Camper Van
Freedom.

Adhesives & Coatings · My build kit

Flex Seal Liquid Black

The black liquid coating is among my purchased finishing materials, complementing the separate aerosol products in the workshop.

By Steven Smith · Camper Van Freedom

Read my build notes ↓
Flex Seal Liquid Black

The item in my kit

I bought Flex Seal Liquid Black as part of my camper van equipment.

The black liquid coating is among my purchased finishing materials, complementing the separate aerosol products in the workshop.

Where it fits my build

I taped the boundaries and covered the areas that would not be painted with plastic sheeting. I then sanded the exposed areas with an orbital sander and 60-grit abrasive, blew away the dust with a compressor, and cleaned and degreased the surfaces.

I mixed clear bedliner with white tint and sprayed the van. After it dried, I removed the masking. The tape and sheeting stage alone took around eight hours, and the finished edges still needed some touch-up.

My van with masking around the exterior areas prepared for coating.
My van with masking around the exterior areas prepared for coating.
The side of the van during the white-bedliner project.
The side of the van during the white-bedliner project.

My build notes

The most useful detail in my diary is the result, including the problems. Rust-Oleum pooled and dripped in places, and trying to repair one area with a paintbrush made it worse. I wrote that I would use a foam roller for touch-ups and preferred the more consistent finish I had obtained with RAPTOR.

Masking, preparation and application method each became a substantial part of the exterior-coating job.

Alternative products

Two alternatives to compare

Gorilla offers another black liquid-rubber coating. White Flex Seal Liquid changes the color while keeping the same general application format.

Gorilla Black Liquid Rubber Coating

Gorilla Black Liquid Rubber Coating

This black liquid-rubber coating is supplied in a can. A brush or roller applies the coating across the surface.

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Flex Seal Liquid White

Flex Seal Liquid White

Flex Seal Liquid is a white liquid-rubber coating supplied in a can. It can be applied with a brush or roller rather than an aerosol spray.

View on Amazon

Questions from my build

What took the longest before painting?

Taping the edges and covering the areas I was not painting took around eight hours.

What problem did I record with the bedliner?

The Rust-Oleum pooled and dripped in some areas, leaving an uneven finish that needed touch-up.

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