# Urgent advice needed on removing paint



## 122408 (Apr 14, 2009)

Down one side of the motorhome we have what looks like mud splashes but is in fact hundreds of small paint splashes. We have tried to remove it with rubbing but it is not coming off, also tried tar and adhesive remover but it is taking 10 minutes just to remove one spot!

Anyone have any suggestions of what is safe to use, it is on the cab, the glass and plastic windows and on all down one side of the motorhome. Don't know how it happened we perhaps drove through something. Any help gratefully appreciated!


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## gnscloz (Oct 4, 2008)

hi what suface is it on alluminium or gel coat


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

Try Boat Paint Restorer at about £10.00. I bought it at a Boat Chandler.
I used this on a paint mark as well as Soot and burns and it all came off and then went on and restored the M/H all over and then used Boat Wax it made a great job of it all.
I was really proud of my Cherekee gleaming in the Rally field this weekend.
Mavis


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## Chausson (Oct 17, 2006)

Hi
You could try G3 by Farecla, very good bit of kit but, I would think whatever you use is going to be time consuming and care has to be taken, failing that take it to your local bodyshop they will remove it for you.

Ron


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

I can tell you how I would remove it but it's hard to describe and I certainly wouldn't recommend you tried it without a lot of practice or you're likely to make matters even worse. As mentioned earlier, take it to a bodyshop or a mobile scratch repair specialist, they'll soon sort it.

For the record, I'd use a sharp, thin, flexible steel scraper blade with a square ground edge, held between the fingers in a convex shape to scrape the paint spots off, similar to the old flat scrapers that cabinet makers and shopfitters used to get a finish on counter tops. I would then polish out any scratches with a fine water based cutting compound.

I said it was hard to describe didn't I? :roll:


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## larrywatters (Aug 21, 2007)

Hi
If I was you, and you say its that bad, there is only one 
Place, a good paint shop sorry for the bad news


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## WSandME (May 16, 2007)

I'd agree with gaspode.

I wouldn't use an abrasive to try to remove the spots - the abrasive will remove the surrounding paint at the same rate as the offending spot.


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Speaking of abrasives, Chrome cleaner works about as well as T cut.
C.


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## Rainbow-Chasers (Sep 2, 2008)

I gave some advice on a post regarding rust spots - follow that, very easy just take it steady!

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-63273.html


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

I think the best thing to do is first of all find out if your body is Alloy or Gel the reason for this is that if it is alloy then your unit is painted and any hard rubbing or using wrong paint remover can cause serious problems, If it is gel coat then the colour is impregnated and you can safely use a paint remover without causing damage.

If it is Gel you can buy a small tin of cellulose thinners and use that to remove whatever it is you have then use T cut etc to repolish then add a good silicone wax to protect again.


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## 122408 (Apr 14, 2009)

Thanks for all the good advice. Sounds like it is going to be time consuming whatever we do! The van is not aluminium it may be gel but I don't really know. Is there a cellulose thinner and silicone wax you would reccommend? Do we need to keep polishing with the wax to protect the van or will once suffice?


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

If you go to any car spares store or Halfords you should be able to get a small tin of Thinners with no problem, same again with wax, Ideally you should use wax polish at least once a month, This will put a layer on your unit that will protect it against scratches splashes etc.

I would try the thinners first of all on the bottom of your unit, ie the parts that are not very obvious to see and just check that there is no reaction, ie paint bubbling etc, obviously you can use it straight onto your windscreen, If you have any synthetic windows perspex etc I would be very careful and just use white spirit on these as sometimes thinners does react.

There is a spray wax available that you can use that is called opti seal, It leaves a polymer coat on the unit thats lasts for months and I have read some excellent reports on it.

I have just ordered some myself to try as I travel all over Europe and end up with many things on my body that are difficult to get off.

And before I get some smart comments that I know is bound to happen I mean on my MH body !!!!!!!!!!

:lol:


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## Rainbow-Chasers (Sep 2, 2008)

i would look at shaving - thinners is fine if the paint is original and the vehicle over say 7 years. Modern vehicles are painted with water based paint, won't like celly thinners very much! also if its the gel coat, make sure you know if the panel has ever been repaired before - if it has, they usually paint it to get a colour match as you cannot blend in gel coat, and the shades are limited and set.

Blob of polish to protect it from scratching, and knock it off with a blade - will be done in ten minutes!


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## gnscloz (Oct 4, 2008)

hi thinners is totally harmless on origional surface, waterbased paint is only applicable to basecoat colours, the lacquer is normal 2k paint as per factory, just got be careful that van has not had a local blow in done with a cellulose paint, best advice can give you as a bodyshop owner would be to pop into a smaller one and get advice, they will move it for you may just mop out, 
mark


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

I wouldn't advise the use of cellulose thinners on any painted surface unless you're experienced in its use. It's far too easy to end up with a crinkly mess instead of a nice painted surface. And above all, NEVER let thinners get in contact with any plastic parts - including (nay, especially) windows.


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## Bubblehead (Mar 5, 2007)

Hi

Try WD40, it will remove alot of paint and tar stains, will take a bit of work though.

Andy


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## 122408 (Apr 14, 2009)

Thanks again for all your advice,
My hubby has cleaned most of the side now with the thinners, looks like new again,
The white spirit doesn't seem to be working on the windows, so he tried a bit of thinners all a small area of the window, it seems fine, but do you think using the thinners (Contains: TOLUNE; XYLENE) on the windows might have any long term affect on them later down the line?

Thanks JC


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## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

No It should be ok, If I was you though just to be safe I would get a tube of perspex polish and just give it a rub to get any residue off and then just clean as normal.

If it was going to have any effect you would have seen it virtually straight away, It would have a blurring effect on the window that would be impossible to see through.


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