Solid Color Coach

Topic: Solid Color Coach (Read 2280 times) previous topic - next topic

Solid Color Coach

July 14, 2019, 10:20:35 am

We are getting ready to do something to our coach. The graphics on the curbside and back are burnt. While I would like to take them all off and get the gel coat shining, everything I see and read says the ghosting will come back if we can even get it to go away. I do not like all the swirls and gyrations of the million SOB coaches. I can find only one reference to a solid color coach on her (other than white gel coat). Has anyone done or seen a solid color FT, or solid color perhaps with a stripe or two even? Thanks!

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #1 – July 14, 2019, 11:03:30 am

There was a solid silver one at Foretravel for sale but I don't see it on their web site. I know of one other on the forum plus some all white ones. If you are going to paint the entire coach then two colors probably won't cost much more than one color and a simple lighter over darker might look better.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #2 – July 14, 2019, 11:09:05 am

There are a couple of gold colored 320s with minimal accents that pull off the single color scheme well. You would want to use a very high quality prep and paint to get depth.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #3 – July 14, 2019, 11:17:26 am

Yeah, I figured all the swirls and crazy stuff probably is a manufacturer design to mask imperfections. That is a good point. Thanks.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #4 – July 14, 2019, 12:32:39 pm

Does anyone know if the original maxguard 29 gel coat can be reapplied?

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #5 – July 14, 2019, 12:55:35 pm

Quote from: Caflashbob – July 14, 2019, 12:32:39 pm

Does anyone know if the original maxguard 29 gel coat can be reapplied?

It can be done but shooting gelcoat not in a female mold against a tooling surface means it would need to be applied heavily, and then sanded down with progressive paper grits. Very labor intensive. Prior to sanding it will have a pebbled, textured appearance. No problem, really, for repairs by a competent technician but a full recoat would be a huge undertaking. I have seen some boats re gelcoated to yacht finish standards but it's rare.

Faced with this is usually when paint enters the picture. Shame, really, Foretravel's gelcoat is and was superbly done.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #6 – July 14, 2019, 01:00:31 pm

The pebbled finish maybe would not bother me much. The protection and non heat gain would be a real plus

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #7 – July 14, 2019, 01:12:38 pm

This is one of my favorite painted coaches, now Neal Pillsbury's. The simple light over less light with what looks to my eye as stylized feathers is quite appealing.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #8 – July 14, 2019, 02:26:39 pm

Quote from: Caflashbob – July 14, 2019, 01:00:31 pm

The pebbled finish maybe would not bother me much. The protection and non heat gain would be a real plus

Problem is, if it's being applied in the typical max catalyzed batches of a quart or so, from the moment it's mixed to the time it's shot out, the consistency of the gelcoat is changing due to reaction with the catalyst. That will make it impossible to have a consistent finish, and is one reason that the typical technique is to spray multiple heavy coats and then sand them to an even surface.

One thing that might work well, if you know of a production fiberglass facility who would do it is to have it shot complete with one of their rigs that dispenses catalyst at the tip of the gun. That way you could start with, say a ten gallon batch of gelcoat and run start to finish in one go. (all windows removed, along with all hardware of course.) Either way, it's a very challenging project, the whole fiberglass system is predicated on shooting gelcoat into a female mold with a glass smooth finish, then applying the glass laminates over that.

I'm reminded of the challenges when I look at my coach. It had some significant body damage when I bought it and was forced to do repairs myself as value of coach did not justify an Xtreme repair estimated at 35K. The lower front cap I rebuilt in place, and looks marginally- acceptable. The fenders I splashed from another Foretravel, made molds, shot gelcoat into molds followed by lamination. They look very close to factory quality.

I definitely agree with you on the durability/desirability of a good gelcoat finish as long as you're good with a single color. I would also like to note the owner of Xtreme was very encouraging, and gave me some helpful feedback.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #9 – July 14, 2019, 03:14:30 pm

Saw this 2007 solid gold Nimbus for sale at FOT last time we were there (April 2018).

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #10 – July 14, 2019, 04:02:09 pm

I like SOME trim, just to offset the mass of the coach. I've learned (the hard way, natch), that if the coach is going to be in the southlands, the decals DO NOT LAST! Our's are only six years old and self trashing, big time. Paint, yes. I've seen coaches with fresh stripes and seen the 'ghosting' when the pattern was changed. Tacky. If you're in it for the long term, have the coach re-painted and have fresh (your design), painted on. Some parts are impossible; I'm hoping these make it:

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #11 – July 14, 2019, 04:18:20 pm

As I told countless customers. "Too big of a box to be anything other than white gel coat in the sun. Every boat other than giant yachts are white gel coat for a reason.

Plus it is much tougher and able to resist damage from small to medium branches rubbing on the coach.

I regularly put our 40' in places that painted coach guys would cringe.

The posts about tight campgrounds I assume are related to nothing touching the coaches exterior.

I rub tree stuff a lot without worry or issues.

To us it's still an RV. Made to be used.

We spent a good percentage of the cost of a simple paint job on upgrading the coaches systems instead.

We need it to work dry camping and for emergency use.

Plugged in is easy.

Everything around us has gotten really crowded. Rv biz is selling rv's like crazy. No new campgrounds being built in our area.

So a added repurpose to power our house will help justify its ownership.

Plus this way if we travel with a power limited person they could plug into our coach if possible.

We updated and kept a family townhome in Las Vegas for an alternate place for the family if needed.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #12 – July 14, 2019, 04:25:01 pm

Quote from: Caflashbob – July 14, 2019, 04:18:20 pm

As I told countless customers. "Too big of a box to be anything other than white gel coat in the sun. Every boat other than giant yachts are white gel coat for a reason.

Plus it is much tougher and able to resist damage from small to medium branches rubbing on the coach.

I regularly put our 40' in places that painted coach guys would cringe.

Bob - I totally agree but... Do you have pictures of yours? Any ghosting? EVERYONE I talk to says it will ghost now or later. Thank you sir.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #13 – July 14, 2019, 04:36:57 pm

Yes it has ghosting. Faint but there, hired a crew to wax it several coats and the ghosting was not visible.

Why? I am not sure. Richard Bark did a nice job shining up the exterior before they traded it in to my buddy at TransWest where we bought it from, so it's shiny with faint ghosting.

More interested in fixing the steering box in advance of its upcoming failure and wiring the auto start then changing the air controller panel and ac boards to allow temp controlled gen start.

Plus adding way more solar and cough, cough a Samsung rf-18 refer afterwards.

Our new refer in our home is noticeably better at keeping food longer.

My guru monitored his regular whirlpool refer and the swings were 10 degrees inside.

The Samsung variable speed compressor keeps it at 0 and 37 exactly.

I plan to add 2 more gel 8d's to the system as they will not be damaged from not being charged at 1/5th capacity

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #14 – July 14, 2019, 04:56:35 pm

Our 30 year old coach was sold from Caflashbob's dealership, spent time mostly in the south and west, then in storage for about 10-11 years, then out and revitalized with a custom paint job. Graphics except for Foretravel name and Grand Villa model are all painted on.
Very nice shine as you can see in the pics.
I do wax it twice a year with Turtle Wax ICE synthetic polish.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #15 – July 14, 2019, 05:16:32 pm

Had a person tell me one time, he didn't care what color it was as long as it was white. I have to agree. I do like a little trim work though.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #16 – July 14, 2019, 06:02:24 pm

I removed almost all the decals from my coach a few years ago. I bought a new factory set and planned to install them. I liked the look without the dated decals so I never installed the replacements.
There was some ghosting.

I just had the coach sanded with 600 grit-800-1000- buffed with gel polish and waxed/sealed. Its VERY hard to see the ghosting now.

The coach is almost 25 years old, Its not a valued antique car, I look at it as more of a tool, not a collectable. I'm WAY past the has to look like new mind set, its good enough.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #17 – July 14, 2019, 06:29:57 pm

My 95 U320

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #18 – July 14, 2019, 11:09:10 pm

This U240 was parked in the next bay at FOT when we had our work done in the remodel shop. David Flanagan told me it was polished gel coat - not full body paint. Every square inch of it was smooth as glass, and zero shadows from previous trim.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #19 – July 14, 2019, 11:20:25 pm

Jeff and Sandy have a beautiful GV - highly polished white with simple yet tasteful trim. It is one of my favorites! See photos here:

What did you do to your coach today VIII

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #20 – July 14, 2019, 11:38:10 pm

I sold a few new coaches in white.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #21 – July 15, 2019, 05:50:41 am

Quote from: Nigel0434 – July 14, 2019, 06:29:57 pm

My 95 U320

I had the same graphics and bought the same replacement set.
My 95 without:

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #22 – July 15, 2019, 09:00:42 am

Jeff and Sandy's coach has full body paint and painted graphics. Very nice.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #23 – July 15, 2019, 09:51:51 am

Thanks guys.

Re: Solid Color Coach

Reply #24 – July 15, 2019, 09:53:22 am

Quote from: Lon and Cheryl – July 14, 2019, 06:02:24 pm

I removed almost all the decals from my coach a few years ago. I bought a new factory set and planned to install them. I liked the look without the dated decals so I never installed the replacements.
There was some ghosting.

Would you mind to share the technique that worked best for removing the stripes?

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