How to Repaint a Travel Trailer

If your heart is set on traveling as much as possible, you probably bought that travel trailer years ago. Over time, your home on wheels has begun to show its age and now you long for when it looked shiny and new. For those who travel so much that the travel trailer is more like a second home, its appearance can be even more important. It doesn't take a lot to keep that travel trailer looking nice, says Mike Thompson, an auto body technician with 22 years experience. A fresh coat of the right paint carefully applied can bring back that shiny, brand-new feeling again, he says, and have you traveling in style in no time.

Instructions

1

Check with your travel trailer's manufacturer to determine what material its body is made of. Some bodies are constructed with aluminum siding, while others are made of another type of metal or fiberglass.

2

Select the correct type of exterior paint for the trailer body material used. Choose a color. For best results, pick all paints from the same paint manufacturer. For aluminum surfaces you want to use an acrylic latex paint, formulated specifically for aluminum surface. If you opt only for a latex paint not formulated for aluminum, Thompson says, it will react with the metal and flake off over time. For fiberglass, he says, a good acrylic paint will get the job done. Make sure the paint you chose, regardless of surface, it formulated for outdoor use. Paints formulated for indoor use will not stand up to the elements.

3

Make plans to paint your travel trailer on a calm day with temperatures between 50 and 75 degrees. Make sure the trailer is parked in a shady area that will remain out of the sun throughout the day.

4

Wash the trailer thoroughly by spraying it down with the hose and scrubbing it with a scrub brush and soap. Remove all dust, dirt and grime. Rinse with water and use towels to dry the trailer completely.

5

Tape newspaper in a way that it covers the trailer's windows and door frames. Simply tape over the frames to protect them. Tape newspaper to completely cover all glass windows and glass door panes to protect them from sprayed paint.

6

Thin the oil-based priming paint with turpentine. Dilute the primer to roughly 50 percent strength. Mix it well and poor the necessary amount into a paint sprayer. Apply the primer with the sprayer and use the paint brush for detail work around the edges of windows and door frames, as well as corners. Let the primer dry at least 24 hours but no more than 48 hours before painting.

7

Paint the travel trailer with the exterior paint chosen for your type of surface. Use the paint sprayer for large areas and your brushes for detail areas. Apply two coats of paint, allowing the first coat to dry before applying the second. Check the paint container for directions on how long to allow the paint to dry.