Identifying if exterior is original or painted - Fiberglass RV
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Old 08-15-2021, 07:21 PM   #1
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Name: Jesse
Trailer: 1977 Trillium 1300
Alberta
Posts: 1
Identifying if exterior is original or painted

Hello,

I am fairly new here and this will be my first post!

My wife and I recently purchased our first egg - a 1977 Trillium 1300! It is in pretty good original condition, but we are planning to do some work to it, namely to address a few of the known shortcomings of these trailers (belly band replacement, resealing windows, fixing a sagging door, etc).

So first off, I would like to say THANKS for all of the incredible posts detailing these various fixes - I have already spent many many hours reading through the helpful forums here and I am extremely grateful for all of the wonderful advice!

I do have one question that I was hoping to get some help with though - I am curious if there are some tips or tricks to tell if a trailer has the original gelcoat or has been painted?

Our trailer is the same beige colour as it would have been in 1977, so we assumed it was still the original gelcoat; however, there are a few things I have recently noticed that are making me second guess this assumption:
  • Some flaking near the door with a slightly different beige beneath
  • Some bubbling in one of the corners
  • What appears to be beige paint on the mudflaps

I have attached a few pictures that show what I have mentioned above, as well as a shot of the full trailer.

Thanks in advance!
Jesse
Attached Thumbnails
PXL_20210815_185718782.jpg   PXL_20210815_185725837.jpg  

PXL_20210816_005002030.jpg   PXL_20210805_182715636.jpg  

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Old 08-15-2021, 07:44 PM   #2
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Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,137
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Painted. Color underneath looks original.

If the paint is typical spray paint (out of a can), I've had good luck removing "rattle can" with acetone. It would be time consuming, but easy enough to at least test it.

I restore vintage bicycles, I've removed a lot of rattle can over the years.

Good source of a small amount of acetone is nail polish remover. Read the label to see if they added a bunch of crap to it. You want the simple, cheap, pure acetone nail polish remover.
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Old 08-15-2021, 09:09 PM   #3
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Name: Charlie Y
Trailer: Escape 21 - Felicity
Oregon
Posts: 1,583
You can buy acetone in quart cans at a big box store (home Depot, etc) and it will not harm fiberglass or gel coat. Another thought is MEK (a paint stripper) but be careful with it around plastics and rubber. Should use a mask with both products.
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Old 08-15-2021, 09:44 PM   #4
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Trailer: 2002 19 ft Scamp 19 ft 5th Wheel
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Remove the mudflap and you will have an imstant answer.
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