painting my van

adventure before dementia · Veteran Member

painting my van

Radar · Guru

adventure before dementia wrote:
Hi there , l know this is the place where l can get some great answers to my questions
1

2 the interior ceiling is ply coated with some form of vinyl that has lifted. Others are ok

ABD hi from my own adventures possible reason the vinyl has lifted is due to dampness, water coming in though the roof.

I hope I am wrong, all the best with your repair work.

hako · Guru

I'd take the opportunity to fully seal the roof before painting to stop any leaks that may have caused the vinyl coating on the ply ceiling to lift. I'd use an acrylic like solarguard in white of course...should'nt have to do much surface prep other than wipe over with turps/metho/sovent or whatever. Peel the loose vinyl from the ply ceiling and then you'll need to remove the old glue with a rag soaked in a solvent then seal and paint. Check the ply is not rotted.....it's not too hard to replace the ply as it's usually thin 3 ply and bendable.
Good Luck.

-- Edited by hako on Friday 22nd of January 2016 03:13:55 PM

Explorer · Guru

adventure before dementia wrote:
Hi there , l know this is the place where l can get some great answers to my questions
1 l want to paint the exterior of my van , lncluding the roof. The existing paint is very powdery
And needs to be repainted ,, what paint should l use , enamel or acylic ( solar guard ) .
2 the interior ceiling is ply coated with some form of vinyl that has lifted. Others are ok
Thats my best solution ?? Dont want to replace the ply.

Hi, Have seen quite a few vans repainted, by home handy men and "professionals" each and everyone of them has been very noticeable as being repainted & in my opinion possibly worse than before. I would try to restore the original first. Try a couple of different polishes even something slightly abrasive.

Without seeing the ceiling would guess that You have two options A replace the ply B live with what you have.

Regards Mike.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Paint the roof as it's hard to see . Protects nearly everything under it . Use seam sealer on all joins etc .. Painting acrylic with air gun is very easy if you have access to Atleast 3 h.p compressor .. Dries very fast on warm not too humid days .,

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Paint roof with house paint & roller and go over with FINE paint brush .. Seems to last better than car paint ..

Allyoops · Veteran Member

Hi abf
3 years ago i repainted the exterior of my caravan which I have since traded. The van had been stored under a tree for 6 wet months with no protection and was as black as the ace of spades. I went into the local paint shop where i recieved excellent service and advice. I was recommended a good paint (dulux I think) with approximately 25% special additive which retards chalking. As the decals were fragmented it took e 3 days to remove them with a heat gun and plastic scraper which i used to prevent scrathes. Wash down with sugar soap then rinse and allow to dry prior to carefully masking prior to painting painting. As my van panels had a stippled (rough) surface i had to use a paint brush so as to get into the bottom of the dimples (stippling). To make sure all was covered i applied 2 coats of paint and added new plastic decals which you get custom made at your local sign writer.It looked great but took 7 days of hard work. I traded the van after 2 years the dealer onselling it to another dealer who took the trouble to call me and congratulate me on the paint job.
Good luck
Ally

adventure before dementia · Veteran Member

Thank you for all your feed backs on painting my old van ,