First trip to Puerto Penasco and I am enjoying it. The dw had to stay home and work but was really too chicken to come. I haven't met anyone from here that wasn't extremely nice and accommodating. They have been working on my coach from daylight to dark and have all the sticker decals off and have sanded the whole coach. Cost for repairs and full body paint from Antonio Geraldo (twigs recommendation) is $6500. Which includes an 8yr warranty and 4 clear coats. Redoing 2 captain's chairs and foam (1 wide body), 1 recliner, sofa, dash, dinette, large valance over whole slide, ext door, and 2 tables on end of slide for $3600 leather on seats w vinyl everywhere else. I did haggle some but felt a little guilty after seeing how hard they work and the great deal I feel I'm getting.Getting it painted at Concha Del Mar dry campground which is on the beach Next to Playa Bonita. $12/night but most importantly I think it lets Antonio make more money because they take less commissions. I am leaving the RV here to be finished and after talking to Twig and many people here and being around Antonio I have complete confidence that it will be finished as agreed. I also feel completely safe here as Pierre man's the gate way better than Barney Fife. Just ask Ken, Dori, Rick, and Leslie, from the forum, who I met for the 1st time. Wonderful people who took me under their wing and to lunch one afternoon. Antonio is going to send me pictures of the process and I will share with you guys as it goes. He said it should take 4 wks. Taking a daily shuttle tomorrow to Phoenix for the flight home.
For short trips, we traveled to San Felipe many times but had never been to Puerto Peñasco. It's a good compromise between border towns and Mexican tropical resorts. At around 50,000, it's big enough for diesel engine/transmission work plus painting, etc and also has the ocean with several decent RV parks with golf, resorts and GREAT FOOD.
Yes, send some photos as the project progresses.
Would love to have a big green and orange iguana painted on the back.
Pierce
Day 1 all decals were removed. I suspect this would have taken me several months!
White doesn't look too bad!
Interested in following your experience! I was very tempted to buy your coach prior to your purchase. Anxious to follow the continued progress!
We had a great time down their.. planning another trip in march/april.. ^.^d
The 1st picture was Monday. They have been sanding for the last 2 days so not much to share. I didn't realize they were going to sand so I left some windows open yesterday morning for a couple of hours. Not smart😳
Jhardman, glad you passed on it😊. I was nervous when I bought it and have had to repair some stuff but not anything overwhelming. Put about 15k miles on it and just love it.
Tommy, I wrote to you and wished you luck on the purchase, as I almost pulled the plug on that coach as well. Thought it was a great deal and the guy trying to sell it was getting pretty frustrated as well. The time the coach sat was my issue and it looks like you have done well! Glad for you!
On the 2 front seats, did he break that down to what each would cost to recover and new foam? Thanks!
I really really wanted GV, but most were always out of my budget. I got a great coach prior to yours hitting the market,, but when I saw yours come on the market, I had to think long and hard about selling mine! I got maintenance records on the one I bought in 2017, so I stuck with it and love it....few exterior appearance issues to fix and I'd like to do the FBP(I already stripped decals). I'm hoping to do the Alaskan motorcade in 2021. I want to proactively replace the radiator, hydraulic pump, and probably have valves adjusted/checked at least. She runs cool and like a top!
Will be following your journey!
Has me thinking of going down there for some degree of paint.
I just threw my first dollar in my pickle jar !
I will tell you, everyone I have met down here is not looking for a hand out, they want to work. I have not had the 1st person ask me for money. Was nervous at first but everyone I've meet seems very genuine and is hard working and nice. Antonio is very passionate about his work and has what appears to be only his family working with him. His father, sons, and nephews. So far I would highly recommend him! I am actually leaving for the states and am not staying down here the whole time to watch the progress. He has shown me his work ethic and it far exceeds what I have experienced anywhere else so I feel comfortable about leaving it with him and having the work completed without looking over his shoulder. If your thinking about it I would recommend the trip down to try it out!
Juicesqueezer, I remember chatting with you after I bought it and am sorry we missed each other by a few days at Quartzsite! Would have loved to have shown it to you.
Yes, we left like a day before, if I recall! We will down in Yuma on the 16th of February and 2 weeks later, back at the Q. Maybe we can hook up. Did you see my question on cost of the 2 front seats? We would like to get ours done, so will have to pick your brain some. lol
We had the front seats done about 4 years ago. The cost was $550 for both with the shop coming to the RV park for the R&R. The material is much more durable than the OEM. The work was really excellent. As good today as when they did the job. Check the four photos of the work at: U300 Seats - Google Photos (https://photos.app.goo.gl/WVVJWXD9cFjpFSvc8)
Pierce
Dub
I have been wanting to have mine painted also, maybe we could get a "two for". It will have to be next year before I can have it done. I am hoping to get to go west next year, this year didn't work out. I wonder how far out their schedule is?
Ok. We really want to do this! Leaving the coach would be tricky since it's our home and we have pets... but we would sure be willing to find a way!
Where can I find contact information?
Forum search this
Puerto Penasco Paint (https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=37904.0)
Thanks Pierce; you actually sent me some info on the cost of new upholstery for the seats a short time ago, but was wondering what the current price is now. Seems they have been going up!
Hola y'all
We are in PP as I write. Having the fiberglass repaired and the coach painted. Antonio is doing the work. Again Twig recommended. We agree with Tommy, Antonio and his crew are excellent.
Tommy we enjoyed meeting you. Hope to see you again next time bring your wife. Leslie will convince her to come down. We'll keep an eye on the progress on your coach while we are here. BEAUTIFUL coach by the way, you done good. :D
Antonio has Facebook pages with photos of his work and I've seen several murals he has done. He is a gifted artist, and you can tell he loves his work. I'll post pictures of our work when I can. Wi fi sucks where we are.
Cheers Ric 8)
Here is a breakdown of the price for each item and I negotiated this down to 3600+240 for front curtain and door curtain. This was the price for leather seats and backs and vinyl everywhere else and to refoam where needed. I later had to change to all vinyl because I got tired of sending the wrong colors to my wife back in KY that didn't suit😂😂😂. The all vinyl price was 3200 for everything. As Twig said in another post everyone had gone up in price. I did negotiate a little but not too hard because I felt like I was getting a great deal compared to the 5k I was quoted in the states last year at this time. Chair listed was a small recliner. The 2 captains chair was for drivers and extra large copilot seat.
Just like Pierce said they will come to you. Here is the contact info for David Munoz for upholstery and Antonio Geraldo for paint. Didn't want a mural but man he can paint them, free hand with an airbrush.
One must consider today's exchange vs the exchange rate in the past when comparing today's services in Mexico. I believe you get less peso's to the dollar today then five years ago.
Roland
Ric,
The Mexicans are pretty laid back so it's not like being in the Middle East where you sit down and bargain for a half day drinking mint tea over a $50 coat or carpet. But just like here, you still have to do a little bargaining. Perhaps rent, materials or the exchange rate has affected the business. Having a couple of quotes from other shops with a clipboard with the numbers in your hand helps. Bringing up the Foreforum with all the other potential customers also helps. It also helps establishing a rapport with the shop owner so you get a sense of who he or she is and they can put a face to the expensive motorhome from the U.S. You also need to go into detail exactly how you would like the work done. The material, stitching, design if different. I wanted it exactly as the OEM was so went over all the details not leaving anything out. Their English may not be the best so you both need to be patient. I also make sure that they know I'm coming back every day to check on the stitching, etc just as I would do here. If it's paint, be up to speed on the types of paint, primer, shrinkage, what you expect to be masked off, etc. This way, you show appreciation for their skills and then next time you meet, you will both have smiles our your faces.
My wife sold sailboats in the Bay Area. She said there were always two prices, one for the "important" people and the good price for others that she liked and felt comfortable talking to.
Puerto Peñasco was hit hard by the recession of 2008 and is just now getting back on it's feet. The international airport is done and the cruise port construction is well underway. Like most all Mexicans, the residents see the glass half full and are optimistic about the future. Prices are always going to be more for any kind of work, food, lodging than further down in the heart of Mexico. With a motorhome, it's close and convenient while still getting excellent work.
Antonio's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/antonio.geraldo.3?fref=search&__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARAPxQHwaLJspXKnqT0E-EuC2yPd4cgsr1Fe_N_hkxAkHZWFoCuWGLW3iQeUCfZ54UixGQkqng8wSxLS Lots of talent here. I can't even draw a stick man.
Pierce
February 2021 is my plan on getting the coach repainted there. Roof too. Might bring my own paint. We will see.
Mexico repaints a lot of our airliners as well as manufacturing a lot of our cars. The general aviation aircraft being made in Chapala had great paint and as you know, most aircraft sit outside for most of their lives so the paint has to be pretty good. Especially the reds. Might be worth a facebook message. Painters can usually get deals on paint that outsiders can't or in other words, they get the same paint cheaper than we can.
You are probably thinking of Imron. An outstanding aircraft paint or for anything that needs to look good for a long time. It's made by a Philadelphia based company Axalta and made all over the world with several plants in Mexico. Also plants in Germany and China.
Axalta Invests in Mexico (https://www.axalta.com/ca/en_CA/newsroom/news-releases/axalta-invests-in-mexico.html)
I've done a couple of partials on aircraft and my Fiat 850. Did our firewall and the inside of our engine cowling a couple of years ago. It resists most chemicals and does not seem to oxidize. It dries shiny and very hard. Not good to color sand and buff.
Pierce
I tried to buy Imron here in California and it is no longer sold here.
Dub and Ron,
Maybe we can take him three coaches!
Chuck,
You may have to buy it online. Axalta makes it now but they may be still controlled by Dupont. It's the only thing that Gary will use at the hanger and I think he gets it all online. We only spray white. This is about the same white as Foretravel uses.
imron paint | eBay (https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Ximron+paint.TRS0&_nkw=imron+paint&_sacat=0)
Imron has a couple of things that make it difficult to use unless you are a pro. The hardener is super expensive at about $215/quart, you need a suit and an outside air source for your full head mask unless you want to risk lung damage or worse and unless you shoot it all the time, there is a fine line to getting it on nice and flat without any sags and too dry with orange peel. And if it has peel and you want to sand and buff it later, good luck.
Here is a quote that pretty much says it all:
Imron has undergone many changes over the years, from regular Imron to Imron 3.5 to Imron 2000 to Imron 5000 to Imron base clear 6000 to the new Imron Elite, Imron is used by most truck manufactures today, there is 70% market share which shows it's bigger today then ever, howevr the car guys find it very hard to use, and very expensive, with aftermarket companies selling a gallon of paint for $80 a gallon most wont pay $3-$500 a gallon for Imron, we try to explain that Imron would last forever and the cheap stuff just a couple of years but most are blind to value when faced with dollars out of pocket
If you shoot it outside, perhaps, that's perhaps the health risk MAY be less so most don't use a body suit. Gary is old school and shoots in the hanger with just a fan on. I clear out for hours when he does that.
The paint does not seem to have an expiration date so all the Imron I've seen has a Dupont label on it. It is MUCH cheaper if you find it on ebay but finding enough for a complete on a coach might be difficult. Others also use different hardeners as they are quite a bit cheaper.
Everyone seems to be going to water based paint now. Easy clean up, relatively cheap. Not sure how long the clearcoat lasts in the sun though. But, even the water based paint uses nasty catalyst so protection is necessary. That's part of the reason you can't buy the catalyst for some waterbased paint in California or if you can, they want you to roll it and not spray it.
Pierce
I just got back from the airport where Gary said that it's not a problem to ship Imron to California from HQ in Philadelphia. Gary's aircraft fabricator uses Imron commercial white and our electric utility, PG&E uses commercial white on all their buckets that work on the telephone poles. He said the cost is about $100/gal. Will post when I find out more.
Pierce
It would be funny to see this on the front of a coach. But, some people will not get it. Different generation.
Then on the front window shade when drawn down, have the roadrunner with a train hat driving .
I get it Bleep bleep!
I have a small dog, real roadrunner and she are a hoot to watch! The roadrunner using vegetation and terrain. The dog using eyes. The transition from running to flight ends with dog just standing "saying which way did she go".
Somebody is going to put paint on mine this spring..Have Zero cracking but my colors bore me..
I was thinking marine based 2 part epoxy paint like Interlux perfection or Allcraft. You can spray it but like the other epoxy based paint it can be deadly to lungs and heart. But it can be rolled and tipped with much less potential for harm and still get good results.
As they say much is in the prep work.also want the roof done with a non skid added. I have a good design in mind that should be easy to paint. What about a custom mural on the rear? How much does that set you back? A nice mountain scene would be cool.
If you need a quote just send info to Antonio by FBook or call or text and he will give you a quote. Very nice guy to work with
Do you have any idea you will be there first couple weeks of June Twig?
Awnings removed, everything masked and ready for primer. They started Monday and have been sanding on it since Tuesday. They also are removing all caulk and replacing.
Looking great! My jealous heart ;)
John H,
Thanks for info on insurance, it will be useful for my next visit
Here is the paint scheme we have chosen and Antonio sent a picture of him trying out his projector. Pretty interesting, he projects it onto RV then I assume he traces the pattern and then will paint. Very excited to see how it will turn out!
Tommy, you will have one GV that you can be so proud of! Can't wait to see the finish product!
John, are the toll booth operators still on strike? The only bad part is when they are on strike, NO RECEIPT. :))
Tommy, if you can, find out what kind of paint he is using on your coach. Both base coat and clear. Made in Mexico or?
Pierce
Pierce, attached is the base coat. Waiting on clear coat info.
If anyone is interested, I have the factory white paint mixing chart from when ours was done.
Is anyone going to be in Puerto Penasco the end of may to first of June that has been there and done it with the painters..Thinking of using Antonio Geraldo and hate to drive up being as dumb as I seem.
Take a look at some of the Murals that Antonio has done. The one with the vehicle gives you some perspective on the size. He did all these in the same parking lot with an extension ladder. Amazing talent.
Excuse my ignorance but how does one go about the initial contact and planning / estimating with Antonio? Does he have a backlog?
I am sold on this lower cost option. If I understood correctly does he also does fiberglass repair as part of the full body paint?
I would love to see the in progress updates. I do have a little concern with leaving the coach outside of the US. Although from reading here this fear is not really shared. Has anyone had an unfortunate incident leaving the coach in Mexico for work like this?
Thanks.. sending you a pm.rworley
See answer #21 for contact info of Antonio Geraldo (painter/artist) and David Munoz for upholstery
Facebook contact through messenger here
https://www.facebook.com/antonio.geraldo.3?fref=search&__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARAPxQHwaLJspXKnqT0E-EuC2yPd4cgsr1Fe_N_hkxAkHZWFoCuWGLW3iQeUCfZ54UixGQkqng8wSxLS
Eric, I sent photos of all damage and pictures of what I wanted it to look like through FB messenger only because my phone service doesn't work outside the US. Antonio responds promptly. He said his slow time is August, September & first 2 weeks of October.
I would be happy to talk with anyone and share what I have experienced just send me a message with your # and best time to contact.
I copied the phone numbers and email you listed Tommy. Thanks.
We are dealing right now with Munoz on Messenger about our 2 captain chairs that need recovering. He has quoted $800 for both as it stands right now. Need to see if there is an additional charge for going with 2 colors. Waiting now for him to send us photos of some he is working on now.
We will be down in Yuma at Cactus RV park for 2 weeks and making a decision to have something done at the end of our 2 week stay.
Looks like we are getting painted in December! Quoted us $7000. May add our driver/passenger chairs as well.
Now to come up with an idea for the paint. I'd like it to stay somewhat old school, but hubby disagrees! Lol, happy medium it is....
Was December the earliest date or was that working out for your schedule? After seeing the pics on this post we are thinking.................... That ususally ends up being expensive :D
Larry
Finally have a little internet so can throw my $.02 in.
We are at Playa Bonita RV at the moment. Had Muñoz do our couch, chairs, & hassock. Only took a week for all that. All look great but dealing with off gassing of the new vinyl. :o Moñoz is also doing a windshield cover for us. Should be done today.
Antonio will be doing some touchup work on Big Agnes. I showed him the touch up bottles from our FBP at Foretravel plus a can label that Biscuit (Justin) gave me. He was able to find the paint and has ordered it.
Will post back after work is complete.
Ric & Leslie are in the middle of a 1/2 FBP by Antonio. Been too windy here to do any work the last couple of days. Wind has finally died down this morning.
Lots of rigs here have murals by Antonio. He does some excellent work.
see ya
ken
This is the design we chose, 1st picture. Colors we have chosen with Dori and Leslie's blessing are blue, gold/tan, white, silver (see 2nd picture). Had to provide a picture for all 4 faces of the coach (drivers side, passenger side, front, and rear) so he could use his projector.
Tommy, can you show a pic of the front. Having a GV I'm curious.
Bob, you might be curious, but I'm jealous :dance:
This is the design we chose, never thought how it would look on a GV but here is the front of the Dutchstar that I am steeling the design from. I think it will look the same? We'll see. We switched the colors up a little to have the lighter colors on top so my front will be gold and blue.
I think that design may actually look better on your coach than it does on that Newmar. Good choice.
The design and progress looks great!
I went out and found the old receipt in the glove compartment from the first time we were at PB in 2014. It was $144/wk and beach front was $178 but none was available.
Electricity is cheap for homes but businesses pay a lot more per KWh in Mexico. Perhaps higher energy costs are responsible for the increase.
Bonita is very secure and when I talked to old time residents, they had never heard of any kind of crime there.
Pierce
Tommy D can you post the contact information for all the members. I'm sure there are more than a few who might be able to use it sometime in the future.
Not to change the subject, I really like your profile information at the bottom. Shame it didn't have a "F" on the side instead of a "W". Still a unique insignia. ^.^d
Larry
Antonio is a treasure. Straight shooting artiste. I worked in the marine industry for 30+, mostly high end yachts. He knows his stuff.
Yes he also does fiberglass repair. He is repairing accident damage and doing a 1/2 body paint for us. I watched him lay out the new stripe designs this evening. Painting starts tomorrow.
Thank you Twig for the recommendation
We also had our chairs and couch done by Munoz. They did a great job.
I'll post photos of progress when I have internet again.
As far as feeling safe here. No worries, be happy. Mas cervases, por favor.
Salute 8)
Post pictures of how they get it out please. Doing it without more damage will be a challenge.
OK, just saw the later photos. Wind on the repaint on Ric's coaches antenna looks like it's really howling. It just blew at 209 mph above us at the summit on I-80. Did some damage here too but no rain, just high wind. Enough to blow over my new gantry crane. Lucky that it missed the electric winch on it when it fell.
Pierce
My 2001 Kenworth W900L had the 500HP C15. 13 speed. Shortly after, Cat decided to pull out of the over the road/RV market.
Fiberglass repairs are underway. Majority of interior upholstery is done and I am waiting on pictures from David Munoz.
Looking good!
P
Waiting on those upholstery pictures T....
I will have to say this forum is pretty neat. Hundreds of people bonding over their passion for old motorhomes. I met Ken, Dori, Ric and Leslie for really just a few brief hours and they, knowing I was not around, went to check on the painting and upholstery project I have going in the next campground over. And let me tell you it is a task to get around the pit bull, Pierre, Guarding the entrance! The were nice enough to send pictures as well. Looks like most of the furniture is back in except for the captains chairs.
The furniture looks great!! Can't wait to see the outside paint job.
Tommy, Everything looks great. Curious, do you know what the price would be for just the sofa reupholster job ?
Not exactly. My original bid for everything I had done was 4300 and the sofa was $950 of that price. But I negotiated down to $3600 for everything, then I decided to use vinyl everywhere (instead of leather on seats and backs as villa furniture is normally done.) and that reduced the overall price to $3200 including a few other things I added front curtains and door curtain. I think Kenhat had his sofa done in all vinyl and he may be able to chime in with that exact price.
No leather done in villas. Ultrafabrics where Ultraleather comes from is 100% vinyl. Original | ultrafabrics (https://www.ultrafabricsinc.com/collections/original) The name is just another B#**&%@ term to make some think it's leather. It has to say Real Leather, Genuine Leather, Ecke Leather. Here is a quote from their site:
Ultrafabrics® is a pioneer in the polyurethane synthetic leather industry. Merging six decades of passion and experience with proprietary technology and an .."Ultrafabrics/Ultraleather FAQs: https://www.ultrafabricsinc.com/sites/default/files/environment/FAQ_2016.pdf
Pierce
You might check the date with Antonio. I'm going down in about 3 weeks and he had told me previously that mid-May to mid-Sept was not a good time for painting. Too hot.
We're still in PP. Antonio is finishing up the coach this week. He and his crew work incredibly hard. 1/2 body paint and some FG repair has taken a bit over 3 weeks. The coach is looking great, IMHO ;D We've decide to have him do a mural on the back. He does beautiful work. Have seen several of his murals on coaches here and on buildings around town.
We just had D. Munoz do our couch and chairs. Couch price in vinyl was around $580. They did a nice job. I think we caught them in a lull, as they got right to it & only took about a week.
We're very happy with all of the work we've had done here. And our experience in PP. Probably be back next year.
Hasta manana Ric 8)
Blue has been covered and ready for pearl white and pearl grey to be applied. He also sent a video of sanding on the FG repairs but I couldn't get it to post.
Looks terrific!!!
P
The only contact I've had with Antonio he was good with the first week of June.. maybe because I'm getting decals painted and not FB.. Time gets closer I'm going to have more in-depth conversation. I can go anytime but wife has ties that bind... Looking really nice T.. Proud for you.
Ric's couch had end pieces where ours does not. Senior David did our couch for $500 in vinyl.
see ya
ken
I think we were the first Foretravel customers David Munoz had back in '14. From what I have seen, the vinyl everyone is using is the same as we selected.
The OEM Ultraleather vinyl is quite a bit thinner but lends itself to nice crisp corners because of the thinner material's ability to make tight radius corners. It's easier to sew also. The downside is that while it makes great looking soft faux leather on side panels, it does not wear nearly as well on seating areas. Ours was in terrible condition after only 60K miles. Plus, it was sticky on my skin so I never wore shorts driving it and didn't like the armrest feel.
A good vinyl should last almost forever. Mercedes MB-Tex can still look great in cars from the '60s. Many years of 300SDs were imported only with MB-Tex as you cannot tell it from leather. I always told customers to buy a chamois or scrap leather and put it under the seat.
The color on Mercedes/BMW leather seats (and many others) is sprayed on. Most cars with leather seats (partial) prior to 1992 had their color sprayed on with lacquer based paint. It was changed to water based dye after that. Some English cars had vat died leather where the entire skin is dyed all the way through. This cracks more easily. How to Re-dye Leather | Leatherique Restoration Products (http://www.leatherique.com/do_it_your_self_instruction/how_to_re-dye_leather.html)
Unless you purchase a very high end exotic car, the leather interior you ordered will only be the seating area with the sides and backs of the seat vinyl. Same for the side panels and arm rests. Are your car seats actual leather? (https://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/are-your-car-seats-actual-leather-20140330-35sre)
The vinyl that Munoz used on ours is close to MB-Tex and after about 6 years, looks like the day his shop installed it. Since it is thicker, the folds have a slightly more "relaxed" look but exactly what I would expect out of the material. It gets a plus plus for everything.
Mexico may have perforated vinyl available but I have not seen any. Ask the shop if interested. Some like the seating area perforated and the other parts of the seat normal.
Ken and Tom. Your seats look great.
Pierce
What a great thread! I had been talking with Antonio for several months and planned to go down in November for FB paint job but a death in the family set me back. Confirmed now for the first week in March and was just starting to research the logistics when I saw this thread. Tommy was kind enough to give me a call today and walk me through how the process went for him and I can't thank him enough. It gives me a lot more confidence than going down blind.
I plan to leave Florida on the 28th, stop and see the folks at MCD for measurements and a quote the morning of 3/2. Make my way towards Lukeville and cross on 3/4 or 3/5. Will dry camp at Conch del Mar for a couple of days finalizing arrangements for painting with Antonio and upholstery with David Munoz.
Have been wanting to tear up the carpet/tile and install a new floor. Is there anybody in Penasco can can do that work? Or maybe just have them do the demo while there and install myself when I am back home. Thoughts? Like Tommy, I can not stay with the coach so I will take the shuttle up to Phoenix, fly home and come back 4-5 weeks later. Is anybody from the forum still going to be around?
Hate not being there cause I'm getting excited!!
Here are some of the latest pictures, he has added the white and grey stripes.
The tape line in-between colors will be the gold color.
Next he will sand and do 2 clear coats then add the Gold and 2 clear coats
Wow, that looks great. Cant wait to see the finale'
Ric.. Antonio posted a few pictures of your coach today I believe. Image looks good.
I've seen Ric's coach and it looks amazing. I'll let him post the pic.
[Split PAGES of off-renovation-topic general PP travel posts out of this one and put them in Fire Ring. Left any posts related to paint/upholstery here]
Just arrived, they're almost done. Will post more pics when I get better service
Tommy, Head over to Satisfied Frog for internet and cervezas! :) Coach looks great!
see ya
ken
That does look amazing! Congratulations.
Coach looks great Tommy. Hope you can make it up to Tucson.
Cheers Ric
Glad you made it Tommy! Give me a shout on your way home. Should be in El Paso tomorrow and Why by Tuesday.
Dan,
That's a lot of miles in one day. The last 120 will be on narrow 2 lane through the Tohono O'odham reservation. Almost no pull outs until you get to Why. Make sure you get an early start! There is overnight parking at Hwy 86 & Hwy 85. You might want to fill up in Why as fuel is pricy in MX.
see ya
ken
Finally getting some clear coat put on. Antonio has worked some late nights trying to get us done. Finally moved to a warehouse as weather was not cooperating. Really excited, it looks totally different with clear coat applied. I was surprised that he is putting on 4 coats on at the end after putting 2 coats on the white, blue and grey colors earlier.
Tommy,
Any clue what kind of clear coat it is? Two part (with catalyst)? Color sand and buff or is it good as shot?
Can't wait for some hi-res shots.
Pierce
Pierce tried to upload pictures but WiFi wouldn't handle it. Will have to post later. I do know it is a 2 part with catalyst. They worked till 2ish last night and slept in the warehouse with us. Sorry but not going to get that kind of dedication at home. Antonio is a super guy and very talented but he is facing some growing pains with his business. He hasn't mastered the art of planning and delegation maybe cause he doesn't yet trust his family of workers to do as good of job as he does. We talked yesterday and he has always painted mostly on the beach but I think he has realized the convenience and time savings of a warehouse and not having to pack up all your stuff and walking back on the job ready to go. And no weather worries.
Sorry Tommy. I think working on our coach turned into a larger project than he planned. That plus weather put him behind schedule for yours. Antonio is a perfectionist, he'll work on it until he is satisfied with it. I think he is going to need that warehouse. The Foretravel family alone could keep him in work. ^.^d
Edwardo, his nephew, wants to follow in his uncles foot steps. Plans to go to college for graphic arts. He is apprenticing now with Antonio. Good to see the continuation . Nice kid.
Glad you made it back and that the coach is turning out well.
See you down the road.
Cheers Ric 8)
There are several big paint shops just across the border in Algodones that have YouTube/Facebook videos for their RV paint/body jobs. While they appear to do good work, I've never seen such a talented guy as Antonio. I have trouble drawing stick figures let alone looking at a drawing and making it come alive on an RV.
Renting a large building would allow Antonio to work year around as PP gets really hot in summer and the wind can blow for days at a time.
Puerto Peñasco's big advantage is the ocean along with dozens of great restaurants. While not in the tropics, it's still a lot of fun. For what I saved on my dental work there, I could have Antonio paint the whole coach and still have some left over.
Saving our pennies for a big wolf on the back or perhaps an iguana or two on the sides.
Pierce
Jeannie and I vote for a super size portrait of Koda - one of the most impressive animals we've ever had the pleasure to meet.
Ric,
No worries I was warned many times by fellow forum members to allow for Mexican time. Not troubled at all. Enjoying the down time but I really do need to get going. Think they will finish today :o ^.^d
Looks great! Is dust in the paint a concern as it's being done outdoors?
Of course, and it's not going to be perfect but I'm paying 1/6th of what it would cost in the states. So for me that balances out. I had a 20 yr old coach that looked good for a 20yr old coach, better than any other brand. But now I will have a 20yr old coach that looks brand new from a distance with maybe a run or two up close. I am super impressed with what it looks like. Plus my eyesight is not as good as it once was ;)
Ric may chime in but the paint and clear coat seem to dry so fast that I don't think I will have any sand in the paint. Also he is fixing things as he goes before and while he sprays the clear coat.
I've shot outside quite a few times. Dust was never a worry unless windy. Not much dust close to the ocean. You are probably thinking about the old enamels that took ages to dry. Tough to shoot also as not wet enough there would be a ton of orange peel, too wet and sags would spoil a nice job. Plus, they collected anything floating in the air for the next hour plus. Bugs were the major problem and spring time was the worst. Usually, mornings were the best before all the bugs were out and about.
A good painter can shoot outside and get just as good of a job as inside. The one advantage is lighting outside. Spray booth has to have really good lighting or easy to miss a dry panel. Shooting inside also requires a full suit and outside air if using a catalyst/2 part paint.
I remember the shop in Dortmund that did our completes. Shot the car in one booth with all the lights and fans and then with the car on a big dolly, the wall would slide out of the way and the car would be moved sideways into the big oven. Bake the car at a high temperature and then it could go outside into the rain.
Pierce
I can tell you by watching and being their.. the sand isnt a problem for the most part.. Tommy, watch the rolling transitions (on tn the front of mine I had a couple spots) they collect condensation? causing a couple spots to pop.. only area it happened.
Koda and all of us thank you for the nice comment. He is heading for 14 now and moulting big time. A little domestic in his past so legal everywhere. He did a photo shoot with four of the
Project Runway designers so will have to post a photo when I can find it.
Thanks again,
Pierce
Passenger side is done back doesn't have clear coat yet. Clear coating the rest now. No rushing Antonio, it's a process he says...although I need to get out of here. Hoping to leave tomorrow. Looking really good his painstaking correction of small details is impressive.
Man that looks awesome. I need to get my coach down there before he realizes what he could charge.
Tommy that is one impressive and beautiful coach. Most people will think it is fresh off of the showroom floor. You have good reason to be proud of it.
Larry
Tommy, I am floored by how good that looks. I'm having a big case of paint envy. I have to get over my paranoia about Mexico and get down there.
I too have to get over my paranoia about St. Louis, New Orleans, Chicago...................
We need a new paint job but it costs about $13K at Santa Maria Airport in California. About $3500 at the Aero Club Chapala. They build the planes at this tiny airport next to Lake Chapala and the paint was like glass. No Antonio for the graphics though.
Pierce
Not into selfies but this gives you an idea of the sheen. This is at night with the light shinning in the opposite direction. No flash
Tommy the coach looks amazing. Another beautiful Antonio paint job. Now if anyone asks it's a 2020. >:D
Dust wasn't a problem, drys almost on contact. If there is a problem A will find it and fix it.
Cheers Ric 8)
We started singing the "Hotel California" song.
You can check out, but you can never leave.
Awnings going on today and final details. Moved to beach fo big awning. Another pic and hopefully leaving today for short trip home(30hrs)😳
Wow, That is beyond beautiful. The way everything pops off of the golden background is amazing.
Here you go.. AmAZING!!! ^.^d :)) :)) :))
Does anyone know if he also does ceramic coating?
Looks great Tommy!
Be safe going home. If you get tired lay over here in Tucson. We'd love to see it. :)
see ya
ken
Sitting by Ric's coach watching the sun go down and see Tommy pull thru the campground. He stopped for about 30 minutes and gave us a look at his coach. Looks great!
Great to see you Tommy! Thanks for stopping by. Be safe driving home.
see ya
ken
Antonio sent me a video last night of you leaving T and of course I like.. I know your glad to be rolling back to KY. Safe trip.