Our RV has suffered from a fairly common problem for years. Slowly but surely, the clear coat on our RV’s roof radius has been flaking off, making the top edge of our poor rig look like it has leprosy. We originally thought we might be able to stave off a more major repair by sanding the few small areas where it all started, and applying a new layer of clear coat ourselves. But before we could even pick up a spray can, it had spread too far to reasonably consider tackling the job ourselves.
Talking with other RVers who were suffering with the same issue (this is a common problem across many makes, models and years of RV with full-body paint), we quickly realized that no amount of “do-it-yourselfiness” would get this job done right.
As avid DIYers, this was a tough call. We REALLY wanted to be self-sufficient (and save a lot of money) by doing it ourselves. But sometimes, you need skills or equipment that you just can’t reasonably acquire. And re-painting the entire radius of our RV’s roof was DEFINITELY one of those situations. We’re pretty handy with a paint brush and roller, and have completed our fair share of typical home painting jobs. But getting a smooth, defect-free application of paint to this part of our RV? Without doing more harm than good, it just wasn’t going to happen.
So we turned to the pros. And, lucky for us, we had already identified the best place in the area we’re spending the summer for getting things all fixed up. We’ve had mechanical work done at a couple of First Truck Centre locations before, and their Vancouver location has one of the most well-respected paint shops in western Canada.
Thanks so much to First Truck Centre for allowing us to bring our cameras into their shop again. We’ve had great experiences at both their Vancouver/Surrey and Abbotsford shops. If you’re anywhere in Western Canada, and need top notch RV service, check out First Truck Centre at FirstTruck.ca (of course they work on trucks, too). ????
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Glen Marshall
Saturday 6th of July 2019
Like you, we have also had issues with our paint peeling on the top edges. My solution was to have the areas of concern covered with auto shrink wrap. It took some work to sand off the clear coat but after that we had it commercially shrink wrapped. With the vast amount of color combinations on our coaches these days it is impossible to match, however we chose a complimentary color and had the coach wrapped. it has been 3 years now and we are still very pleased with the results. The cost was 1/4 what we would have had to pay if we had considered repainting.
TheRVgeeks
Sunday 7th of July 2019
Great solution, Glen! We did consider looking at the type of wrap we think you're referring to (the type they wrap cars with), but we'd heard from friends who'd had some of it done that it was very expensive. Sounds like you found a good deal though!
Duane Lipham
Tuesday 2nd of July 2019
Hi guys, I have been watching your videos for a long time now and you always do such a good job of explaining things. I have a 2004 Newmar Kountry Star and I can tell that it had already been repainted on the top and the cap too when I bought it. The sun's UV rays really do a number on that part of the RV. Essentially, anything that is more horizontal rather than vertical really gets a good dose of UV. Now that you have a new clear coat, there are some very good polymer sealants that can be applied by just wiping on with a microfiber towel, and some even last for several months. That's a good place to start to prevent as much clear coat failure as possible in the future. Did you have any other ideas about how you plan to protect your new paint? Also, I have to say that $4500 is pretty good for the kind of work they did and the quality of the job.
TheRVgeeks
Tuesday 2nd of July 2019
Hi Duane! Thanks so much for your kind words and input. It's always nice to hear from a fellow Newmar owner. We've been using an awesome automotive wax made by Meguiar's called NXT ( https://amzn.to/2KRNJ0t ) which is a polymer, probably exactly like you're talking about. Wipes on and off with ease, and does an amazing job.
Roger B
Sunday 30th of June 2019
Thanks for the video. You just reaffirmed my belief in letting the pros do the job so no worries.
John Schretlen
Sunday 30th of June 2019
It's always fun to watch professionals at work.
Thank you for the time and effort you put into getting all the inside-the-booth video. That really made this worth watching.
TheRVgeeks
Sunday 30th of June 2019
Thanks so much, John! Glad you enjoyed it. That painting footage was the most tricky, as we couldn't safely be inside the booth during spraying. So we thoroughly scraped and cleaned the two corner windows at the back of the RV to shoot through the glass. ????
Kelly Nelson
Sunday 30th of June 2019
How far in advance did you have to make a reservation with First Trucks, and how long did it take them. I'm assuming you guys had to stay in a motel while work was being done.
TheRVgeeks
Sunday 30th of June 2019
Hi Kelly! First Truck is already very well known and respected, so we did have to make arrangements very far in advance. If you're thinking about having paint work done there, we'd recommend planning at least 6 months out, especially if you're planning to have the work done during the spring or summer. Might as well call now! That's just for paint work though. Both Vancouver & Abbotsford locations can make a service/maintenance/repair appointment much sooner. Friends of ours just booked an appointment to have a leaky transmission case checked in Abbotsford just a week or two from now. We did stay in hotel for two nights during the paint work, and there are a couple of good choices right nearby there in Surrey, which the shop staff is happy to direct you to.