Repainting tailgate bus, best fade resistant option

[knowpistons]

I have a bus we use for tailgating, I originally painted it orange and used Rustoluem High Performance Enamel. It has faded badly over the past 7 years with most of the fade happening in the first 3 years and now it is almost yellow again.

I am going to be repainting it next month and was thinking of using Rustoleum Implement paint with a hardener but as I was reading, it seems like this will only delay the fade by a year or so. What is the most cost effective paint that is easy to apply while also being fade resistant? I know I am asking for the unicorn of paints, but what is the best option available?

[musigenesis]

Good lord, you faded from Browns colors to Steelers colors. That's a true tragedy.

Go dawgs!

[ol trunt]

PPPG Delfleet essential with hardener. It is a single stage urethane with especially good color hold out. Mine still looks new after ten years or so--of course I keep it washed and give it a light wax once a year.
Jack

[Booyah45828]

Following. Had the same issue with my bus and rustoleum paint fading. I'm still debating on repainting it so it doesn't look so bad.

Enamel fade/chalkiness is supposedly caused by uv light. So whatever paint you use, make sure it's UV protected. Implement paint might work so long as it's UV resistant, a lot of them seem to be. And I'm seeing a lot more recommendations for implement paint from tsc, over rustoleum oil based enamel any more......

I was originally looking at different automotive laquer paints, and then compatibility with what I currently have to cover (I'm not stripping it to bare metal), when a guy on another forum recommended to me to use sherwin williams industrial alkyd enamel and it's compatible primer. Supposedly it's tintable, dries hard, and is uv resistant. Those 3 are the main things I'm looking for. It's able to be rolled, brushes, or sprayed with an airless spray(what I'll likely use)

Truthfully, I'll likely reach out to sherwin williams and get their opinion/idea on what would be best, and then make an educated decision from there. I had no intentions of doing this more then once, but here I am, having to do it more then once. So I really don't want to do it a 3rd time.

[Kentucky Dreaming]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

Good lord, you faded from Browns colors to Steelers colors. That's a true tragedy.

Go dawgs!

You need to get that rascal back to bright orange and put some Cincy Bungles tiger stripes on it!!!!

[knowpistons]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

PPPG Delfleet essential with hardener. It is a single stage urethane with especially good color hold out. Mine still looks new after ten years or so--of course I keep it washed and give it a light wax once a year.
Jack

If this stuff isn't a unicorn, it at least a bigfoot, lol. A couple questions.

Can I just scuff the old paint and paint directly over it?

Where is the best place to purchase?

Any estimate how much I would need for a 9 window Safe T Liner?

I sprayed the rustoleum with a Wagner power painter last time but I do have an airless sprayer as well as HVLP, which would be the best to use?

[Danjo]

I used PPG Delfleet Essential line as well. Good stuff. HVLP is the way to go

[ol trunt]

What Danjo said and Google "where to buy Delfleet".
Jack

[Danjo]

Here’s the specific product you need

If you prime use this. I wouldn’t worry about it. Orbital sander with 220 grit. Buy the pro pak ;)
Epoxy Primer ESU481 4:1
Hardener ESU489

Paint
Delfleet Essentials ESS 6:1:1
Hardener ESH200
Activator ESX 510

How long is your bus? My 22 foot cutaway took a gallon for a single coat. You can probably get away with one coat

[Tejon7]

Originally Posted by Booyah45828

I was originally looking at different automotive laquer paints, and then compatibility with what I currently have to cover (I'm not stripping it to bare metal), when a guy on another forum recommended to me to use sherwin williams industrial alkyd enamel and it's compatible primer. Supposedly it's tintable, dries hard, and is uv resistant. Those 3 are the main things I'm looking for. It's able to be rolled, brushes, or sprayed with an airless spray(what I'll likely use)

I rolled my interior ceiling with SW industrial alkyd enamel. I like it, but it sure seems like Rust-Oleum by another name. It's tintable, which is what I was really interested in. After 4 months, I still wouldn't say it has cured hard - more like firm. I can still leave an imprint with my fingernail if I try. Again, I like this paint and I'll use again for interior stuff, but If you're looking for an exterior paint that's longer lasting than Rusto, I feel like this will let you down.

[ol trunt]

I'm with Danjo again except that I'd use 320 paper rather than 220 and only prime where really needed, not the whole bus. Wash the sanded bus with something like Dawn dishwashing detergent, rinse well and dry with clean lint free towel. Don't use paint thinner or mineral spirits for cleaning as both are oily and will cause fish eyes in the new paint.
Jack

[knowpistons]

Thank you so much. The driver/passenger compartment is about 25' long.

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

I'm with Danjo again except that I'd use 320 paper rather than 220 and only prime where really needed, not the whole bus. Wash the sanded bus with something like Dawn dishwashing detergent, rinse well and dry with clean lint free towel. Don't use paint thinner or mineral spirits for cleaning as both are oily and will cause fish eyes in the new paint.
Jack

Right, 320. Thanks for correcting me

[Danjo]

Fun bus. Figure 1 1/2 gallons you can also get the single stage in really overpriced rattle cans, but you might find those handy for the artwork

Edit: you can also get small HVLP guns that have a 4 oz capacity that would be handy for that artwork. I think you can get ESS in 1/2 pint size

[Booyah45828]

Originally Posted by Tejon7

I rolled my interior ceiling with SW industrial alkyd enamel. I like it, but it sure seems like Rust-Oleum by another name. It's tintable, which is what I was really interested in. After 4 months, I still wouldn't say it has cured hard - more like firm. I can still leave an imprint with my fingernail if I try. Again, I like this paint and I'll use again for interior stuff, but If you're looking for an exterior paint that's longer lasting than Rusto, I feel like this will let you down.

Well, that settles that then. I kind of figured they'd be similar being as they're both enamels. I'll have to look up the ppg stuff then.

[Tejon7]

Originally Posted by Booyah45828

Well, that settles that then. I kind of figured they'd be similar being as they're both enamels. I'll have to look up the ppg stuff then.

Yeah, I'll be doing the same. I really wanted to use something simple and familiar like the SW industrial enamel for the outside, but after trying it I'm just not convinced it will hold up long-term. I forgot to mention - the SW guy I talked to was adamant that you could not add any catalyst/hardener to their industrial enamel, which made me think that it might not even hold up as well as the catalyzed enamel tractor paint.

I've read and followed advice from Ol Trunt and Danjo before and they have a pretty good track record in my book Looks like PPG Delfleet is the next idea I steal from them.

[Danjo]

One thing I didn’t get a chance to do, but something I’d recommend is to get a couple old fenders or hoods from an auto body shop to practice on in advance. I did a pretty good job for first try with an HVLP sprayer, but having a little experience with sprayer adjustment would have helped immensely.

[LargeMargeInBaja]

2003, I rattle-canned our rig in flat tan with a flat copper stripe.
I rattle-canned the fenders-down in flat black (but not '2021 Black©' black).
.
Our RequirementsStatement needed us to appear as one of the trod-on instead of Shiny!.
On our travels, we avoid looking like an easy touch for bureaucrats needing to 'raise revenue' from our wallet.
.
Plus, the rough logger tracks we trundle up to remote mountain lakes -- or across deserts to isolated Baja beaches -- are often over-grown... contributing to our 'overlander pin-stripes'.

[knowpistons]

Last year we ran out of time to repaint the exterior, we redid the inside instead. But now its all sanded so the time has come to actually paint. I went to the PPG store and for 2 gallons of Del Fleet Essential it was over $1300. I then remembered that my sister in law works for Sherwin Williams, and can get me 40% off, is there a paint by Sherwin that any one has had any good experience with? The only things I really care about are color retention and I don't want it to fall off, lol.

[fo4imtippin]

Originally Posted by knowpistons

Last year we ran out of time to repaint the exterior, we redid the inside instead. But now its all sanded so the time has come to actually paint. I went to the PPG store and for 2 gallons of Del Fleet Essential it was over $1300. I then remembered that my sister in law works for Sherwin Williams, and can get me 40% off, is there a paint by Sherwin that any one has had any good experience with? The only things I really care about are color retention and I don't want it to fall off, lol.

Sherwin Williams does have some fleet paint, but I've read that most stores don't know about it.. let me know what you find..



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