Since the wait on the new cabinet doors for our RV, aka Van Go, seems to be on-going due to COVID-19, we have decided to move on to another RV project in order to keep this renovation moving and somewhat on track.
Unfortunately, all renovation projects are not equal. Some don't make for exciting blog posts or photography.
However, I will do my best with this post. You see, in the past week or so, we have been tackling the exterior of our RV.
Yup. We've been sprucing up its "curb-appeal," so to speak.
One of the things that really drew us to Van Go was the exterior graphic design on this particular year of the Winnebago Itasca-Suncruiser.
I know. That's kinda an artist thang.
After all, I suspect most people don't really care all that much about the type of pin-striping and graphics of the vehicle. And even if they did care, they nevertheless wouldn't assign the graphics significant weight in the selection of an RV.
But I was particularly partial to the "sun rising over the mountains" graphic that decorated the sides of Van Go's fiberglass body. And given that all things were rather equal among our options, that graphic played a significant role for me personally.
And so, our intention from the beginning of this project has been to restore the exterior of the vehicle's design rather than to simply update it with fresh paint.
A little paint, however, doesn't hurt.
The original light gray band at the bottom of the vehicle obviously did not hold up well over time. It faded considerably. For this reason, Tim has agreed that after all the cleaning of the vehicle is complete, we will paint that band a dark charcoal color. As you can see from our test, it has a slight gray-blue tint.
Certainly, it is much darker than the original color. Yet, It seems to both of us that since the paint color will ultimately fade once more, we may as well start with a little darker color.
Before painting, though, all the years of oxidation and even mold have had to be power-washed. Van Go definitely needed a bath.
And so the work began.
We used P&S Ballistic Compound to begin removing the oxidation from the exterior. (See the photo below for full details). It is fairly easy to apply, but it requires a little cooperation from the weather. The workday can't be too hot, and it cannot be rainy.
A bit of a Goldilocks situation, if you ask me. Even so, we applied the ballistic compound and waited for the time frame designated by the instructions. As we later began to wipe down the vehicle, much of the 26-year-old grime loosened.
But to be honest, it took several passes before Van Go looked fully clean. And we did apply a little watered down bleach in a few areas.
Then, the waxing process began. You can seem Tim using his power waxing tool here. He applied Auto Magic's XP Polish.
And yes, we are really happy with the result. And I believe Van Go is as well. He seems to ride just a little "taller" after his bath.
The one disadvantage to all of that cleaning, however, is that some of the pinstriping has suffered a little. So, a word to the wise: if you have an older RV, the cleaning and waxing process may lift color from any pinstriping your vehicle may sport.
But Van Go need not fear. We actually have considered two options for correcting this less than ideal cleaning outcome. We can touch up or replace the pinstripes.
We've decided, in fact, to attempt the first option--that of repainting or touching up the pinstriping and graphic. After all, our intention all along has been to restore Van Go's exterior to its original glory. For this reason, we'll give it our best shot.
Currently, Van Go sits on the lot of a professional body shop owned by a friend. After the blue-gray band is repainted, Van Go with return home and I will tackle retouching all of the pinstriping as well as the graphic.
I've decided to mix the colors with acrylic paint since, after all, acrylic is a form of plastic. I think the acrylic paint will hold up best under the onslaught of the elements. I will be using the original
Winnebago brochure as reference for the restoration.
Of course, I'll let you know how it goes. Wish me luck! I hope to be back soon with the results. In the meantime, have a fantastic week!
Or maybe...make that two weeks. After all, renovation projects always take longer than I expect.
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