2003 RV-Other Touch Up Paint (4 OEM Colors)

The 2003 RV-Other Vibe

The year 2003 was a transitional sweet spot for the open road. While the rest of the automotive world was obsessed with "high-tech" silver and iPod-white, the RV giants like Tiffin were doubling down on the "Forest and Field" aesthetic. We've focused our attention on the survivors of this era-specifically that deep, sophisticated Dark Green that defined the high-end motorhome palette. In a world of white fiberglass boxes with peeling vinyl decals, a Tiffin in this shade was a statement of class. It was the color of someone who knew exactly where the best boondocking spots in the Sierras were hidden.

Paint Health Check

You are currently parked right in the middle of "The Peeling Era." By 2003, the industry had fully committed to the basecoat/clearcoat system, which gave these big rigs a depth of shine that rivaled a luxury sedan. But here is the reality: those clear coats were the industry's first real attempt at high-solids protection, and they had a weakness for UV. If your rig has spent its life under the desert sun, you're likely seeing "delamination" on the roof caps and upper rails. It starts as a small, cloudy bubble and quickly turns into a "sunburned" flake that you can peel off with a fingernail. Once the clear lifts, the base color underneath is defenseless.

Restoration Tip

The trick to keeping a 2003 finish from unzipping like a cheap jacket is to **seal the failure line.** If you spot a chip or a small area where the clear coat is starting to separate, don't wait for the next wash to fix it. Use a fine-grit sandpaper to feather back the edges of the peeling clear until you reach a spot where it's still firmly bonded to the base. Once you've stabilized that edge, hit it with a fresh layer of protection. Bridging that gap prevents moisture and wind from getting under the "shelf" of the clear coat and lifting the rest of the panel while you're doing 65 down the interstate.