Clear Coat peeling

[LaMonte Monnell]

I know that many have the issue of the clear coat peeling on the front and side caps on the Beavers. I redid the passenger top curved side last summer. I sanded it down. I put two primer coats on and sanded. Then I applied four coats of paint with sanding between each coat. Then I applied a clear coat putting two coats on. It has done amazingly well considering I did it outdoors with the wind and weather.

Now I have an issue with several spots of clear coat flaking off on the top of the front cap above the windshield. Is it possible to mask off and sand these spots mildly and reapply clear-coat to these areas?  its not real bad yet but it will spread if I don't stop it now.

[Edward Buker]

La Monte,

The way spotting in is normally done is to sand keeping the area relatively small, taper the clear coat edges if it holds. Then lightly scuff the clear coat with a red 3m pad out a ways into the blend area,  then spraying just enough base coat color, blending outward into a light misting as you enlarge the area. Spot in several coats of clear coat fanning out from the center as minimally as seems appropriate. Each coat fans out a bit further then the last coat. The last clear coat is a blend coat to melt in the hazing of the new clear coat edge area. That is done by adding more of the solvent that the clear is mixed with. This last coat is quite minimal in thickness and a quick spray so it does not build up or run. The amount of solvent add is what works best for your materials and the paint supplier should be able to help with some insight. It would be nice if you had an old car panel to practice on.

This spotting in, may be much harder then just doing a panel like the top of the front cap, masking it off and just leaving a line in the clear for that segment of the coach where it meets the roof area color. I fear that you will do two spots and then another one or more will appear later. Paint work is not easy and good for you in tackling this. It does not have to be perfect is my bodywork motto, each time you do get better :-)

Later Ed

[LaMonte Monnell]

Thanks Ed for the great advice. When I did the curved passenger side from front to back I wasnt sure what I was doing but pushed forward.

It has been over two years now, I was thinking one. It still looks good for an amateur doing it. I have a few scratches here and there that have been touched up, I guess that builds character for the coach.

It seems like I am always doing maintenance and never get done.

We are going to live in the coach full time starting in June 2018 and sell the house. We both have too many medical issues to keep up with both and we decided the DP is the way to go. We have always wanted to travel and never have had the opportunity to be able to do it. The time is now or we may not get to do it.

[Edward Buker]

LaMonte,

Hope you follow your plan and have a great time traveling the country. It is time in life to indulge yourselves and fulfill a few dreams.

We RV'd for 15 years, retiring on my 50th birthday. We traveled about half the year and enjoyed all our time on the road. We have crossed the country 10 times in two different Beaver coaches and one GMC. It represents some of the best of times of our lives. Luckily we could do a lot for ourselves, so it all worked.

Don't ever believe that the coach has to be perfect to go...... It just has to be well maintained.

Later Ed

[Roland DuBree]

I had clear coat peeling on both green roof top front and rear caps.  My coach has also peeled on the green painted rounded sides of the roof between the painted white roof and down to the side drain gutters.  I have also had a problem with the plastic material that hides the screws that fasten the gutters to the sides of the coach.  To stop these problems I have painted all with white roof paint after sanding with fine sand paper.  The white now goes down the side into the rain gutters.  I used masking tape to move the cap painting forward on the front cap and to the rear on the rear cap and masked down on the sides to the ends of the gutters and painted everything with white roof paint bought at Lowes. I took the white roof paint just enough forward and to the rear caps that you cannot see the white from the ground when standing front or rear.  To me it looks just great and it makes the roof and rolled over sides white as I think it should have been painted in the first place.  No more peeled clear coat over green and as much white as I could get to reflect the suns heat.   I recommend it to all!

[Adam Hicklin]

Roland, I was thinking of doing the same thing.  Do you have an pictures of your coach you can post?