Pop Up Camper DIY Guide - Peggy Sue Got Painted!


You know that feeling when you have been talking about, dreaming and planning something for a long time and the time has finally come?  Yep!  Me too!  I recently painted Peggy Sue.  I've been talking about this project for so long, and I didn't think it was ever going to happen.  But it did, and I'm going to tell you my easy peasy way to paint your camper too!




The Camco Wash and Wax with the drill brush worked wonders in prepping my camper to be painted!

Pop Up Camper DIY Guide - Peggy Sue Got Painted!


First, start with a clean surface.  I purchased a soft drill brush that really helps get into the nooks and crannies.  It works like magic to get everything clean.  I paired my new brush with Camco Wash and Wax to get the job done!  A few weeks before I started, I did remove most of my old decals as well.  I do recommend doing this as the old decals can show through the new paint job and give it less of a professional finish.

After everything is dry,  you are ready to begin prepping and painting.  I'm a rather lazy painter, but I do think you should use some blue exterior tape around the lights and other places.  It didn't take that long and does make the clean up easier.


Prep the surface of the camper with exterior painters tape.

Once you are prepped and ready, you will need the following supplies:
  • Exterior paint with primer - I used Sherwin Williams Everlast from Lowes.
  • Small paint brush
  • Paint roller frame
  • Roller for exterior surfaces
  • Black semi-gloss spray paint for the undercarriage of your camper
  • Geocel sealant
  • Caulking gun
Lowe's Sherwin Williams exterior paint did a great job on this project!

The exterior paint with primer makes this a fairly easy job.  This paint glides on and provides great coverage.  However, I do recommend two good coats to make sure that you really get into everything.  I mopped around the taped lights first with a brush and then used the roller everywhere else.  On our small pop up camper, this only took about 2 hours really of actual paint time.

There were only a few places on each side to tape.  This was quick work!

Notice how much brighter the bottom of the camper is that has been painted.  The top portion above the door hasn't been painted yet.

I let everything dry fully overnight before removing painters tape.  Now, you can tape newspaper around the bottom or use cardboard to shield the camper so that you can spray paint the undercarriage.  Move with slow, sweeping motions.  Be careful not to do this on a windy day, or the paint will splatter all over your new job on your camper skins.

I had some stray paint along the edges that also just needed to be repainted too!

This semi-gloss spray paint worked perfectly.  And I only needed one can.

I used a piece of a cardboard box to shield the camper.  I reached underneath and sprayed small sections at a time.

One section is done.  The rest to go!

Once you are done painting, you can apply new decals if you like.  I ordered some decals from E-bay and will be sharing next time how to do this.  The finished product was well worth the work!

If you have been considering a new paint job for your camper, do it.  I wish I had not delayed this project for so long.  What is a project that you have been putting off?  I feel like a weight has been taken off of my shoulders, and I can't wait to tow this beauty down the road for our next trip!

Until next time!

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25 comments

  1. How did you decide on the paint you used? We need to repaint the roof and potentially the sides of our camper soon.

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    1. I did a lot of research on this and came up with exterior house paint as an option that had the primer built in. It did work like a charm. Plus, I was looking for an option where I was not using automotive paint requiring special tools. I wanted to brush or roll it on and be done! I would recommend what we did again 100%! For the roof use an RV Roof Coating that says elastomeric in the name. We did this on our roof, and it has done well. And we may could have done the same paint all over, but the roof was a separate job. We also wanted to make sure that we thought about the direct heat that a roof would be getting as opposed to the sides all of the time. Let me know if you have other questions and good luck!

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    2. flex seal paint is what i used on my roof, came out awesome and water just beads up and rolls off

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    3. That is great! I'm glad this worked out for you!!!

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  2. You mentioned in the last comment get an RV Roof Coating that says elastomeric. Is this a top coat that you used on top of the exterior paint or a seperate type of paint in general that is tinted to the color of your choice?

    Thanks!!

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    1. The RV roof coating was just used on the roof and was totally different from the exterior paint. It typically comes in white. You might could tint but white would keep the roof cool and what I would recommend. Hope this makes sense. The exterior paint was only used on the body - the sides.

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  3. Looks great! Can you tell me how the paint job has held up since it has been a year or so now? Thank you!

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    1. It has held up really well. It worked well on the metal box. I was unable to get the Jayco logos to work long term. However, my dream catcher on the door still looks great and has held up. I sold the pop up this summer to a friend but still see her. No problem after this time. I recommend going this route.

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  4. Your blog is a great help. Peggy Sue looks great. I see you used the Camco wash and wax. I am a little concerned with the wax in the wash. Did that effect the way the paint adhered to the camper? Plus I would like to know how much you used. We have a '97 Coleman Westlake. Just hoping a gallon would be enough? The last time you seen Peggy Sue her paint was still holding up?

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    1. Hi Jeff! Great question! I don't think this affected the paint, and the last time I saw her the paint looked fine. However, we did have trouble with the decals staying on over time. I don't think this had anything to do with the wash and wax. However, if you are concerned, just use dish washing liquid to give your pop up a good scrub before you paint. That would work just fine before applying the paint. I hope that this helps and good luck!

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  5. Could you please tell me what exact color did you use?
    I need a color match for a 1998 Starcraft venture 2101.
    I do not think white..will do
    I wanted a light off white..little beige.

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    1. Good afternoon! I don't have the exact color that I used. But, what I did was go to Lowe's and brought a bunch of cream/eggshell/offwhite swatches and held them against our pop up to get the best color. That is what I would recommend to get the best shade for you. I hope that helps some. Thanks for reading and following along!

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  6. Hello, GREAT TIPS!!!! How did you get the old stickers/decal striping off?? Thanks

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    1. Great question! I used a Wagner Heat Gun to get them to come off. You just apply the heat and they will start to bubble off. The longer the decals have been on, the harder it is to remove them. But it was worth it in the end.

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  7. Hello! Just curious if you had any old caulking to remove before prepping & painting? I have a 2001 Starcraft pop up and it has caulking around every piece of trim, every reflector, I mean EVERYWHERE

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    1. Yes! I used a putty knife and carefully removed old caulking. After painting, I resealed everything with RV specific RV caulk. I used the self leveling kind on the roof and then a separate kind on the sides. I would encourage you to do this because it gets brittle and won't really seal anymore over time, so this is a good maintenance task to do! Great question and good luck!

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  8. Ok we did this exact method and it looked sleek and fresh - wish I could share pictures! We were happy with the results until we drove the camper somewhere...unfortunately there are small nicks and scratches and once it starts, it’s easy to peel the paint off. We did change the color from the off-white to a gray so maybe that’s why we notice the issues so much more?! Anyway, wondering if you or anyone that is reading would have a suggestion of a sealant or something? We prepped and prepped the surface before painting.

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    1. I would say that going with a darker color will make little imperfections show up more. However, I have seen lots of other RV'ers use exterior paint with primer in one with good results. I don't know of a sealant for this. I wish I had a better answer for you. Feel free to email me if you want with any additional details.

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  9. Hi! I see you said it has held up well over time and i just followed these directions to a T And used everything you recommended. I have a 1997 Starcraft. As I’m pulling tape off it seems to lift the paint and then the paint just easily peels. I’m feeling a little defeated because if I did 14 hours of prep and painting and it peels off I’m really gonna be sad. I’m wondering if there should have been sanding? All though I know it’s metal...

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    1. Sanding could possibly help. We had a fairly rough surface to start with. Did you let the paint really cure well after you painted. I know that humidity can affect the drying time. I am sad this didn't work out for you like you expected. It is hard to say without seeing your RV. However, sanding could affect the outcome for certain.

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  10. Hello! I'm currently going through a similar process. Was wondering what decals you used. Looking for inspiration right now. Also, how is your camper stored? Does weather effect the longevity?

    Thanks for the inspiration and help!

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    1. Hi there! I purchased my decals from a gentleman off of Ebay. We stored our pop up under just a typical cover that we purchased off of Amazon in our yard. We don't have a garage. I do think that covering it does make a difference.

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    2. Hi there.
      I used an external enamel paint on my popup and the first gravel road I drove on the stones flicking up chipped the paint off. I used a 3 in 1 primer first. Have you had this problem at all

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    3. No. But, we weren't ever driving on gravel roads. Do you think you had enough drying time after you painted?

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  11. Wow! A good camper roof repair blog. I really appreciate your work. DIY pop-up camper work always mesmerizes me. Well, I want to say that you should also coat your pop-up roof with protective sealant as it maintains the integrity of the RV. I advise you that coat it with Liquid “RV Roof Magic” as it protects the RV from severe weather conditions. It has excellent weather-resistant properties (can withstand ponding water 365 days a year and has a high tensile strength which can contract and relax in extreme temperature fluctuations) and extends the roof lifespan for 15-20 years.

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