Chip repair on front of motorhome

Topic: Chip repair on front of motorhome (Read 1285 times) previous topic - next topic

Chip repair on front of motorhome

December 23, 2017, 01:01:42 pm

We are looking for a simple way to fill small stone chip ding 'holes' on the front of our motorhome.

Sanding is a problem because we are painted and the more paint removed the larger the repair job.

Seems like there must be some one-step stuff that is gel-coat compatible and paintable after filling the indent.

We have matching paint from Xtreme and do paint the dings, but the indent still remains. So filling first, then painting should produce a better end result.

Anyone know of compatible stuff, maybe in a tube, that drys hard and smooth. And without sanding, can be painted? We do dab clear coat over the dried paint.

Cindy has identified each of the many dings with green tape and marked the color, so she is ready to paint today. But realized this time, that maybe there is something out there to fill before doing all the work to paint

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #1 – December 23, 2017, 01:06:31 pm

Look at Por-patch on the POR-15 webb site,have used it to patch rusted metal,it comes in black and white is in a tube.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #2 – December 23, 2017, 01:21:00 pm

Here's what you need...............just not sure where you can buy one;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz-zW-cLdUs

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #3 – December 23, 2017, 02:05:48 pm

Quote from: Travelin' Man – December 23, 2017, 01:21:00 pm

Here's what you need...............just not sure where you can buy one;

Amazon.com: Loew-Cornell Fine Line Painting Pen

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #4 – December 23, 2017, 03:38:15 pm

Barry, take a look at Bondo Spot Glazing and Putty. And then I use an air brush to paint and a good polish and sealer like Klasse to finish.

3M Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty – Pep Boys - YouTube

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #5 – December 23, 2017, 05:32:39 pm

I had a couple small rock dings in the front gelcoat. I found a thick non-sagging white epoxy that was a pretty close match. Mixed a bit, dabbed a bit in the ding, waited until it was hard rubber like and used a razor blade to cut off the extra flush to the surface and then let it finish curing. Not too bad. At least until I can get it fixed by Rance. Should be paintable.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #6 – December 23, 2017, 05:59:52 pm

If Barry tried every one we told him about he would be out at least a coach buck by now!!!!!

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #7 – December 23, 2017, 06:31:04 pm

Why not use gelcoat? Get a gelcoat repair kit from West Marine or other marine outfit. Extract appropriate amount, use the coloring agents to match color( caution, it takes a very small amount. If your coach is off white, use a very small amount of brown on the end of a tooth pick to get off white) before you catalyze the gelcoat. Put the gelcoat in the ding, cover with a piece of clear plastic film such as a presentation cover and squeegee smooth. The plastic film is very important--- without it the gelcoat will not set up hard. Let it cure for an hour or so and remove the film. Sand, and buff if required--- done.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #8 – December 24, 2017, 12:26:44 am

To EVERYONE, Cindy & Barry thank you.

And after watching hours of videos that your postings triggered and reading many reviews for products recommended, we have on order, a couple of Amazon Prime items:

A great small clever sanding pen to smooth out the stone hits without removing surrounding paint..
KTI-70550 Sanding Pen $8.15

This is one item that we are not sure if it is better than small brushes or tiny touch-up brushes, and how it will work on vertical surfaces..
Large Fluid Writer Pen by Kemper Tools $15.39

Please keep the ideas coming. . .

We are hampered by being painted. Fixing gelcoat is easier, as razor blades, acetone, sanding is just almost impossible with paint and clear coat.

We have 7 different bottles of color that have been pre-mixed (expensive) to match our paint. These small bottles have been stored in sealed quart paint cans to keep the odor contained. Although the cans are kept in a refrigerator to prolong them, they still have a limited shelf life.

Cindy loves to keep us looking good, so every couple of years she gathers her stuff, and this year thanks to y'all she will have more tricks to get the job done.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #9 – December 24, 2017, 06:03:01 am

Keep us posted.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #10 – December 24, 2017, 08:49:07 am

What about talking to the folks that did the original paint work and see what they recommend. Be careful you have a beautiful paint job! Trying to fix a ding may end up more noticeable than when you started.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #11 – December 24, 2017, 09:13:48 am

Cindy, Cindy, Cindy.......you should know this. I mix fingernail polish at a buck each. Comes with a brush. A plethora of colors.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #12 – December 24, 2017, 10:47:37 am

Barry,

I just had Alaska Motorcade rock dings repaired at Xtreme earlier this month. I handed them my sealed paint can filled with all 13 bottles of sealed touch up paint bottles(which I had carried in the coach for 7 years without opening). Greg promptly threw the can in the trash, saying the mixed paint only lasts about six months. The painter mixed up paint for each color from their records. They made no attempt to fill the dings before painting. Each ding was painted then left to dry then painted again until the ding was filled. You can still find the dings but the nose looks fine again. The only mistake I made was not searching the entire coach for dings. There are small dings on the street side that they could have fixed with paint they had already mixed that now must wait for a next visit.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #13 – December 24, 2017, 03:55:15 pm

Thanks Brett, for the 'fill with paint' technique.

From an auto store today we have a tube of Bondo filler that sets without activator.

We also have Nitrile gloves and following Twigs experience, we looked at the many nail polish colors that could possibly match our paint for a future repair after our pre-mixed paint expires.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #14 – December 24, 2017, 08:52:32 pm

Good post Barry. Lot of interesting replies. I'm especialty interested in the Fluid Writer Pen. Looks like a really clever idea. My concern is that it might be tough to use on a vertical surface. Be sure to video Cindy when she's trying it out and be sure the audio is on. I don't think I've ever heard her cuss. This my be the time.

see ya
ken

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #15 – December 25, 2017, 09:31:40 am

After the Alaska Motorcade our Honda Accord was covered with little stone chips all over it-I mean front bumper, hood, roof, trunk and both sides. The Kemper writing pen was a godsend. It took a lot of time but you have to look close to see the repairs except for the front bump which I'll probably have to have repainted-in spite of the Roadmaster Rock Guard. Oh, and the pen worked fine on the vertical sides. I had my doubts, but capillary action kept the paint in the bowl. I don't think the pen would work with older thickened touch-up paint, but with fresh paint it worked fine.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #16 – December 25, 2017, 09:58:00 am

Hasn't been mentioned but if I had Barry's paint job and a decent toad I would have bras on both of them and yes I know they
can rub on the paint and that you have to open the generator door.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #17 – December 25, 2017, 07:52:03 pm

Thanks Brett for sharing your Kemper Writing Pen experience. For sure we will give it a go.

Ken, time will tell about Cindy's paint project vocabulary.

Bra's and other front protectors have their advantage, but we choose to not have them, partly for looks and long-term maintenance issues. For our 'new' Jeep Grand, we use an 'Underskirt' between the motorhome and Jeep. And also made a heavy vinyl windshield cover that gets bungied in place.

Of course when we went to Alaska we put a sheet of 3/8" insulation board on front of motorhome and over every Jeep glass window, including the sunroof. Our motorhome was not painted so it was easy to use a lot of duct tape to hold motorhome's board in place.

When we were painted at Xtreme, they sprayed a special 'softer/thicker' coating on the front, and then put several additional clear coatings on top of the front paint. All to add some protection from stone chips.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #18 – December 26, 2017, 09:51:19 am

From the damage to our Accord front bumper we learned that any rock guard used must attach BELOW the lowest painted surface on the front of the toad. Ours left about 6" exposed.

Re: Chip repair on front of motorhome

Reply #19 – December 26, 2017, 10:30:24 am

It has been a few years but the only ding that I got on the Alaska trip was a tiny defect under the galley window on the white area of the coach. I filled it with a white wax pencil like they used to mark X-rays with. Worked beautifully.

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