How do we paint Elephant Skin?

[Buggeee]

Hey all! I've got elephant skin on the walls and ceiling of my Playpac and it's in great condition, structurally. It's well adhered and no rips.

But it's dreary. Decades held in bondage as a hunting cabin has taken some of the sunshine out of my little rescue. What to do? Clean it, sure... But then what?

I got some really good primer made to adhere to glossy surfaces and my initial thought was to spray that (with a paint gun) and then spray a top coat with a high quality gloss latex, because that is a flexible paint.

But it just occurred to me that maybe I should use the spray dye that is used for vinyl automotive seats.

What do you all think? If there is already ample thread on this then please accept my apologies for cluttering our forum and I would be grateful for a link.

Thank you Peeps!

[Buggeee]

Oh! And while I'm at it, what is a good tape for the elephant skin seams? One of my strips of tape had lifted (glue dried out) and a good many of them never had any tape. They are starting to curl just a bit and I want to run a strip of tape along them all for good measure to hold them flat for eternity.

I was thinking if running all the seams with a strip of Gorilla tape, because that seems to stick forever to anything. Never tried it on a ceiling in a hot box though.

What sticks forever without sagging down in the summer heat of an enclosed trailer? I'll be spraying a coat of paint or dye over it all once it's prepped so color is no object.

Thank you for your experience fellow campers!!!

[Jon in AZ]

If you're painting, you can ditch the tape. Fill the seams with latex caulk. Some have suggested dabbing with a crumpled rag to approximate the texture of the Ensolite. Then you'll have a smooth seamless interior and no more tape issues.

I can easily see Gorilla tape making a mess later.

[Buggeee]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

If you're painting, you can ditch the tape. Fill the seams with latex caulk. Some have suggested dabbing with a crumpled rag to approximate the texture of the Ensolite. Then you'll have a smooth seamless interior and no more tape issues.

I can easily see Gorilla tape making a mess later.

Well you must be into stamped concrete or crafting either way that's a great idea with making the elephant skin texture in some filling material. On the seams that butt up together and are stapled to something that should work great because there are already held flat.

There are some seams where the elephant skin overlaps rather than butts. On some of the overlap the top layer is starting to curl off the bottom a bit so I will need a way to hold that down, so the thinking about tape may still remain for those spots. I have the same worry about the Gorilla Tape. If it does fail it will be a disaster and I'll have to pull the skin. If it works though it does seem really tough.

The more ideas the better the camper!

[emij]

We primed our ensolite with Kilz indoor/outdoor, then painted with 3M Interior/Exterior (it comes in cans as well as the spray paint). It comes in a variety of colors. This is our third summer camping since we painted it, and it hasn't lifted, peeled or chipped.

[Buggeee]

Originally Posted by emij

We primed our ensolite with Kilz indoor/outdoor, then painted with 3M Interior/Exterior (it comes in cans as well as the spray paint). It comes in a variety of colors. This is our third summer camping since we painted it, and it hasn't lifted, peeled or chipped.

Great feedback. Thank you!

[Buggeee]

Just a little update here. I tried the Gorilla tape to hold down the curling seams of the ensolite. Did not work. It was lifting within the half hour. Tore it off.

Then I tried insta grab construction adhesive like is used to install tub surrounds in a house. WORKED AWESOME. Happened to use Loctite Power Grab. There were also sections of huge sheets separated from the fiberglass after I got the kitchen cabinets out. This stuff glued it all right down in place right away. It stays flexible but grabs and holds immediately. Then I used it to fill the seams where the original tape was missing. I used a plastic squeegee on some larger gaps and it just worked perfectly.

Now I have the first coat of Bullseye 123 Plus primer rolled on and it's starting to come together. One more coat of primer and then I'm going to top coat it with some exterior gloss Sherwin Williams Dimensions (mildew resistant) in Picnic Green. Yep.

I'll try to remember to update with the results of that.

Later Peeps...

[Mike Magee]

I am no expert, but my (admittedly limited) understanding of primer is that one coat should do the job of providing a good substrate for the top coat. What advantage do you see in a 2nd coat of primer?

Picnic Green... yeah, no lighter than that, because Pistachio might have made you hungry all the time.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

I am no expert, but my (admittedly limited) understanding of primer is that one coat should do the job of providing a good substrate for the top coat. What advantage do you see in a 2nd coat of primer?

Picnic Green... yeah, no lighter than that, because Pistachio might have made you hungry all the time.

Agree. The only reason I could see for a 2nd primer coat would be as extra stain blocking, but the Bullseye is a stain blocking primer already, and it's not covering anything dark in this case.

[Roy in TO]

Primer also helps fill in some of the small voids better than a top coat will. Some ensolite can be more heavily "textured".

Having done a lot of painting in my day, I felt that when I did mine, a second coat of Kilz would have gone a long way in making my top coat go on easier and go further.

[rbryan]

Perhaps, Roy, but Kilz has very little build. The big advantage there is it's oil based, so it sticks to just about anything. Your point is well taken with the Bullseye, since it's thicker. That must have been one stinky job, applying Kilz in such a confined space. Hopefully you had adequate ventilation or a mask.

[Buggeee]

If I had kilzed it with oil base I bet one coat would have done it. The primer I used is water based and, although it didn't fisheye in the vinyl, it did try to and left a lot of very thinly coated speckles, so to speak. I want it locked down before I put the top coat on so a second coat it will have to be. It's the first time using this primer and my thought process was that a water based film would have more flexibility after it cured. The substrate ensolite is quite flexible. I am happy with how it's performing for me. I am asking it to adhere to a pretty slick surface. Cured, it's tight on the surface so I'm still getting a lot of the elephant texture, which I like.

[dmoroz91]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

If you're painting, you can ditch the tape. Fill the seams with latex caulk. Some have suggested dabbing with a crumpled rag to approximate the texture of the Ensolite. Then you'll have a smooth seamless interior and no more tape issues.

I can easily see Gorilla tape making a mess later.

I'm doing the same and having a hard time with matching the ensolite texture any suggestions

[dmoroz91]

Any suggestions on how to match the elephant skin texture I'm having a hard time

[Jan Dyke]

damp sponge. If areas that need to be filled a coat of paintable latex calk. Let it cure then a thin coat that you texture, it will take some practice but when all painted it will look factory
Jan

[Dylemma1]

I also used water based primer Zinsser Bins 123, excellent product. I took one of the shelves in the trailer to the Benjamin Moore store and had them match the paint so the walls match the fibreglass that surrounds the sink, (it's a creamy colour) I also painted out all of the doors, I hate that fake wood look. I used the BM high gloss top of the line interior paint that I would use in my house. The trailer looks amazing. We are really happy with it. For the seams we used the tape used on boats ( no slip tape it's like fine sand paper,) we bought it in bulk. It painted up really well and the seams look great.

[dmoroz91]

What did you use to glue the sandpaper tape with

[Dylemma1]

Sorry Donna,
I couldn't find this thread. We can't remember what glue we used. DH said he would look in the basement (we moved and stuff is still in boxes). We are off to Niagara Falls this weekend to the egg gathering so won't have time to look in the basement. I'm sure someone at Home Depot could answer.

[Dylemma1]

Donna,
check out this link. I think that is where we got the original idea and he tells you what glue to use.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...one-46383.html

[badjustice]

I painted mine with latex paint I had leftover from my bedroom and it turned out great. I cleaned it first with TSP.