The white overspray OR complete white spray of the tailgate has been my very 1st thought.I have just been waiting for "nutter 3" to confirm this since my initial answer.
- so... probably sprayed a portion or all of the gate with white while doing letters
- reasoning would be to eliminate masking twice. I understand, it is a pain
- the box was no problem painting final coats as NO white epoxy had anything to do with the box.
- bottom line ; without a Nutter 3 confirmation is... Final ginger glow paint over uncured white. All chemicals ,in all coats were compatible .
- When painting, REDUCERS are basically carrying units just to get the paint onto an object. Once there, the solvents normally EVAPORATE OUT (hence the drying) OR a small amount of solvents will "Soak In" to the existing paint layer. If that existing layer isn't cured then it has a chance of "lifting",wrinking, reflowing. In essence trying to become a liquid again.

 

Looks like you got some good advice on the lifting of paint, strip it back down and start over.

Now on the letters and that white paint I would strip them down too.
Then seal and paint the full tail gate the brown.
Now on the letters hit up Ebay and get decal ones. You get a better line between letters and the brown than using tape.
You can also get the letters in reflective colors. I did white to match the white on the sides.


Install was easy with soapy water so you can move the letters to get them just right then push the water out and let them sit for a few days in the sun before doing anything to them.
Now the question comes up if you clear the gate do you do it before or after the letter install? I dont know if the clear will react to the decals or not?
My truck was painted in single stage and after it cured a month or so I put the letters on the gat, no clear.
Been on 5 years now and you have to get up really close to see the edges as a little ruff. Truck has been driven in all kinds of weather and washed countless times.
It looks like they were painted on when you see them.

B TW the factory used a rubber roller to paint the letters so the letters do not have a sharp line to them.
Dave ----

 

I thought about reflective letters. I considered red reflective for mine ... but I let the thought fade.

Over in Lynchburg I saw one guy had the white reflective letters on a white tailgate, never would have noticed except I saw it when I guess the sun light reflecting off my windshield in the near setting sun kept hitting road signs ahead of me.... and his tailgate. Truck was a few hundred feet ahead of me so I caught up to see what it was I was seeing. Looked a little "odd". Yep, "white on white like rice" .... but it made me look.Was a Chevrolet.