How Much Does It Cost to Paint an RV?

Who doesn’t want their RV looking like the ones you see in magazines? Keeping your sweet ride maintained on all fronts is an important aspect of being an RV owner. You’ll have to apply new paint on you’re your special ride once you see the exterior getting dull. The important thing to know is the average cost to paint an RV. Knowing the price of the RV paint cost could save your wallet in the long run, especially if you can use that money for more traveling!

How Much Does It Cost to Paint an RV?

The price of the paint for your RV depends on the size of the model. If the model is over 30 feet long, and the colors range from 2 to 4, then it can go from 5000 to 15,000 dollars. The price range is quite diverse because it has a lot of variables in it. The variables mainly are the quality of the pigment, the total length of the vehicle, and who you’re getting it painted from. The cost of the coating goes more into preparing everything before the actual paint job.

Why Are RV Paints So Expensive?

The reason why RV paint is expensive is not because of the actual labor, or because of the actual paint but mostly because of the extensive work setting up everything. The surface of the trailer is taken through a whole series of prep work before the actual pigment is applied. The surface is sanded, scraped, smoothened, and a lot of woodwork is done, with a covering of surfaces that aren’t to be painted over.

After the prep work is done, the surface becomes primed. Depending on the quality of the paint, and the surface, you’ll have to apply the paint around three to five times to really get that glossy look on the RV. Once the colorant dries up, a protective kind of coat is applied to the camper. The coating not only helps the paint last longer years but also provides a host of environmental protection agencies.

Replacing Exterior Parts Goes Into the Cost

The paint job doesn’t just mean painting over your RV but it means replacing everything that helps the paint stick together. Things like weatherstripping, conditioning covers, and vent cover all will need to be replaced along with the new paint because just painting over your RV with a fancy new paint job isn’t going to give it a lot of style points.

Using Multiple Colors

Using Multiple Colors

Naturally, if you are going to add more than two colors to your RV, the cost is going to go up exponentially. As mentioned, the whole cost goes into the prep time, and the more colors there are, the more preparation is necessary. Once one coat of color is applied, the next set of colors will be ready to overlay the first batch, and the cycle continues till the whole desired design is on the table.

When you’re inquiring about an RV paint job cost, the more important thing to consider is how many colors you want to apply. No one color fades faster than the other so you won’t have to worry about applying multiple colors to keep the paint longer on the RV. The more the colors on your RV, the more the cost is going to go up, so be mindful that your aesthetic choices don’t weigh heavy on your wallet.

Type of RV

The type of RV can actually fluctuate the cost of painting. RVs Fiberglass is one of the most expensive types of RVs to paint over, while small RVs are quite cheap in comparison. Class C RVs and Travel trailers mostly depend on the number of colors and the overall length of the trailer. You’ll have to calculate the amount of cost depending on which RV you own.

How to Decrease the Cost of Paint

Graphics

Graphics and custom paint job is going to increase the cost of your paint job quite significantly. Graphics constitute the custom paint job and will take even more prep work compared to your average paint job. Custom paint jobs will include unique color schemes, shapes, characters, pictures, and much more, which will make painting your RV more complex than it needs to be, hence more expensive as well. Avoiding graphics altogether will be better.

Repairing the RV

Repairing the RV

The first thing you should do before you decide to paint your RV is to get it fixed up. Whether it’s the exterior or the interior, repairing the damages means less paint will be used. Not only will the repairs help extend the life of the RV, but also of the newly acquired paint.

Get Professional Help

Getting some professional help will help in the long run. Professional RV experts will help get the best quality paint, but will also help guide through the whole process, with the complete budget in mind.

Paint With the Best

Get the best pigments for your RV because cheaper paints will become a hassle in the long run. Cheap paints are brittle and can cause a bad paint job, and you’ll have to repaint again. It’s better to invest in some quality colorant to really get the most of your repainting of the RV.

When people ask about RV Painting costs, it isn’t really a lot, considering the work that goes into it. The real problem is going overboard with the designs. Maintaining your RV isn’t wrong, but going luxurious with everything could spell disaster for the overall cost of your repairs.

Conclusion

All in all, the monetary expense of keeping your RV in top condition is an expensive one to make. Considering the expense starts at 5000 dollars, and ends at 15,000 is something to be appalled at. Even though the camper is something exquisite, and definitely holds its bragging rights, it does come at a cost, and quite an expensive one at that.

You can reduce the costs of the paint on the RV by just knowing which things to lay off. Designs like multicolor, graphics, pictures, and stuff like that can really bump the price up. Keeping your design as simple as it gets will help keep your expenses in check. It’s better to do the required maintenance and save the rest of the money for something much more important, and that is to spend on the actual travel you’ll do on your RV!

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