I am offering on a bank repo and have a question on fixing up the exterior.

It is a 1997 Sundowner Sunlite 3 horse that looks to be an all alum. trailer but was either red skin or someone painted the upper section of the mill finsh red.  Now after almost 14 years of Texas sun the paint has fadded and looks like they have tried to polish it and the paint is coming off completely.

I know the pictures are small, but it was thew fasted way I could post them.  I did not know about just trying to remove the rest of the paint then acid wash the trailer and leave it mill finish or have the upper section repainted back red.  The door and drop down windows is fadded but still covers everything.

Any ideas on the best or fasted fix?

Hey Kelley. Let me jump back into the saddle with this one.

Is the top, red painted area, .040" sheet or the heavy welded extrusions? The red colour failure is expected, as it is the most affected by UV Damage. Will this be a DIY project or professional respray? Either way will involve similar steps, just different approaches.

The first thing to accomplish is the complete removal of the original paint. Because of the large areas involved, it sometimes will be advantageous to involve professionals for the stripping process. A media blasting service, can remove the paint in a fraction of the time of a DIYer, albeit at a price. The paint can also be removed using chemical strippers, which are available through many sources. Undoubtably as a truck dealer, you should know a body shop that can lead you through the chemical process.

The lighter, thin top AL should not be sanded. It can also become damaged by using metal trowels, scared or even cut with these tools, when sloughing off the stripper's paint slurrey. This is another consideration to involve a media blasting service.

Repainting AL with success, depends entirely on a proper surface preparation. Every material used in the stripping process, subsuquently has to be removed and the metal left clean. There are many sources of specific AL primers and paints that can achieve a factory looking finish.

Costs will vary, depending on your relationship to a local body shop, media blaster and material sources. It all depends on if you want a DIY project for a couple grand, or a turn key respray for many times that. If you decide on the DIY, we can walk you through the process. BOL

Thanks guys, will be paying someone to do most of the job.  I was going try and remove the old myself if possible.  The main body looks to be the heavy stuff and the doors (are still painted) is the thin stuff.  Really going to have to repaint the faded part to make it look right.   Wouldn't look good with mill finish body and red doors....

gard, good to hear from you, I knew if you was up to it you would give me a novel to read....