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Topic: Painting options (Read 1880 times) previous topic - next topic

Painting options

Well, I'm about to decide I'm just not going to find a no slide 36' 320 and thinking on some upgrades to my 295.  As some may recall, I bought this coach damaged from a blowout and offroad excursion in Mexico, and while it has been repaired, it will never be a candidate for a high end restoration.  On the positive side, it has been, and remains, rock solid mechanically, totally leak free, so I'm going to go for new airbags, Konis and probably pull in new fuel lines.  I would like to address the exterior appearance, peeling decals etc., so thinking about a paint job and some pro glass repair. 

Figuring 5K for chips, dings and general repair, and 25K for Xtreme fbp is just not a good decision.  I'd like to keep my investment low enough to sell it inexpensively to someone who is looking for a solid ride if and when a 320 presents itself.  That's the one I'll take to Xtreme.  Sooo....how about Mexico for paint and body?    I'm comfortable dealing with the folks south though I don't habla much, and have a good measure of respect for their craftsmanship.

 Anyone have any experience or insights on this?  Thanks for your help, as always. 
"Not so  long ago we were a nation of risk takers, riding five million pounds of  thrust straight into space."  Joe Gresh
Chuck Pearson
1996 U295
2018 Can Am X3 TurboRS

Re: Painting options

Reply #1
Dave M has talked about selling his 36 ft U320. Have you checked with him?
David and Carolyn Osborn
1995 U320C SE 40' Build 4726 Feb 1995
FMCA 147762
Motorcade 17186

Re: Painting options

Reply #2
I have paperwork from a firm in Phoenix that stripped, painted and re-striped our's for 12CBs + change. Perfect job!
1993 U-240 "La Villa Grande"..CAT 3116 w/ Pacbrake PRXB...Allison 3060 6-speed..
Previous: 1983 Airstream 310 turbo diesel, 1979 Airstream 280 turbo diesel
                                      Build # 4297
                                      PNW natives
                      Home base:  'Cactus Hug' (Ajo, Arizona)
                        DW Judy & Chet the wonder dog
                        Full-Timers 'Sailing the asphalt sea'

Re: Painting options

Reply #3
Chuck,
Dave M's 2001 36' U320 has a slide.  I know many worry about the extra complexity, weight, maintenance and potential problems. We have the same coach as Dave, just a few build numbers away and our slide has been 100% reliable. We had a bladder deflate valve issue that HWH fixed for about $200.  The slide mechanism in the 2001 is different from the 2002 and later models. Is it better? Ours has been great.  If you are sticking with a 36' the slide adds about 22 sq ft of very useful comfortable space.
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Painting options

Reply #4
I got my slide rooms fixed up after a bit of work and they have been very good since.  Dave's coach is a great buy for someone.
2025 Wanderbox Outpost 32 on F600 Expedition Motorhome
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on Ford 550 nonslide version  for sale
Former Coaches  covering. 360,000 miles
1999 34 U270
2000 36 U320
2001 42' double slide U320
2018 Jeep Rubicon

Re: Painting options

Reply #5
The Navarro brothers outside Yuma in Mexico sound like a good match for your work.  5 - 7 FBP.  They have a good rep and googling them brings up different users.  Another option is using European detailing in Phoenix to do a great job restoring gel coat and Steve at RV graphics in Apache Junction to replace decals.  Total of about 4300.
George and Steph
1997 U270 36 Build 5081 "Honu"
1180w Solar 400A lithium all Victron house system
Motorcade 17670, SKP 128300, FMCA F459019
73 VW Camper, 79 VW Camper, 2363 Sunline, and an Arctic Fox 25P

Re: Painting options

Reply #6
I had my 88 done there in 2011.. before selling it in 2013 about the same $$$$
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My advice and experiences are Free, you decide if they are worth anything .

John - driving Old Faithful
1994 U280 GV
C8.3, Banks, Pacbrake, 900 watts, Resonator, XLHD tow dolly
Retired Army Warrant Officer

Life is what you make of it - if it is lemons, make lemonade!
Former Coaches:
1988 GV 40' ORED 300HP CAT - 9 years
1990 Winnebago LeSharo - 3 years
2000 Newmar London Aire - 3 years (#18 of 23 produced)


Re: Painting options

Reply #8
I know Chuck looked hard at Dave's weeks ago.
Dave Cobb
Buckhorn Lake Resort The Club, #6202, Kerrville TX
check the map.  I do rent it out when I am traveling!
2001, U320, 36' #5887, in Kerrville, FT Club #17006, (7/23 to present)
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Summit, white
EX: 98 U295, 36' #5219, (mid door), (4/13-10/23)
EX: 93 U225, 36' (4/11 to 4/13)

Re: Painting options

Reply #9
Is this a selling or painting thread??? Just wondering!
Larry
1996 U295 36'
Build # 4805
Actually we sold it but just like to lurk

Re: Painting options

Reply #10
Dave M has talked about selling his 36 ft U320. Have you checked with him?

Can someone please point me to Dave's listing?
2001 U320 3610 WTFE, build 5863
'97 Land Cruiser

Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.


Re: Painting options

Reply #12
I think Dave has taken it to MOT already as that was his comment to me in a PM. I have been trying to sell it to a neighbour here recently but they take a lot of time to make their minds up on if they need to go to bathroom so this could be drawn out.
PM him as this one of his has had mucho work done out of preventative maintenance NOT because it needed it. Many great things done and lots of money spent just to make it the best it can be, and safest.
JohnH
Coachless, now use aircraft. 2003 Ford Travelair TC280 class C. Super shape. Just for 1 yr .
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: Painting options

Reply #13
The painters in Playa Bonita RV Park, Puerto Penasco, will do a full body paint job with DuPont urethane paint and clear coat for 5k.  At your site. Including any graphic design you come up with. Only 65 miles into Mexico from Arizona.
1994 U280, Build 4490
Deming, NM.

Re: Painting options

Reply #14
The painters in Playa Bonita RV Park, Puerto Penasco, will do a full body paint job with DuPont urethane paint and clear coat for 5k.  At your site. Including any graphic design you come up with. Only 65 miles into Mexico from Arizona.
I've seen their work, primo! Plus you get to go to Rocky Point and eat great food, and on the return, stay at our park in Ajo and get a pic on the forum!  ^.^d
1993 U-240 "La Villa Grande"..CAT 3116 w/ Pacbrake PRXB...Allison 3060 6-speed..
Previous: 1983 Airstream 310 turbo diesel, 1979 Airstream 280 turbo diesel
                                      Build # 4297
                                      PNW natives
                      Home base:  'Cactus Hug' (Ajo, Arizona)
                        DW Judy & Chet the wonder dog
                        Full-Timers 'Sailing the asphalt sea'

Re: Painting options

Reply #15
"Do What Makes You Happy" might just take on a whole new meaning after a message swap with Dave last night.  Hold on to your butt.
Roger Engdahl and Susan Green
2001 U320 3610 #5879 (Home2) - 2014 Jeep Cherokee or 2018 F150
Hastings, MN

Re: Painting options

Reply #16
If anyone wants Dave's coach they better be a MOT tomorrow, I don't think it will last a week.
The selected media item is not currently available.Bill&Doris 97 U270 36'
University of Parris Island Class of 66
Semper Fi  Build# 5174 MC#17094

Re: Painting options

Reply #17
My 1996 U320 had the decals replaced with Emron paint in 2003.
By 2014 some blemishes were bothering me, so I had the stripes repainted by Chui at Playa Bonita Park, in Puerto Penasco. The cost was $2400 USD, and the date was March, 2014.

By May, 2014, some vertical cracks were starting to show in the maroon paint above the level of the floor (the sidewall). By September, 2014, a bubble of water appeared in the Maroon paint near the top of the wall. By October, this bubble had burst and the paint under the clear coat was exposed. In March 2015, Chui repainted the bubble damage for a cost of a couple hundred dollars, but the colour is not quite the same as the rest.

By January 2016, the vertical cracks on the passenger side (sunny side when in California) had grown in length and width such that these cracks were very visible near the rear. I stopped at Playa Bonita and talked with Chui, who wanted $900 USD to repaint the passenger side above the level of the floor, quoting that the problem was caused by the gelcoat and not the paint or preparation.

I travelled to San Carlos to be with friends and had George repaint the small part with the worst vertical cracks. The cracks had penetrated into the gel coat.

Note: that there have been no vertical cracks below the level of the floor and that the cracks on the passenger side are much worse then the cracks on the driver side. I believe that the gelcoat used to make the cargo doors and the side panels below the floor is some how different then the gelcoat used when manufacturing the walls.

The other advice I can provide is if you hire Chui to paint your motorhome, do not tell him when you are leaving because he will not work on your coach until the last few days before you leave. It took Chui 5 weeks to paint my coach, because he kept getting diverted to other coaches which were leaving in a couple days.

I would recommend Navarros Shop in Los Algodones, who painted Sam's coach in circa 2012, which is currently owned by someone else. It is the blue and white 1992 U300 which is pictured on the Foreforums collage. Anyone know how well this paint has aged?
Wyatt
96 U320 40 WTFE, build 4943
84 Toyota Supra towd
2015 Jeep Wrangler towd
Victoria, BC, Canada

Re: Painting options

Reply #18
Note: that there have been no vertical cracks below the level of the floor and that the cracks on the passenger side are much worse then the cracks on the driver side. I believe that the gelcoat used to make the cargo doors and the side panels below the floor is some how different then the gelcoat used when manufacturing the walls.
That fits in with my understanding.  The wall fiberglass is purchased as finished sheets from a vendor and then laminated to the wall structure by Foretravel.  The caps and everything below the floor line is made from Foretravel custom molds where the gelcoat is sprayed in as the first step in the fiberglass construction.  When I worked at Country Coach in 2008 they always used a beige colored gelcoat and I think this is done at other manufactures too where the coach will have full body paint.  I can only think of two reasons for this:
1) Surface imperfections might be more easily seen on the beige during sanding prep for paint.
2) Since no gloss is necessary in the gelcoat, the formula for it might be changed a little to give better properties like resistance to cracking.  I have heard there is a trade off between high gloss (which needs the material to be hard) and crack resistance (which requires a softer material) - that is, if my memory serves me correctly.
John Fitzgerald
1991 U300 (SAI) Side Aisle Island Bed 40'
Detroit 6V92 with Allison Retarder
Meridian (Boise), Idaho

Re: Painting options

Reply #19
That fits in with my understanding.  The wall fiberglass is purchased as finished sheets from a vendor and then laminated to the wall structure by Foretravel.  The caps and everything below the floor line is made from Foretravel custom molds where the gelcoat is sprayed in as the first step in the fiberglass construction.  When I worked at Country Coach in 2008 they always used a beige colored gelcoat and I think this is done at other manufactures too where the coach will have full body paint.  I can only think of two reasons for this:
1) Surface imperfections might be more easily seen on the beige during sanding prep for paint.
2) Since no gloss is necessary in the gelcoat, the formula for it might be changed a little to give better properties like resistance to cracking.  I have heard there is a trade off between high gloss (which needs the material to be hard) and crack resistance (which requires a softer material) - that is, if my memory serves me correctly.

Foretravel used to make their own fiberglass sidewalls in house.  They were probably grandfathered in for product liability insurance as they had a long safe record of building them.

Plus saved money.  Foretravel parts were made by a seperate in house company FMK fiberglass.

C.m  Fore, don Moore, the Vice President  and king who was the accountant.  FMK.....

They only looked like dumb farmers. 

Did not country coach make their own skins in the 90's as did beaver?


"Riding and rejoicing"
Bob
1997 U320 40' Mid entry, build 5132,  wtbi ce27, 4th owner
2007 Solara convertible
2 prodeco tech outlaw ss electric bikes

1095 watts solar
08 Ls 460 and a sc430
2000 Ford F-250 superduty 4x4

Re: Painting options

Reply #20
John, are you sure that Foretravel uses finished sheets made by someone else? I had many conversations with Rance and Greg while at Xtreme, and unless I misunderstood them, Foretravel handlayed up the fiberglass for everything but the basement section which is a filon sheet material.
Don
That fits in with my understanding.  The wall fiberglass is purchased as finished sheets from a vendor and then laminated to the wall structure by Foretravel. 

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Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: Painting options

Reply #21
The painters in Playa Bonita RV Park, Puerto Penasco, will do a full body paint job with DuPont urethane paint and clear coat for 5k.  At your site. Including any graphic design you come up with. Only 65 miles into Mexico from Arizona.

I've seen their work, primo! Plus you get to go to Rocky Point and eat great food, and on the return, stay at our park in Ajo and get a pic on the forum!  ^.^d

Any other reports on the long-term quality of work? Their price is certainly tempting!
David and Carolyn Osborn
1995 U320C SE 40' Build 4726 Feb 1995
FMCA 147762
Motorcade 17186

Re: Painting options

Reply #22
Interesting discussion on layup and panels.  When we had our gel coat restored, I was surprised at the depth of the gel.  It looks to be thicker than sailboats I restored.  When I stupidly made a small crack in the engine hatch noted it was a nice layup with what appeared to be some layers of chopper gun.  The quality supported our decision to stay original.
George and Steph
1997 U270 36 Build 5081 "Honu"
1180w Solar 400A lithium all Victron house system
Motorcade 17670, SKP 128300, FMCA F459019
73 VW Camper, 79 VW Camper, 2363 Sunline, and an Arctic Fox 25P

Re: Painting options

Reply #23
What you are describing is true also for the endcaps and, I believe the hatches as well. No question that the sidewalls are done differently, since the endcaps and hatches are not "infused" with metal framing like the roof and sidewalls. Obviously, the steel sidewalls and aluminum roof structure is welded up first and then the foam board insulation fitted in-between the frame members. The question in my mind is how the outer skin is applied and laminated to the framing and to the rigid insulation underneath. I think perhaps the layer under the gel coat comes as a sheet of resin infused fiberglass mesh and possibly Foretravel would outsource that component as smaller individual sheets could be glued to the wall assembly and the joints glassed over to make a seamless substrate to which FOT would apply the outer Gel coat. The roof is a bit different since the roof has plywood decking over the aluminum frame and then the fiberglass substrate and Gel coated over that. I could be wrong... but that is my guess. Here are a couple of pictures. The first picture is the roof structure at the refrigerator vent opening where you can clearly see the plywood roof decking. The second picture is a 4" diameter plug from the dryer vent hole I drilled when I installed the Splendide 2100XC. The gelcoat is on top and there is two different types of rigid foam insulation and the luan inside paneling is the bottom layer. I call this my "Foretravel Sandwich".
Don
Edit: Oops! It appears I have taken this subject away from the original topic... Moderators feel free to remove or move it. I will try to be good from now on.
Interesting discussion on layup and panels.  When we had our gel coat restored, I was surprised at the depth of the gel.  It looks to be thicker than sailboats I restored.  When I stupidly made a small crack in the engine hatch noted it was a nice layup with what appeared to be some layers of chopper gun.  The quality supported our decision to stay original.
The selected media item is not currently available.
Don & Tys
1999 U270 3602 WTFE #5402
Xtreme Stage 1 w/Headlight, Step Conversion, etc.
2009 Honda Fit Sport with Navi
Freedom is NOT "just another word for nothing left to lose"... with apologies to Kris Kristofferson

Re: Painting options

Reply #24
Not sure how to move either but those pictures should be searchable so a new thread is a good idea.  Thanks for posting those two pictures.  They will be very valuable in the next two weeks.  First the roof picture helps me understand how I may want to proceed to fix the holes from the original satellite dish.  I had it replaced as part of a rework of the AV in Nac.  When the new dish was added they left all the old holes open.  During three days of rain, water started coming into the interior thru the front ceiling light.  I own it because I did not check the work.  I will probe and probably seal the wood ends with west system and redrill for small stainless bolts and then caulk.

The second, sandwich, will also be helpful.  We are having windows resealed next week in Hudson FL.  I noted two fiberglass repairs, after the buff out, next to two windows on the passenger side.  They were professionally done as they end in proper angles but the gelcoat was not of the same quality.  Not sure what I will see when they come out but knowing the original layup will be very helpful.
George and Steph
1997 U270 36 Build 5081 "Honu"
1180w Solar 400A lithium all Victron house system
Motorcade 17670, SKP 128300, FMCA F459019
73 VW Camper, 79 VW Camper, 2363 Sunline, and an Arctic Fox 25P