Painting the Outside

[Dotplus6]

I'm not converting a van (though that was the original plan) but rather renovating a 23 yo Swift Royale (which we got cheap). Once we fix the leaking roof I want to paint the outside of it - has anyone done this? I was going to try & mend all the small dents & then prime it with Zinsser Bull's Eye 123 & then paint with Farrow & Ball exterior paint with a gloss roller. I know this isn't particularly meant for campervans but just wondered if anyone has tried it & succeeded with a paint other than Rustoleum which seems to be the common paint to use.

Thanks!

Dot

 

[Richard n Ann]

We painted a Land rover with radiator paint rollers once, looked amazing in dark green


Edit: olive drab. That's the one

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/112048406783

 

[Dotplus6]

Sounds great - green's my favourite colour. Will try the radiator rollers.

 

[jollyrodger]

Have used gloss roller on quite a few old bangers in the past .
Prep as if you were going to spray it ,2 or 3 passes as you roller as good as a spray job .
Woolworths Winfield paint had as good a spec as more expensive.Tecaloid (?)spl
For instant shine .
This way we have a gov surplice store that carries loads of shades of grey ,if its good enough for the navy it's good gear.

 

[Dotplus6]

Thanks Jolly Rodger - I'll check it out.

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[JackieP]

I painted mine with ordinary eggshell paint. I can’t use a roller on the sides as there are too many decals to cut in around but I used a roller on the roof. Everyone I asked threw their hands up in horror when I told them what I was going to do but years later it still looks just as good.

You don’t always have to follow the rules. Good luck.

 

[mfw]

As long as you prepare it well and use correct primer for what you are painting you wont have problems - wrong primer or paint and you could end up with the paint peeling off like wallpaper

 

[Simon Richardson]

When I was a kid, there was an Ol' Boy in our village who was a Coach Painter by trade and regularly used a shaving brush as the bristles are softer - the finish was amazing!

 

[Dotplus6]

Thank you Jackie - people have been saying the same to me - I will take the bull by the horns & just do it!

Simon - great tip - I'll try any tips - thank you!

MFW - will make sure preparation is done correctly - thank you!

 

[rosalan]

Please deal with damp or any leaks first. Older motorhomes can develop structural weaknesses (wet rot) if the leak has been there for some time. I have dealt in the past with a serious damp problem which, once the interior panels were removed, was relatively easy to repair. Mine required several replacement timbers after cutting out any soft wood. I used two part marine glue which proved excellent and strong. Managed to buy some matching interior lining paper and replaced the marine ply panels.
If the roof has rotted, I believe it is customary to remove the whole or part of the roof from the outside. Charges for this kind of repair start with four figures.
Nothing wrong with painting your van any colour you want, although I seem to recollect that there used to be some sites that would not allow colours that did not blend in with nature, whatever that meant.

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[Dotplus6]

Thanks Rosalan - I'm sort of scared to start hoking at the interior - perhaps I'll get someone with experience to look at it & do it right. I know some of the inside panels feel a bit spongy This could be a whole lot more work than we originally thought....

Have a damp tester so will get it out & try it later today.

 

[Allanm]

I painted a mini with yellow emulsion paint on a Sunday morning many years ago.
Took the car out to play football in the afternoon.
Halfway through the game it started raining heavily.
Went back to the car after the game ( and rain) and the car was it’s original colour, however, the car park was yellow.
I’d used interior emulsion that wasn’t quite dry when the rain started.

 

[pappajohn]

Bloke I worked for when I was unemployed as a lad   used to buy up Mk4 cortinas cheap at auction.
Repair the dings and dents, prep and respray with petrol thinned household gloss.
It was in the transition period between common sense and H&S.... Neither applied.
Back in the auction a week later with at least 100% markup.

 

[mfw]

Bloke I worked for when I was unemployed as a lad   used to buy up Mk4 cortinas cheap at auction.
Repair the dings and dents, prep and respray with petrol thinned household gloss.
It was in the transition period between common sense and H&S.... Neither applied.
Back in the auction a week later with at least 100% markup.

Dunno about petrol as oil based but white spirit will work

 

[pappajohn]

Dunno about petrol as oil based but white spirit will work

gloss paint was oil based until the fresh air freaks had their way and then it became water based.
I'm going back 40 odd years when it probably still had lead in it as well.

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[mfw]

gloss paint was oil based until the fresh air freaks had their way and then it became water based.
I'm going back 40 odd years when it probably still had lead in it as well.

Used to spray lorries late 70s early 80s paint used was synthetic or 2 part isocyanite for harder finish on lorries - cars were still mainly using cellulose - cheap paint job was cheap exterior household gloss paint thinned with white spirit

 

[scotzsue]

@Dotplus6 wish you well, hope you haven't taken on too much. hope your van once restored gives you lots of fun.
Another vote not to use emulsion. My son and his friend painted my old bedford as flower power while I was asleep, thank goodness it rained before I had to go to work.

 

[pappajohn]

Gallon of 2* cheaper and went further than a quart of white spirit in the mid/late 70s.
Don't forget, this bloke was a cowboy out to make a quid.

 

[shawn&emma]

Sounds like a good plan.

Many moons ago I had an old Rover SDi that needed a new paint job, they did rust a little. Went for black metallic hamerite. Lived on a farm then and as it was a cold wet winter painted it in the grain store so not only did it have the lovely hamerite mottled finish it had a sort of sand paper feel to it as well due to the dust in the air when the grain store dryer was running, from memory it took about 3 days to dry. I was going for the Mad Max look. Couple of weeks later on the way back from an evening out we thought we'd play a game of lets see how close we can get to each other, well my mate won, he ran into the back of me and wrote my beloved car of.

Those were the days.


Please post photos when finished.

Shawn

 

[SpeedyDux]

In 1972, the first car I owned I painted with an automotive paint that was advertised as one you could apply with a paintbrush. I did a bit of prep first.

The result was amazing, smooth and glossy with no brush marks or runs. Easy peasy. I expect you can't buy that sort of paint nowadays, because the chemicals in it have been banned.

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[rosalan]

Thanks Rosalan - I'm sort of scared to start hoking at the interior - perhaps I'll get someone with experience to look at it & do it right. I know some of the inside panels feel a bit spongy This could be a whole lot more work than we originally thought....

Have a damp tester so will get it out & try it later today.

I would be very concerned at the word 'spongy' All depending on the cost of the van and what expectations of finished quality you have, unless the roof gives bad readings, you might well be financially better off tackling some of the damp yourself if you are a competent D.I.Yer. If you are, then research what materials will be required before touching the van as some materials may take time locating. Getting to work behind furnishings that were the first things fitted when the van was built can be a real challenge that I, fortunately, did not have to face when I repaired a van in the past.
As others have discovered before you, a faulty engine can usually be fixed fairly easily but bodywork and in particular damp, is a far bigger job.
I truly hope that my predictions are wrong and that the damp meter is kind to you.

 

[Dotplus6]

Thanks Rosalan - I've managed to get a guy who has lots of good reviews on his FB page who is going to do a habitation check and also take a look at the roof. Because it's so old & the gas fire hasn't been used for 6 years (the man who owned it just used an electric heater) I want to get it all checked thoroughly. I will keep you posted on what the guy says & will also post pictures when I get around to painting it - it probably wont be for a wee while as it has to be over 10oc - am currently taking all the decals off which is a job in itself. Take care!

 

[rosalan]

Good luck!
I would love to see whatever progress you make as I am sure would many others who will be doing the same things as you. In this way we can all learn from each other.

 

[Gooney]

As a lad I was refurbishing a Francis Barnett bike, I had it stripped down to the bare frame and decided to spray it using my mums brand new hoover with the spray attachement, I did a fair job on it with cellulose primer and stood back to admire it, I put the paint jar on the floor and unfortunately there was a twist in the hoover hose that straightened out and threw the contents of the jar all over my mums new vacuum cleaner that she had bought on the knock !!, I thought I was going to die.

 

[Van=Life]

paint roller my van with dulux industrial shiney black gloss looked fab when i did it, some areas are solid and still look good others have peeled off , its definitely about the prep, im planning on stripping it back dealing with the rust then doing every panel again, mines a g reg hoping to keep another talbot/ducato from the crusher.

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[ianthebuilder]

PAINTING IT BY HAND!!! You must be mad!!!

Why don’t you do what I did,,, wallpaper it!!

Then varnish over to keep it on! X

 

[Dotplus6]

Update - I haven't been on here since October but have popped on to say, Rosalyn, your fears have been confirmed. The van wasn't damp - it was soaking. When the habitation guy checked it the damp meter bleeped 99% virtually everywhere he checked. He recommended his Uncle to repair the leaks & do what was necessary but when he looked at it, he shook his head & said it was too bad for him to do. So... hubby has decided that we have to do the work ourselves & try & salvage it. On a positive note, we own a joinery workshop & the guys that work for us seem quite happy to work on it inbetween jobs. First of all I'm taking it to our mechanic to give it a thorough check over to ensure it will pass the MOT as there's no point in doing all the work necessary if it is going to fail. It has low mileage so hopefully this starting point will give us the incentive to keep going. Weather is looking good here atm so repairing the roof is our first port of call. Under closer inspection there was duct tape along both top rails at the edge & another patch with a hole covered in duct tape painted over. We should have closely inspected these things before buying - because I half knew the person, I didn't think they would sell us rubbish. Perhaps he thought he'd it all sorted - I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt but the blackness in the roof when we peeled it back shows it's been leaking for years. Next step is to completely strip everything out & take it to the bare bones & start with cleaning / drying & then insulation followed by 3mm ply. I'm going to be doing a blog post on our website when I get to the end of the project (if we're successful) so I will post a link here when done for you guys to see. Painting the outside of it seems like an easy job after all the initial disappointment in buying a white elephant :-(

 

[tofo]

Update - I haven't been on here since October but have popped on to say, Rosalyn, your fears have been confirmed. The van wasn't damp - it was soaking. When the habitation guy checked it the damp meter bleeped 99% virtually everywhere he checked. He recommended his Uncle to repair the leaks & do what was necessary but when he looked at it, he shook his head & said it was too bad for him to do. So... hubby has decided that we have to do the work ourselves & try & salvage it. On a positive note, we own a joinery workshop & the guys that work for us seem quite happy to work on it inbetween jobs. First of all I'm taking it to our mechanic to give it a thorough check over to ensure it will pass the MOT as there's no point in doing all the work necessary if it is going to fail. It has low mileage so hopefully this starting point will give us the incentive to keep going. Weather is looking good here atm so repairing the roof is our first port of call. Under closer inspection there was duct tape along both top rails at the edge & another patch with a hole covered in duct tape painted over. We should have closely inspected these things before buying - because I half knew the person, I didn't think they would sell us rubbish. Perhaps he thought he'd it all sorted - I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt but the blackness in the roof when we peeled it back shows it's been leaking for years. Next step is to completely strip everything out & take it to the bare bones & start with cleaning / drying & then insulation followed by 3mm ply. I'm going to be doing a blog post on our website when I get to the end of the project (if we're successful) so I will post a link here when done for you guys to see. Painting the outside of it seems like an easy job after all the initial disappointment in buying a white elephant :-(

Check the aluminium roof and rear for pitting or ally rust
Be just like little volcanoes

My old swift 520 had little pits at the rear
It just could be where the water has come from or the roof edges

 

[rangi]

gloss paint was oil based until the fresh air freaks had their way and then it became water based.
I'm going back 40 odd years when it probably still had lead in it as well.

You can still buy oil based paint, I picked up a litre of Oil based Eggshell in White only yesterday from a trade centre in Scorrier.

I wouldn't use anything else on woodwork where two parts meet, (doors & windows) with acrylic paint, the two parts stick together.

 

[bobandjanie]

Janie could hand paint her old VW beetle quicker than you could wash a car, she painted it red but it use to fade to pink, so out came the paint pot.

A couple of times people hit it, maybe because it was 6v electrics and the lights were not very bright, but one day she took it in for an estimate for the damage, and she could hear the blokes saying don't know if we can match the paint up. Bob.

Before and after.

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