Camper Van
Freedom.

Adhesives & Coatings · Build notes & Amazon options

Glazing Putty for Surface Preparation

Glazing putty is among the filler and coating supplies I bought during the build.

By Steven Smith · Camper Van Freedom

Read my build notes ↓
Glazing Putty for Surface Preparation

My purchase and Amazon option

Glazing putty is among the filler and coating supplies I bought during the build.

The featured Amazon option is Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty.

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

The Bondo glazing putty is a small-tube finishing product. Bondo Original and Evercoat body filler offer different filler formats for broader surface work.

Bondo Original Body Filler

Bondo Original Body Filler

Bondo Original is a two-part body filler supplied with hardener. The mixed material is shaped and sanded during surface repair.

View on Amazon
Evercoat Pro-Grade Body Filler

Evercoat Pro-Grade Body Filler

Evercoat Pro-Grade body filler is a two-part material mixed with its hardener. It forms a sandable filler for shaping repaired surfaces.

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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