Please help! We have a 1983 hi-lo and would love to paint the exterior....any suggestions?

We need to paint our exterior HiLo also. Do an internet search for paint an RV. I need my dh to read on this site irv2.Go to the vintage category under forums. Page 1. Painting 94 Gulf stream Cruiser. This person was able to paint with a good quality roller and a good quality brush. Preperation is very important. Some of the fiberglass boat sites might be helpful www.west marine.com.

earlier hi-lo's(fiberglass) get painted just like a corvette, except a lot more hand sanding because it is not a flat surface

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robobd
1988 22l
1999 ford f250 7.3 diesel

Any decent auto body paint shop should be able to paint the exterior of your HiLo. Only problem would be with the exterior graphics. They would have to come off. You could check with Rob at JR Repair for graphics. I believe he told me that they do have some for the older units.

Bob

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2014 FR Heritage Glen 282RK
2013 F250 HD 6.7L Diesel
Formerly Owned: 1995 22D Fun Chaser & 2901L Classic

My local body shop does fantastic work on our 1997 ford f250. It looks brand new. I asked him about looking at our fiberglass HiLo and he said he wouldn't be interested. The problem with older HiLo's is that they aren't worth spending thousands for a paint job. The paint job price would exceed the value of the trailer. I've spent sometime researching rv painting this winter and good quality paints are available to the do it yourselfer. You possible could rent spray equipment. I won't be spraying as it is beyond my capabilities.

We painted our 1969 Bon Voyage three times over the years. Sprayed it ourselves each time. First time we used Krylon exterior gloss enamel over primer, then topcoated the exterior gloss with a quality exterior clear coat. Five layers total. We sanded the aluminum to bare metal over most of the trailer, meticulously cleaned the surface, stripped off as much trim as we could and taped off EVRYTHING else. Took us four days, several gallons of sweat, a case of paint bombs and a dozen abrasive pads. We were very happy with the final results. That paint job lasted 20 years. I really think the key to longevity was the two topcoats clear synthetic varnish. The Bon Voyage looked like new!
Since then we've never had to paint the entire trailer. The gold trim has since been twice painted, and I've redone the front and back. A-frame and bumper twice.
Good luck!
Jim

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1967 17' Hi-Lo Bon Voyage (1967-1969)
1969 19' Hi-Lo Bon Voyage (1969-2011)
2004 27' Hi-Lo TowLite (2010-present)
2015 Chevy Tahoe LTZ

Jim
Thanks for sharing what you did to paint your 1969 hilo. Have a 1969 hilo that needs a good coat of paint real bad.

Later Tim owner 18ft 1969 hilp