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Painting the interior of your RV with Fusion Mineral Paint is easier than ever with these helpful tips! Over the past few years, one popular trend has been to update those usually dark and dated camper interiors to something more clean and modern. With Fusion Mineral Paint removing the need to sand and prime saves so much time and still offers a beautiful and durable finish.
What is Fusion Mineral Paint?
First of all, what is Fusion Mineral Paint? Fusion Mineral Paint is a 100% acrylic resin, non-toxic, lead-free, virtually odourless paint containing no ammonia or formaldehyde. Super durable and an easy one-step application with a built-in top coat and no need for priming or sanding in most cases. What can be easier than that?! And it’s a Canadian, family-operated business.
FMP has been around since 2014 and is sold all over the world. It is my favourite DIY paint, and I have used it in 99% of my furniture refinishing and home redesign projects since 2020.
How to Prep for Painting an RV with Fusion Mineral Paint
Firstly, you need to consider the temperature and humidity. Ideal conditions for painting are between 10ºC / 50ºF and 30ºC / 86ºF. In humid conditions, the paint will not dry. Having the air conditioning on while you paint would be a good idea.
Newer model RV’s have been designed to be lighter, and the cabinets are usually made of a lightweight particle board with wood or laminate veneer. Regardless of the cabinet material, proper prep is critical. The first step is to wash and degrease the cabinets or walls you will paint. I suggest the Fusion™ TSP Alternative. A water-based degreaser removes oil, grease, fingerprints and stains, and TSP Alternative is safe on all surfaces and contains no phosphates.
Fixing Minor Surface Issues
When dealing with laminate or veneer cabinets, you can glue down any areas where the surface or MDF is underneath. Where veneer is chipped or missing, use wood filler to patch the gap. Now why would I tell you to clean and then fix any imperfections?
Washing and degreasing before sanding prevents dirt and grime from clogging the sandpaper and scratching the cabinet surface. Use 120-180 grit sandpaper. I recommend 180-220 grit sandpaper if you are just scuff sanding. Wipe down any dust after sanding, and you are almost ready to start painting!
Remove the Cabinet Doors
It’s a much easier process if you remove the cabinet doors before painting. Go ahead and remove the hinges and handles and label the doors and the inside of the base where you took the door off. Trust me; it’s much easier when you go back to install if you know where each door goes.
Now this is where one of my favourite products comes in handy. Fusion Mineral Paint Ultra Grip. It literally makes painting the impossible- possible! Plastic, metal, laminate, tile- use Ultra Grip, and you can paint it!
Since sanding down laminate and veneer is impossible, using Ultra Grip as the bonding agent is easy peasy. I prefer to apply it with a sponge, wipe it on the surface of the cabinets and let it dry for about 12 hours. It goes on milky but dries transparent. Now your prep work is done!
Painting the Walls with Fusion Mineral Paint
Most campers have a thin wallboard/wallpaper. Refrain from attempting to remove this! Instead, I recommend using a bonding primer first. You could use Fusion Mineral Paint Ultra Grip, but for larger surfaces like walls, I recommend Beautitone Stick-It, which makes painting that textured wallboard possible. You could use wallpaper, peel-and-stick or vinyl tile if you wanted to use something other than the bonder and paint.
Since most campers don’t have ample wall space to paint, you can use Fusion Mineral Paint. Some people think Fusion is just for furniture and cabinets, and I am here to tell you it’s possible to paint walls too! One pint of Fusion Mineral Paint covers approximately 75 sq feet, so a couple of pints in an average trailer will suffice. If you have a wall that could use a little pop of colour, you can switch it up without feeling like you have to paint everything the same because you bought a massive gallon of one colour—no wasted paint!
Painting the Cabinets with Fusion Mineral Paint
I paint the cabinets with a good quality roller, such as a microfibre or velour roller. Any roller is fine as long as it is lint-free and non-foam. A good brush for cutting in and more detailed areas would be a good idea. I don’t use a paint sprayer, although some may prefer it. In a small space like an RV, the overspray and all the extra time taping off and covering surfaces isn’t my jam. Plus, the self-levelling component of the Fusion Mineral Paint makes brush strokes virtually impossible anyway, so there is no need to take the extra time setting up to spray.
One step I like to do for an even smoother finish is wet sanding between layers with fine sandpaper grit. Wait about half an hour for the paint to be dry to the touch, and then light as a feather, rub the surface. Wet sanding too soon can go through the new layer of paint you just applied. If this happens, touch it up and then wait the recommended dry time.
Tip- wrap your roller and paint brush in plastic to prevent drying out between coats
Top Coat
Now comes the final step. Once your paint is fully dry, you can top-coat the cabinets. This step is not necessary as Fusion Mineral Paint has a top coat built in. It dries to a matte finish, so if you prefer a glossy finish or want EXTRA protection if you have kids or pets, you can choose wax, water-based or oil-based top coats.
I don’t recommend using wax in high traffic, high moisture, high heat areas like a kitchen, bathroom or camper. Oil-based top coats are typically a little messier and smellier, so I suggest water-based if you choose a top coat. Fusion has a non-yellowing matte or gloss top coat product. I like to apply with a sponge or applicator pad; usually, two coats are sufficient.
Reinstall your doors, hinges and handles, and if you follow my steps about labelling and numbering the doors, this will be painless.
Cure Time and AfterCare
The Fusion built-in top coat is very durable and stain-proof, and water-resistant. It is washable once cured, and washing away dust or fingerprints with a damp cloth is simple.
Since Fusion is acrylic paint, the cure time is about 21 days; however, this does not mean you can’t use your camper until then! Heck no! Especially if you live in Canada like me, where summer is short enough, you want to get out there and enjoy the camping season! Just make sure you are gentle after the first 24-48 hours of drying time, and if any scratches or mishaps happen, touch up with a little pot of Fusion Mineral Paint and a brush, and you are good to go!
You can check out the amazing selection of Fusion Mineral Paint colours here. I hope these tips inspired you to see the potential in updating your camper/RV, and you get out there and enjoy the summer!
