Paint

[Amy Klippert]

Can anyone tell me how to paint the interior wood in an old RV. Is it just like painting old furniture?  sand/strip then prime, and paint? 

Or is there a miracle product out there so I can skip all the sanding?  :P 

Thanks 

[Peter Shimkus]

The way to get a good finish that adheres to the base is good prep work.  If the surface is actual wood, a de-greasing and light sanding will do the trick.  You can use TSP or acetone for the de-grease.  TSP is a pretty potent cleaner so gloves and eye protection are mandatory.  Also be very careful to wipe off any places where the TSP goes where you don't want it.  Acetone is a pretty good solvent that can be used also.  It is less aggressive than TSP although it does smell like a solvent. It evaporates very quickly and you don't need to be quite as careful if some gets on a surface you don't want it on.  

If the surface isn't wood like the frame of the cabinets that may be vinyl wrapped particle board or Formica you must prep a little better.  The new paint needs something to adhere to so you will probably need to sand a little bit more to give the primer a place to bite into.

I would recommend a primer like Kilz.  This is a very well respected primer used by the pros.  Skip the paint and primer stuff they are now selling.  You don't want to do this job over.  One coat of primer and however many coats of top coat will do the trick.

Peter