My exterior preparation included blowing sanding dust away with a compressor and air attachment. The BOSTITCH combo kit is one of the compressed-air purchases in my build equipment.
My van with masking around the exterior areas prepared for coating.
The item in my kit
I bought BOSTITCH Compressor and Air-Tool Kit as part of my camper van equipment.
My exterior preparation included blowing sanding dust away with a compressor and air attachment. The BOSTITCH combo kit is one of the compressed-air purchases in my build equipment.
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.
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 DEWALT and BOSTITCH alternatives are standalone pancake compressors. They separate the air supply from the nailers and other tools included in a combo package.
DEWALT DWFP55126 Pancake Compressor
This air compressor uses a low circular tank beneath the motor assembly. Its carrying handle provides a portable compressed-air format.
This oil-free pancake compressor supplies regulated compressed air from a six-gallon tank. It is an alternative for compatible pneumatic tools used during a camper-van build.
