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!

   Now you’re probably saying: “Well that’s all well and good, but I don’t have a central vacuum system!”  Well, neither did I, so I went low tech (read cheap) and built one.  I started looking around at garage sales and scored an Oreck Portable vacuum for $5.  Basically, any brand of portable vacuum will do, so long as it has a hose attachment.

Installing the Central Vac
Knowing that there is a lot of wasted space behind drawers in most RV kitchens, I pulled a large drawer out below my oven and found a void that was about 10″ deep.  The hardest part of this project was finding power for the vacuum and this was accomplished by tapping into a 120v line that was running nearby. (Note:  If you are uncomfortable with working with electricity contact a licensed electrician to put in an outlet.  But there goes the “cheap” part of the project!)  There may be an outlet in your basement that your converter plugs into that could be used.  After wiring in an outlet, it was just a matter of cutting out a place in the baseboard for the Vac Pan assembly, securing the vacuum and connecting the two.  To wire the vacuum to the VacPan, I simply removed the on/off switch on the vacuum and connected a set of wires to the VacPan.  I used heat shrink on these connections.  I used zip ties to secure the vacuum in place.
 

Pros & Cons
The only downside to this arrangement is changing bags.  We’ve been using the system for over a year now, and haven’t needed to empty it yet, but since we are not fulltimers yet, we can’t judge how often it will be necessary.  The plus side is that it does not take up precious basement storage like conventional central vac systems.  And since it is so easy to use, you will find yourself using it more often than dragging out the broom/dustpan combination.  The kids like it so much, you may have to limit how often they sweep the floor!

The manual and parts list covers these 1984 Models:

• Pioneer Series
  • Redwood
  • Columbia
  • Newport
  • Cape Cod
  • Jamestown Limited
• Americana Series
  • Colonial
  • Sun Valley
  • Royale
  • Shenadoah
  • Sequoia
  • Williamsburg

Download the Owners Manual: Click Here

Download the Parts list: Click Here

On the mechanical items I need I will prolly shop at Auto Zone and Auto Parts Warehouse.

I determined that this Recreational Vehicle could use these inside updates:

• New flooring ( the carpet was nasty – and for camping, I would rather have something easy to clean than high pile carpet)
• Minor cosmetic fixes to cabinet corner bead
• New laminate edge strips for the dinning table and other surface edges around the coach
• A thorough detail cleaning
• A serious cushion shampooing

Outside:

• There were minor cracks in portions of the outside walls. This can be repaired with JB Weld
• The access doors to the outside storage compartments could use replacing
• The awning mounts needed re-enforcing
• A complete re-caulking of seems is also in order

I will be shopping at Walmart, Camping World and Al’s RV for all of my RV replacement parts and materials.

I know what you are thinking at this point. How much did you pay for this?? Well, I picked up this motorhome for about $3,000. I figure I will put about $400 into it for the updates I listed above. All in all, my family is really going to enjoy this.

I am in the process of writing a series of step by step articles (with pictures!) about my restoration process. The first article will be about painting the popup. If you would like to be notified about that series, please click here.

Here is the photo album for you to enjoy. If you have any questions or comments, post them here!