Painting the interior walls of my C.....

Photos removed

16 years ago I roll-on painted some old hanging wood & metal cabinets in my work shop at home with a white gloss Rust-Oleum oil based paint. The paint leveled okay with a consistent texture like a refrigerator, because of using the roller. The paint has held up extremely well with an excellent bond to both wood & metal surfaces. Chemicals and grime does not penetrate the finish. Grime cleans off easy, the finish stays glossy, and not one paint chip as of yet. The gloss finish is great for my work shop cabinets but I think would be horrid looking inside a motor home. Maybe a satin paint would be more appropriate.

I think in-general, an oil based paint will penetrate & bond to materials and contaminated surfaces better than a water-based paint. Because I rolled the paint which offers a slight texture, the finish might hide imperfections with patching holes and such.

I have seen some creative painting in people's homes. They alternate flat and satin vertical stripes to look just like wall paper.

I do need to mention that using an oil based paint will require a lot of ventilation. Plan to place a fan up front in the van portion to get air flowing through the rig while inside painting.

BuckBarker wrote:
"Pro-Flex" caulk between the joints will not crack. It's the best available for this application. It's moot now, but you did the right thing in removing the vinyl. Any primer and paint is only as good as it's substrate. No coating will prevent the vinyl from coming loose from the paneling.

Can I paint over this stuff? If not I might strip some Liam and glue it in the joints prior to sanding/ painting.. What do you think?

"Pro-Flex" caulk between the joints will not crack. It's the best available for this application. It's moot now, but you did the right thing in removing the vinyl. Any primer and paint is only as good as it's substrate. No coating will prevent the vinyl from coming loose from the paneling.

I think you are on the right track. The only problem I can foresee is the plywood joints. Because the rig flexes while driving, unlike a stationary house, you may get some movement there. If so it will crack the filler out and ruin your new paint job. I would buy some thin wood battens from the trim section at Lowes and install them over the joints and then paint everything.
As an option you could make sure you have extra paint then see if the joints crack with time and then install the batten if you need to??
jesseannie

you wasted a lot of time and energy. a coat of Glidden Gripper primer on the existing vinyl would have been a better solution. After a 5 day cure it would never peel.

So far, so good. You can top coat oil based primer with latex but not the other way around. I would go for a quality acrylic enamel in an eggshell or satin finish with a 1/4" nap roller and a Purdy cut in brush. Good luck with your home improvement project.....as Bob Vila would say.