Painted interior good or bad?

[Badger]

I have a question about painting the interior of an older trailer with lots of fake interior woodwork like a vintage Bigfoot. I have seen pics online of a few that have had this done and I think if it's done well I like the look. Especially since it appears that some of pre-mid 90's Bigfeet came with REALLY dark oak paneling. Not the thing I'm looking for in a small trailer.

So my question is would you consider a painted interior a plus or a minus if you were considering purchasing? Also do you think it might effect resale value for it to be "non-stock" on a vintage trailer?

My biggest concern is if someone might use it to cover water stains or other problems. Especially since the seller I'm dealing with may not have been the person who did the original remodel. I know this happens with houses.

Is there a good way to tell if a trailer has leaked other than looking for stains? I don't think I can easily access the floorboards to check for rot but I'm not sure.

Sorry if this has been discussed before, I did a search for paint and remodel but got results mostly dealing with exteriors. I guess this is kind of a non issue for trailers that are mostly fiberglass inside.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Badger

...if it's done well I like the look. Especially since it appears that some of pre-mid 90's Bigfeet came with REALLY dark oak paneling. Not the thing I'm looking for in a small trailer.

So my question is would you consider a painted interior a plus or a minus if you were considering purchasing? Also do you think it might effect resale value for it to be "non-stock" on a vintage trailer?

My Fiber Stream has wood paneling interior walls somewhat like Bigfoot. I happen to like the look of wood. However, paint skillfully applied with thought and attention to detail on prepared surfaces is OK with me too. Use of subtle colors with contrast and style can be as attractive as wood. White paint only, slathered on un-repaired damaged wood is a deal-breaker for me. I've seen too much of that...

[Bob Miller]

So, really you are asking if a painted interior is a red flag about covered damage.

In a few words, yes and no.

First, unlike stickies, FGRV's don't have that big an issue with leaks and most of the leaks result in cosmetic damage only. Certainly if bad enough and left long enough leaks can do damage, especially at floor level.

My take.... fresh paint, especially if it still smells fresh or looks splashed on, is a red flag. Older paint, with some color coordination, a few chips and scratches here and there is more apt to reflect a o.p.'s personal tastes.

On top of that, look inside cabinets and bench seats, quicky painters seldom paint in that and water damage may still be visable.

[Evergreengirl]

We have a 1987 Bigfoot and it has the darker wood interior. I go back and forth on the idea of painting it. On the one hand, it would look fresh, more modern and definitely be brighter. On the other hand, the woodwork is in good condition, all original and I kind of like the cabin-y feeling of it. There's no way you can please everyone. If we don't paint it and then go to sell it, some folks will say "It's nice, but that woodwork is so dated and too dark." And if we do paint it and go to sell it, some folks will say "Oh, it's too bad they painted over the original woodwork." So far we've left it alone because it's more fun to go camping than to prep and paint walls and cabinetry - especially inside a small trailer!

As for someone painting to cover evidence of leaks, I think, like Bob says, that you could detect that by looking under the seats, inside cabinets, etc.

[Donna D.]

One of the best transformations I've seen was on a Bigfoot. Jim painted the woodwork in his 1981 Bigfoot. It's wonderful (IMHO). Check out his Photobuck pics here: Bigfoot Reno Photos by jimmieddd | Photobucket

[Night Sailor]

If painted with several coats of a marine two part epoxy primer sanded and then two part epoxy paint on top it will look factory. I plan to do this to my kitchen cabinets when my tenants move out at some point. If it is too shiny, wet sanding takes makes it more mat looking. This is not an easy job like one part paint but the hard as rock finish is worth it IMHO.

[Night Sailor]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

One of the best transformations I've seen was on a Bigfoot. Jim painted the woodwork in his 1981 Bigfoot. It's wonderful (IMHO). Check out his Photobuck pics here: Bigfoot Reno Photos by jimmieddd | Photobucket

Pretty amazing transformation. I like the two tone effect on the cabinet faces.

[Bob Miller]

The original question was if a painted interior was a red flag that might be covering damage and if it would effect resale value if an interior was repainted

Somehow I don't think that 4 coats of marine epoxy paint will look like any factory original FGRV I have ever seen.