deteriorating fiberglass - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 04-23-2007, 08:05 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Trailer: No Trailer Yet
Posts: 2
I have a factory accesory topper, bought new by my Dad with his 77 Ford F250. It's been outside, on the ground, for the past decade. The GelCoat has largely evaporated/burned away, and it now has a "hairy" fiberglass strand finish.
I would like to save this topper - as I said, Dad bought it new, it came with the truck.
A friend of mine with a body shop suggested rolling/spraying on a coat of pick-up bed liner as a cheap, durable finish. The liner material would completely contain the fiberglass fuzz, it would be easy to apply, it would probably stand up to the sun better than gel coat, it would simulate the original textured finish to some degree, and it's cheap.
I would chose white.
Any thoughts/comments?
Dana Shifflett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2007, 08:09 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Chester Taje's Avatar
 
Trailer: No Trailer Yet
Posts: 4,897
I dont think you have anything to lose by trying that idea.
__________________
Retired Underground Coal Miner.
Served in Canadian Army (1PPCLI)
Chester Taje is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-23-2007, 11:49 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
John Perry's Avatar
 
Trailer: 1996 13 ft Scamp
Posts: 471
Send a message via AIM to John Perry
Quote:
A friend of mine with a body shop suggested rolling/spraying on a coat of pick-up bed liner as a cheap, durable finish.
HI Dana,

I have a old 13'Scamp that I am restoring. It really needs a exterior refinish, it is covered with scratches and nicks.
You have just given me a great idea

Thanks,
John
John Perry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2007, 08:22 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Trailer: Love Bug / Chevy Astro
Posts: 225
John-I would not do that to anything that you want to look really nice. The bed liner stuff retains a rough finish. I don't know how the bedliner would hold paint. It is supposed to be stain resistant which also means paint should not stick to it. I don't know if the stuff comes in anything but black and that would be extremely hot in the summer. I sat on a friend's truck tailgate for about 1 second on a sunny day, he laughed like mad because he said that he had done the same thing.
Bob Cupp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2007, 08:35 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
Posts: 25,697
Quote:
I don't know if the stuff comes in anything but black and that would be extremely hot in the summer.
Well, it now comes in every color under the sun, and I think Dana mentioned he'd chose white. My only comment is white doesn't stay white..turns kinda cream colored pretty quickly, just as black doesn't stay jet black but turns kind of a dull brown/black. Acid rain, etc. contribute to the color change.
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward - 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Double Yolk - 1988 16' Scamp Deluxe
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2007, 09:18 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Bobbie Mayer's Avatar
 
Trailer: Trails West Campster 1970
Posts: 3,366
Registry
I cannot locate my "Fix it and Sail" book at the moment, but the author has part of a sample chapter on Exterior painting on his website.

Exterior Paint

In that chapter he describes surface prep and painting of deteriorating fiberglass.

Bobbie
Bobbie Mayer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2007, 10:04 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Trailer: 2000 19 ft (formerly 17 ft) Casita Freedom Deluxe ('Nuestra Casita') / 2000 4WD V8 Tundra
Posts: 760
Send a message via Yahoo to Kurt & Ann K.
Dana,
Before making any final decision, I'd contact a boat or auto body shop that does fiberglass work and pick their brains. Getting the bedliner material off if you decided you wanted a nicer finish later, might be an impossibility.
Also, contact someone who has a white bedliner about how it when dirty and how well it can be cleaned.
It would be a shame to make an irreversible decision if the result might not be satisfactory.
In-expensive is not always the wisest choice.

Kurt & Ann K.
Kurt & Ann K. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2007, 11:46 AM   #8
Junior Member
 
Trailer: No Trailer Yet
Posts: 2
I agree!
I'm concerned about "color shift", too, though I wouldn't mind at all if white turned to cream over time.
I'm concerned with a number of things: color change, durability, flexibility, touch-up, paint-ability, proper surface prep....
I have heard from the this body shop and another source that durabak is a good product.
No decision made yet. Thanx to everyone for the input.
Dana Shifflett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-24-2007, 12:57 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Bigfoot Mike's Avatar
 
Trailer: Bigfoot 25 ft / Dodge 3500HD 4X4 Jake Brake
Posts: 7,316
Please remember this Forum is for “Care and Feeding of Fiberglass Trailers”. This topic has been moved to General Chat.

That said, I manufactured Fiberglass Canoes over 35 years ago. The gel-coat is still great on the two I have left. Fiberglass can be refinished with a new outer finish to be as good as new.

My house boat is fiberglass and has been sitting in the sun out on a lake for over 20 years and the fiberglass is still in good condition. My experience is the Fiberglass is a great product and very durable. If yours has issues, it is probably a bad batch or manufacturing issue.

A couple of repair tutorials:
http://www.torresen.com/butterfly/bu...hullrepair.htm
http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey/17.htm
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userp...eutral+Gelcoats

Maintenance tutorial:
http://www.bostonwhaler.com/Rec/default2.a...erglassrefinish
Bigfoot Mike is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:43 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.