The Great Paint Debate.
Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 9:00 pm
The topic of what type of paint to use on a vintage caravan has always been a hotly contested topic.
Seriously though it does not worry me in the least wether you use enamel or acrylic paint on your caravan. Both types of paint have their advantages and disadvantages, and even though I personally prefer to use enamel paints because of the high gloss finish, I would rather see a vintage caravan being used then contest with the owner that he should have used enamel paint for originality.
It always amazes me that there are a few so called vintage caravan "purists" out there that, say for example, insist that every screw in a vintage caravan should be a slot head screw, but they will not accept that acrylic paint was not widely used even for house painting until the 1960's.
see eHow "The History of Paint"
"Latex paint, which did not contain lead, was the paint of choice after 1960."
Another comment from an American vintage caravan restorer, Todd Anderson, a 30 year veteran of
Vintage Trailer Restorations
"Vintage trailers were all painted with oil based paint because that's all they had. You'll want to repaint your trailer with the same."
The following late 1950's British Paints Limited paint colour selections book shows the paint range for that era.
The paint range below shows the many different types of oil based paints available, with the only acrylic ( or latex, or plastic) paint available is Nu-Plastik which is only available in a dull satin wall and ceiling finish.
An exterior house selection typical of the era, which feature all oil based finishes.
An interior selection typical of the era, which again features heavily on oil based paints and only a small number of Nu-Plastik finishes.
Seriously though it does not worry me in the least wether you use enamel or acrylic paint on your caravan. Both types of paint have their advantages and disadvantages, and even though I personally prefer to use enamel paints because of the high gloss finish, I would rather see a vintage caravan being used then contest with the owner that he should have used enamel paint for originality.
It always amazes me that there are a few so called vintage caravan "purists" out there that, say for example, insist that every screw in a vintage caravan should be a slot head screw, but they will not accept that acrylic paint was not widely used even for house painting until the 1960's.
see eHow "The History of Paint"
"Latex paint, which did not contain lead, was the paint of choice after 1960."
Another comment from an American vintage caravan restorer, Todd Anderson, a 30 year veteran of
Vintage Trailer Restorations
"Vintage trailers were all painted with oil based paint because that's all they had. You'll want to repaint your trailer with the same."
The following late 1950's British Paints Limited paint colour selections book shows the paint range for that era.
The paint range below shows the many different types of oil based paints available, with the only acrylic ( or latex, or plastic) paint available is Nu-Plastik which is only available in a dull satin wall and ceiling finish.
An exterior house selection typical of the era, which feature all oil based finishes.
An interior selection typical of the era, which again features heavily on oil based paints and only a small number of Nu-Plastik finishes.