Last month, I started a series of articles on Looking Good. We finished the first installment with the promise of looking at what a full body paint job should address.
The definition of a full body paint job usually means that 90 percent of the color on an RV is created with paint. The balance will usually be vinyl decals describing the RV and/or its accessories.
For the most part, RV manufacturers in the United States use water-based paints to provide their customers with full body paint options on newly manufactured RVs. In southern California, the AQMD requires all paint and body shops to use water-based paints in the repair and repainting of vehicles.
A typical application of paint on an RV would be: a primer coat, a base coat and a topcoat, also called clear coat. The primer helps the base coat to adhere to the RV. The primer is a petroleum-based product. The base coat provides the tint or color. This base coat is water based and has a flat finish. The topcoat or clear coat is petroleum based. This topcoat is the glossy finish that we see in the final product. The topcoat also provides the ultraviolet blocks that keep the base coat from yellowing or fading.
You’ll notice that of the three steps in the application of paint, only one is water based. The AQMD has decided that reducing the pollutants of a typical paint job by one third is sufficient enough to give the process the name “water-based” paint. Now you have a working knowledge of what full body paint means. The first step in repainting your RV is selecting the palette or colors. Remember, first impressions do matter.
Next is the graphics. Graphics is a term that describes how the colors are arranged on the RV. The graphics are also important in first impressions. You should consider how both the colors and graphics will represent you for the next six or seven years.
If you have decided that it’s time to repaint the RV, do some homework. If you find a picture of something you like, save it. The more examples you have of what you like, the more it will help the paint shop give you what you really want.
Next month, the Process.
Final Touch Coach Works is located at 28532 Livingston Avenue in Valencia. For more information, please call 661-775-8375 and visit www.finaltouch-usa.com .