One of the most asked questions I get is how to paint interior walls on an RV. As most interiors come from the manufacture in stark white, it is only natural for one to want to personalize their RV and one of the best ways to do that is a coat of paint. That being said, you have to ask yourself if this will affect resale value, make the RV interior feel “smaller” or if you will tire of the color. All of these are valid questions that need to be addressed. Full timers with their RV of choice (i.e. their permanent “home”) are more inclined to tackle this project.
The biggest difference in painting your stick and brick home and painting your RV is, your S&B home walls aren’t covered with vinyl! Most manufacturers bond a vinyl sheet to luan board for the interior walls. While this product is easy to wipe clean, it presents a few more challenges to the painting project. The following suggestions have worked for me over the years, so I feel confident enough to pass on the do’s and don’ts.
Using the same techniques to paint hard surface laminates, like Formica, you can apply paint to a vinyl coated wall and have excellent results. While the following steps may seem time consuming, they are all relatively easy, because there is much less actual wall space to paint than in a S&B home.
The first step is to make sure the walls are clean of any grease or oils that may have accumulated over the years. The best product for this would be TSP. It will break down any type of oils and make for a clean palette. The most important part of using TSP though, is to make sure, after you have wiped down the walls with it, that you thoroughly rinse the wall with clean water. Failure to rinse the TSP off, could result the primer and paint coming off in “sheets”! If the walls are new or clean, you could skip the TSP step.
The second step is to “break” the gloss surface of the vinyl. Using a “fine” grade of sandpaper on a sanding block will do the job. Apply light pressure, being carefull not to actually sand down past the layer of vinyl into the luan!
The third step is to remove any dust from the sanding, using a “Tack” rag. These can be purchased in the paint department at the BBS (Big Box Stores) or at any hardware store.
The next step is one of the most time consuming, but the most important one for a professional looking end result: taping. Using blue painters tape (I haven’t tried the new green tape that is supposed to be better) carefully mask off the areas that won’t be painted. Many manufacturers use “gimp” the vinyl round beads that cover the seams at the corders and separate the wall from the ceiling. While it might be a pain in the tail, mask off the gimp at the wall-ceiling junction.
This will give a more professional result, and keep any stray paint off the ceiling if the paint “bleeds” through the tape. Also make sure to sand these gimps that are going to be painted, because paint doesn’t like to stick on them.
To give the paint something to really grip to, using an oil based primer is the next step. While it is tempting to use the latex version of “KILZ” or “BINZ”, everything I have read and have used specifies Oil Based primer. While it is harder to clean up after, the oil based primers are necessary for proper bonding. One note about these primers. Most stores will tint your primer so that it will be easier to cover with your final choice of paint color. The problem with this, is you may find yourself missing areas when applying your final paint, mistaking the primer for an area you have already painted. This wouldn’t be bad with a solid color as you can just go back over it when you catch the miss after it dries. But with any type of “faux” or ragging techniques, it can be a critical mistake. While most of these primers say that they dry within 30 minutes, let the primer cure at least overnight for a good bond.
Finally it is time to apply the paint. What color paint you use is strictly a personal choice. The rules apply in the RV just like in a traditional home. Dark colors will make the room look smaller. That’s probably one of the reasons manufacturers use white walls, lots of mirrors, and brass. Sorry, but that look just makes me think, motel room. But that’s just personal taste. The darker colors, make for a richer, homier look to your RV. IMHO
Another thing to consider is the finish of the paint. In our fulltimer rig, in the living room area, I used Ralph Lauren’s “Suede” paint. This is a faux finish, requiring a special roller and a two step process. While the end result was spectacular, a flat finish is not the most practical for RV use. If there is just the two of you, it would be fine, but pets and/or grandchildren have taken their toll in a couple of years, so I’ll need to be redoing it. An egg shell or semi gloss finish is more practical in an RV. I just finished the bedroom using a Ralph Lauren “antique leather” paint that I used before, and it has the egg-shell finish and is a more practical application as it can be damp rag cleaned. This is again a two step finish using “stipling” brushes. If any of these “faux” techniques appeal to you, buy a quart of the base and glaze and by a 2×2 piece of drywall to practice on. They have a real “wow” factor when finished.
Finally, when removing the tape, be mindful that while using latex paints are wonderful for cleaning, that word “latex” also means that the tape will have a tendancy to try to take some of your wall paint with it. I use a razor knife to carefully score the paint between the tape and the wall for easy removal. And while the paint may dry in just an hour or two, it won’t fully “cure” for a week or two. I realized this when I wanted to see how well the paint bonded to the vinyl the day after I painted. I ran my fingernail over the wall and was shocked to see the paint had come right off! After touching it back up, I left it alone for a week or two and had no more problems with adhesion.
For too many years, manufacturers have given us a wall paper border running throughout the RV and called it “style”. Maybe leaving the walls white is just an invitation for us to use our imagination. Good luck with your project!
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Hi Jim, I really enjoyed your article. You were pretty brave to step out of the traditional trailer "look" & the results are great! I myself have always looked at the decor of trailers & found it to be on the bland side. There was always a certain amount of fear there to step out of the "box" in case you were making a mistake, but your article is really helpful & inspiring & with your tips I won't have any hesitation now to attempt anything like that. By the way the paint job in the bedroom looks great, I can't believe it's an RV!
I recently bought a 1981 Heritage with an outdated and dark panel look. We cleaned and then used a "liquid sand" product in lieu of actual sanding–very simple. The walls were painted white and it freshened and lightened up the interior. Really easy to do and the results were great1
Very helpful! Just bought a 1983 Prowler with dark paneling I want to modernize and freshen up. I been looking on-line for some painting tips. Good article! thanks,
I will be tackling my job in the spring.
This article is the best!!! my RV looks so good now it has been paint!
All the best
Followed all the steps you provided and had excellent results. Only bad thing is the wife wants the rig completly painted now…
Thanks for all the advice!
Followed the excellent instructions and had great results!
Thanks Jim !
Charlie
Hi Jim- We have the ever so “stylish” band of wallpaper throughout our camper. What do you suggest for removal? Also, what would you recommend for painting inside the shower?
Thanks.
Wow–thanks. You have actually answered every single one of my questions! I know how to proceed and most importantly—I know the process and have been warned about cutting corners (which I'm kind of inclined to) thanks so much
katy
Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed
Hey are you a professional journalist? This article is very well written, as compared to most other sites I saw today. anyhow thx for teh great read!
Whats yer opinion on display?
Hello, hows everyone at this excellent first-class forum doing today? Seriously happy I can be a part of the online community and I look ahead to several amazing experiences here!
If you are a pickup truck owner, you know the importance and worth of the cargo box of that vehicle. You can transport just about everything from your best reclining chair to a load of new wood. The only dilemma is that after a few months of use, the cargo area floor and sides will start to reveal their age much faster than the rest of the pick up truck. Dings, scratches, and dents will eventually surface… making the pickup truck look much older than it actually is – and more significantly – will greatly reduce the value of the truck.
We had the same problem, a exquisite pick up truck – until finally you dropped the tailgate. The pickup bed was busted up pretty bad and it truly took away the good looks of the vehicle.
There are a small amount of choices available to rectify that situation… a spray-in bed liner, a drop-in pickup bed liner, or a comprehensive bed liner system. All 3 possibilities have their advantages and drawbacks, but in this write-up I’m going to talk about the advantages of the DualLiner cargo area protection system. The men and women at DualLiner have a document that illustrates the pro’s & con’s of all three forms of bed liners… and can be viewed at DualLiner bedliners .
The creators of DualLiner provided one of their cargo area liner systems to us to install on a 2004 Dodge Ram pick up. The first thing we discovered was how it was packaged and mailed to the front door. Every little thing you would need is in one relatively easy to handle pack, and it was shipped right to the home. No making appointments or sitting in line required.
The bundle is made up of 5 elements… a front bed wall liner, two side wall liners, a tailgate liner, and a heavy duty, 3/8″ thick rubber bed mat.
Specific installation information are provided with the package, and the step-by-step procedure made it very easy. Total install time is less than 30 minutes, and can be carried out by just one individual. The only equipment required are a #40 and #27 Torx Driver; a ΒΌ” drill bit, and drill.
The first phase is to take out the four cargo handles inside of the Dodge Ram’s bed. We also swept out a few bits of dust to be certain no more deterioration could occur to the pickup bed. The front bed liner went on first, and just tucked over the top front rail of the bed. Next were the two side pieces… make sure the upper edge of the liner is inserted underneath the pickup bed rails. The front and side pieces are anchored together with four friction-fit tabs (commonly referred to as push-in automotive fasteners). We then re-installed the four cargo grips, which in turn wholly anchored the side panels. The fact that the top of the side panels tuck directly below the cargo area rails gave the unit installation a very tidy look.
The next action is to add the tail gate liner to the tail gate. Take off the manufacturer Torx screws that hold down the access panel. Place the liner on the tail gate… the pre-drilled holes in the liner fit up flawlessly with the factory holes. Re-install the Torx screws to the tail gate. There are four additional pre-drilled holes in the liner, which are positioned near the bottom part of the tail gate. This is where you will want to drill four ΒΌ” holes in the tailgate. The kit contains a tube of rust inhibitor… a small dab in every last newly drilled hole will ward off rust. The four holes are then blocked with additional push-in vehicle fasteners.
The remaining stage in the set up is to lay down the 3/8″ thick rubber mat on the bed. There are grooves in the bottom of the side panels to which the mat fits in for a attractive finished look.
So here you go – a before & after shot of the pickup truck bed… which one do you prefer?
Here are a few factors to be aware of if you will be thinking about getting the DualLiner pickup bed protection system:
Β· Life time warranty – DualLiner bed liner lifetime warranty
Β· Made in the USA.
Β· DualLiner retails for $399.00. Spray-in liners are $700 and more. How about a drop-in? They’re improperly produced and will undoubtedly crack and lose colour. Your cargo area will get destroyed with one of these liners.
Β· The rubber pad ensures that almost nothing will slide around in the cargo area.
Β· Will not diminish or turn a “chalky” colour.
Β· Can be implemented with all types of Tonneau tops and/or bed rails.
In summary, we are really satisfied with this product. The operator of the vehicle is quite pleased and declared this was quite possibly the quickest way to hide an ancient bed and make the pick up truck look great again. On a side note, I actually had a DualLiner on my 2003 Dodge Ram pickup… when I traded the pickup truck three years later, the pickup bed liner seemed as excellent as the first day it was set up. I highly recommend this to pickup truck owners everywhere! Give DualLiner a call at (800) 992 -1949 or stop by their site and check out the installation training videos at DualLiner install videos
Yes, almost same.
Hi Jim ~
Quick question. Can I use household plaster to repair nail wholes and/or surface cracks before I start the painting process? There are some places where the paper on the vinyl wallboard looks more like it have formed some very small ridges.
Any help would be appreciated!
Jane