How to Paint a Camper, RV, or Travel Trailer Exterior
Perhaps this isn’t exactly home related, but I promised I’d share. We purchased our camper back in 2022 and were quick to renovate the interior. It’s still one of my favorite projects, and something we enjoy every spring, summer, and fall. Last year, we began to makeover the exterior… stripping the graphics and giving it a fresh coat of paint. Many questions rolled in about the process, and I’m finally getting around to sharing exactly how we did it. Click through for my step-by-step instructions on how to professionally paint a camper, RV, or travel trailer exterior… with lasting, durable results.
If you missed the interior renovation, be sure to check out the camper reveal here! It’s one we’re really proud of. If you’re interested to peek inside the cabinets- you’re definitely going to want to scroll through our camper organization (and small space ideas) here. Ready to dive into the exterior makeover? Removing the ugly graphics and spraying a fresh coat of paint made a world of difference…
Exterior Before Images
This is what our camper looked like when we first bought it. Sure, it’s old… but even the new campers are ugly (in my opinion). Exterior camper graphics are a design phenomenon I’ll never understand. Who designed these?! Regardless of the many questions I have about design in the camper and RV industry, I couldn’t wait to rip these graphics off. However, that’s easier said than done…
Supplies
Fun fact… for nearly a decade, I worked for a vinyl graphic shop. Therefore, I’ve installed vehicle wraps, decals, and removed my share of vinyl. I’ve got some tricks of the trade to share with you that make this daunting process a bit easier! Here’s everything we used to makeover our camper exterior…
- Plastic Razor Blade
- Heat Gun
- Adhesive Remover (Rubber Wheel)
- Power Washer
- Graco Paint Sprayer
- Masking Tape
- Masking Paper / Masking Plastic
- Sanding Blocks
- Self Etching Primer for Aluminum
- Automotive Paint (Base Coat / Top Coat)
- Car Detailing Buffer
- Automotive Wax
- Replacing Trim & Seals (optional, and specific to your make & model)
The key to a professional finish is to use a type of paint appropriate for vehicles- automotive paint applied with a paint sprayer. Rollers and brushes are NOT the appropriate tools for this job- no matter how many tutorials you find online. The goal is to tackle this project once and have it last for a very long time, no matter how you store (sun exposure) or winterize your RV, camper, or trailer. I’ll admit, this process is time consuming, but well worth the effort in our personal experience.
Remove the Existing Vinyl Decals
Depending on the age of your camper and how it was stored, is dependent on how easily the vinyl decals come off. If they’ve been baking in the sun for years, this will require some elbow grease and special tools. If you have a new RV or trailer, it’s going to be easier. I enlisted the help of our teenage nephew, which meant we were able to strip the graphics in an afternoon with three of us working simultaneously.
If you have baked on, old vinyl (like ours)… step one is to grab your heat gun. Apply heat directly to the vinyl for 20-30 seconds, then use the plastic razor blade to peel up the edge to begin working the decal loose. RV decals are notoriously tricky, so this process will be repeated many times. They’ll often break or snap, which is when you’ll start the process over again. It’s an easy, but time consuming task.
Remove The Gum
The next step is to remove the gum (as we call it in the vinyl industry), or residue the adhesive graphics left behind. The best option for removal is by using a rubber wheel attached to a power drill. I’ve linked ours in the supply section for you! This easily balls the gum, making it manageable to peel and discard. I much prefer this method to painstaking spraying and scraping.
Sand & Clean
Next, it’s time to grab your power washer. You’ll want to give the exterior a good cleaning. We just used diluted water with dish soap (something with degreaser) paired with our pressure washer. Once we gave the camper exterior a good wash, we moved it to our Tuesday Made office… taking advantage of our shared warehouse space for a better controlled environment.
Remove Trim Pieces, Awning, & Mask
Having shade of some sort made the process immediately easier! Emmett began to remove the lights, trim, and flange details in preparation for paint.
Then, we grabbed the painter’s tape to begin masking off the areas we’d avoid painting during the first spray. Surface prep included masking tape for our color blocked border, and taking note of what areas needed primed.
Apply Primer
Since our camper already had a coat of basic white paint and was extremely clean, we opted to spot prime… applying a coat of primer anywhere there was bare metal showing (the gray spots pictured above). Primer is essential for a durable finish, so don’t skip this step!
Apply The Base Paint
This is key… use auto paint! If you take nothing else away from this post- reframe from using home exterior paint and opt for automotive paint instead. The application process requires a spray gun, but we used the same paint sprayer we use on our regular home projects. The auto paint is applied in two steps with specific instructions on how to mix… you’ll need one coat of base paint (the pigment), and two coats of top coat (the clear protective finish). This is what our first coat looked like:
Be sure to apply thin coats of paint, layering the base coat for even coverage. When it comes to paint types, auto paint really is the correct paint for a “vehicle” classified as an RV, travel trailer, or camper. You will need to wear a respirator when spraying auto paint, so invest in the proper gear! Emmett just grabbed his, along with a paint suit, from Amazon.
Apply the Contrasting Paint & Top Coat
The second coat of paint was our contrasting color- black. We opted for a simple color blocked aesthetic. This time, we masked the top portion of the camper and painted a lower band. The upper tan color is Toyota’s Quicksand, and we found the best paint for the lower half was basic black from the automotive store.
Last, we sprayed on the clear coat or top coat… and this took two passes, allowing it to completely dry in between coats.
Buff, Wax, and Reinstall or Replace Trim
The final step was to buff the camper, apply automotive wax (as a protectant), and reinstall or replace the trim details.
After admiring the painted surface, it became clear to us that we should replace the trim details with black for a high contrast look… which made it look very nice!
Before & After
Here’s a look at the fresh coat of paint and finished camper exterior. I’m really happy we were able to achieve good results, bringing new life to this old travel trailer we so enjoy!
When it came to exterior paint ideas, our goal was to keep it simple, go for a classic overlanding (off roading) aesthetic, and achieve clean lines with a dramatic change. This little budget friendly camper has certainly come a long way, hasn’t it?
FAQ
In the long run, we had many different material options… vehicle vinyl being one of them. It ended up being far less expensive to paint it ourselves. I’m guessing this is because our camper (being older), has ridges, which would have been a very labor intensive process to wrap… which would require a lot of material.
Emmett’s main everyday vehicle is a work truck. We tow the camper with his Ford F350.
This project cost us around $900, with the majority being auto paint… followed by replacement trim pieces and a digital door lock.
Of course! We’ve used this one for years… it’s a pro model, but they have less expensive options as well. Ours sees a lot of use, so we invested in this one 5-6 years ago.
We did not. Our awning was in surprisingly great shape, so we saved money by keeping it. We may paint the mounting arms black, but for now- it doesn’t bother me (given there are white vent covers on top that help it feel cohesive).
We purchased Toyota Quicksand for the tan, and basic black from the local auto body shop.
Happy to! You can find all of my camper and RV essentials on this list. Here are my exact solar string lights, and my go-to camping & adventure gear. You might also be interested in my road trip essentials?
Related
Want to see more of our interior camper renovation, organization, and travel posts? I’ll link some of my favorites for you below. We’ve really put it to good use and have made so many wonderful memories!
- The Camper Reveal
- Camper & RV Essentials
- Camper Before Images & Design Plan
- A Quick Camper Makeover Update
- My Go-To Camping & Adventure Gear
- Camper Progress Update
- Our Camper Organization (+ Small Space Ideas)
- Camping Weekend (+ Our Favorite Gear)
- Road Trip Essentials
- Date Night Idea : Fall Mountain Picnic
- Summer Travel Essentials
- My Best Travel Tips for Good Deals & Upgrades
While not exactly home and interior related, I hope you enjoyed this post! This remains one of my favorite projects and each time we camp, I’m reminded how grateful I am we decided to tackle this project. Our camper is one of my favorite parts of spring & summer! We’ve taken it all over the West coast on outdoor adventures (Utah, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona, Oregon, California, etc), with no plans of slowing down anytime soon. It has been our home away from home and well worth the time and investment for us!
Our next 90’s toy we’ll be working on is actually super special to me… a boat! It’s a 1990 and is the one Emmett & I enjoyed as teens. We tracked it down in Kentucky and bought it from the person my parents sold it to. Would you like to hear more about that project? It will be a similar type of undertaking (like our camper), as we plan to update the interior and exterior. We’ve been taking it out every weekend this summer and it’s truly become my happy place… unplugged, on the water. Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll share the story, our design plan, and the journey as it unfolds.
