{"id":3153,"date":"2019-02-20T10:43:34","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T10:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/?p=3153"},"modified":"2022-03-11T05:57:40","modified_gmt":"2022-03-11T11:57:40","slug":"priming-school-bus-exterior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/priming-school-bus-exterior\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prime a Skoolie Exterior"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Priming the exterior of your skoolie is a very important step in the conversion process.&nbsp; It will make sure your final paint job stands the test of time.&nbsp; And believe us, you only want to do that exterior paint job&nbsp;<em><strong>once.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We used an industrial grade automotive primer that required application via spray gun.&nbsp; We&#8217;re happy we did it this way, because that primer was diamond solid and provided a good rough surface for the exterior paint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We highly recommend priming and painting your skoolie exterior <em>before<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/painting-roof-skoolie-bus-conversion\/\">painting and sealing the roof<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So let&#8217;s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"video-container\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/srNpTUxeR78\" width=\"760\" height=\"415\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tools &amp; Materials for Priming a Skoolie Exterior:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Degreaser (we used <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B0000AXNO5\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B0000AXNO5&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=artwethereyet-20&amp;linkId=225c5eab5b5001ef924d3f4742f227c9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simple Green<\/a>) and a bucket<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3vgpXSm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lots of rags<\/a>!<\/li><li>320, 400, and 600 grit sandpaper for metal (<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/33OGpxR\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">these guys here sell 25 packs of each size<\/a>)<\/li><li>Automotive primer.&nbsp; We went to an automative supplies shop and got their standard industrial grade primer with its catalyst.  It was similar to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3Hhvri6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this primer<\/a>.  Our 35ft rig took just under 2 gallons to coat completely.  <\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B07XC3BZ2W\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B07XC3BZ2W&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=artwethereyet-20&amp;linkId=e81bb5200ce30e4f9701ba41c1dff0c4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lacquer Thinner<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3vfSt6p\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Respirator mask<\/a><\/li><li>Spray gun with compressor (check to see if you can rent from Home Depot or Lowe&#8217;s).  Or you can go all out and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3JJcWVk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">invest in your own<\/a>.  <\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3Ijr33r\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Masking tape<\/a> (in bulk!)<\/li><li>Newspaper or rolled <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3vc3OnZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">painter&#8217;s paper<\/a> (again, in bulk!)<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B008QDSVPE\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B008QDSVPE&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=artwethereyet-20&amp;linkId=c24a15cda729493dd409e1c646e8cc7b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Prep All<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Full disclosure guys, some of these are affiliate links, so we get a commission if you buy something from the list.\u00a0 As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.\u00a0 Not much, but something.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>This is really important<\/strong>: we\u00a0<em><strong>only<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0link to tools and materials we actually used and\u00a0highly\u00a0recommend. We do these guides completely for free, so these links are the only way we get a little something back (except for the satisfaction of knowing we helped\u00a0<em>you<\/em>\u00a0build your dream skoolie, of course!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t have Amazon Prime yet?\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/tryprimefree?ref_=assoc_tag_ph_1427739975520&amp;_encoding=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=pf4&amp;tag=artwethereyet-20&amp;linkId=74f461080ddf921de48118000bf197db\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Here\u2019s a link for 30 days free.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1 &#8211; Degrease the exterior<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Wait for a sunny day, then try to make a fun time out of completely degreasing the exterior.&nbsp; Lots of soapy water and rags, getting into every nook and cranny and working around every screw and rivet.&nbsp; This is really important, because the primer won&#8217;t stick to a dirty surface.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2 &#8211; Sand the exterior<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>We thought we needed to sand through the yellow paint down to metal.&nbsp; We were wrong.&nbsp; That yellow paint and its underlying primer are rock solid protection for the metal skin of your bus.&nbsp; You don&#8217;t want to take that away.&nbsp; Instead you want to remove just the clear coat over the yellow paint, and insodoing provide enough texture for the primer to stick well.<\/li><li>If you plan to keep your current reflectors, tape over them with masking tape to protect them from your sanding.<\/li><li>Use 320, 400, and 600 grit sandpaper to very lightly sand the exterior.&nbsp; You want the surface to lose its shine and appear matte.&nbsp; You do&nbsp;<em>not<\/em> want to wear away the yellow.<\/li><li>Be very detailed with this.&nbsp; Work to remove the clear coat on and around every rivet and support bar.&nbsp; It&#8217;s a royal pain in the butt, and we&#8217;re really grateful our dear friend <a href=\"http:\/\/www.claudiak.it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Claudia<\/a> was there with us in the trenches!<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3 &#8211; Wipe down sanded exterior &amp; prep<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>After sanding, the exterior is going to be covered in yellow dust.&nbsp; Wipe this off with rags.<\/li><li>Wipe the entire exterior with Prep All, making sure to get every nook and cranny.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4 &#8211; Tape off the windows<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Use paper and masking tape to tape off:\n<ul>\n<li>The windows<\/li>\n<li>Blinker lights<\/li>\n<li>Mirrors<\/li>\n<li>Tires<\/li>\n<li>The bus&#8217; current reflective tape<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5 &#8211; Apply the primer<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Mix the primer, catalyst, and lacquer thinner according to the paint&#8217;s instructions (and the instructions of the paint gun, if any).<\/li><li>Make sure you are wearing a respirator.<\/li><li>Spray the primer section by section, giving multiple passes until the section is fully covered.&nbsp; It&#8217;s helpful to have a friend or two standing farther away who can see spots you missed.<\/li><li>Wait until the paint is fully dried to remove the tape and paper.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 6 &#8211; Repeat!<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We painted our bus in stages.&nbsp; One full side and back, other full side, front.&nbsp; We did this simply because there wasn&#8217;t enough time in the day to do all the prep work for the whole bus and then prime the whole thing.&nbsp; So we did it in stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&lt;&lt; Back to the <a href=\"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/skoolie-bus-conversion-ultimate-guide\/\">Skoolie Conversion Ultimate Guide Homepage<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2896\" height=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/art-we-there-yet-skoolie-bus-travel.png\" alt=\"art-we-there-yet-skoolie-bus-travel\" class=\"wp-image-5344\" srcset=\"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/art-we-there-yet-skoolie-bus-travel.png 2896w, https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/art-we-there-yet-skoolie-bus-travel-1536x164.png 1536w, https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/art-we-there-yet-skoolie-bus-travel-2048x219.png 2048w, https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/art-we-there-yet-skoolie-bus-travel-1170x125.png 1170w, https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/art-we-there-yet-skoolie-bus-travel-1920x206.png 1920w, https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/art-we-there-yet-skoolie-bus-travel-585x63.png 585w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2896px) 100vw, 2896px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"so-you-re-building-a-skoolie-huh\">So you\u2019re building a skoolie, huh?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We feel your pain, my friend! We also know how good it feels to finally make a dream reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/skoolie-bus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Our skoolie<\/a>&nbsp;took 9 months and $28,000 to complete. We documented the entire build and are slowly building<a href=\"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/skoolie-bus-conversion-ultimate-guide\/\">&nbsp;a series of guides<\/a>&nbsp;on every step of the bus conversion process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We spent a&nbsp;<em>crap ton<\/em>&nbsp;of time figuring out how to do this and that. We also could have saved a few bucks along the way.  We hope our tutorials help save you some time and money!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"our-top-5-bus-conversion-tools-materials\">Our TOP 5 Bus Conversion Tools &amp; Materials:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3v7iFjJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5-in-1 Painters Tool<\/a> (you will use this a MILLION times)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3LSJ2Qj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Impact Driver &amp; Drill Combo Kit<\/a> (there won\u2019t be a day you won\u2019t use this)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3IeX1gX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">100% Silicone<\/a> (buy in bulk to save a LOT of money!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/36y3vtA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Angle Grinder<\/a> (get used to using this ALL the time!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3513I7Z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Table Saw <\/a>(it will be nearly impossible to complete your conversion without this. It\u2019s WORTH the investment!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This\u00a0page contains product affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Priming the exterior of your skoolie is a very important step in the conversion process.&nbsp; It will make sure your final paint job stands the test of time.&nbsp; And believe us, you&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5654,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-school-bus-conversion-tutorials","post_format-post-format-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3153"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5655,"href":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3153\/revisions\/5655"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artwethereyet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}