DIY MH paint job?

I have read all the posts re the repaint.
I tested the Zep High Gloss floor wax on the rear cap of my 2004 Monaco Knight. Seemed great after a month and took the plunge and did the entire coach. I do not have full body paint.
I left one 12"X12" square area to remind me of the medium oxidation I had. I had tried to keep up with limiting the oxidation with no success.
So I am a believer in the floor wax approach.
If I was considering a full paint job and facing the cost and labor I would test the floor wax. I did the entire coach in two 4 hour sessions, four coats per side.
The key for a great job is to be sure the surface is clean with no streaks.
Our coach looks fabulous. My minor faded vinyl decals ever look better (but not like new) but much better.
Have no idea what I will have to do in the future, 3-4 years but I guess I will find out.
I look at the coach and it looks new to me.

I am retired so time is not an issue, and Az weather cooperates most times, I have done DIY paint jobs before but dont claim to be an expert by any strech, all to say I feel able to tackle it after this summers trip to the NW. I appreciate the comments on primmer and brands of paint that anyone has used successfully and what to stay away from (without starting and argument lol)I do know that the paint that is peeling was a PPG product called Omni Au, MBC Base Coat. 34353 Gray Fleet. At least that is what the can says when I insisted they give me the left over paint. Now when I read "base coat" I am starting to wonder did I get ripped of worse that I thought. Popeye I used Delstar metalic years ago and it was fantastic I had some paint left over and went to look for some catalyst and they no longer made it....and that was 15 years ago...finally found someone who had a quart for $$$$$.

Joe

We need pics.

i am helping a friend paint his motorhome in his driveway, so it can be done. we have been doing it a side at a time and at this point only have the front painted(but that looks as good as new). taking off the old stickers was the toughest part. they were old faided and cracked so the eraser wheel was the best for us but very time consuming. assuming you have tools i think the 4-5 thousand dollar estimate is way high. we will use about 4 erasers, tape(we use newspaper over the windows so not including that in cost), sand paper,primer, thinner and paint(a gallon did the front-so figure 6 for the whole motorhome). now the bad news we started last year but since we are outdoors there were more days we couldn't work on the motorhome and we used it all summer. my advice is if it looks like my friends, even with just the stripes off and sanded it looks better and after painting the front(and we are not even close to professionals) it looked great. go for it, just be patient and don't expect quick results. take pix and post

Given the cost of materials and the amount of labor one would have to do, wouldn't it be cheaper to have it done in Mexico. Have read on different forums about people having their rigs painted down there and they have been extremely pleased both with cost and durability and appearance.

I removed my 20 years old striping with an 8" 3M eraser wheel and painted new striping. Also painted the roof and the lower body.

Three coats of Red Max Pro made it look like it just came off the showroom floor.

See results under my profile.

Jon
92 Ultrastar 339TB
5.9 Cummins, MC16-FD Oshkosh

JanTx wrote:
pictures of your finished job,,, anyone???

Hello joe....
AZ , and tx sun will ruin paint as we know....sounds like your prep was flawed and the paint was not top notch. I have 2 vehicles painted with PPG Delstar in the 80s.....one a 53 studebaker bonniville show car and a 69 dodge P/U , both still in perfect condition. Yes, the stud is always garaged , the truck always outdoors.
Point, the prep is the upmost important, and the quality of the paint next. However, some surfaces should be primed with EPOXY PRIMER...PPG DP 40 is one....once dryed you cannot even scrap it off.....even off concrete.....dont get it on you either.
Clear coat is great but all paint has to have a UV resistance......Base coat /clear coat is probably more critical....of course, thats what factory paint jobs are...non metalic paints are also more resistance to UV.
tom

Popeye.....I live in the extreme heat to Arizona which is HARD on paint. You say no clear coat is needed with PPG pain you mentioned, my thinking is that the additional clear coat give another layer of deflection or the harmful sun rays. I had a "cheap" repaint of a few of the outside of metal storage doors 2 years ago and it is starting to flake. Granted I suspect the prep was not as good as it should have been (I did not observe it)and the rig sits outside in the direct sunlight. Thoughts? Can you point me to any write up that have been done recently that might be of use TY Joe

For a new painter, I would also recommend an HVLP(high volume, low pressure) spray gun/rig. They allow you to float on a lot more paint with a lot less over spray.
Some of the pinholes in your paint, are called "fish eyes" and are caused by contaminants on the surface. Any silicone from lubricants, waxes, etc, can ruin a paint job, which is why you must use the proper paint prep to clean the surface BEFORE you do any sanding. Then they have a fish eye reducer that you should add to the paint to minimize them showing up on the surface.

Also, don't forget that you need an air compressor large enough to handle the job. You're going to be pushing a lot of compressed air through your gun, so make sure your compressor can keep up. I attempted to paint a small car once and discovered that my compressor was too small. Ended up with too much condensation because the compressor was running hot and the water filter couldn't keep up.