Black Paint Removal?

[Riverbug]

I know, this one is a little out there. Having a basic sense of logic, when narrowing down our RV choices to Grand Design, I thought it odd that anyone would choose to incorporate a lot of black in the color scheme. Having owned a number of RVs in the past, it's no secret on how poorly they are insulated. The first time we opened the awning, I was surprised at just how much heat radiated downward from the material. I mean an awning is there to cool the people and the RV isn't it? Then on a sunny day we opened the overhead cabinets located at the front of the RV and wow!, the heat radiating from inside the cabinets was really noticeable. Finally, understanding that ideal placement of an air conditioner on a home is in the shade (for obvious reasons), I thought it odd the air conditioner cover is black and absorbs as much heat as possible while the unit does its best to cool the RV.

I'm in MN so the sun doesn't bake like the Southern states. When I shot various surfaces with our laser thermometer, there was a 60 degree swing between the black vs white surfaces in the same sunlight. The underside of the awning was 150 degrees. I have already decided that when the time comes to replace the awning or its fabric, we'll be getting a much lighter color as our other RVs had (for obvious reasons). I'm curious about options for making the front cap white and wonder if anyone has thoughts on this. It seems that it would be white fiberglass underneath the black (paint)? So would it be better to try to remove the black paint rather than add white paint over the top of it?

I would want to add a GD decal back on once done to make it look "appropriate" but that's secondary. I also would leave the lower rock guard black as it does not get the direct sun as much as the rest of the cap.

Thoughts? I'm sure some will give me grief about this post so have at it I can take it.

[Wicked ace]

Most likely the front cap has decals, not paint as the design. The same down the sides. A heat gun with a light touch will loosen the decals so you can peal them off. depending on how long they were on the fiberglass cap may be sun faded.

[Hoopy Frood]

My only thought is what I think when I hear of someone who has repainted their motorcycle to what they want: If they want to sell it in the future, it usually negatively affects resale. OTOH, it is
yours and you should do whatever you want with it. But I also agree that whoever thought black/dark paint was was a good idea had too many martinis for lunch.

[Skilletface]

I know, this one is a little out there. Having a basic sense of logic, when narrowing down our RV choices to Grand Design, I thought it odd that anyone would choose to incorporate a lot of black in the color scheme. Having owned a number of RVs in the past, it's no secret on how poorly they are insulated. The first time we opened the awning, I was surprised at just how much heat radiated downward from the material. I mean an awning is there to cool the people and the RV isn't it? Then on a sunny day we opened the overhead cabinets located at the front of the RV and wow!, the heat radiating from inside the cabinets was really noticeable. Finally, understanding that ideal placement of an air conditioner on a home is in the shade (for obvious reasons), I thought it odd the air conditioner cover is black and absorbs as much heat as possible while the unit does its best to cool the RV.

I'm in MN so the sun doesn't bake like the Southern states. When I shot various surfaces with our laser thermometer, there was a 60 degree swing between the black vs white surfaces in the same sunlight. The underside of the awning was 150 degrees. I have already decided that when the time comes to replace the awning or its fabric, we'll be getting a much lighter color as our other RVs had (for obvious reasons). I'm curious about options for making the front cap white and wonder if anyone has thoughts on this. It seems that it would be white fiberglass underneath the black (paint)? So would it be better to try to remove the black paint rather than add white paint over the top of it?

I would want to add a GD decal back on once done to make it look "appropriate" but that's secondary. I also would leave the lower rock guard black as it does not get the direct sun as much as the rest of the cap.

Thoughts? I'm sure some will give me grief about this post so have at it I can take it.

You may not get as much grief as you think, I’m sure many folks have noticed the temperature difference when opening those front cabinets and your A/C point is well taken.
Before beginning a project of paint removal, try lining the inside of the cabinet against the front cap with a flexible foam or bubble wrap type of insulation and if the cabinet doors fit tight against the styles, install some small vents to allow air movement.

I have done this and had a satisfactory results, it wasn’t perfect but it helped.

[Riverbug]

You may not get as much grief as you think, I’m sure many folks have noticed the temperature difference when opening those front cabinets and your A/C point is well taken.
Before beginning a project of paint removal, try lining the inside of the cabinet against the front cap with a flexible foam or bubble wrap type of insulation and if the cabinet doors fit tight against the styles, install some small vents to allow air movement.

I have done this and had a satisfactory results, it wasn’t perfect but it helped.

Well that's a really good point. Maybe a bit more insulation on the inside would help in the front cabinets. I was just realizing also that we do like spring and fall camping in cooler weather and I guess that extra heat in those conditions is actually helpful. So maybe that's the trade off.

[Riverbug]

Most likely the front cap has decals, not paint as the design. The same down the sides. A heat gun with a light touch will loosen the decals so you can peal them off. depending on how long they were on the fiberglass cap may be sun faded.

I'll have to take a closer look. Didn't occur to me that it might just be some type of vinyl wrap or similar material. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Riverbug]

My only thought is what I think when I hear of someone who has repainted their motorcycle to what they want: If they want to sell it in the future, it usually negatively affects resale. OTOH, it is
yours and you should do whatever you want with it. But I also agree that whoever thought black/dark paint was was a good idea had too many martinis for lunch.

That's a valid point too. My hope would be that it could be done in a way that looks pretty OEM when finished, but that may be a pipe dream. Will look more closely at it and my options based on everyone's comments.

[sande005]

Well that's a really good point. Maybe a bit more insulation on the inside would help in the front cabinets. I was just realizing also that we do like spring and fall camping in cooler weather and I guess that extra heat in those conditions is actually helpful. So maybe that's the trade off.

Yes, you will find it helpful (Minn. too!). The important point - what color is the awning on top? That's where the heat radiation absorbtion happens, and it is conducted to the bottom. In that situation, no color is better/worse on the underside than any other in radiating heat. Yes, white on top to reflect more. Black underneath does help with giving a sense of shade - less reflected light bouncing around underneath, but that contributes almost nothing to the awning heat load. Swapping out the black AC cover for white may help, but I'm not much of a thermodynamics guy to address that - too many factors to consider as to whether it is impacting the ability of the AC to cool, or not. But not a big $$ thing or hard to swap out, with no downside, if you can DIY. That leaves the front cap, which I would leave. A roll of Reflextix (silver bubble wrap) cut to fit inside the cabinets would help reduce the heat build up in the cabinets, and can be easily removed for those cool spring/fall days when you want the extra heat gain. And it's very cheap. Helps with stopping heat loss going the other way on cold nights, too! Far less work and $$ than repainting, and you get control over when you want the heat, and when you do not.

[Riverbug]

Yes, you will find it helpful (Minn. too!). The important point - what color is the awning on top? That's where the heat radiation absorbtion happens, and it is conducted to the bottom. In that situation, no color is better/worse on the underside than any other in radiating heat. Yes, white on top to reflect more. Black underneath does help with giving a sense of shade - less reflected light bouncing around underneath, but that contributes almost nothing to the awning heat load. Swapping out the black AC cover for white may help, but I'm not much of a thermodynamics guy to address that - too many factors to consider as to whether it is impacting the ability of the AC to cool, or not. But not a big $$ thing or hard to swap out, with no downside, if you can DIY. That leaves the front cap, which I would leave. A roll of Reflextix (silver bubble wrap) cut to fit inside the cabinets would help reduce the heat build up in the cabinets, and can be easily removed for those cool spring/fall days when you want the extra heat gain. And it's very cheap. Helps with stopping heat loss going the other way on cold nights, too! Far less work and $$ than repainting, and you get control over when you want the heat, and when you do not.

Thanks for the reply. The awning is black on top and bottom. I just wasn't at an angle to check the temp from the top which I would guess is hotter than the underside. But the fact that I can feel heat radiating from the awning when sitting under it tells me that black material is absorbing much more heat than any of the brown or white awnings we've had on other units. I don't recall ever feeling heat coming off the awning when sitting under it.

I do agree that the air conditioner cover may not be an issue, it just seems more logical that white would be a better option than black for efficiency, but maybe the difference is negligible. My guess is, the color choice was purely about aesthetics and I would guess testing for the difference in efficiency wasn't even a consideration given the examples of the awning and front cap.

I have decided to go with some type of insulation on the inside of the cabinet rather than remove or cover up the black front. That would certainly be the most efficient and cost effective option...

[Second Chance]

A couple of things to just keep in mind... AC shrouds, vent covers, etc., have gone to dark colors in the past few years for a reason: the dark/black plastics and resins are more resistant to UV light and don't break down as quickly as white plastics/resins do. Regarding the lining of interior walls in closets and cabinets, be sure and remove the insulation (Reflectix, etc.) before cool weather comes along. You don't want condensation collecting between the added barrier and the wall and causing mold issues. I'm with you on the dark front caps, though. I wish the front cap on our Solitude was a lighter color for sure!

Rob