Aluminium skin...repaint or leave naked?

[myout]

Got photo in gallery of my truck and camper...my alaskan is mostly missing its white paint to green undercoat showing and some white paint...
What do you guys recommend? Repaint? Would it be ok just bare aluminum? And if so...what is best way to get rest of paint off? The aluminum matches the truck paint and by chance the pinstripe on my horse trailer so I am leaning to bare...

 

[coloradocamper]

I think bare is okay...think airstreams. Aluminum as you probably already know, oxidizes, but that may or may not concern you as its oxidization is the same color as the metal itself. Ive stripped aluminum before and in this case you will probably want to use a chemical stripper, and clean VERY well when complete. Aircraft Stripper works especially well, better in my opinion that hardware store brands. The old grinder and wire wheel trick would be too harsh for something like this...especially if you leave bare

Also remember you wont be able to get all the paint off as the top shell, even in its upper most position covers a couple inches of the lower shell.

Good luck

 

[Rusty]

went through this in 2006....stripped and repainted to match the truck...with linear polyurethane paint...a little tricky to use but the results are pretty nice....I've got a whole album of photos of the process from beginning to end....several months

I had some advice from a body shop supply friend and if it hadn't been for him it never would have happened...nice shiny Aircraft paint...

two part primer and two part paint with a limited pot life of 1 hour....get with it or get it out...very specialized aluminum aircraft body filler

I considered polishing...but I'm too picky....the paint covered all the nick and dents of 40 years family camping
I'll put up a few of the overall shots so you can see the body filler and primer.

I've got sequenced shots of how to do this from start to finish...if anyones interested....in your backyard...without a booth

 

[caseboy]

i'm definitely interested.if it's too much to post,you can e-mail cty87300@centurytel.net
thanks for sharing your knowledge.

wes

 

[Rusty]

I'll get them to you Wes....it'll take a few e-mails

 

[myout]

Thanks guys for the replies...dont think I have it in me to do what you did Rusty...wow! So bare it is.....luckily its surface is not dinged up much at all and the under shell piece looks great with its white paint so I think it will end up polished skin on top and back and I will leave the bottom alone. And someone already did most of the top before I got it from Bear..

So where do you find aircraft stripper? Or what other industry might have a good aluminum paint stripper?

 

[Rusty]

you'll need one of these

http://www.cyclotoolmakers.com/index1.php

It'll make your stripping and buffing job alot easier....

You may want to borrow one first and see what it's going to take to "get er done"

plan on replacing all the screws with Stainless steel....It'd be a shame to rust streak that puppy when it's all buffed out and sealed....

galvanic action sacrifices the zinc coating on plated screws...less noble metal...that's why they start rusting.....

and with no paint separation they'll be going quicker

I went through this process too before I started the paint process

I'v had alot of conversations with alot of airstream guys

And make sure you use real good caulking bead compound on the drip rails....you don't want any of the sealants showing

 

[fishnchile]

went through this in 2006....stripped and repainted to match the truck...with linear polyurethane paint...a little tricky to use but the results are pretty nice....I've got a whole album of photos of the process from beginning to end....several months

I had some advice from a body shop supply friend and if it hadn't been for him it never would have happened...nice shiny Aircraft paint...

two part primer and two part paint with a limited pot life of 1 hour....get with it or get it out...very specialized aluminum aircraft body filler

I considered polishing...but I'm too picky....the paint covered all the nick and dents of 40 years family camping
I'll put up a few of the overall shots so you can see the body filler and primer.

I've got sequenced shots of how to do this from start to finish...if anyones interested....in your backyard...without a booth

 

[fishnchile]

could you send a copy to gwwr58@yahoo,com I'll be starting a restro on a 69'nco this spring.

 

[dkoug]

could you send a copy to gwwr58@yahoo,com I'll be starting a restro on a 69'nco this spring.


I would appricate information also, as just picked up my first Alaska 69 10NO.

thanks very much

dshinn@shaw.ca

dkoug

 

[caseboy]

dkoug,

wow, i'm a shinn too. not a very common name.

wes

 

[Rusty]

OK....sorry to be late here....I'll assemble the photos and start a separate thread...start to finish...so everybody will be ready for Spring...

give me a little time to get all them organized into some semblance of sequence