I’m really excited to reveal the finished look of my vintage trailer after its paint job. This was an expensive part of the restoration – the paint alone cost $500 – but I now know that it was totally worth it! I haven’t been this excited since we put the siding on my Tiny House.
I hired a friend – Martin Leguizamon – to paint my trailer. Martin has painted cars before, and he’s also a skilled carpenter. He’ll also be helping us rewire the trailer for solar power this weekend. I’m always happy to hire friends for their trade, especially when it’s out of my wheelhouse.
Martin spent hours prepping my trailer for its new paint job. This included removing the red stripe decals, which were put on by a previous owner. He also removed the “Compact Junior” decals. I was sad to see these go, but there was no other way. We’ve since ordered a replacement Compact Junior decal from an Etsy shop. We choose a dark blue for the decal color, to match our custom made awnings (more on that soon).
I also recently ordered a HUGE custom decal for the other side of the trailer, but I don’t want to reveal that just yet!
Martin then sanded down any chips on the trailer body and sealed the seams. He taped off the windows, water/electric inlets, and the canvas that separates the pop top from the roof. The prep work took him a very long time, and when it finally came time to spray the paint, he finished the job in just two hours!
Before
After
Poor Martin dealt with unpredictable weather and, eventually, he had to move the trailer into his garage to spray. This meant he needed to hang sheets of plastic around his garage to protect his tools. Thankfully, my trailer is small enough to fit! Otherwise, I’m not sure what we would have done. You see… smaller is better!
Before
After
I fretted about which color to choose for a long time. I wanted something bright and shiny, but I also wanted to honor the original color. After looking through multiple color charts specifically for auto paint, I decided to go with a “school bus yellow,” which is a bright yellow that is pleasing to the eye. I’m very happy with this choice.
Some people see the new paint as orange; others see it as yellow!
My trailer now has a warm and bright aesthetic. I think my vintage trailer looks brand. Who would guess she’s actually pushing 50 years old?!
Check back soon for more trailer updates!
*Photos courtesy of Martin Leguizamon*
My Trailer’s New Paint Job I'm really excited to reveal the finished look of my vintage trailer after its paint job. This was an expensive part of the restoration - the paint alone cost $500 - but I now know that it was totally worth it!