I’ve been meaning to write this post for AGES. I’ve had so many messages from people over recent months, asking what I use for painting a caravan exterior.
So I thought I’d finally jot down my method; before another year passes by.
Caravan painting is nothing new — people have been doing it for years! These days, however, most vehicles are factory finished. So a caravan respray at home fills a lot of people with fear.
My first DIY caravan makeover post — Tips For Decorating a Caravan — concentrated on painting and wallpapering a caravan interior. So this next instalment concentrates on the outside! What caravan exterior paint to use etc…
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Can I Paint The Outside Of a Caravan?
In a word yes!
When we were renovating Dolly 1, I did a little bit of research on paint suitable for caravan exterior. Seeking the advice from other caravan enthusiasts in particular.
Googling ‘can you paint a caravan’ led me to various forums. Where I learned that although standard gloss paint may seem like a good idea (and look good initially) I was warned that it may crack and peel over time.
The same can be said for any ‘standard’ exterior paint.
The surface of a caravan flexes and moves, so the paint you use needs to work with this.
What Paint do I Use for Outside of Caravan?
After speaking to various train, boat and motor enthusiasts, I decided to do as they all suggested. And use Tekaloid — or coach enamel paint.
I have written a whole post on what paint to use on the outside of a caravan. But in a nutshell this is it.
Apparently Tekaloid 318 is ‘a superior coach paint with excellent flow characteristics. It is particularly suitable for brush application but can be sprayed. It has excellent gloss and colour stability, a superb appearance and durability’.
Sounds great doesn’t it?
Also a bonus that you can get it mixed to any colour you choose.
I had a look online and found a fab company who sell coach paint (amongst other things), mixed to order.
You can imagine my joy when the little pots of Tekaloid paint arrived. In exactly the right shade of powder-blue that I’d picked from my Pantone book.
Definitely a case of easier said than done
When it came to painting with said coach enamel, all the promise of ‘excellent flow’ kind of fell flat.
Coach Enamel Paint
All the years that I’ve been using paint — everything from oils, enamel, gouache and watercolour — to emulsion, gloss, eggshell and chalkpaint — I have never come across anything that behaves quite like Tekaloid.
For a start, you can’t paint the middle then cut in the edges afterwards (or vice versa). If you do, you’re left with a really uneven texture; you can almost see the division between the different coats.
And if you paint in wind or sun, you get really odd strands of paint — almost like spun sugar — coming off your brush. It’s bizarre.
That said, it does give a lovely high gloss finish and it’s tough and flexible, so no cracking or peeling. Even after a few years — that I can vouch for.
So would I use it again?
Yes.
And I did!
When we bought Dolly 2, I decided that I’d use the same coach enamel paint. But — using the knowledge that I’d gleaned from Dolly 1’s makeover — a different method to apply it.
With Dolly 1, I’d used a brush for the edges and filled the middle in with a roller.
I was left with (what I thought was) a very visible paint line around the edge. The paint layers didn’t merge at all, they literally just sat on top of each other.
So with Dolly 2, it was all about the prep.
This is what I did.
Method For Painting a Caravan Exterior
How To Paint a Caravan Exterior
Instructions
- Give the paintwork a good wash, using sugar soap, to get as much grime and grease off as possible., then give the surface a really, really light sand (medium grade sandpaper) to the surface of the areas you wish to paint.
- Remove vent covers, handles — and any other bits and pieces that can be removed. You can spray these separately.
- Mask off the edges of any areas that you don't want to paint with automotive masking tape.
- Once all the edges are masked off, begin painting the outside of the caravan with your coach paint. I used a mini gloss roller.
- I let the paint cure for a full 24 hours before painting a second coat. If I'd had more time, I think I would have left it even longer between coats. We don't have a garage — or covered space — large enough to fit Dolly though, so painting took place over a dry bank holiday weekend.
- Remove the masking tape then stand back and enjoy your handiwork.
Notes
Hand-painted coach paint is never going to give the same modern, professional finish as vehicle spray paint; but for a vintage caravan look — which I wanted for my caravans — hand painted coach enamel is, by far, the best option
Granted, it's not going to be totally perfect and without it's defects, but that's how people used to paint caravans in years gone by, and the flaws and imperfections are part of the charm.
Automotive Masking Tape
Just a quick mention about investing in automotive masking tape.
This stuff is BRILLIANT. It’s really flexible, low tack and gives a lovely clean, crisp edge, when you peel it back after painting.
It’s absolutely key to use this — rather than standard decorator’s masking tape.
After Masking
Once all the edges were masked off, I began painting the outside of the caravan with the Tekaloid coach paint.
I used a mini gloss roller (make sure you definitely use the foam gloss kind, not the hairy emulsion ones!!) to fill in between where I’d masked, stroking over the joins with a soft decorators paintbrush to get a lovely even finish.
This worked SO much better than trying to paint the middles and cut in the edges separately!!!
Hand-painted coach paint is never going to give the same modern, professional finish as vehicle spray paint; but for a vintage caravan look — which I wanted for Dolly 1 and Dolly 2 — hand painted coach enamel is, by far, the best option.
If you’re painting the exterior of your caravan outside, make sure that the weather is going to play ball! It’s imperative it’s a dry day and doesn’t rain — you definitely don’t want water marks on your new paintwork!
I waited a couple of weeks before painting the white section.
I used a window scraper to remove the Tristar decals and ‘go faster’ stripes, and followed the same procedure as above; sanding the area, before masking it off and painting the areas with a gloss roller.
You could potentially leave any white bodywork, but I loved how much fresher the overall look was after a lick of white Tekaloid paint.
Touring Caravan Paint
Whilst a sunny yellow painted touring caravan may not be everyone’s cuppa, it’s definitely ours!
But — even before I painted Dolly 2 — we’d agreed that the caravan makeover wasn’t going to stop at just the paintwork.
I had designed some vinyl decals and the next stage was to find a company to make them. But more on that in another post.
For now, this was a good start.
Roller Painted Van By Hand — or Professional Caravan Respray?
Just to reiterate, hand painting a caravan is never going to be a match for spray-paint; if you want an unblemished, modern paint finish (similar to that of current day vehicles) get it done professionally.
But if you’re wanting to renovate a vintage caravan — or give your ugly old caravan a new look, coach paint is a brilliant option.
Both our caravans were in a pretty sorry state when we first bought them; and it was never my intention to spend lots of money on renovating them.
But I did want to give them a little makeover; and give them the look and feel of a vintage caravan. I’m so glad I didn’t go down the route of painting the caravans with exterior gloss. I’ve spoken to so many people who’ve done this and said that it’s cracked over time and has ended up looking really awful.
Tekaloid — or coach paint — has been designed for this job; it’s what people have used for donkey’s years. The difference these days is, you can get it in literally every colour under the sun.
It’s definitely a tricky paint to work with; however, it gives a brilliantly, shiny finish that protects the van and will last for years and years.
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Caro Davies is a former art-director turned writer and content-creator, and editor behind UK lifestyle blog The Listed Home. She writes about home-related topics, from interiors and DIY to food and craft. The Listed Home has been featured in various publications, including Ideal Home, Grazia, and Homes & Antiques magazines.
I have just started renovating a 1980s Windrush caravan. Lots of work to do to get her ready for making pretty, but finding it a great way to keep sane through lockdown . Thank you for sharing your experience it’s both useful and inspiring. I shall definitely be looking in on your blog regularlh. :)
Hi Michelle — thanks so much for your lovely message! Good luck with your caravan makeover — please let me know how you get on! I’d love to see the end result!
Hi did you purchase an awning? We have a 2 berth of this make and are unsure if which awnj g to buy due to the shape of the roof?
Hi Una, Thanks for your message! We had an awning that came free with Dolly 1 but it broke at Glastonbury, the very first time we used it!! It collapsed under the weight of rain we had!!
We’ve got an awning for Dolly 3 from Olpro.
Their awnings are inflatable – fit any caravan – and come with a porch that be fitted or left off.
Because they’re not fitted/ sized awnings like traditional awnings the roofline won’t bother them.
Hope this helps :)
Hello
what kind of paint did you use? It was water-based or synthetic?
Thank you
Hi there, I used Tekaloid. An oil based coach paint.
Hi there, love the blog! Just getting ready to paint my caravan and you’ve convinced me to use tekaloid!
Want to do mine blue and yellow, struggling to find the right yellow, do you remember the code for dolly 2 yellow please?
Hi Kate, Thanks for your lovely message! I had the Tekaloid mixed to match Pantone shades; for both Dolly 1 and Dolly 2. I can’t remember the Pantone number I used but if you look at British Standard 381 colours, you should find some similar shades on there. Good luck!
Hi Caro,
Great blog and really useful…..going through misery with mine at the minute. How much paint did you use on Dolly please?
Will
Oh bless you Will — I really know that feeling! There’s always a point when it feels like an insurmountable task! I need to look back over my receipts and see how much paint I ordered. I’ve a feeling it was two L of the coloured paint and one L white — for both Dolly 1 and Dolly 2. Need to check and add it to my post!
excellent post! Will be purchasing an old caravan to renovate soon, quick question what checks did you make from the previous owner, it seems pre 1992 caravans don’t have the CRis label and they seem to be sold without any paperwork etc? :) many thanks :)
Hi Darren, all of the vans we’ve bought have been sold complete with paperwork, service receipts and — in some cases — manuals. I think I’d be wary if the seller couldn’t give any kind of relevant documentation, demonstrating their ownership of the van. Hope this helps.
I’ve just come across your blog while doing a late night search of how to paint my caravan!
Just started the internal stripping of my early 80’s sprite musketeer and seeing how fantastic yours looks has given me the boost to keep going through the pain of damp wood and peeling paint on the outside!! Thanks for the really good explanation on how you prepped and painted :)
Hi Erin, Thanks for your lovely message! oOh EXCITING! It will definitely feel like a daunting task to begin with — and there will DEFINITELY be a point when you’re mid-way through that you start to despair you’ll ever be finished! But keep powering through — it will all be worth it!! Please send me some pics when you’re done; I’d love to see :)
Hi. Your video is very helpful, thank you! We have been planning on painting our 23 foot beast for the last few years now and haven’t quite decided on the best option. Does the coach paint also work on the horrible plastic bits like the bumper and locker cover? This is what has been giving me the biggest headache really and that the van is so huge. Thanks in advance. Andy
Hi Andy — YES! It DOES work on plastic!! I was really concerned that it would peel or not adhere properly, but it works a treat. You can see it on the pics of the front of the van. All of the grooved skirting is plastic!! It worked brilliantly.
I have a very old caravan, post war, apparently made of aluminium that was left over from making war time planes!! Anyway the paintwork was grim so it was decided to strip it completely down to the shiny metal. Looks more like an airstream but without the classic shape. It looked so nice we decided to leave it, but now several years later, I’m thinking of painting it. Do I need to prepare the surface first? Or how many coats of paint would you recommend?
Hi Sharon — wow that sounds absolutely amazing! I think if that was mine, I’d leave the metal unpainted!! But, if you do paint it, I would definitely use an undercoat. I’d go with Tekaloid 819 Undercoat — since been renamed to Tractol 816. Hope this helps.
Hello, I’m a bit late to the party but found your advice really informative. We are going to repaint a static atlas florida 2001. The RAL 6021 looks a darker green on the sample tab but as you say our research points to tekaloid. And I don’t want to upgrade to a new caravan and a second mortgage!! As we are covering the current colour I like the idea of not having a primer although I’ve seen paint websites suggest I should. Love the tips on masking tape and foam rollers and not cutting in. Hopefully we won’t need to cut in with it being external walls. What is tekaloid like when you brush in the same direction but overlap? Keep up the advice.
Andy
Hi Andy, I have painted two — just about to paint the third van — with Tekaloid and never used primer :)
I daresay, if the surface of the metal has been filled, or is in poor condition, it would be necessary. And, if it gives you peace of mind that you’ll have a longer lasting finish, it might be worth using primer underneath the coach enamel. But I never have.
And re overlapping, if the paint underneath is dry, even if you paint in the same direction, I think you’ll still have a visible overlap. In order to not have any layers, you have to do it in one hit! And work quickly!! Good luck :)
My caravan has got scratches under the door (caused by a metal step!)
What paint would you recommend for a touch up? Would this tekaloid work for this if I paint all of the end bottom part? Really stuck… Like a challenge just don’t want to mess it up ?
Hi there — I don’t think I’d touch up with Tekaloid — have you tried T-Cut? If the scratches are not too bad you might be able to polish them out?
Hi, how many litres did you buy for the coloured parts and white parts please? Absolutely love Dolly 2 and your explanations and pictures are brilliant. Thank you so much.
Hiya! I used 2 litres of colour and 1 of white :)