Painting (or wrap?) for old Little Guy

Finishes, paints and coatings

Painting (or wrap?) for old Little Guy

Postby caustic_potato » Sun May 14, 2023 1:50 pm

Seeking help here -- I am starting from a knowledge-base of absolutely zero.

We recently purchased an older Little Guy 5 wide. It's in great shape -- the inside has been updated (new floor, new headliner, new cabinetry/countertops) and while the outside is in fine condition structurally, it leaves a little to be desired in the visual aesthetic department. While that's clearly not a necessity, one of my great personality quirks is a need to have things visually appealing/artful. I'd love to give it an update, but I have no idea where to start. A few details:

Lots of stickers and some original decals need to be removed.
It has several things mounted to it that would need to be removed and then re-installed: propane tank rack, spare tire rack, roof rack, storage box (yes, mounted on the side of the trailer), and solar panels.
Trim appears to be a white-ish flexible/rubber material (sorry, here's that knowledge base of zero coming out); there is obviously some form of sealant under the trim, which doesn't have a clean edge (best description -- someone was a messy gluer and some "oozed" out.).

My questions: Can this actually be painted -- rolled/brushed? or would it require a sprayer? If it can be rolled/brushed (and thus I'm willing to try), what type of paint and primer? basic exterior? marine? Any sealant needed, and if so, what?

If it can be painted but needs to be sprayed -- what type of service/trades person should I seek out? I mean, I'm thinking an autobody shop is not the right place, but then again, I am pulling that thought from my knowledge base of zero. Any idea what the cost of something like that would be? This Little Guy is worth the world to me...but...um, probably not worth a ton of financial investment.

Is a wrap an option? And, if so, any idea on cost? Does the "oozing sealant" (not providing a clean line at the edges) cause any problem with this option?

I'm just trying to explore the possibilities here. This gal is a diamond in the rough and I want to give her some love.
caustic_potato
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon May 08, 2023 7:09 pm

Re: Painting (or wrap?) for old Little Guy

Postby lionbill » Sun May 14, 2023 2:44 pm

I would imagine if you do all of the prep work, an auto body shop would do the paint for you. This would include fully sanding the entire body.
Tow it past a few and ask what they think, may even give some pointers on what prep work would look like.

I see no reason a wrap would be an issue. If there is a roof fan, I think you would need to remove all sealant from it plus all seams that are sealed. Similar prep work would be needed for a wrap. Again, ask some local Wrap Shops.

I would also like to see other replies...

Bill
lionbill
Teardrop Inspector
 
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2023 4:14 pm

Re: Painting (or wrap?) for old Little Guy

Postby S. Heisley » Sun May 14, 2023 6:27 pm

Call Little Guy and give them the make/model/year and they should be able to tell you.
User avatar
S. Heisley
Super Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 8769
Images: 495
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:02 am
Location: No. California
Top

Re: Painting (or wrap?) for old Little Guy

Postby Tom&Shelly » Sun May 14, 2023 7:14 pm

Several of us have used a bedliner. Search for Monstaliner (product name) on the forum. It is meant to be rolled on. I'm not sure what the original paint on the Little Guy is, so not sure what you would need to do for prep work.

We put ours on new, over epoxy and fiberglass. Copied Tony Latham and used the same primer he did. Holding up fine after three years. :thumbsup:

Tom

171002 170997 170559
172912 170466
Tom&Shelly
Palladium Donating Member
 
Posts: 2180
Images: 1903
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 3:27 pm
Location: Upstate New York/New Mexico
Top


Return to Skinning secrets

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests