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Topic: Buck Naked (Read 3240 times) previous topic - next topic

Buck Naked

Had you going huh? You just had to look!

About 400+ hours total over 3 years, striping, sanding, and polishing. And the coach was highly polished to start with.

I personally think the dark Motion windows make it pop, was tempted to leave it, but got to live the dream.

Ready for new graphic's, a week from tomorrow, stay tuned.

Sad thing is, the new windshield,'s graphic's, Outside TV/BBQ, and the florescent/LED light conversion is it. Done with it. (well not fixing what breaks in the future)

I will post pictures when done, with price and location of the vinyl wrap shop, who did our last coach.

Small hint, the place doing it, was featured on Discovery Channel show this year.

Chris

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #1 –
I think my arms and patience would run out..Great Job!! ^.^d

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #3 –
Chris,
It looks great.  Anxious to see the graphics.  Did you replace or tint the windows?
Jerry

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Green99 –
Chris,
It looks great.  Anxious to see the graphics.  Did you replace or tint the windows?
Jerry

Thank you.
They were all replaced by previous owner. They are Motion Windows.....$5K...6 years ago.

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #5 –
What the heck is is a " motion window "  ..

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Reply #7 –
Thanks for the link,, but not realy the simple answer I was looking for

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Bob & Sue –
Thanks for the link,, but not realy the simple answer I was looking for

Motion windows is a top name brand of windows for RV's  ;)

Our windows were replaced with new Darker glass double pane Motion Windows.

Chris

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #9 –
Motion windows have a machined center frame that cannot move separating the dual panes

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Reply #10 –
Looking forward to seeing the results

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Reply #11 –
Would like to install Motion windows all the way around.  We have 1 in our bedroom and it slides so easy.  The others are a work in progress with graphite and spray!  However, got to save some coin for a trip to Moscow and HWH on our leveling system.  Found one leak yesterday, at the parking brake, so will either order a kit or replace the push/pull knob!  Will make a visit to NAPA tomorrow!

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #12 –
Chris, what was your method after vinyl removal? I have at about 80 hours in vinyl removal alone. I still have the bottom vinyl that skirts the entire coach and a couple other pieces I left on. Only a select few came off in their entirety most of them came off in pieces either with a plastic razors and heat gun or with an eraser wheel on a cordless. Anyhow there's definitely lines, marks, shadows or whatever left over. I don't mind putting in the effort just don't want to waste it not knowing what procedures work best. Thanks

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #13 –
Quote from: Mobius –
Chris, what was your method after vinyl removal? I have at about 80 hours in vinyl removal alone. I still have the bottom vinyl that skirts the entire coach and a couple other pieces I left on. Only a select few came off in their entirety most of them came off in pieces either with a plastic razors and heat gun or with an eraser wheel on a cordless. Anyhow there's definitely lines, marks, shadows or whatever left over. I don't mind putting in the effort just don't want to waste it not knowing what procedures work best. Thanks

Hi
If your having trouble getting the decals off, there are some different things auto body/paint supply shops have. They spray on, and eat decals I used that on Randall's coach, his were really bad.

I had zero luck with the eraser deal, I know some people had good luck. I found it burned the gelcoat. When I was a FT tech, we used a commercial steamer. You can rent those at rental places.

Our decals all came off with a blow dryer from Hong Kong freight (harbor). And actually, the wife and I pulled all the comp door ones off together in about an hour.

On our drivers side, the previous owner left it in the California sun during the summer. It had very deep green stains. Nothing would remove it. Muric acid, bleach sitting in the sun.

The ghosting will be a light ridge, left from where there wasn't any decal, not always a stain. You can normally feel it with your thumb nail. Even if you can't feel it, you see it in offset light.  So you have to sand and polish it away.
There can also be fine razor cuts, from when they trimmed the decals installing them.That takes deeper sanding.

So I took 320 dry grit on a DA sander, then worked up to 400, 600, then 1000 dry. They do make 2000,2500 and 3000 dry, but found it left DA marks. So I went to 1500 wet by hand, then worked up to 3000 wet. After that, 3 different compounds on a buffer.

3M #3 worked best. $80.00 a qt. I would say the gelcoat is 1/8" - 3/16" thick. I am sure I took it down 3/32" to an 1/8th inch in some spots at least. But zero ghosting, stains, or burn through.

I probably have 400+ hrs in it. The comp doors and stripes left no staining, and the top ridge I wet sanded by hand with 2000, then 3000. Final polish with just the 3M #3 with buffer. That was the easiest part of the whole job.I had already removed the lower around the back, and front.

What ever you do, don't use razor blades. No matter how hard you try, you will gouge it.

It's not for the faint of heart.
Chris

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #14 –
My coach has motion windows dark tinted all around. Great windows.
Love the result of all your hard work. Will be starting the same soon. I figure it will take some time. 400 hours is a lot. I have some fiberglass repair fixing to do as well.
Also thinking of painting it myself using a roll and tip method. Would save me thousands but take some time. Use marine 2 part epoxy paint. Boats are painted like this all the time. Might start with the front or back first and see how it looks. As In most things, the devil is in the details. Prep would take the most time.
I'm not looking for a fancy swirling paint job. Just white and maybe some red and black in a wave like pattern. But then I think that it might be a bit more than I want to get into.
Time will tell.

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #15 –
Quote from: gracerace –

On our drivers side, the previous owner left it in the California sun during the summer. It had very deep green stains. Nothing would remove it. Muric acid, bleach sitting in the sun.

The ghosting will be a light ridge, left from where there wasn't any decal, not always a stain. You can normally feel it with your thumb nail. Even if you can't feel it, you see it in offset light.  So you have to sand and polish it away.
There can also be fine razor cuts, from when they trimmed the decals installing them.That takes deeper sanding.

It's not for the faint of heart.
Chris
Thanks Chris, these two paragraphs hit the nail on the head as that is exactly what I'm experiencing. So that was 400  hours over three years how did you sequence that? Did you do all the 320, 400, 600 etc..over the entire coach or did you do it in sections (one section this month one section next month)?  When you started sanding with the 320 that must have taken any shine out of the finish and left it dull is that correct? Trying to get a visual concept of what I'll be doing in the near future.

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #16 –
Quote from: Bob and Julie –
My coach has motion windows dark tinted all around. Great windows.
Love the result of all your hard work. Will be starting the same soon. I figure it will take some time. 400 hours is a lot. I have some fiberglass repair fixing to do as well.
Also thinking of painting it myself using a roll and tip method. Would save me thousands but take some time. Use marine 2 part epoxy paint. Boats are painted like this all the time. Might start with the front or back first and see how it looks. As In most things, the devil is in the details. Prep would take the most time.
I'm not looking for a fancy swirling paint job. Just white and maybe some red and black in a wave like pattern. But then I think that it might be a bit more than I want to get into.
Time will tell.


When you add up the cost of the materials to paint it, you may be surprised what the cost is to do that. That is not counting the labor (your time is worth something).

Did a lot of custom painting when I had my van shop. Painted many cars. Recently did some spotting in on our collector cars, and race car. A gallon of some paint (no thinner, hardeners etc. ) is $800.00!. I would imagine any resin base boat stuff would be even more.

Just what I am doing now, involved about $150.00 in sand paper and polish compound. The cost of materials now is shocking. Probably all the EPA costs added.

Hang loose, wait till you see our coach stripes done, and what it cost. You might be surprised. It's more or less what you are talking about. Pretty simple.

Chris

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #17 –
Quote from: Mobius –
Thanks Chris, these two paragraphs hit the nail on the head as that is exactly what I'm experiencing. So that was 400  hours over three years how did you sequence that? Did you do all the 320, 400, 600 etc..over the entire coach or did you do it in sections (one section this month one section next month)?  When you started sanding with the 320 that must have taken any shine out of the finish and left it dull is that correct? Trying to get a visual concept of what I'll be doing in the near future.

The first 300-320 hours, was 2 years ago. That was removal of the top, mid and front. Also included lower front and back to wheel wells. I left the 3 parts of the pieces (swirls) going around the ribbon (pictured). That involve the 320 dry, up to 3000 wet. Just on the mid band, and top stripe. I didn't sand the whole coach. Just the stripes area's, feathering out a bit.

2nd stage was 2 weeks ago, which was the 6 swirls (middle of coach), and the upper back. There were razor cuts from trimming, minor staining, and sand scratches left over from the stripe removal, (because I couldn't polish close enough to them prior). That was maybe 40-50 hours. This involved some 320 DA, and several levels of hand wet sanding, before polishing.

3rd stage was this weekend. That was removal of both sides of the compartment doors, and the small sections between the doors and wheel wells. This part is not finished. I have the glue off one side (big job itself). Wet sanding and polishing is done. So far 10 hours. Probably 10 for other side. This has been the easiest of the whole job.

Xylene paint thinner works wonders with the glue, but I also used some glue remover from a auto body paint shop. Be very careful, it tends to eat the white paint on the metal trim. Wear rubber gloves, and have the area well ventilated. Xylene is harsher then regular paint thinner, and less aggressive then lacquer thinner.

Have fun
Chris

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #18 –
Wanted to add.

To be clear, if you don't have any color staining, just ghosting and a ridge. One can start with 1500 wet by hand, and work up from there to polishing.

If you need to be aggressive because of color staining, and want to be careful, you could start with 400 dry on a DA. Or even 800 or 1000 grit. Just going to take longer,

But I will say, the gelcoat is very thick on these babies.

Chris

Re: Buck Naked

Reply #19 –
Finally!