How to Paint RV Cabinets to Last (Easy DIY Guide)

Painting the cabinets in your RV or pop up camper is a quick and easy way to completely transform the look of your camper.

Although it’s very similar to painting kitchen cabinets in a home, there are a few things to keep in mind when painting RV cabinets for a beautiful, long-lasting finish.

I’ve painted my fair share of both kitchen and RV cabinets, and I’m here to share with you everything you need to know to about how select the best paint for RV cabinets, how to paint camper cabinets to last, as well as tricks for making the job easy but also look beautiful.

The best way to update your RV interior, especially in a used RV, is with a coat of fresh paint on your cabinets!

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Cabinets, both in a home or in a travel trailer, are high use items. They will get hit and touched and, in the case of an RV, experience sometimes drastic temperature and humidity changes throughout the year.

Even though there are a lot of reasons that painted RV cabinets might not last, as long as you follow the steps and recommendations in this post, you’ll have beautifully painted cabinets with a finish that will last for a long time.

I painted the cabinets in my pop up camper and my hybrid camper using the steps in this tutorial and they have held up extremely well!

Best Paint for RV Cabinets

Before walking through the steps on how to paint camper cabinets, you’ll want to be sure to select the right type of paint for your project.

Alkyd enamel paint is the best kind of paint to use on the cabinets in your RV or pop-up camper. I’ve used a form of this paint on three different campers and the finish and durability is phenomenal. (More on this specific type of paint later in the post. Or, jump to that section now: Best Paint that Doesn’t Require a Topcoat)

Now, there are a couple of other options that still work well on camper cabinets. I will share these other options with you later in the post.

Keys Steps in Painting RV Cabinets

Using the following steps to paint your cabinets will ensure a durable, beautiful finish on your newly painted cabinets.

1. Remove cabinet doors and drawers

The first step is to remove the hinges by unscrewing the screws from the cabinet frames and the backs of the cabinet doors. Also, take out the drawers.

2. Properly clean cabinet frames and doors

Properly cleaning camper cabinet doors before painting is probably the most important step in painting your RV cabinets. Especially in an environment that withstands fluctuating temperatures and a lot of movement, you want to be sure your paint adheres well to the cabinet surface, and it can’t do so if there’s anything left on the cabinets.

It’s essential that you properly clean every part of the cabinet that will get painted – doors, frames, sides, etc. This ensures that the paint will stick well. No one wants peeling paint!

Use Krud Kutter or TSP (trisodium phosphate) substitute to thoroughly remove all grease, dirt, dust and anything else that may be on the surface.

To clean the cabinets, spray some of the cleaner on the cabinets and scrub with a kitchen sponge with the scouring side. Then, use a damp cloth to wipe off the cabinets. Follow right afterwards with a dry cloth to dry the surface.

3. Scuff sand the cabinets (with one way to skip this step)

Depending on the type of paint you choose to use, you may be able to get away with skipping this step. However, every professional painter I’ve ever talked to about painting kitchen and bathroom cabinets states they would never paint cabinets without sanding and applying a coat of primer. Just throwing that out there.

Jump ahead to read more on how to skip sanding and priming below.

For those of you that want to paint your cabinets like the pros, you’ll want to do the prep work to sand and then prime your cabinets. To sand, use 220 grit sandpaper to lightly scuff up the surface.

Alternatively, you can apply liquid sandpaper all over the surface and then clean it off following the directions on the bottle. I actually find using sandpaper to be quicker (and cheaper) than the liquid stuff, but either way works!

4. Prime the camper cabinets

Priming cabinets helps the paint to adhere well to the surface. It prevents chips and nicks in the paint and is always a step I recommend when painting cabinets.

To prime RV cabinets, use a simple primer like Zinsser 1,2,3. Generally speaking, you’ll be able to use this type of primer on most RV cabinets with great results.

If you want a more heavy-duty primer to be sure to block all bleed through, choose a primer like Zinsser Shellac Primer. This primer will block any water stains, smoke stains, smells, or wood tannin bleed through.

5. Prime any silicone caulk

Campers and RVs are known for having large amounts of silicone caulk used to connect panels and surfaces. Paint will not adhere to silicone caulk and a special primer must be used first before painting.

If you don’t properly prime (or cover) the silicone caulk, the paint will almost immediately bead up and peel away from the silicone.

There are two different ways to cover the silicone caulk to be able to paint it. One option is to apply paintable siliconized caulk to cover any areas where the paint is pulling away (thus anywhere with silicone caulk).

Or, you can use a more heavy duty primer to cover the silicone caulk.

I tested three different primers to see which one covered the silicone caulk the best. All three of these primers will work to cover silicone: shellac-based primer, oil-based primer and clear nail polish. I found the nail polish to actually work the best.

I am writing a full post comparing all of these different methods, which I’ll link here when it’s complete.

6. Paint cabinet frames and doors

Allow the primer to dry for at least 24 hours before moving on to paint your cabinets.

To paint your RV cabinets, you can choose to use a paint sprayer or to use a roller and brush. Spraying the cabinet doors will give the smoothest finish, but it’s entirely possible to get smooth results by rolling and brushing as well.

Velour or foam rollers give the smoothest finish when rolling and brushing.

I wrote a full post on my best tips on how to paint cabinet doors for a smooth finish, and these same tricks can be used on RV cabinets. Basically, I recommend brushing the edges and frames, then following up with a roller to paint the flat surfaces.

Allow the first coat of paint to dry following the dry times on the can of paint. Before the second coat, you can lightly sand with 220 grit sandpaper for an even smoother finish. Then, remove the excess sanding dust using a tack cloth before painting the next coat.

For the smoothest finish, it’s best to apply lighter coats of paint, rather than trying to lay it on thick to just get the job done.

7. Apply a top coat (if needed)

If you choose to use a chalk paint (or another paint not recommended in this post), you may need to apply a clear topcoat over your layer of paint. Always wait 24-48 hours after your final coat of paint before applying a water-based sealer top coat.

Alkyd enamel paint (my top choice for painting cabinets) does not need a topcoat. In fact, I would recommend against applying one with this type of paint (as do the manufacturers).

Follow the dry time on the paint or topcoat before moving on to the next step.

8. Attach hardware, hinges, and rehang doors

When possible, try to clean and reuse the old hinges. This saves you the hassle of trying to find the same hinges or from drilling new cabinet hinge holes. After installing the hinges on the doors, you can attach them back to the cabinet boxes in your RV.

Replacing the old cabinet hardware with new pieces will make your cabinets look completely new. Just be sure to measure the distance between the holes (if you have drawer handles) to purchase the same size pulls.

6. Allow paint to fully cure

Although paint may feel dry to the touch after the dry time listed on the can some types of paint can take up to 3 weeks to fully cure. I always recommend leaving the cabinet doors open and the drawers slightly pulled out for a couple of weeks after painting.

If the paint hasn’t fully cured and it comes in contact with other paint that hasn’t fully cured (for example, a recently painted cabinet door and frame), the paint will cure together and end up pulling off from one of the surfaces when it’s separated.

After this extended dry/cure time, you can place the bumpers on your doors and drawers and close them up.

RV Cabinet Paint Options

Best RV Cabinet Paint that Doesn’t Require a Topcoat

Alkyd enamel paint is a hybrid paint that applies like a water-based paint but dries to the finish of an oil-based paint.

This makes it very easy to use AND it dries to a smooth, durable finish without the need for a topcoat. Plus, it doesn’t have the strong odor that a traditional oil-based paint has.

Every major manufacturer of paint makes a version of this hybrid alkyd paint. I have a full post comparing everything about all of these brands of alkyd paint if you’d like to dive in a take a close look.

In short, here are the different brands and where you can purchase them. (Paints listed in order of cost – most expensive to least expensive.)

Paint Name	Where to Purchase
Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Enamel	Lowes or Sherwin Williams stores
Benjamin Moore Advance Waterbourne Interior Alkyd	Ace Hardware or independent paint stores
Valspar Oil-Enriched Enamel	Lowes
Behr Urethane Alkyd Enamel	Home Depot
Dutch Boy Cabinet, Door and Trim Water-Based Alkyd Enamel	Menards

After trying out every single one of these paints, I have two favorites for painting cabinets.

The best overall paint for RV cabinets is Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Enamel. Sherwin Williams stores are always running sales – many as high as 40% off of cans of paint. I always buy my paint during these sales which drops the price to cheaper than a can of Valspar Oil-Enriched Enamel!

My favorite budget friendly RV cabinet paint is Dutch Boy Alkyd Enamel paint. I was very pleased with this version of alkyd paint after comparing it next to the other brands. In fact, I used this brand of paint on the cabinets in my hybrid camper!

The only drawback to this type of paint is that I would recommend priming before applying it. I find the finish to be much more durable when primer is used first (more information on this below).

Best RV Cabinet Paint that Doesn’t Require Sanding

If you’re hell-bent on not sanding or priming your cabinets before painting, I would recommend using a chalk-based paint. The benefit to this type of paint is that is adheres really well to most surfaces.

The two drawbacks to using chalk paint on cabinets are that it won’t dry to a super smooth finish (you’ll most likely see some brush strokes) and you need to apply a topcoat. So, the time you save by skipping the sanding and priming you’ll have to use applying a topcoat.

After testing all 13 major brands of chalk paint side by side, I found a favorite brand that will work the best for cabinets.

Behr Decorative Chalk Paint is the best chalk paint for RV cabinets because it can be tinted to any color, adheres very well, and also finishes with minimal brush strokes (there will still be some, though, because it’s chalk paint). Just be sure to use a water-based polyurethane in satin finish as a topcoat.

“All-in-One” Paint for RV Cabinets

In the last few years, there have been a bunch of independent paint companies that have marketed their paint as “all-in-one”. The claim is that you don’t need to prime or apply a topcoat when using this paint.

The most common “all-in-one” paint brands include:

• Heirloom
• Amy Howard
• Silk
• Beyond All-in-One Paint

I’m in the middle of a side by side test of all of these paints, but I will say that almost every one recommends scuff sanding the surface before painting. This is the same step I recommend above in the steps on how to paint camper cabinets, so that doesn’t actually save you from doing that step at all.

If you use an all-in-one paint, you’ll skip the priming step, but pay a hefty price tag for this. All-in-one paints are definitely the most expensive of any of the types of paint I’ve included in this post.

Essentially, you’re paying more for skipping the priming stage, when you could instead just spend less on a can of primer and then use less cabinet paint because you’ve already primed. Either way, you’ll apply the same number of coats of paint/primer in the end!

As you can see, I’m definitely not sold on these “all-in-one” paints. I think they’re just a way to charge way more for paint by making it seem “easier”. In the end, you’re going to be doing the same amount of steps no matter what paint you choose!

Painting the cabinets in your RV is a great way to make a huge difference in such a small space, because the cabinets take up a large amount of the interior of your camper.