Paint Job

Post project writeups, ideas, DIY mods and off the shelf modifications and improvements. Also "Known Issues" and their resolutions.
Skillet
Posts: 495
Joined: March 22nd, 2015, 7:45 am
Location: Northern Virginia

Paint Job

Post by Skillet »

I finally got my tax return and finally moving forward with painting the Chinook. The clearcoat's been peeling all over and paint is fading a lot in certain areas. I have a local guy (who strangely enough happens to live in the neighborhood) who does paint and body work who was recommended to me by a co-worker. I wanted to do more than just keeping it the same paint scheme so we knocked around some ideas and he showed me some pics of jobs he has done.

Because he will need to keep it for 2-3 weeks, do I just use the cut-off switch over the cab? He said it should be mostly inside his shop for that time and I definitely don't want the batteries to die. I'm going to get it to him this weekend.
'02 Concourse where there's always a project going on...
Willywalderbeast
Posts: 232
Joined: July 17th, 2016, 5:00 pm

Re: Paint Job

Post by Willywalderbeast »

That or if your worried just pull the batteries and keep them on a trickle charge at home. Or disconnect the negative terminals.

Excited to see what paint scheme you go with. I wish I was getting a tax return back this year to paint mine :?
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HoosierB
**Forum Contributor**
Posts: 473
Joined: May 21st, 2015, 7:00 pm
Location: South Bend, Indiana

Re: Paint Job

Post by HoosierB »

Skillet wrote:I finally got my tax return and finally moving forward with painting the Chinook. The clearcoat's been peeling all over and paint is fading a lot in certain areas. I have a local guy (who strangely enough happens to live in the neighborhood) who does paint and body work who was recommended to me by a co-worker. I wanted to do more than just keeping it the same paint scheme so we knocked around some ideas and he showed me some pics of jobs he has done.

Because he will need to keep it for 2-3 weeks, do I just use the cut-off switch over the cab? He said it should be mostly inside his shop for that time and I definitely don't want the batteries to die. I'm going to get it to him this weekend.
Skillet, deciding to do a full-body repaint on my rig was a great investment. I had Duncan's RV service center in Elkhart, IN do the job. The key was the prep work they did... a full "peel and seal", removal of panels, access doors, etc. I was fortunate not to have any body damage, fiberglass or gelcoat problems. And I retained the original base color (white). The new "graphics" were of my personal design and color (Lexus Champagne metallic). The process was a standard base coat/clear coat (double) with the one color graphics paint application (no vinyl decals). Photo of the finished job attached.
Good luck and have fun with this...
chinook1.JPG
"Wanda" – '01 Chinook Concourse XL V10
Skillet
Posts: 495
Joined: March 22nd, 2015, 7:45 am
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Paint Job

Post by Skillet »

Hopefully it'll be as good as it sounds. Gunmetal grey for the base color with a Thin Blue Line stripe (cause I wanted to honor my family history in law enforcement). Metal flecks in the black and blue paint. He showed me some pictures of work he did on a couple vehicles in all gunmetal with a huge dump truck being one of them. It looked fantastic. It's going to make me want to get chrome bumpers on the front because the chrome on the dump truck set it off so good.

I had been looking at rv's online and in real life for color inspiration. Those that went a solid color really caught my eye. I almost went olive drab because one I saw in person looked really cool like it was a military vehicle. Then I wanted a sand color because that looked great on another rv. He suggested the gunmetal and I'm going to take a chance. I do have very minor body damage around one of the wheel wells from a previous owner and the back door is dented at the top from a previous owner hitting something high. He said he would take care of those issues as well. I'm more hoping for that back door getting fixed. It seals from the rain if you slam it but sometimes I forget. Plus it doesn't help the look! He also does body work so I feel comfortable if he tackles it, it'll be done right.
'02 Concourse where there's always a project going on...
Skillet
Posts: 495
Joined: March 22nd, 2015, 7:45 am
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Paint Job

Post by Skillet »

Had to go out to the paint shop yesterday and here is how it looks at the moment stripped down. If you were wondering about going all white (not me), here's a good idea what it would look like. They'll be fixing up any damages I got and said I might get it back as soon as next weekend. I know this was discussed in another thread last year, but the Chinook stripes were painted on, not vinyl.
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Unpainted Chinook.jpg
'02 Concourse where there's always a project going on...
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Blue~Go
Senior Member
Posts: 3716
Joined: July 31st, 2014, 1:01 am
Location: 1999 Concourse

Re: Paint Job

Post by Blue~Go »

Ooh, look, a blank bar of soap! :lol:
Skillet wrote:I know this was discussed in another thread last year, but the Chinook stripes were painted on, not vinyl.
Just to clarify (you probably know this, but for the record) it's the Concourse stripes that are paint/clear coat; the Premier, in contrast, has vinyl decals.

I can't wait to see what you've come up with!
1999 Concourse
Skillet
Posts: 495
Joined: March 22nd, 2015, 7:45 am
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Paint Job

Post by Skillet »

I bet after all this time that has gone by the vinyl stripes would be as easy to remove as the paint was! One of the previous owners had one of those US maps that you cover the State you visited, on the back, above the storage where the spare tire is. I couldn't get it off for the life of me and it looked terribly aged. The shop tried a heat gun and found it easier to remove with a sander...
The color scheme will be his creative choice with suggestions of what I wanted. I spent over a year looking around at cars and rv's for something to hit me. I couldn't really settle on anything. He had an idea and showed me what he did on another car and dump truck and it looked good. I hope it transfers over to an rv!
'02 Concourse where there's always a project going on...
Concourse St Tropez
Posts: 70
Joined: August 29th, 2015, 9:29 am

Re: Paint Job

Post by Concourse St Tropez »

Hoosierb, nice and clean paint job, looks like a new rv ! Any before pics ?
Skillet, I feel it is going to look real fancy and modern. Please post pics asap. They seem to know how to work, judging by the clean prep job.
My gold paint stripes are peeling too...I would love a new paintjob.
Skillet
Posts: 495
Joined: March 22nd, 2015, 7:45 am
Location: Northern Virginia

Re: Paint Job

Post by Skillet »

Here's the new look. I like it but it does take a little getting used to. It is a gunmetal gray with a vinyl Thin Blue Line. He decided against flecks in the Thin Blue Line because he said it didn't look good. There are metallic flecks in the gunmetal gray. He fixed all the minor chipping and damage in the wheel well areas as well as some cracks on the roof. He painted the two vent covers black but left the TV antenna because he didn't know if that would interfere with signal. As can be seen, he also did the front bumper and at the rear he did the fold down step in black. $4,000 was the grand total. I can't help but running my hand over it whenever I walk past it. It's so smooth now. The rainwater just beads right off of it.
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20170521_083435.jpg
'02 Concourse where there's always a project going on...
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kdarling
Senior Member
Posts: 726
Joined: October 20th, 2015, 6:57 am
Location: Northern NJ

Re: Paint Job

Post by kdarling »

Purty!

I like that he did the fridge vent cap and front mirrors, too.

Might I suggest a chrome exhaust tip to complement the gun metal paint?
1994 Concourse dinette, Ford 7.5L (460 V8)
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