Painting / Protecting Maggiolina Extreme RTT

[NAw463]

Hi all -

I'm getting ready to bring my 1 year old tent on winter season 2 of adventures, and I'd like to look into putting a protective coat on it. 80% for durability, 20% for looks. I'd like to know what people have done.

I'd like the tent to end up black (this is for winter camping, so I'm not concerned with heat) and I spoke with my boat guy who said a gel coat will eventually chip - just like the fiberglass itself. He recommended a softer coating, like a Rhino Line X type of situation. Has anyone done a colour change/protective coat on these things that they're particularly happy with? I've seen ones painted here, but I wasn't sure how the durability was.

Thanks!

 

[yellowskeeter]

Bed liners are made to go on truck beds in the worst conditions so should be fine as a coating for that. They are also used on all kinds of outdoor gear, inside floor liners and even aluminum work on saltwater bay and offshore boats.


www.yellowskeeter.com

 

[Lemsteraak]

I'd highly recommend sticking with the white gelcoat, it is really durable. Wax it once a year with 3M fiberglass polish and that is it. If the gelcoat gets really oxidized then wet sand with an ultra fine sandpaper to flatten and again fiberglass polish. The gelcoat is really thick. It is a soft paint and because of its thickness will develop some spider cracks from impacts and if it flexes too much. Cosmetic, doesn't affect the fiberglass and can be repaired easily.

Dark colors aren't as good in my opinion for a couple reasons. First, if you want to sleep in, a darker color warms up quickly in the sun. There is a reason the winter color is reflective. When it is closed, a dark tent will also heat up like an oven. If you do want to paint another color, I highly recommend a linear polyurathane like Imron, or Awlgrip, the stuff is tenacious. Downside is you are painting a really hard flexible coating over a soft coating so it will scratch and show the underlying color. Bedliner coatings are heavy and you don't need the grip. If you are concerned with branches and impacts, then use a sacrificial fairing

Bottom line, I've seen Maggiolinas built in the 80's looking like new with a bit of care.

 

[DCH109]

I'd highly recommend sticking with the white gelcoat, it is really durable. Wax it once a year with 3M fiberglass polish and that is it. If the gelcoat gets really oxidized then wet sand with an ultra fine sandpaper to flatten and again fiberglass polish. The gelcoat is really thick. It is a soft paint and because of its thickness will develop some spider cracks from impacts and if it flexes too much. Cosmetic, doesn't affect the fiberglass and can be repaired easily.

A little late, but follow this advice. I am doing exactly that to mine now. Wet sanding with 500 grit sand paper. I have to repair some spider cracks and will use a marine putty to do so (white).
I was thinking of repainting it with a marine based paint, but decided to so what Lemsteraak suggested.

If you do paint it, do not use bedliner. Use a marine based paint like http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/product.cgi?product=130528&group=99379. Easy to apply and easy to reapply. Just remember getting the sticker/ whatever it is from Maggiolina is a pain.
I used this on my first Maggiolina (it was a huge adventure model) and it turned out real nice. Super easy to apply and is tough. I hit a tree (not hard) on the side of the Adventure (as it stuck over the FJCruiser by like 2" on each side) and never left a mark.