mountainsounds
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1957 Rainbow & 1955 Starfire
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Post by mountainsounds on Sept 17, 2015 11:20:03 GMT -8
Questions about paint:
Paint guy talked about using bondo on the original door aluminum to fill some dings. Is this a good idea? I’ve read here that bondo isn’t the best idea on aluminum. Would it be better to use JB weld or is bondo ok for ding filler but just not good for hole filler?
Paint guy talked about using a white or clear substance around the putty on the J-rail. He said something about the paint not adhering well to putty. Huh? I need to review this with him. My understanding is that primer/paint should not have an issue adhering to butyl tape. Correct? I'm paranoid about silicone. :-XMaybe he wants to use a gutter seal to get a better line? Would that be OK?
They plan to sand the new polar white skin with 320 grit prior to primer/paint. Sound good?
Can you tell I’m just a touch paranoid/nervous that our project is in someone else’s hands?
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Post by vikx on Sept 17, 2015 21:42:50 GMT -8
I would be nervous as well, Mtsounds!
If the door is smooth, Bondo should work well. The door doesn't flex like skin does. We recently repaired a hole in our skin with Bondo, no time before our big Fall rally. Looks very good, hope it holds. I will provide feedback...
NEVER accept silicone sealant. I doubt the painter would even consider it, because paint won't stick. I'm guessing he wants to use an auto body sealant, which would be acceptable.
The original white needs to be sanded to accept paint. Ask if they plan to use primer before paint?
They are telling you the right things to do. Not sure on the sealant, but they want a good result. Ask questions in person. Sounds good to me.
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mountainsounds
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Post by mountainsounds on Sept 17, 2015 23:43:50 GMT -8
Thanks Vikx for the information and the reassurance.
We talked with the painters, in person, but there was so much to go over that afterwards I felt things were not totally clear to me. We'll be back to the RV repair/paint shop a couple of times before paint (taking wheels to the sand blaster etc) so hopefully I'll get some questions answered. I like to know the details, which I suspect most RV owners are not curious about. This shop does a good amount of repair work on the house size RVs. There were a few of them at the shop and our trailer is gloriously tiny and cute next to those monsters.
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nccamper
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1962 Forester- 1956 Shasta
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Post by nccamper on Sept 18, 2015 6:21:32 GMT -8
I think the use of Bondo depends on many questions.
Are you talking about small areas or huge sections?
Do you plan to park it in one site most of the year? Or take it for shorter trips?
Or are you going on the open road for thousands of (vibrating) miles?
Are you in a moderate climate? No extreme temperature swings?
Are you hoping for the restoration to last 5 years...10 years...20 years?
On a small repair like vikx mentioned above, I'd use Bondo or live with the dings.
On the flip side, new skin is thinner than the original siding. I believe it is around 30% thinner. It dents easily, as I learned on our last camper.
So pick your poison.
As far as seams go, when I was 18 years old I tried to paint over silicone. Ouch! What a mistake. Your shop seems to know what they're doing and I doubt they would even consider it. I've never used seam sealer before putty so I'm the wrong person to ask on that option.
Your camper will look amazing when you're done.
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