4 Ways to Paint Your RV Cabinets with No Prep Work

4 Ways to Paint Your RV Cabinets with No Prep Work

Paint Your RV Cabinets with NO Prep | If you’re on the market or just recently purchased an RV of any kind, you probably are aware of the outdated or dark interiors that have plagued RVs for years.

However, due to some very inspirational and talented individuals, renovating your RV has been a very popular task among campers.

One of the biggest renovations many choose to do is to re-paint the dark cabinets a different color.

However, many of the cabinets are actually covered in contact paper that makes it difficult for paint to stick.

I’ve heard and read horror stories of RVer’s sanding, priming, and painting their cabinets only for their hard work to peel right off. This can be extremely frustrating!

4 Ways to Paint RV Cabinets with NO Prep Work

But have no fear!

There are ways to paint your cabinets without sanding or priming. You will probably want to tape to prevent paint from places you don’t want it, but other than that you can achieve an RV cabinet paint remodel without all the hard work.

Here are 4 ways you can paint your RV cabinets in no particular order because they all are great and will get the job done!

1. Chalk Paint with a Tough Coat Sealer

One option you can use is chalk paint.

We chose to use chalk paint on our cabinets because I knew I didn’t want to do any sanding or priming. Personally, I hate all that prep work!

Plus, chalk paint is very low in VOC and is great if you’re painting on the go or renovating while also living in the space. There are plenty of color options that you can also mix to create a color of your own desire. We chose to use The Spruce Best Home Chalk Paint by KILZ in white bead board and dark grey for our bathroom and kitchen island.

Now, chalk paint is a matte finish and can chip very easily as well as not being resistant to stains. This can make it difficult if you don’t seal the paint with a tough coat. This Tough Coat by Country Chic sealer is a chalk paint lifesaver. It provides a protective layer that provides a satin sheen, is stain resistant, and makes the cabinets easy to wash off any spills or dirt.

2. Beyond Paint

Beyond paint is an all-in-one option that can be used for furniture, cabinets, and even countertops. There are 16 matte colors, 3 metallic colors, and a satin sheen sealer to keep your project beautiful for a long time.

Just like the chalk paint, you don’t need to sand or prime to prepare your RV cabinets for Beyond paint. You do want to clean them and make sure they are free from dirt, oil, or wax to make sure the paint sticks and goes on smoothly.

Beyond paint is also an eco-friendly low-VOC option just like chalk paint.

3. Nuvo Cabinet Paint Kits

Nuvo Cabinet Paint kits are another great option to choose from. It is a little cheaper than the other two and comes with the tools that you will need to paint, however, it does require some sanding for the product to adhere properly.

The Nuvo does have some advantages including no need for a topcoat sealer because it is built into the paint, 1 kit covers 100 sqft of cabinetry, has a beautiful satin finish, and comes in a variety of colors.

You can purchase these kits on Amazon and other home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot.

4. Heirloom Traditions All-In-One-Paint

Very similar to Beyond Paint, the Heirloom Traditions All-In-One-Paint is a very popular option for many DIY’ers and RV’ers to use on their cabinets remodel. There is no need to sand, prime, seal or strip the surfaces before using this paint.

The only prep work is to clean from dust or grime. There is also no need to seal the paint with a tough coat because it’s built-in. Each color has a finished satin sheen that is perfect for cabinets and other types of furniture.

Final Thoughts

Remodeling your RV can be a time-consuming task to take on, however, I hope painting the cabinets seems easier than ever before with these amazing paint options.

I know for us, removing the need to sand and prime saved us so much time! I don’t know if I will ever sand or prime cabinets ever again when I know there are great options that don’t require it and offer beautiful and durable finishes.

If you would like to see some gorgeous RV kitchen remodels for inspiration, check out our post 30 RV Kitchen Remodels That Will Inspire the Interior Designer in You!

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4 Ways to Paint RV Cabinets with NO Prep Work
4 Ways to Paint RV Cabinets
How To Easily Paint Your RV Interior Walls

How To Easily Paint Your RV Interior Walls

Are you looking to paint your RV?

Are you wanting to add that touch of freshness to brighten up the small space and make it your own?

Well, you are not alone! RV Remodeling and Renovations are all the rave these days with the tiny living movement.

I know for us, painting our walls was the number one thing we wanted to do when we began our Full-time living journey. Although we bought brand new, I was not a fan of the beige walls.

So, whether you’ve purchased a used RV with cash or financed a new one, it’s ok to paint! It’s yours! Now I do want to disclaim that if you are looking to sell at any point, it is best to use colors that are generally neutral.

For us, we went with a satin white because one rule with Interior Design is dark colors will always make a small space feel even smaller. Whereas bright colors allow more light and make any space feel larger than it is.

This is why you see a lot of RV’ers painting their walls and/or cabinets white and then accenting that space with other colors.

Just so you know, and to maybe put your mind at ease, painting your RV’s walls with the right material is EASY!! Also, don’t be afraid to make it your own!

Here is a step by step on how we painted our RV walls and what we used to get the job done.

Step 1: Plan!

Planning is so important! Make sure you pick the colors you enjoy the most and pick the areas in which you want to paint.

For example, are you going to paint just the walls or the cabinets or both?

How much space are you wanting to paint? Our RV is 32 feet long and had to make sure we purchased enough paint to cover all the walls.

These were the top questions I had to answer in order to plan out the painting remodel in our RV.

Step 2: Purchase!

Now that you have the idea and planned out the colors and areas in which you want to paint, now it is time to purchase all the materials.

I feel like this is the step that gets people stuck because RV walls are made out of Vinyl and not the normal sheetrock in homes.

You want to make sure you use a paint and primer that is going to stick to the walls and cabinets. I have heard of many stories of people using paint and primer that ended up peeling off the walls/cabinets. Nobody wants that to happen because it just will cause even more work. Here is a list of what we purchased and used to paint our RV walls.

What we used: 

  • Painters Tape
  • Foam Rollers and Trays
  • Paint Brushes
  • Corner painters
  • Oil Based White Primer by Glidden (Many also use Kilz)
  • Glidden Premium Interior Paint & Primer in Satin White
  • Paint Stirrers
  • Paint Can Opener
  • Plastic or Cloth Drop cloths to protect any flooring or furniture.
  • Gloves (If Desired)

Other Items you may need:

Other options for Painting:

  • Spray Gun (many choose this option as a quicker way to paint instead of rollers and brushes. If you choose this option, I do highly recommend that the preparation stage is taken 100% serious and you cover every inch you do not want paint on.)


Step 3: Prepare

Now that you planned out your colors and where you want to paint and purchased your materials, now it’s time to prepare the space for painting. By this, I mean taping, sanding, and removing any valances and wallpaper that might be on the walls.

Many RV’s have a strip of wallpaper as an accent that has to be removed before painting. For us, we had no wallpaper, therefore, we only had to remove all the valances, tape everything off, and protect the items I didn’t want the paint to drop on.

Please keep in mind this part can become tedious and the anxiousness of wanting to get started on the painting is normal. However, this is a very important part to never skip because you want to make sure it looks amazing once complete! Also, having to go back and goo gone all the mishaps just takes up way too much time.

Step 4: Prime and Paint

Now that you have your supplies, and have prepared the space, go ahead and get started! Painting to me is fun, but for some, it can be frustrating. I enjoy turning on some good music and tackling sections by sections.

Start with the Primer always first. I recommend doing at least 2 coats of the oil-based primer to ensure the paint sticks.

Here is a little Before and After we painted the walls white and replaced the valances with curtains.

 

I hope I’ve made it easy for you! I remember when I was about to start the project of painting our walls, I searched through dozens of blogs trying to find the answers to all my questions.

Questions such as; what paint to use? Do I use a water or oil base primer? Do I really need to sand all the walls before painting?

Please, don’t let this project be overwhelming. Enjoy the process and you will enjoy the finished project. Whether you are living in your RV fulltime or just making a beautiful weekend getaway camper, have fun! Painting is just the beginning to making the tiny space your own.

If you have any questions regarding painting your RV interior walls, please leave a comment! I would be glad to give any advice I can!

Thank you for stopping by, and don’t forget to check out some of our other posts.

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