painting frame, suspension and propane lines

jeff15 · 07-25-2017, 04:43 PM

I have an '03 2475. I'm preparing to repaint the frame with Rust-Oleum rusty metal primer and then black oil-based enamel after I pressure wash thoroughly. I thought about maybe doing the propane lines AND suspension as well. Can I prime and paint them with the same as I use for the frame? I thought it would protect them better and the suspension would look a little better. I saw a picture somewhere that someone had painted their suspension and it looked good. Don't know where that was though. Thanx for any help......

mainah · 07-25-2017, 05:09 PM

I use a product call Fluid Film on everything my farm stuff my truck frame my wife's car anything metal.It does not "fix rust' it will stop it and protect it, all of the sunny frames will look rusty they were not treated it's no real great deal as these things seldom see salty winter weather and if they do it only on the way from New England to Florida!

**JohnB** · 07-25-2017, 11:19 PM

Hi jeff15,

I have used the Rusty Metal primer (oil based) and their Professional Black Enamel (oil based) and so far I like the outcome. I did the black iron gas pipe and fittings as well. I did not do the copper lines.

See this post and the few following it. It shows part of my frame painting project
http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f7...tml#post136267

A few things to realize. If you read the can of the black enamel it states to only use acetone only to thin it if you need to. I "think" the primer also used acetone, check the can, I'm not 100% on the clean metal primer but I think I recall reading it there too.

I had the rusty metal primer in the gallon can. I did notice that the paint in the can skinned over after the 1st use. I mixed it up well, poured out what I needed and resealed the can while I painted and reopened to put any left over back in. So the can was closed most of the time. Come back a week later to do the next area and it has good heavy skin over the top. Since I did the paint job in sections of time, I came back to that gallon can 4 to 5 times. Every time it had a heavy skin. I used a stick to get it out and disposed of it each time. The black does not do this, just the rusty metal primer. I even used the white clean metal primer on new steel and it did not skin over like the rusty metal primer did. Don't know why, just passing on it did.

I did scrape, wire brush the steel to get loose rust off. And that dust goes all over.... I did not heavily sand back to shinny metal, just knocked off the loose rust. I used a car cleaner to hand wipe down all the areas to degrease/dedust and let it dry out before doing the priming.

Be very careful with the pressure washer. If that blasts in through your Darco black membrane it will get water into the insulation and be trapped inside. If I were to pressure wash the frame I would only do the lower parts of the axle area to get grease and brake dust off and blast downward only. I would not have the high pressure hose hit the frame up high by the black membrane. The membrane gets brittle over the years and it will not take much to break through. Mine is 2004, a little newer then yours.

OH, and friendly heads up tip. For sure wear safety glasses when de-rusting and painting overhead. A paint drip hitting you in the eye is bad news with this kind of paint. Those drips fall from the darnedest places. A number of years ago I painted the frame of our other camper and a drip snuck in-between my safety glasses and my regular eye glasses and landed on the bridge of my nose. I was lucky and after that the full face shield came out.

Also, start doing back exercises and stretching now.... It will help with the pretzel feeling you are going to feel like crawling out from under the frame... I am for sure glad I did the paint job and all the prep, but I am for sure glad it is over...

Good luck with yours and let us know how it comes out

John

jeff15 · 07-26-2017, 01:36 PM

Thanx for the info. I did do our '77 Holiday Rambler when we gutted it but that was so many years ago........ I'll be wishing I was done the whole way thru this project but it should look good when I'm done. Got any Tylenol???

**JohnB** · 07-26-2017, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff15

Got any Tylenol???

I use, I-B-Hurt'in, otherwise known as, ibuprofen....

jeff15 · 07-26-2017, 03:49 PM

I always wished I had a garage for the camper to set in.... unfortunately, that isn't gonna happen. It's strictly an outdoor, on ur back project.... weather permitting. The wife's hand painting the 2 cargo doors and did the rock guard earlier today with an outdoor scene. I just need to put a clear coat on them when she's done and get on with my stuff stuff stuff..... Oh, that right, we're goin campin this weekend, rain or not..

**JohnB** · 07-26-2017, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff15

Oh, that right, we're goin campin this weekend, rain or not..

That's the spirit! We can work any time... Camp'in is more fun.

Draughty · 07-28-2017, 07:03 PM

Fluid film treatment may do more to preserve the metal than paint will and you need far less preparation.
I would and likely will paint what I can see but I like the idea of Fluid Film on the frame and gas lines etc. Lots of surface rust down there but oxidation isn't fatal it is in fact the steel sealing itself. Oiling that surface keeps it from becoming fatal deterioration.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

mainah · 07-29-2017, 06:58 AM

I live in Maine they use a lot of salt and in neighboring NH they seem to use it to clear the roads of any snow. The very first winter I owned my new Tacoma it got treated with Fluid Film this will be it's 7th winter the frame is still as black as it came from from the factory. One of the problems with campers they sit a lot many sit in the grass and the frames get rusty the surface rust is no real problem it may be unsightly if you are under it but it won't rot through like salt treated steel will. In my woods is some old farm stuff (it was once part of a 16,000 acre farm) any thing wooden is long gone but the metal is still there. I use FF on everything metal that sits outside more than anything else to make sure stuff that should be able to move will. I use a Wagner electric paint sprayer to apply it from my perspective it can't be beat applied to anything you don't want to have rust issues with. Trying to paint any thing rusty with iron in it without it being sanded bright or sand blasted probably is going to be a waste of time.

Draughty · 07-29-2017, 08:18 AM

Yeah I live in Northern Ontario Canada and lots of salt or salt/sand mix goes down in the snow/ice season basically we have two seasons here, winter and construction!
Local business just started using fluid film to treat car frames as oiling interior cavities and frames is the most effective way of treating against rust and Fluid Film is probably the best. It is primarily made from oil out sheep's wool and is actually approved to be used around food so it is very non-toxic and is a relatively natural product. I know a mechanic who tried using 2 or 3 different protective lubricants on some bare steel parts WD-40 & Fluid Film were two..they left the parts outside in the elements for a year or so. The Fluid Film part was uncorroded the others especially the WD-40 were balls of rust..
This is why I appreciate the above suggestion to treat with Fluid Film since that is basically a one step process..a good blow off of loose material with an air gun is about all the prep you need unless there is significant dirt from a gravel road or something..and remember if you're in a salt spreading area that gravel road dust likely has some salt left ingrained into The mixture for some weeks after the last treatment of salt.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk