Converting a bus into a home on wheels was a big project, and painting the interior was no exception. It took a lot of time and effort to prepare the surfaces for painting. The whole bus, including every nook and cranny, had to be sanded in preparation for painting and the lights had to be taped off to ensure a clean look. An orbital sander really came in handy and helped speed things along.
Painting the exterior of the bus was one of the first things we did with our build and because of that we didn't have to worry about covering the windows. We just took them out. We removed all the light covers, the grill, windshield wipers, mirrors and other bits and bobs.
After removing the 180° convex mirrors we decided not to put them back on. The previous owners must have had an incident as the mirror brackets had been pushed into the hood. Nothing a little Bondo couldn't fix! We also used Bondo where the electronic stop sign on the driver's side had been removed, because it left 4 huge bolt holes in the side of the bus. Once everything was sanded and taped, we primed any rust spots that we thought might cause issues.
Finally, it was time for painting. We used a professional grade self-priming maintenance and marine enamel gloss paint meant for extreme weather conditions.
We borrowed an airless sprayer, which was probably not the best idea. This paint was really thick and we ended up thinning it 30% to achieve a decent spray and stop it from spitting and splattering.
Being a zero waste family we tried our best to avoid plastic and reduce the amount of waste we created during painting. We used old sheets and towels as drop cloths for the radiator, tires, and other areas. We also used paper we got from a local newspaper (their leftovers from when the roll gets too small to print on) to protect the back windows and windshield.
To paint the roof of the bus we used an elastomeric white paint and rolled it on. We ended up painting on 4 coats on the roof.
If you're considering a bus conversion painting project, be prepared for some serious work. Overall, the project is about 80% prep work, which can be incredibly frustrating. However, if you have the patience and attention to detail required, the end result will be well worth it. Just remember to take your time and not rush through the process. Good luck on your painting journey!