8 RV Exterior Paint Ideas: Choosing Colors for Your Rig

RV exterior paint ideas are necessary for those who are undergoing a makeover to give their rigs a facelift. However, with many colors to choose from, many are at a loss as to which color would best suit their RVs.

Mind you, choosing the wrong colors would not only give your motorhome that awkward look but might affect your reputation in the RV community. This blog post will give the perfect exterior paint ideas that’ll complement your vehicle’s aesthetics.

8 Best RV Exterior Paint Ideas That’ll Transform Your Motorhome

There are many campervan RV exterior paint ideas that can make your motorhome stand out from the crowd and blend in with the Joneses, depending on your preference. You can opt for a classic all-white, blend neutral tones, or make a statement with bright and bold colors.

You can join the two-color combination craze and let your natural personality shine through earthly colors. If you own a vintage camper and you’d like it to show on your RV, then retro colors are for you. However, if you want to plaster the face of your favorite celebrity or draw the logo of your local football club on your RV, choose custom graphics.

1. The Classic All-white RV Paint

The first color that comes to mind when you think RV is white and this is because it is the most popular and the best color to paint RV exterior. This isn’t surprising, given that white symbolizes cleanliness, innocence, and class, which is why some popular national monuments are painted in that color.

Aside from its elegance and symbolism, white is preferred for its temperature control qualities. It reflects the sun and keeps out the heat, making the RV interior cooler during the warm weather reducing the need for excessive air conditioning.

White also serves as the perfect background for a variety of designs, including murals, graphics, decals, and a combination of various colors. Painting your vehicle white would make maintenance effortless since it doesn’t hide dirt, is quite easy to clean and makes good interior paint.

You also have a better resale value if you use white, as many people have a natural attraction and affection for it. Moreover, white is highly visible both during the day and night, making it easier to spot your vehicle on the road.

2. Blending Neutral Tones for Your RV Exterior

Neutral tones are also known for their elegance and versatility, appealing to many different tastes, especially when blended well. For example, colors like taupe, beige and gray exhibit a refined appearance while exuding sophistication, giving your travel trailer an upscale appearance.

Their versatility means that you can blend them with a wide range of colors and still have RV walls that are eye-pleasing. They make customization a breeze and maintain the overall harmony of your vehicle’s exterior.

Neutral colors also blend well with the environment, whether you’re camping at the beach or enjoying a night out in the forest. These colors complement the natural surroundings, improving your vehicle’s aesthetics. Like white, neutral tones are heat-resistant and, thus, are perfect for warmer climates.

They also show dirt and stains, making maintenance easier and more efficient.

3. Two-tone Combination for RV Exterior

Combining two tones involves using two different colors to create impressive designs, giving your RV a customized look. With two tones, you can add depth, contrast and personality to your rig, making it more visually appealing.

By blending two colors, you break the one-tone monotony that is typical with RVs, and you can use those colors to highlight your personality. Using two different tones also gives you the flexibility to represent your favorite sports team or personality as well.

You can use a two-color scheme to accentuate certain designs of your motorhome. For example, you can paint the body of your home with one color while using a different color to paint the roof. This brings attention to the unique physical features of your motorhome.

However, it is essential to choose colors that complement each other, like white and black, light blue and gray or off-white and a touch of brown.

3. Using Bright and Bold Colors for RV Exterior

Painting your RV with bright and bold colors can make your rig eye-catching and give it a vibrant personality. Bold colors, when mixed properly, are attractive and help your motorhome stand out from the crowd. With bright colors, you can make a bold statement and create a strong visual impact.

You can use them to highlight your personality and creativity, reflect your hobbies and represent your favorite sports team.

Using colors like fiery red, sunshine yellow, or electric blue not only makes your vehicle visually appealing but enhances your safety as they are visible from a distance. Moreover, their light-reflecting properties mean that your rig would be more visible at night, enhancing your safety.

Unleash your creativity by blending bright colors with milder tones such as pink, gray and purple to give it harmony and balance. You can make your RV more Instagram-friendly and join the youthful vibe and fun, especially if you’re a travel blogger.

4. Mixing Retro Colors

However, if you’re one who treasures nostalgic experiences and likes to live in the past, then you can try retro colors. Retro colors don’t only evoke past memories, but they enhance the historical authenticity and charm of your RV.

They turn heads wherever you go, especially that of the people associated with the period the colors seek to represent. Moreover, since most retro colors are bright and vibrant, they make you visible on the road.

Vintage colors never go out of style, which ensures that your vehicle maintains its classic appearance, regardless of the period. Thus, you can choose colors that express your personality, ensuring your individuality is timeless, just as the colors.

Vintage colors look great on camera, and they have a cult following; thus, using them on social media is guaranteed to draw eyes. Finally, if you have vintage accessories and designs on your RV, choosing retro colors will complement them.

5. Complement Your RV Exterior With Earth Tones

You can complement your rig’s exterior with nature-inspired colors that blend effortlessly with the natural surroundings. Colors like cloudy sky, brown soil, red sun, turmeric, terracotta, sage, deep navy, marigold, and burnt sienna brown allow you to get close to nature.

They also enhance your motorhome’s aesthetics by creating a cozy and welcoming appeal. They serve as a perfect camouflage, which is great for wildlife enthusiasts who’d like to observe animals in their natural habitats.

Earth colors are versatile and can be blended in a variety of combinations to give your rig the look and appeal you desire. They also have a timeless look that won’t need much changing to suit the current tides.

Since they blend well with other colors, you can use one earth tone as your primary color and then add other colors to create depth. Furthermore, earth colors are easy to clean and maintain as they don’t hide dirt or grime.

6. Designing Your RV Exterior With Metallic Paints

Metallic paints are excellent light reflectors because they contain tiny metallic flakes that add a bit of depth and shine to your vehicle. These colors make your rig more visually appealing and dynamic as they add different dimensions to your motorhome’s exterior.

Colors like copper, silver, gold, bronze, iron, zinc and nickel give your RV much visibility. Thus, you’ll be easily noticed in a crowd of RVers, which ultimately enhances your safety on the road.

Metallic paints also exude luxury and sophistication as they are associated with several high-end vehicles. Thus, you can elevate the status of your RV while giving yourself the desired reputation. You can even take advantage of their wide range of colors to customize them to suit your taste and your personality.

However, keep in mind that metallic paints require constant cleaning and waxing to maintain their shine.

7. Designing Your RV Exterior With Custom Graphics

If you’re artistic and would like your rig to reflect that personality, consider designing your motorhome with graphics, murals and RV decals. You can come up with a unique look that would amplify your philosophies, ideologies, tastes and interests.

This is especially useful for businesses to showcase their logos, slogs and contact information. With custom graphics, businesses can even tell a story that resonates with their intended target audience.

You can also enhance the overall aesthetics of your motorhome with beautiful paintings that depict a particular event, period or celebration. Make your rig visible with custom paint jobs and turn your motorhome into a canvas that tells a story.

You can use custom graphics to add depth, harmonization, sophistication and visual interest to your rig. However, we need to add that certain graphics may come with legal implications; therefore, thoroughly research the graphic you intend to use to avoid any legal issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Best Type of Paint for an RV Exterior?

The best type of paint for an RV exterior is water-based paints because they don’t require an elaborate preparation process. Also, water-based paints are more resistant to UV rays; thus, they maintain their shine in the most unforgiving weather conditions. However, one disadvantage is that they don’t last long.

What Is the Cost of Painting the RV Exterior?

The cost of painting the exterior of your RV is between $250 and $600, depending on whether you do it yourself or employ a professional. Also, the length of the van, number of paint cans, quantity of primers and the type of paints you choose.

How Can I Protect the RV Exterior Paint from Damage?

One way to protect the RV exterior paint from damage is by using an RV cover. These covers protect the motorhome from dangerous UV rays and other elements of the weather. Also, they keep the vehicle clean and neat by keeping out dust, debris, dirt or stains.

Conclusion

This article has explored small RV exterior paint ideas that’ll give your RV exterior a facelift and a unique appearance that’ll make it stand out from the crowd. Here’s a recap of all that we’ve read so far:

• There are a thousand and one professional RV painting ideas that can make your motorhome stand out from the crowd or blend in with the Joneses, depending on your preference.

• The first color that comes to mind when you think RV life is white and this is because it is the oldest and the most popular color of motorhomes.

• Neutral tones like taupe, beige and gray exhibit a refined appearance while exuding sophistication and giving your RV an upscale appearance.

• By blending two colors, you break the one-tone monotony that is typical with RVs, and you can use those colors to highlight your personality.

• Bold and bright colors like fiery red, sunshine yellow, or electric blue not only make your vehicle visually appealing but enhance your safety as they are visible from a distance.

However, if you’re one who’s invested in nostalgic experiences and likes to live in the past, then you can try retro colors. Also, you can complement your rig’s exterior with earth colors that blend effortlessly with the natural surroundings for your next RV renovation.

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