Just bought a 20' 1985 Yellowstone travel trailer. We just finished redoing the entire inside from floor to ceiling. But this spring we want to tackle the exterior.I have searched and searched online for the best results without spending a ton of money, and can't find a straight answer any where. I don't need the unit to look brand new, but still want to be proud of what we have. Someone please point me in the right direction.

Do you actually want to paint it? If it is smooth sided then you can use a power buffer and make it shine like new. Paint will require a lot of work but will last a long time. The secret is in prep of course. Trim pieces need to be removed and a lot of masking must be done. You can get details on painting aluminum with a search. Automotive paint such as PPG is easy to apply even for a first timer. Get the stuff you don't clear coat. Then you sand it with water on the sandpaper with ever higher grit paper. Once you get to about the 2000 grit you switch to 3M products to polish it more. Eventually you will get to a plastic coated mirror finish. It is a lot of work but the results are incredible.

I wouldn't paint it but if you do aluminum requires a special primer.

Do you have a compressor with good CFM? Not PSI but VOLUME, having to stop and wait on the compressor to recover is a PITA and can more than double your labor timeDo you have paint gun? HVLP? gravity or siphon feed?Do you have a power sander like an orbital D.A.?There is a lot more to painting than paint, thinner, and masking tape.Prep , prep, prep is the key.

Paint an aluminum trailer with the same technique and same products as painting a car.I would remove all excess caulking first and then caulk again after painting.

"Someone please point me in the right direction"...Zinc Chromate primer.

How to paint an Aluminum Travel Trailer | Good Sam Community

westend
Explorer
Dec 30, 2014
seaeagle2 wrote:
Just to throw out something isn't the original finish actually an anodized finish?
There may have been just a small number of TT's with anodized sheets (ISTR seeing a real vintage trailer with a blue anodized finish).`It's not too practical for a trailer since any scratch or ding on the finish is going to be through the anodized layer. there really isn't any good , cheap repair process for anodized finish.
Judging from the few older rigs I've owned, they used an oil or urethane finish paint with an accompanying primer. I figured a good latex finish was going to last for awhile and is easy to touch up. A previous owner of the C/Hilton had painted over the existing accent panels and trim with a real nasty color and layout. If I had to, I would have thrown paint on the walls to cover it up, lol.

Good luck to the OP with the paint! FWIW, it took me more time to mask off then spray but the majority was done in a pretty easy day. The step-to-step is buried in the Hilton link in my signature line.
seaeagle2
Explorer
Dec 30, 2014
Just to throw out something isn't the original finish actually an anodized finish?
RVcircus
Explorer II
Dec 30, 2014
I'd go with a paint designed for aluminum siding. I don't think they come from the factory with automotive paint on the sided trailers and I wouldn't bother going through the extra trouble and expense.
PAThwacker
Explorer
Dec 30, 2014
Look on
www.tinboats.com
Apadgett
Explorer
Dec 30, 2014
That's great. I am a contractor as well and I also own a Graco Airless. Looks exactly like what I am going for. Thank you so much.
westend
Explorer
Dec 30, 2014
I was in the same situation and painted my aluminum sided Starcraft. I do residential and light commercial painting so have a Graco airless sprayer. You can rent a sprayer at any of the paint distributors (SW, Benny Moore, etc.). You don't need a compressor and HVLP spray gear unless you decide to do an automotive type finish. IMO, those aren't necessary and would be a waste of your time and $$$.

Here was the drill: Clean aluminum siding with a strong cleaner (IIRC, I used a siding cleaner). Scuff surface with 3M plastic pads using Jasco Phosphate substitute prepaint cleaner (important to use an anti=oxidant cleaner). Clean surface with the Jasco and rinse. Tape and mask everything you don't want painted. I sprayed a complete primer coat on the siding since I had a few bare spots and I wanted good adhesion. If the siding still has paint, you don't need an etching primer. I used Sherwin Williams Industrial DTM primer. Finish coat was then sprayed using a latex enamel. The accent stripes were painted with rattles cans (Rustoleum, some type of metallic bronze). The paint still looks good going into year three.
Gjac
Explorer III
Dec 30, 2014
For a 1985 rv I would use a rusteum type paint. That would be the cheapest way to go. Tractor supply also sells a paint made for tractors that sit in the sun forever. Both are about $30/gal. Automotive paint will be much more expensive.
steve-n-vicki
Explorer
Dec 30, 2014
how about a wrap job?
Apadgett
Explorer
Dec 30, 2014
It's faded and the caulking job the guy did before me is horrible. I thought about the aluminum house siding paint, but not sure it will give me the look I'm hoping for. And no I do not have the equipment for automotive painting. I'll put some pics up as soon as I figure out how.
goducks10
Explorer
Dec 30, 2014
Give these guys a call. I have watched about 5-6 shows they have on tv. They mostly do shinny aluminum, but I watched them paint an aluminum trailer similar in style to yours.
http://www.flytecamp.com/