Re: Silicone, silicone everywhere
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 113954
I'm not sure what you are calling "checking". I think this describes small cracks in the fiberglass or gel coat, which I don't have any issues with.
The clear coat directly over the fiberglass allows the sun to eventually damage the fiberglass gel coat. It becomes powdery even while still sealed under the clear coat, and still looks fine until any pinhole or chip in the clear, then it becomes very bad quickly, and comes off in big sheets.
The clear over the painted graphics on the coach are in perfect condition, there is no damage to the fiberglass under those sun-blocking areas. As well, in a few places, like under the mirror mounts, where the sun has never reached, the clear was still well bound to the gel coat.
It's become clear to me, that if I simply repainted the gel coat with clear, that it would again peel off in just a few years. I've found MANY websites where this was discussed, and people saying they would get 2-3 years usually on each new clear coat over the fiberglass.
I've also seen a few CC that are older than mine (2000), with their original paint, which looks new still. They were 100% color painted vs.clear over gel coat.
So, it seems like a no brainer to me that I must put a color coat on the gel coat in order to stop this problem.
I'm paying 40k pesos, or about $2,000 USD. He's using Sherwin Williams automotive paint, same as would be used in the USA. But he is not painting from the top of the bay doors down, and over the graphics just new clear coat, sealing the new color coat with the graphics. I believe he charged the guy before me with the 5 color complete paint job 80k pesos, or $4,000 USD.
He also repaired my Honda Insight rear plastic bumper - someone backed into me, then I backed into someone. Looks absolutely new, 2k pesos, or $100 USD.
My expectation here is that the paint job won't be perfect as one done in the USA for $15,000 USD, but it will be substantially the same, and most important to me, protect my RV fiberglass from continued damage, and at a price I can easily afford. It doesn't make sense to me to spend $15k on paint for a $48k market value RV. Of course the market value doesn't represent the real value of these great CC RVs that will last many, many years to come. But then again, from some stories I've read online about RV paint jobs done in the USA, maybe it will be better quality. I have gone to the effort to remove absolutely everything, windshied wiper motors, the pop riveted logos, all lights, awnings, everything. So that will help the quality of the job vs. taping all that stuff off. I'm not sure if many/any of the RV paint places in the US go to that extent to remove everything.
Also, the RV park where I'm at down here is nice, a bit rustic (only 30A), $225 per month for power, water, sewer. And I'm looking at the ocean out my front windshield. So for some people, the $$ saved on their USA winter RV slot might pay for a paint job while here. Don't even think about summertime though, miserable hot here.
Thanks,
Wes Owens
2000 CC Allure 36' #30443
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