thoughtsfromjules
Member
We redid the inside of our 1974 Terry Travel Trailer 21' last year and we have very much enjoyed both the process of redoing it and the finished product. We love a good project and the whole family did it together so it holds fun memories. Now that the inside is almost completely done (we only have one goucho cushion to recover and 2 sticks of trim to install), we would like to work more on the outside. We addressed the roof seams with Eterna-Bond 4" tape over seams before we started the inside and made sure there were no active leaks before we got too far on the inside.
I am going to have a lot of questions about redoing the exterior, but first I want to start with the paint job thought process.
*It is aluminum siding and the original paint is either worn off to shiny aluminum or there is barely paint showing and it will come off in a powder film on your fingers, what is the best thing to use on this to clean it and prep it for paint?
*Do we strip it and wet sand? What will work best on ribbed siding for sanding since it is NOT a flat surface by any means?
*Should I use a special primer for aluminum? If so what is recommended as a good value with good results.
*About the windows....do I take them all out before painting or should I apply some fresh paintable caulk around them and mask them off to paint? The putty tape seems a little crumbly under the frames, but I am not looking forward to having to take them all out and reinstall them, but I will if it is the best thing for the overall project. When I put them back in should I select slightly thicker screws and a bit longer (as long as they don't go through the wall) to hold them more securely since the screw holes will already have been used?
*Where there is flat seam tape on corners etc the previous owners used what appears to be clear silicone caulk on either side of the trim piece (see pic)! WHY?!!!!! UGH! I HATE having to remove silicone, is there a product that actually WORKS to remove it easier? My husband suggested just putting paintable caulk over the top of it so paint will stick. I don't know if paintable caulk will stick to the silicone or not.
*I am wanting a white or off white base color and a medium metallic blue in the middle large stripe and a thinner silver or grey strip under that. The whole inside is a patriotic theme with greyish white walls, deep blue cabinets, and a few red accents so I want to keep with that overall idea, but I don't think I want any red on the outside.
I have a gravity fed paint sprayer and air compressor for the main color, but I have to be honest I am leaning a little towards rattle can for the accent stripe sections so I can get fancier paint colors and metallic colors without having to buy an expensive quart of automotive paint for each color etc.....is the rattle can a terrible idea? I have never used a sprayer before (aside from a texture gun for sheetrock and that set up is nothing like painting!) I want this paint job to freshen up the appearance, it is still a 1974 trailer with some minor dings and imperfections and I can't change that. I don't want this to cost a fortune, but I am considering buying all new trim for seams for a nice finished look (or I can wire wheel brush the original trim and see how it comes out and install new vinyl trim to cover the deck screws I plan to use to reattach it). I plan to repaint the visible frame, hitch area, propane tanks, bumper, and step either grey, or black.
What type of paint will work well for the main color? Can I use exterior house paint that is thinned out? If so, what type (oil, acrylic, etc)? Should I use paint like they use for heavy equipment (enamel paint)? Automotive Paint (this intimidates me because of the additives you have to do to make it work right). I want the best value, I want the paint to stay on and look nice for quite a while, I want to be able to wash it with a soft cloth or gentle brush, and it needs to be able to handle some road conditions as well.
I am going to have a lot of questions about redoing the exterior, but first I want to start with the paint job thought process.
*It is aluminum siding and the original paint is either worn off to shiny aluminum or there is barely paint showing and it will come off in a powder film on your fingers, what is the best thing to use on this to clean it and prep it for paint?
*Do we strip it and wet sand? What will work best on ribbed siding for sanding since it is NOT a flat surface by any means?
*Should I use a special primer for aluminum? If so what is recommended as a good value with good results.
*About the windows....do I take them all out before painting or should I apply some fresh paintable caulk around them and mask them off to paint? The putty tape seems a little crumbly under the frames, but I am not looking forward to having to take them all out and reinstall them, but I will if it is the best thing for the overall project. When I put them back in should I select slightly thicker screws and a bit longer (as long as they don't go through the wall) to hold them more securely since the screw holes will already have been used?
*Where there is flat seam tape on corners etc the previous owners used what appears to be clear silicone caulk on either side of the trim piece (see pic)! WHY?!!!!! UGH! I HATE having to remove silicone, is there a product that actually WORKS to remove it easier? My husband suggested just putting paintable caulk over the top of it so paint will stick. I don't know if paintable caulk will stick to the silicone or not.
*I am wanting a white or off white base color and a medium metallic blue in the middle large stripe and a thinner silver or grey strip under that. The whole inside is a patriotic theme with greyish white walls, deep blue cabinets, and a few red accents so I want to keep with that overall idea, but I don't think I want any red on the outside.
I have a gravity fed paint sprayer and air compressor for the main color, but I have to be honest I am leaning a little towards rattle can for the accent stripe sections so I can get fancier paint colors and metallic colors without having to buy an expensive quart of automotive paint for each color etc.....is the rattle can a terrible idea? I have never used a sprayer before (aside from a texture gun for sheetrock and that set up is nothing like painting!) I want this paint job to freshen up the appearance, it is still a 1974 trailer with some minor dings and imperfections and I can't change that. I don't want this to cost a fortune, but I am considering buying all new trim for seams for a nice finished look (or I can wire wheel brush the original trim and see how it comes out and install new vinyl trim to cover the deck screws I plan to use to reattach it). I plan to repaint the visible frame, hitch area, propane tanks, bumper, and step either grey, or black.
What type of paint will work well for the main color? Can I use exterior house paint that is thinned out? If so, what type (oil, acrylic, etc)? Should I use paint like they use for heavy equipment (enamel paint)? Automotive Paint (this intimidates me because of the additives you have to do to make it work right). I want the best value, I want the paint to stay on and look nice for quite a while, I want to be able to wash it with a soft cloth or gentle brush, and it needs to be able to handle some road conditions as well.