Anyone paint a fiberglass camper shell?

[latexeses]

I've done quite a bit of fiberglass work on boats but have never attempted to take paint off a fiberglass camper shell.
I have been given the chance to replace my old rickity, leaky camper shell with a model from this century. That chance being the "get it out of here" price tag.
It is a Leer shell and the molds they use are very nice.
The problem is the color. Red. On a little white Toyota it would look like a red a$$#d baboon going down the road.
Anyone know of anything that might get paint off gelcoat without harm to the gelcoat finish?????
Thank you in advance,
Rodger

[cywelchjr]

I'm not sure it can be done. But I don't think it needs to be either. Just do a good sanding job on the existing paint job and do the new paint job over the top of it and it should be just fine. You could try to go all the way down to the gelcoat, but unless the current paint job has adhesion problems I wouldn't worry about it.

[crazy steve]

I'll agree with Cy on this; anything that will take the paint off is likely to damage the underlying fiberglass. Just sand it and repaint. Do check to see if you need a sealer though, as red is notorious for bleeding through new paint. If you don't like the red, you probably really won't like pink....

[latexeses]

WHOA! Pink probably wouldn't be better than red!
I didn't know if there was any new citrus magic that would attack paint.
I am sure they wouldn't have shot the gelcoat with the "wax" in it for the last coat but I don't know what they would have shot to seal and cure the gelcoat before paint if not the wax. It could be cleaned off after the gel cured
I was just trying to get down to that smooth molded shell of that gelcoat to the lay down the paint.
Thanks.
Rodger

[fredintoon]

WHOA! Pink probably wouldn't be better than red!
I didn't know if there was any new citrus magic that would attack paint.
I am sure they wouldn't have shot the gelcoat with the "wax" in it for the last coat but I don't know what they would have shot to seal and cure the gelcoat before paint if not the wax. It could be cleaned off after the gel cured
I was just trying to get down to that smooth molded shell of that gelcoat to the lay down the paint.
Thanks.
Rodger

Hi Rodger,
you sure it's even painted? Usually the shell coat IS the color.
Whatever, the color change prep is the same, wet sand all over, mebbe 400 grit, then fizz it with primer and top coat.

[Cobia]

Since you've worked with fiberglass before you know the importance of prepping before painting. As all have said, sand, prime, paint. My advice is to give it a good "wash" with acetone before applying the primer. Acetone kind of 'softens' the gelcoat and promotes adherence of the primer or paint.

[latexeses]

The wipe down with acetone was what was done between the gelcoat aps if another was needed.
I am sure the shell is painted. All of the old "beater" shells have the paint fading beneath a bad clear coat and the worst have the gelcoat cracking and lifting.
Thanks for the advice.
Now I need to figure how to paint it "out of state.."

[cywelchjr]

Yeah, we can't get good paint here. Now they want use to use water colors. (ok, not technically water colors, but water based paints).

[crazy steve]

I would think that camper shell would be a perfect candidate for this....

http://www.rickwrench.com/index79master.htm?http://www.rickwrench.com/50dollarpaint.html

[latexeses]

GEEPERS MAN! If anybody I know caught me painting my car, let alone my camper with a roller and RUST-OLEUM paint I would have to move out of town.
I'd have to move to Galt...

[natemoen]

Painted many things with rustoleum, I always spray it though. You can thin it down and run.it through an hvlp or siphon feed gun, works great!

[latexeses]

I'm sure it would work just fine. You just don't know what these guys are like. Be like hurrying out and taging a fresh road killed deer. You just wouldn't hear the end of it.

[DiverRay]

If you look at the paint can, it's OIL BASED!! We CANNOT get that in Cantaffordya, so it wouldn't work for you anyway.
I STILL like doing a spray paint, with the two part paint we CAN get, it works well.

[jwhughes3]

Smuggler Connection

Ray,

I am sure if you REALLY needed some oil based paint, we can figure out a way to smuggle some in to CA.....

Its not like they secure the borders or anything unless you are a fruit fly!


John

[latexeses]

I am starting to see some irony here. I try to get a quart of automotive paint across the state line and the cargo van that just passed me is carrying a ton and a half of tar heroin. I get stopped because the cop standing there thinks I look nervous.
Next scene I am holding a black card with white letters....

When I get out my dog barks at me.....

Actually I think there might be some paint strippers used on boats. The stuff I looked at didn't look like it made someone very happy and he wrote the feedback.

Anyone here used any of these???

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...Search?Ns=Most Popular|0