we bought a camper! part five: the exterior

Did you know you could paint a camper exterior?! I was a little skeptical but Pinterest and Google and YouTube rarely lead me astray.

I figured it couldn’t look much worse anyway. So, since I was not a fan of the yellowed nineties vibes I went for it and I’m so glad I did!

Technically my paint job is only half way complete and has stayed that way all summer. I was outside til dark trying to get this thing done the day before her maiden voyage when I realized I was just out of time to get it all done for that first trip.

Amazed that even halfway finished looked pretty darn good…I’ve left it far too long. I guess now I’m just waiting for life to slow down some day so I can finish it up.

Details/advice on the job–really just go for it! There are tons of recommendations out there and I was surprised by the variations. You can spray, roll, or brush paint on. Go with latex or oil based. Automotive paint or standard.

I went with an oil based paint that I’ve used before for painting tile. Latex is easier to work with but oil based dries so hard I knew it was the better choice for this project.

Then I added paint thinner (I used mineral spirits) for the first time ever! Apparently the thinned out coats lead to a more automotive-like finish. The last thing I wanted was for this to look like a craft project or a living room so I figured this was our best bet at “professional-like” finish.

You won’t find any closeups here because this finish is anything but professional. I just brushed it on! But for under $100 in supplies it’s definitely an improvement and I didn’t need for it to be perfect.

Here’s a breakdown of the process.

`Don’t forge the roof! If rain hits a dirty roof then gross water will run down and ruin any progress you made towards a clean camper. Ours was definitely in need of a good cleaning.

These scrub brushes that attach to a drill are AMAZING.

I primed with the same formula I painted with. Just white oil based paint thinned out with mineral spirits with a ratio of about 3 parts paint 1 part mineral spirits. I actually never gave my top half of the camper a final coat!! I will eventually…but that’s why I say its halfway finished.

Looking better already!

For priming and for the white top half I used Rustoleum High Performance Protective Enamel since it’s a go-to (used here!) and since it came in a standard white. For the blue I used a Valspar Anti-Rust Oil Based Enamel in Sherwin Williams “Naval”.

It took 3 coats of my thinned out navy and I was a little nervous at first! It goes on more like a stain…so just be patient and eventually it’s a hard glossy finish.

I can’t say I recommend summer nights for painting…it was bug city and they stuck to my paint a bit! But, with the help of my mom and husband, I have for you these before and afters of a halfway completed paint job which is basically a total transformation!