needs to be washed thoroughly with naptha or lacquer thinner first.

we wiped down the walls first with soapy waterThen we wiped down the walls with TSP - and then she painted it.Then I got involved, and we sanded all the walls - pulling most of the paint out - but there were places I could peel the paint off.wiped htem down again, two coats of paint and now... sigh, wallpaper.happy wife happy life. At least the paint & wall paper won't fall off!!!

We got so tired of the dark everything in our 2011 fifth wheel & painted everything, including "wood work" a couple of years ago. Replaced all the flooring with LVP, and installed a new bamboo counter with an undermount SS sink. What a lot of work that was, but so worth it! Now it's light, bright & more contemporary looking. I'm sure you'll enjoy your "new" trailer.

Painting the Walls of the 5er | Good Sam Community

gbopp
Explorer
Nov 07, 2020
Do it right and do it once. The paint is your base for the wallpaper.
I wouldn't apply wallpaper over paint that does not adhere to the wall.
jodeb720
Explorer
Nov 07, 2020
Gbopp - Thanks so much for confirming my suspicion.
I went back to the trailer today, and was able to sand the walls - with some 60 grit to pull the paint off and then rough up the walls.

What shocked my wife was when I took a scraper blade, and just pushed it up the wall, and the paint peeled off like it was held on with a static charge.
She was shocked.

So, after a few hours of sanding, and elbow grease, and more hand sanding and scraping, it's all roughed up, repainted, windows and doors cut in, and ready for wallpaper.

thanks so much for the prompt reply!

josh
frankwp
Explorer
Nov 09, 2020
RV manufacturers seem to just love slathering some sort of furniture polish containing silicone oil everywhere inside the RV. Silicone is probably one of the best release substances there is and it is very difficult to remove all traces of it. Even sanding doesn't get it all. The surface needs to be washed thoroughly with naptha or lacquer thinner first.
jodeb720
Explorer
Nov 11, 2020
we wiped down the walls first with soapy water
Then we wiped down the walls with TSP -
and then she painted it.
Then I got involved, and we sanded all the walls - pulling most of the paint out - but there were places I could peel the paint off.

wiped htem down again, two coats of paint and now... sigh, wallpaper.

happy wife happy life.

At least the paint & wall paper won't fall off!!!
frankwp
Explorer
Nov 11, 2020
We got so tired of the dark everything in our 2011 fifth wheel & painted everything, including "wood work" a couple of years ago. Replaced all the flooring with LVP, and installed a new bamboo counter with an undermount SS sink.

What a lot of work that was, but so worth it! Now it's light, bright & more contemporary looking. I'm sure you'll enjoy your "new" trailer.
jjrbus
Explorer
Nov 12, 2020
Unless I am missing something I find the sanding confusing. The interior walls in the bulk of RV's is vinyl. I see no reason to sand vinyl???

Prep is super important, TSP would be my first choice. I would double rinse.

Then prime with an alkyd primer, such as Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, nothing from the big box stores.

My opinion and worth what you are paying for it.
C_Schomer
Explorer
Nov 22, 2020
^^^ that’s what I was thinking.… Some sort of industrial coating, not found in the average paint department. The painters at work tell me some of these industrial coatings, primers??, Will stick to darn near anything. Including galvanized sheet metal that is not yet weathered. Craig
Veebyes
Explorer II
Nov 22, 2020
As a cleaning product naptha is a seldom mentioned but very effective product for removing anything on the surface before it. Lacquer thinners or Acetone work well too.
Flyfisherman128
Explorer
Nov 23, 2020
Do it right and do it once. The paint is your base for the wallpaper.
I wouldn't apply wallpaper over paint that does not adhere to the wall.

Ditto
riven1950
Explorer
Dec 05, 2020
Imo skip the sanding. Use oil-based kilz. It stinks but will stick to anything and anything will stick to it.

Ventilation!!!

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