How I polished the Z on our Shasta

I see it near something blue and swear the color is blueish then see it in the shade and it looks greenish. The color we started with is called Seaside Manor but we altered it. I can give you the exact formula if you want it.

Here is my simple pictorial on my amateur system.

I took a 2" wide and 12' long board and held it on the camper to pencil my line.


I put a wider piece of Fineline tape on top and below the 2" Z area.


I polished it with Blue Magic. Being very careful not to get polish outside the white tape. Polish will keep the paint from adhering. 


Once polished I use 1/2" 3M Fineline tape along the inside of the Z right on the edge of the white tape.


I remove the white border tape.



Fill the center with cheap painter's tape.


Carefully clean above and below the Z with Lacquer thinner to remove any hint of polish. Use a lot of rags, rotate them so you don't swipe more than one area with each portion of rag. Then do it all again with lacquer thinner. Then do it again with denatured alcohol. Be gentle with the tape, although the Fineline tape holds up very well to solvents. 


Does that make sense?

Over the course of prep I washed the camper down with After Stripper Wash, Lacquer thinner more than once and Denatured Alcohol. I also tack rag it before painting. In between coats I sanded with 320 grit then 600 grit, blew it off and tack ragged.

The prep on painting was explained to me by the pros on this forum. Great advice but really boring work. It's the only part of restoration work I don't enjoy. But if you don't do it, you suffer later.

The only part I don't get is what the piece of wood is for?

Oh I get it, because your trailer didnt originally have a Z stripe. I kept thinking why do I need to pencil a line, my trailer already has the stripe lined out.

One more question, is the plastic on the windows just the vapor barrier that you just didn't cut the window openings yet?

This is a great thread! Thanks, NCCamper.

Love the methodology of laying out your paint. You mention if the polish accidentally contacts metal you plan to paint it will resist adhesion; can one apply polish to the "Z stripe" after the new paint has already been applied as oppose to before? I'm really wondering if metal polish is bad for a new coat of oil based enamel paint