Any Ideas on Restoring the Outside?

[Leah]

Hi Folks,

  I have a good question here...If you take a look at the pics of the outside of our little Aloha, you can see there are a few issues.

#1) It is a blue grey

#2) Rosie is covered in house paint.

  It is a light coat, meaning it is not super thick and in 10 coats. We'd like to take her back to her original glory, the original aluminum. I'm not sure how bad she will look if we get this house paint off of her, or how we are going to do it.

  We did try paint stripper, although it was starting to scratch the aluminum and one little 4x4 area took about 2 hours. THere has got to be a better way of doing this!

  If we can't get the paint off, besides for spending $3,000.00 - $5,000.00 for a new paint job, does anyone have any good suggestions how we can work on her and what would be a good paint to use to doll her up again if the aluminum is horrible?

Thanks so much!

Leah!

[Wade and Lisa Long]

Is it peeling at all? if not primer it and paint it with rustoleum gloss, sand any peeling spots if there are, paint it (a couple weekends) and enjoy it. If it peels after a year or two repeat the process. Like I told my wife, we could spend thousands making it perfect or enjoy it and move on.Sisters on a fly are not all cow girls. trust me each gal has her own thing going. including my wife. I bet if you sand a little and paint it you will be happy. Good luck.

[Leah]

Hi Wade & Lisa,

  Thanks for the info...again! Yea...Sisters on the Fly are big up here in Washington. We'd do the Sisters on the Fly thing...but we're not cow girls...although they are big into the glamping, and that is what we do! Yea, little Rosie has a theme, (I'm sure you're figuring it out a bit with the color scheme) although the thought is putting Rosie the Riveter on the outside...in pink! Hence the name...Rosie! We are 2 gals that can do it...YES WE CAN! LOL!

[Leah]

Hi Rosebud,

  You poor gal...pressure washers are hard to use, especially that long of a duration. The gentleman told me that the aluminum will never be able to polish out...here is the conversation:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leah: I would love to take her back to pure aluminum, but I have a feeling this wouldn't be an option due to sanding?

Larry:

You are correct. There are two types of aluminum that trailers are made from. One is made just for polishing, like airstreams and such, and the other is to be painted. Once painted, they never polish out very well. You can still see the lines from the paint. So I wouldn't even think of trying to polish a trailer that has been painted.

Start with 80 grit in an area that doesn't show much. Like behind the propane tank, then go to 120 and see how it looks. If it's too scratched up, start with 120.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  This is a reason why the potential of painting is extremely high for Rosie again. I'm just not sure if we are going to paint her with Rustoleum or spend $$$ to have her painted professionally. It's a quandrum!

  Don't kill yourself girl! Get those friends out...someone should be helping you...it's hard on us girlies! *WINK!* I absolutely will post pics...let me know when you do too...as we are looking to get in Rosie this Sunday and do a lot of little piddly stuff that needs to get done! :0)

Keep me posted!:0)

Leah!

[Wade and Lisa Long]

Yes we used gloss paint & crome tape. And yes it is totally girlie inside. My wife is a sister on a fly member. Gotta have glitz. Her theme for her trailer if from the movie GREASE!!!.

[rosebud]

ty Leah!i spent 4 hours using pressure washer on her yesterday,some paint came off,but it will take me 200 years to get it all off like that,lol,i have a sander and that grit paper ...i was afraid it would scratch her thats why i hadnt tried sanding,but i will now!ty ty ty...esp dont want to use pressure washer again,it tried to beat me down haha,alot of power in that thing,no sanding party tho,im alone on these projects ,except hubby on sunday does electrical ,but i will get her donetook me almost 3 months on my 55 DRACO,so ty again,hope u post piks after sanding,so will i...ttyl ty again!  do we have to polish after we get it back silver if we dont paint her?

[Leah]

Hi Again, Wade & Lisa!

  Good to hear no fading issues...this is a good thing! Did you use a gloss in the Rustoleum? I need to get to Home Depot and check the paint out. The gentleman Larry I was conversing with also brought up Rustoleum if I didn't want to get her professionally painted. Lots of work, so little time! Thanks for the formula for the linseed oil, I will try it when it is time to paint! I'm feeling good about Rosie and knowing that We are going to do her right...is a good feeling! :0)

[Leah]

Hi Rosebud,

  Thanks for the love! :0) This little girl is going to be so girliefied...the husband said he's afraid to step in! LOL! Yesterday, I was conversing through email with a very nice gentleman named Larry from http://www.cannedhamtrailers.com/ . He does videos on all his projects on these little babies and he helped me figure out how to go ahead and get the paint off...you ready...sanding! Yep! Sanding!

  He said use an 80 grit orbital sander and if 80 is too harsh to use a 120 grit. I told him that I didn't have an orbital and that I only had regular Makitas. (I do a lot of shabby chicing on furniture!) He said that would work, so I went out, grabbed my sander and found that I only had some 100 grit, so off I went! It works! I got a 8" x 2" area done within a few minutes. It went pretty quick, although there is only about 4 coats of paint on Rosie, not 10!

So, depending on what we get done on her this Sunday, the 3 of us will use sanders and work on getting the color off by sanding. I'm thinking with the 3 of us it won't take long! Possibility for ya? Grab some friends (who have sanders) and make a party out of it! Fun for all! Whoohoo! LOL!

[Wade and Lisa Long]

We put on our paint about 15 months ago. I am in the process of resealing and polishing all our windows as we speak. I have not found peeling at all the only thing I did find was a few paint chips on the front of the trailer from driving on the road last year touch ups! I got to thinking about your trailer and getting the old paint off. I think if it were me I would put on a good coat of rustolium primer first and paint right over that latex paint,. The linseed oil was addwd to the paint and mixed in about 1/4 cup to a gallon. And no we have seen no fading or issues at all! Good luck.

[rosebud]

hi Leah! love your new colors!!im having the same problem finding out how to remove house paint that was brushed on my 54 Viking,looks to be about 10 coats,im going to try sand blasting next lol,nothing else has worked so far,if you find out some way to get it off ...would love to know how you did,same here...ill share what I try..love your pink,im hoping to make this one girlie girl looking lol,the other I did more as family camper,i just love these lil beauties!:)

[Leah]

Hi Wade & Lisa,

  Thanks so much for the info! I have been talking with a gentleman this morning about Rustoleum and it might be the way to go although, I do need to get the other paint off. We discussed using a sander and what would be the best way to do so. I'm thinking the Rustoleum would be a great way to go about it.

  How long ago did you do your painting and have you come across any peeling at all or fading? Summer is coming up and it will be in triple digits here soon enough. Did you have any issues with the linseed oil drying in the paint and has it caused any issues after?

Thanks so much,

Leah!