- 1). Unroll a length of masking paper several feet longer than the length of your RV and hang it on the side of the RV with tape. Secure it thoroughly, but don't use so much tape that you'll rip the mask while taking it off later. Normally, you'd lay out the stripes on a car's body using painter's tape and then you'd create a transfer mask afterward. However, with something as large and flat as an RV, skip right to making the transfer mask.
- 2). Stand on one side of your RV and plan out exactly how you want your stripes to look. Starting at the front of the RV, begin laying down a line of 1/8-inch painter's tape to mark the top of your stripe. If you're looking to stripe a perfectly straight line, then you may wish to use a chalk line to mark the paper first.
- 3). Press the tape into the paper with your right forefinger while you hold the roll with your left hand. Duct tape also works fantastically for this task if you're not looking to create complex shapes, but you'll need to pinstripe over the paint edges later. Continue laying out the upper and lower border of your stripes, being very careful to keep the lines smooth and straight. Any mistakes here will show in the finished product.
- 4). Use a very sharp razor to cut out the center of your transfer mask along the bottom edge of your top tape line and the top edge of your bottom one. The idea here is to cut out the center section of the mask where your stripe is going to go, leaving a border of 1/8-inch tape around it.
- 5). Break out the 3/8-inch tape and go to the front of the RV. Very carefully apply the 3/8-inch tape over the 1/8-inch tape so that it precisely aligns with the tape edge on one side and protrudes into your open space by 1/4-inch on the other. Press this protruding bit of tape into the RV body to stick the mask to it. Continue doing so along the whole length of the body.
- 6). Scuff the area inside of the mask -- where the stripe is going to go -- with a red Scotch Brite pad. The idea here is just to take the gloss off the existing paint so that the stripe paint sticks. Wipe the area down with a lint-free rag and alcohol to get rid of the dust.
- 7). Paint the stripe on the RV. You have a few options here. If you're fortunate enough to have a paint gun and full automotive-grade VOC paints, then you already know how to use them. If you don't have VOC paints, but want that finish, take the RV to a body shop to have them spray it. Otherwise, you're stuck either spraying the panels down with a high-performance enamel -- generally referred to as "trailer paint," available at any hardware store -- or spray painting it with a black, white or beige appliance epoxy.
- 8). Allow the paint to set up, and then carefully pull the 3/8-inch vinyl tape off the RV body and the 1/8-inch tape on the paper mask. Very carefully pull the mask off the RV and have an assistant help you to carry it around to the other side of the RV. Now, tape the transfer mask to the other side of your RV, with the formerly outside part of the mask with the paint on it facing toward the body of the RV.
- 9). Apply the 3/8-inch tape as described above. This time you'll have to feel through the paper for the top of your 1/8-inch tape line, since it is now on the backside. Repeat Steps 5 through 7. If you're taking the RV to a professional painter, then you might want to make a second mask from the original so they're both in place when you get there.
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Allow the paint to dry, remove the mask and examine your stripes. If you're not entirely happy with the edging or want to hide the paint ridge, then you can go over it with some 1/8-inch pinstripe for a more finished look.
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