Has anyone tried to repaint the dark colors that are micro cracking using some sort of epoxy primer as a base coat, or some other paint process
I have heard on various forums that the only way to repair the checking is to repair the fiberglass underneath.
Same here. I've been told that the checking will come back if you just paint over them.
I recently spoke to the folk down on Junction city Oregon about the cause of paint checking on Country Coaches built during a certain time. There was an issue with the fiberglass laminate panels which were used, they were manufactured incorrectly and I believe that there may have been a warranty claim going on between Country Coach and the panel supplier , but dissolved when Country Coach folded. The issue resulted in the paint checking which you now see on many coaches. Simply painting over the damage may not fix the issue as it may reoccur over time.
It will not. It come back in time. Capt Dan Allure 2000 CCI # 30498
Nothing can be done to fix the issue, grinding out and filling etc. They cracks will comeback.
I just had a chance to discuss this micro checking problem with the lead paint tec at Oregon Motorcoach in
Eugene, Oregon this last week while having some repairs on my new to me 04 Magna coach. The advice I was given was, learn to live with it as any repair will be short lived, 3 months, 3 years? No one can guarantee the repair will be lasting. Too bad this happens on such an other wise beautiful paint scheme.
Coach Wrap will fix paint checking... ;D
How..the surface underneath is cracked and wraps only last 5-6 years before they can have issues
My response was somewhat tongue-in-cheek.
Because of the known problem with the original fiberglass which causes paint checking. One solution is not use dark colors as it shows more or wrap. Paint checking does not “show” through paint wraps. With anything the sub surface has to be prepared and clean.
I think that wraps may be a solution...or just call it a special finish if you have paint checking is the look your after. It does have a nice pattern.
I just bought a 2006 CC inspire 360. The paint checking doesn't bother me but it drives a couple of my friends crazy.
My 1996 Affinity started peeling clearcoat, I removed the sections that was peeling and sprayed new clearcoat, sanded and buffed! looked like new.
I wanted to add an opinion I formed from my research. Yes, the paint checking will come back... But as most people seem to know, the darker the paint, the hotter the surface gets in the sun, and the more outgassing takes places. So if you have a coach that has not yet started to show evidence of checking, having the darker trimmed paint changed over to lighter colors - can reduce the micro checking.
When we bought our new to us 07 Magna, just one or two areas of darker paints, had any signs of checking. We're budgeting for either a late 2021, or early 2022, painting of our darker color 'swooshes', to complementing lighter colors. IT WILL NOT stop checking, but with the lower heat gain of the lighter paint - it should slow the checking growth. Good quality paint work is expensive, but less expensive then poor quality paint jobs needing to be possible redone to correct shoddy work. Premier and OMC, both have excellent painters - and that is reflected both in price (Not a knock!), as well as getting into their schedules for painting...
And, I wanted to point out, that this is certainly not a unique to CC issue. Owen's glass of that era, was prevalently used in many other manufactures coaches too...
Best to all,
Smitty
07 Magna 6755