Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hey guys, it's been a while!

I am sure this topic has been brought up a million times so here is number 1,000,001 I am looking for suggestions for sealing the exterior of my tear which is plywood... I have considered epoxy boat paint (long cure times), urethane boat paint, (cool color choices), exterior house paint (um, yeah, no)... I am open to suggestions that will give the exterior a durable, professional appearance without having to skin it.

Cheers,
Greg

I'm using raka epoxy and glass.

Exterior house paint is actually a good choice over plywood that isn't glassed or canvased. It will expand and contract with temperature and moisture and be cheaper and easier to repair/recoat.

My thoughts too,
Good quality exterior paint onto a well prepared surface...
Epoxies and such are much more money & the hassle to repair.

I used clear penetrating epoxy sealer (CPES) to seal the wood then multiple coats of spar urethane for UV protection. I like the woody look. CPES does not have a long cure time. Make sure you seal the edges of the wood. If water gets in there the plywood will delaminate.

How much CPES did you order to seal everything up?

Really curious about this, as I'm thinking about CPES, then painting the top (probably white), but keeping the woody sides myself. Thanks!

I used the 2 quart size but it was barely enough. Ordered online from the Rot doctor.

thanks, appreciate the input

I used this polyurethane boat paint, and have been very happy with it.

http://www.systemthree.com/store/pc/WR-LPU-Topcoat-c29.htm?pageStyle=m&ProdSort=19&page=3&idCategory=29&viewAll=yes

Thanks for the responses guys and sorry it took a while to get back you... I had finals last week. Anyway, I made quite a bit of progress today on the tear and should be ready to paint by the end of the week... So I drove around to the hardware stores and was pondering my finishing options. I stopped by West Marine and took one look at the epoxy/boat paint prices and turned right around. Since I have no way to shoot polyurethane that's out. So I went over to Home Depot and looked at the exterior house paint. The girl at the counter recommended a high sheen version since that is what they typically use in greenhouses to shed water. So as of right now it looks like house paint is the winner for both cost and ease of use.

Cheers,
Greg

Yes, the polyurethane is expensive for paint at $150 a gallon, but it's cheaper than aluminum. And it will last longer than house paint. It was extremely easy to put on. You don't have to spray it. I rolled it on with a small foam roller. I got six coats on my 5x10 trailer out of one gallon of paint. The little extra cost was worth it for me and should pay off in the long run since it's chip and UV resistant.

Campin' Texan wrote:Yes, the polyurethane is expensive for paint at $150 a gallon, but it's cheaper than aluminum. And it will last longer than house paint. It was extremely easy to put on. You don't have to spray it. I rolled it on with a small foam roller. I got six coats on my 5x10 trailer out of one gallon of paint. The little extra cost was worth it for me and should pay off in the long run since it's chip and UV resistant.

You can roll it on?!? and you got six coats out it?!? Okay maybe its not off the table...

The R/C Man wrote:

Campin' Texan wrote:Yes, the polyurethane is expensive for paint at $150 a gallon, but it's cheaper than aluminum. And it will last longer than house paint. It was extremely easy to put on. You don't have to spray it. I rolled it on with a small foam roller. I got six coats on my 5x10 trailer out of one gallon of paint. The little extra cost was worth it for me and should pay off in the long run since it's chip and UV resistant.

You can roll it on?!? and you got six coats out it?!? Okay maybe its not off the table...

I don't know about all the poly paints, but the System Three paint I linked to, can be rolled, brushed, or sprayed. Here's the application guide:
http://www.systemthree.com/reslibrary/literature/Paint_Literature.pdf

anybody who has painted a house can tell you exterior paints are only so good, I used the method boat builders used for centuries before fiberglass and epoxy were around, painted canvas. My tear lives outside, the paint is over 4 years old now, it requires no touch up, no recoating, and is tough enough to drag boats on and off the roof with out bothering the paint job.
Since the paint is locked in place by the canvas, it cannot peel, and it cannot crack. I had to remove some of it after a year when I removed the tear from the trailer for a while so I could us the trailer to move, the top layer of the plywood peeled off with the fabric, the wood underneath was a solid as the day I built the tear.
you could also waterproof the plywood first using "the Mix" 75% mineral spirits, 25% polyurethane, soak it in until the plywood stays wet, then lightly scuff the surface with sand papepr, and apply your paint.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Poor-Ma ... -weatherp/

rowerwet,

I checked out the link you provided and then went to your face book page to review the images. Your method seems like a very affordable and relatively simple process. I am considering it. Is there a way to make the finish smooth instead of textured?

Cheers,
Greg