Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 12, 2025 ...

Paint

April 20, 2018, 02:20:09 pm

I can't afford a full body paint job, and I'm not sure I'd want one on my current coach; however, I am interested in having the graphics painted on, updating color, and modifying design.

Xtreme no longer does work like this....it's either a full paint or an exact paint of original graphics.

I am in Fort Worth, who else would y'all use with excellent results and good service?  I am inquiring with James Lindsey at FOT, but I'm looking for other options from you all.

I am also inquiring with Adkisons has they have been super nice during or PPI and estimating repairs to the passenger side after an encounter with some low road constructions barriers.

Pic #1
my coach

Pic#2
One of your coaches from mid south chapter I like the lines of and would want a variant of

Pic #3
My color palette

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Re: Paint

Reply #1 – April 20, 2018, 02:30:38 pm

I've seen coaches that have had the swirls and decals modified and a not even sharp eye can see the images of the originals, probably why Extreme does not do it. Ours was painted and re-striped, looks brand new! 

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Re: Paint

Reply #2 – April 20, 2018, 02:54:31 pm

Jhardmam,
Having done my own graphics design and having had Extreme paint it (Level II) on, against James' advice, by the way, I would recommend against changing the design.  I had our decals removed and the entire 1998 coach buffed out by the Nac outfit (name escapes me but many on the forum have had good experience with them: EDIT - Precision Detailing)  that does the superb detailing and there was absolutely no ghosting where the original decals laid.  But, in two to three years, the ghosting comes back with a vengence.  And while most of the ghosting can be removed again, it is impossible in near proximity to the newly painted graphics.
There is a good reason why Extreme no longer offers the option.
HTH,
Neal

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Re: Paint

Reply #3 – April 20, 2018, 03:33:30 pm

Thanks for chiming in Neal,  do you think the ghosting that comes back is worse over the darker color or lighter color?  Is it bad enough you regret it?

I think the company you are referring to in Nac is Precison Detailing.  I'm gonna have them wet sand the fiberglass after old decals are removed.

Is your coach stored outside or in? Do you think that is much of a factor?

Is the ghosting bad enough you wish you had stuck with original motif?

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Re: Paint

Reply #4 – April 20, 2018, 09:04:52 pm

Had ours touched up in Mexico.. you'd be surprised on the price!

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Re: Paint

Reply #5 – April 20, 2018, 09:57:18 pm

 jhardman,
Thanks for chiming in Neal,  do you think the ghosting that comes back is worse over the darker color or lighter color? 

• UV damage to gel coat is a sun lightwaves, photochemical damage process, not just on the gelcoat surface but also deep within the gel coat subsurface layers.  The more a decal shields against UV damage, the more dramatic the ghosting will be and the more dramatic the return of the ghosting will be. 
• But ghosting has nothing to do with dark or light colors in a decal.  Some dark colored materials may provide zero shielding while some light colored materials may also provide equal, zero, UV shielding. 
• In our case,  no UV shielding is good, because it leads to no ghosting.  That is because the UV damage UNDER and NOT UNDER the decal will be equal, so minimal ghosting occurs. It all depends upon the UV Rating and balance factors specific to the decal materials, which are too complex to go into here.
• Also, beyond the direct UV damage and even though FT uses the very best of gel coats, even the best of gel coats age and "yellow" under sunlight exposure.  Uniform removal of the top layer of gel coat will restore a fresh, uniformly white layer of gel coat.  But that takes some serious professional talent and quality materials/process.

Is it bad enough (that) you regret it?

• We loved, but no longer have that FT coach (traded to our current custom painted coach in 2014).  If I had it to do over again with the decal coach, I would have designed graphics that either totally covered the original decal areas, or left the removed decal areas completely open, so that they could be re-polished without having to get near any of the newly painted graphics.

I think the company you are referring to in Nac is Precision Detailing. 

• Yes.  Very talented and reputable owner.  Well worth his fees.

I'm gonna have them wet sand the fiberglass after old decals are removed.

• Precision will be able to make the entire gel coat surface uniform and consistently free from decal ghosts.  However, from my observation of dozens of coaches done this way, the decal ghosts will always return.  It will just be a matter of how badly and for how long the surface stays looking good, which depends upon gel coat subsurface accumulated damage and decal UV shielding influences which are neither measurable nor predictable.

Is your coach stored outside or in? Do you think that is much of a factor?

• Storing out of the sun is a huge factor.  No UV exposure, no ghosting either early (to polish out) or later (to return as ghosts).  But every coach spends time in the sun and every decal will shield UV to one degree or another.  The first 12 years of its life, our coach spent a lot of time under cover (the time period prior to decal removal).  Probably as much as 80% of its "pre-decal-removal" life. 

Is the ghosting bad enough you wish you had stuck with original motif?

• It was bothersome.  But the problem can be avoided.  Just fully cover (paint) where the decals were — or — leave the removed decal area completely open to allow for future polishing.  Study carefully the cover-up and open space design of Don's coach  (Acousticart).  It is Don's usual brilliant planning and execution in spades.
• Or be prepared to grin and ignore the ghosts. 
• All paints and clear coats are not created equal, either.  Once again, speaking from having personally owned and maintained FT's painted by FOT and Extreme, Extreme is several steps above the competition.  But that's another whole "white paper."

HTH,
Neal

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