So, I'm a muralist with experience painting interior and exterior murals on surfaces like walls, bricks and such. I work with a co-muralist and we've recently been contacted by a friend who has a full sized skoolie that she would like us to paint with a custom design that we create. We're aiming to do our due-diligence by researching and preparing for this specific surface type, so of course I wanted to get the input from this awesome community on recommendations. The bus has already been formerly prepped and primed professionally by an automotive paint company, probably a year or so ago. So its entire surface area is a dull-ish white (not glossy). We've tried to gather the specific paint type that it was painted with, and did an alcohol test which didn't bring up any paint so our guess is likely some form of oil/enamel automotive primer.
Now we're aiming to pin down what paint type we use. The tricky bit I'm curious about is that pretty much all online bus painting comments and videos and such are from those who really painted their buses one or two solid colors. Much harder to find those painting art on the exterior and their process. We wouldn't be using a big sprayer for the paint considering it will be broken up into various smaller areas of shape and design. We also need color variety to pick/have the paint tinted pretty much exactly the colors we need. And at the end of the day, we want the paint to stand the test of the elements and time. What's recommended? I'm seeing a lot of emphatic no's regarding exterior latex paint (even high-quality?). We do also use Montana spray paint, so we've considered that as our primary option, perhaps with a clear coat. Is there a recommended non-latex rollable paint? I've seen a mix of recommendations like SW All surface enamel, exterior latex enamels, Sherwin Williams Industrial Water based Enamel... Ideally water based or just going with spray paint is what we're leaning towards versus the oil based route, but we want to make an educated decision post continuing the convo with SW and an automotive paint co as well.
We will be prepping the surface further prior to painting or arrange for them to prep it. Right now the plan would be to scuff up a little bit by sanding, wash down with water and degreaser, let it all dry out some days, then wipe down with clean cloth immediately prior to painting.
Any thoughts would be great!
Now we're aiming to pin down what paint type we use. The tricky bit I'm curious about is that pretty much all online bus painting comments and videos and such are from those who really painted their buses one or two solid colors. Much harder to find those painting art on the exterior and their process. We wouldn't be using a big sprayer for the paint considering it will be broken up into various smaller areas of shape and design. We also need color variety to pick/have the paint tinted pretty much exactly the colors we need. And at the end of the day, we want the paint to stand the test of the elements and time. What's recommended? I'm seeing a lot of emphatic no's regarding exterior latex paint (even high-quality?). We do also use Montana spray paint, so we've considered that as our primary option, perhaps with a clear coat. Is there a recommended non-latex rollable paint? I've seen a mix of recommendations like SW All surface enamel, exterior latex enamels, Sherwin Williams Industrial Water based Enamel... Ideally water based or just going with spray paint is what we're leaning towards versus the oil based route, but we want to make an educated decision post continuing the convo with SW and an automotive paint co as well.
We will be prepping the surface further prior to painting or arrange for them to prep it. Right now the plan would be to scuff up a little bit by sanding, wash down with water and degreaser, let it all dry out some days, then wipe down with clean cloth immediately prior to painting.
Any thoughts would be great!
)
and PS I’ve had 0 help from anyone on this it has been JUST me from the getgo) but I used a dewalt cordless orbital sander, using 120 grit on JUST the rougher areas around the bus then 220 for the rest and hand sanded any spots that couldn’t be reached by the sander. After about 6 long hours, the first sand was finished. Next, a full on scrub and pressure wash the whole bus, let dry overnight and wipe with a clean micro cloth lastly to remove any left over oils or residues. Next, Prime time… this is where I searched the internet for DAYS to try to find the best, most cost efficient, time efficient, compatibility with acrylic aerosol paint , method of application, ETC. THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT ANSWERS!!! That fact PLUS the fact that my hometown. Lowe’s didn’t have enough cans of the color of rustoleum protective enamel roll on gallon paint I chose that I was going to use, OR enough cans of the same color tarp cans I was gonna go with secondly, so (and DONT go this route cuz it is long and winding, but I got frustrated and already knew that. Kilz 3 was an excellent primer for pourous exterior walls with so why wouldn’t it work on a bus? So I rolled it on using a 6” foam roller being VERY careful to not “press” the roller down too hard on the surface near where any 2 metal sheets of the bus met and were attatched with rivets because the drips from this will drive you insane and it’s literally like they never stop dripping no matter what you do, which if you don’t spot them right away to wipe, makes the next sanding sessions a nightmare . I did the sand btwn each layer of primer process a total of 4 times through and finally got so tired of sanding and priming that I stopped but honestly it probly wouldn’t have hurt to do it like 6 times in total depending on the opaqueness of the primer you chose..I know I could have (and probly SHOULD have in retrospect) used an air sprayer to prime with, but I did t want to have to stop a lot to clean it or risk having the “heaviness” of the sprayer cause a lot of hard to fix dripping, I knew with a small foam roller and just applying the primer by lightly rolling it out nice and smooth and evenly as possible seemed to be like the way to go, but if I had to do it again I would probly at least see how the sprayer would do Instead. Having done it this way, I can safely give this advice… if your going to roll on the primer for smoothness… I recommend just doing the rolling onto the long flat surfaces like the sides below the windows, the roof center, the hood, the back door only and don’t even worry about taking the time it takes (which is a TON) to try to get your roller into the nooks crannies and crevices of the bus and just come back with a can of white spray paint (weather using good paint like your Montana Cans which are a bit pricier or a can of white matte rusto, to hit those areas with. The all sand about the same way and All hold future sprayed on paint on top of it pretty well if allowed to adequately dry first. The sanding and priming process(in my experience so far with this bus I’m painting ) is probly the most important thing to make sure that’s done RIGHT no matter how long it takes though, cuz if it’s not, you’ll just end up spending all that time u “saved” fixing things caused by it NOT being done right towards the end. In total I spent 13 days JUST prepping this bus before I even laid the first BIT of any artwork down.. 
Just realized I forgot about all the tape masking and reflector covering/removal taping mirrors/lights (luckily NOT the windows though cuz I was going to be painting the windows from the outside cuz being that it was a video game bus the windows and back door were all blacked out from the inside). Obviously Do all this process before the initial first sanding. 
