How To Repair Peeling Clear Coat On Motorhome

ncrowley Utah Senior Member Joined: 10/02/2009 View Profile	I have a small area where the clear coat needs to be repaired. I think it is peeling because it was out in the Sun. Can I repair the clear coat myself? If so, what do I use and how do I do it? Nancy Newmar Northern Star
MountainAir05 New Mexico Senior Member Joined: 01/27/2007 View Profile Offline	There are normally three layers of coatings on a modern automobile: primer, paint, and the clear coat. The primer acts as a base layer for the paint, assisting with adhesion, provides a predictable surface for coating, and provides additional protection for the underlying metal. The paint is the color coat. The clear coat provides a hard "shell" that protects the paint from oxidization, minor scratches, and increases the longevity of the aesthetic benefits of the colored paint. Car paint peeling (delamination) occurs when one or more of these layers lose adhesion with the surface under it. Primer may lose adhesion to the bare metal, paint may lose adhesion to the primer, and the clear coat can lose adhesion to the paint. When this happens, large sections or flakes of paint can slough off the vehicle. There are two primary causes for car paint peeling. The first, and most often associated with large-scale paint delamination, is the improper preparation of the painted surface. The second most common cause of paint delamination happens when the seal of the clear coat, paint, or primer get compromised by a chip or scratch. Once the barrier has been compromised, moisture and other contaminants can begin working their way under the coatings and create a starting point for delamination. As of this day I have not found a way to repair that will last.
vtbig VT, GA Senior Member Joined: 06/06/2010 View Profile Good Sam RV Club Member Offline	I have a similar need
fcooper St. Augustine, Florida Senior Member Joined: 09/23/2003 View Profile Offline	The thread below (on IRV2) has some helpful do it yourself tips. clear coat repair Look at the post by deandec. Fred Fred & Vicki St. Augustine, Florida
lennyjudym naples Full Member Joined: 02/14/2009 View Profile Offline	a easy job ,a lot of time just use a razor blade and shave it off .then spray it with clear spray paint worked for me .You can get a match from an auto paint store in spray cans of the color you bring in to them good luck if it is only a stripe you can do it lenny

Mike and Claudia Canyon, TX New Member Joined: 01/22/2007 View Profile Good Sam RV Club Member Offline	You can buy a small can of clear coat at most auto parts stores. Shave the loose clear coat, sand/taper the edges, clean the area, then spray.
deandec Northern CA Senior Member Joined: 09/26/2001 View Profile Good Sam RV Club Member	If clear coat over base coat paint and the spot has been bare for a few months, you may have to reapply the base coat color to get a matching shine to the surrounding area. Get the base coat formula from the manufacturer and visit an auto supply paint store for a pint of the paint and a matching paint reducer product. Go to Home Depot and buy a Preval Paint Sprayer for about $8.00 and you are set up to apply a 1:1 coat of base color/reducer to the spot. If clear coat over gel coat (no color), then sand the area with a 1500 grit wet sand paper with focus on the edges. I have sprayed a couple of coats of clear coat over the repair area and then sanded aggressively (800 grit) on the visible edges of the old clear coat. This avoids removing the thin,bare gel coat layer and does a pretty good job of smoothing things out. Then apply more clear coat and sand some more. I use Spray Max 2K (auto paint supply store) with pretty good result. The clear coat from an auto supply store did not last long for me. I have made spot repairs, and then had areas around the spot repairs peel later. The best approach is to remove any/all loose layers of clear coat to as large a bare area as you can to avoid sanding a bunch of closely located ridges from different repair events. Use a razor blade gently to find firmly attached clear coat edges. I have removed sheets of clear coat measuring 12" by 24" in this process. Hopefully you will not have the same experience. Spray the base coat paint and wait 30 minutes to spray 3 coats of clear coat about 10 minutes apart each with low wind and temps above 60 degrees. Once the clear coat is applied, you may have to do the following steps. Sand progressively to gradually reduce sanding scratchs with 800, 1200, 1500, 2000 grit sand paper. Your goal is to remove bugs, dirt, or orange peel from the repair paint. Then polish the new clear coat and surrounding old clear coat area with a rotary buffer and polishing compound. If the repair area is a small spot in an low visibility area, the above is way too much information! Dean 95 CC Magna, Jeep GC