Camouflage 4WD Sidekick

by Louis Péloquin

Add natural-looking, non-reflective, camouflage spray paint to your 4wd to help blend in with nature so you can enjoy all of your favorite outdoor activities.

Skill Level:

Project Time:

10+ hours

Materials
- Krylon® ColorMaster™ Primer – All-Purpose Gray #51318
- Krylon® Camouflage Paint with Fusion Technology
  - Black #4290
  - Khaki #4291
  - Brown #4292
  - Olive #4293
- Krylon® Snap & Spray #7099
- Sandpaper or Small Orbital Sander
- Small Putty Trowel
- Newspaper
- Painter’s Tape
- Latex Gloves (optional)
Fresh Plant Materials – Only Obtain When Ready to Spray Paint
- Freshly Cut Live Tree Branches
- Some Dead Wood Braches
- Local Vegetation

Camouflage 4wd Sidekick was designed by Louis Péloquin. Find other ways to get read for the great outdoors by viewing more Outdoor spray paint projects from Krylon®.

Instructions

Spray Paint Project Steps

Remove all side trims, which are held in place by double-faced tape, by using a small putty trowel to lift one end gently as you pull evenly (the trim will slowly come loose without breaking)
Remove bumpers and mask everything else that you do not want to paint
Remove any rust and/or dirt from surface
Lightly sand entire surface to ensure proper bonding of the paint
Following manufacturer’s instructions, apply THIN coats of Krylon® All-Purpose Gray ColorMaster™ Primer until it fully covers the surface
Let primer completely dry and cure (at least 7 days)
If dust accumulates on surface while primer cures, wash surface and lightly sand surface once dry
Collect fresh plants and dead sticks
Apply Krylon&Reg; Camouflage spray paint in the following order for best results:
- Khaki
- Olive
- Brown
- Black

How To Apply Camouflage Spray Paint

Shake Krylon® Khaki Camouflage Spray Paint with Fusion Technology for two minutes or more
Attach spray can to Krylon® Snap & Spray for easier, more comfortable spray painting
Hold a leafy branch or dead stick as close to the vehicle as possible without actually touching it (by touching it or laying it flat on the surface you will make runs in the paint)
Coat surface with short spray paint bursts until the negative of your branch is visible on the surface
Change branch and repeat the process until you have been around the whole body of the vehicle

(Tip: On my truck, 2 cans of the same color were plenty to go all the way around. Keep in mind, it is normal to still see the primed surface as you still have 3 more colors to apply.)
Shake Krylon® Olive Camouflage Paint with Fusion Technology and repeat steps 11 – 14
Shake Krylon® Brown Camouflage Paint with Fusion Technology and repeat steps 11 – 14
Shake Krylon® Black Camouflage Paint with Fusion Technology and repeat steps 11 – 14

(Tip: Keep in mind that if you make the paint run in one spot you can wipe it off since covering small mistakes like this will be easy as you go along with different colors. The beauty of the camouflage finish itself makes mistakes extremely hard to see. Even later, if you scratch your paint, touch-ups are made by simply spraying a small amount of any of the 4 colors used for an invisible instant repair.)

Tips

The time needed for preparation of the surface to be painted will depend on the actual state of the vehicle’s body. It is important to carefully mask windows and unremovable trimmings; that took me 3 hours. The primer coat itself should take 2 to 3 hours, and the painting took me about 4 hours.

If bodywork is needed, this might be a little more challenging than the painting itself. If in doubt, have it done by a professional or a friend with some experience in the matter, making sure the right primer will be used.

I think the best advice I could give you is simply doing a test on some object before starting your project. I used my canoe for practice and once I saw the result, it gave me all the confidence I needed to go ahead with my truck. I am certain you will get the same satisfaction of a job well done, and I have no doubt you will be very proud of your completed project.

Camouflage 4WD Sidekick

Skill Level:

Project Time:

Materials

Fresh Plant Materials – Only Obtain When Ready to Spray Paint