How to paint the interior.

[Wetstuff]

...a question not a tutorial. I know painting plasticky wallpaper is not like drywall, but when I went to look for experts on Youtube the ones I saw had used bedsheets as drop cloths and said things like; "Next time I will use a primer." I could look in a mirror for such expertise.

Perhaps one of you has plowed this ground before and could basically outline what worked for you. I'll also head over to a real paint store and see what they say. My Sightseer has waited 17 years for a new look. Thanks.




Jim

[Wetstuff]

...' maybe a tutorial of 'how not to step on landmines'.

I pulled the drape/shades off the windows in the bedroom. That backboard and drapery valances looked like they came from the set of HBO's Deadwood. It left two issues... the holes in the wall from the screws and the ('nobody will see it') wallpaper job at the top of the windows.

Mistake #: I took a razor knife and cut away the loose wallpaper. It leaves voids. I have decent, non-shrinking filler from Sherwin-Williams, but I discovered it would have been easier to take a home iron and re-set the wallpaper and then trim the excess. It seems the adhesive is heat activated and the wallpaper quite malleable.

I do need to get a non-stick iron and/or figure out the best heat setting; I had some wallpaper melt and stick to the iron. It did, however, lay quite flat and seems to be holding. It will make the putty job easier.

The second photo is where 'Who gives a c'hit' came to work that day.

Jim

[Wetstuff]

I removed a lot of screws and every single one ended up with the surface around the screw standing proud. The first thing (always a hammer ..or a larger hammer) was to use a rounded tool as a set and bash the elevated screw hole back into a negative. The plywood it too springy for that.

What works perfectly is a counter-sink. I would like it to be a little sharper, but it is what I have. These holes, that held the front drapes, drilled-n-filled perfectly.

Jim

[Wetstuff]

Luckily, I was right about the heat-set wallpaper. The same guy who did the back windows was in a real hurry to get to his Narconon meeting when doing the driver's side window.

My large iron fell off a shop table so I could not adjust the heat setting. I bought a teeny one off Amazon that works great but was too large to get between the window and seatbelt anchor.

What worked very easy ...was a heat gun and a putty knife. Given the low setting I used, I'd bet I could do it with a hairdryer vs. a commercial gun that can start charcoal. I just had to make sure none of the paper was stuck under the window frame and lifted and pressed up to the frame. Slow and easy.

Jim

[Pkydudes]

We repainted the entire interior over the wallpaper. We removed the border. Washed down all the walls. Primed with Zinsser 123. And painted 2 coats with Ultra satin from Lowes. Looks great!

[7997redtail]

I think all of us with an older unit has some “pulled” wall paper somewhere. I’m glad you posted this otherwise I’d have just left it

BTW I’m not telling my wife about this until she says something

Thanks

[NeilV]

The wall paper is laminated to the panels when they are made by a machine and the panels are then router cut to their final size with all the window and door openings by a robot at Winnebago. Differences in thermal expansion do cause the vinyl to creep over time which is a problem when you have different materials combined to make a composite whole. Even the Smithsonian Institute has to deal with this ongoing.

Personally I keep up with the creeping using a plastic putty knife and hair dryer and just work to keep the sheet vinyl walls clean on my 2001 Adventurer 35U.

If I were to paint them with hardware store products then one would need to thoroughly clean the walls with TSP, fix any sags, wrinkles, tears, loose adhesive, etc and coat the entire wall with an etching primer. Top coating would have to be done with an elastic paint that will stretch with the vinyl without crackling.

SEM makes a great line of Automotive/Marine Vinyl and Plastic Paints and Prep Products that last very well however they are all spray paints that will require a lot of masking and of course full NOSH respirators when used,

[Wetstuff]

RT... My wife says; "Just drive it.." I say; "I have to work on it first."

PD... It seems we are not alone. I am amazed at how many young people simply head right for the cabinets with white paint. My process is similar to yours.

Neil... I am sure you're correct about the lamination process, but what I see (as in the attached) the window installer (who I am sure is on a quota or clock) simply jams the window in, particularly in an area covered with a valance or similar. None of my issues were contraction - all compression and other than one corner, all were around the windows.

I learned to take a razor knife and cut the paper/wrinkles right at the window frame to allow me to get under the paper, lift it then come with heat and the putty knife over the top about 45deg - once the vinyl has been heated. Once the paper is seated properly, I trim again around the frame. I abandoned my heat gun for our dog's hair dryer. It has the perfect nozzle and makes just the right amount of heat.

Neil, there are times when the good is actually better than the perfect. Painting plastic wallpaper with 'real' paints is one of them. I'm finding that getting some tooth with 150 grit and a decent latex primer seems pretty adequate - from a rub-test standpoint.

I can shoot auto paint. I got my local DuPont shop to color-match my yellowed, 17 yr old white exterior so I can shoot a color match on a lot of metal bits (door frames, vents) that are still white (albeit faded) along with the big ole vinyl swoop's leaving shadows on the sides once removed. The faded body color is not grossly objectionable - only in contrast.

Jim