RV Graphics

[ARedmon]

Does anyone know where in the East TN area one could have the old graphics removed from his 5er and new ones put on? I really like our little 5er but it sure would look nice if the graphic colors on it matched our tow vehicle.

If this is not something that anyone around here does, how hard would it be to remove the old graphics myself; then, go to one of the flea market vendors in the area that produce graphics and re-apply them myself? Anyone ever done this?

 

[SRath]

The trouble with "basement graphics" is two fold: Lack of size and poor fade resistance. There are plenty of folks around who do graphics for race trailers; we had our "STRIKE EAGLE RACING" graphics done up big for our race trailer. They lasted very well for "basement graphics" (my term) that had to be made in two pieces each to be large enough, and after 7 or 8 years, they have faded noticeably.

A better bet, but pricier, is custom paint. Lots of talent around in that area, too.

Consider a visit to your local racetrack and talk to some trailer owners with cool graphics. Find out who and where and how much. We race motocross, but car racers have bigger budgets and trailers and some pretty cool graphics. There are even places that can blow up and print graphics of your favorite photo! Our friends got some of their son doing a huge triple, and it looks awesome!

Be SURE to ask about fade and durability and difficulty in applying them!

 

[jelag]

We have a graphic company that does both building graphics and truck graphics... they use only 3-M material and special inks... We have a decal on the side of one of our trucks that 5 years old and installed the same on a new 08. . the two side by side were a perfect match... .

We found them, because one of our customers, a cement company had a custom decal done for one of their pickups... . we just asked them... .

The gal who did our work took a 15 meg digital image and made a great decal for us... I assume that graphic's in the yellow pages... BTW - she does the transit buses with their custom ad's as well... . works out of a basement but very professional and great work. .

 

[ScottLewis]

When our RV was about 8 years old, the factory decals were in pretty poor condition. We found a company called "Sign-a-Rama" nearby.



They are a national franchise company and may be in your area. They had done the graphics for the Oakland Raiders equipment truck. They designed custom graphics to our specs. for the sides of our 5th wheel.

One thing you will find is that sun and weather exposure WILL cause the color under the decals to be very different from the surrounding area. As a result, we asked for a design that would cover and mask those differences.



I struck a deal with them in that I would remove the old decals and they would make and install the new. We were quite pleased with the results which cost about half or less than painted graphics would have cost. The removal process was kind of a pain and tedious but not technically difficult.



If interested in pictures or more info, email me.



Dan

 

[DonTX]

I would at least consider painting a replacement graphic. Decals are short lived, and begin to fade and crack very soon, paint will last forever. I am about to repaint mine on my 2005 Host truck camper, needs renewal badly, and this will give me a chance to make the colors match my truck.

 

[HBarlow]

A good automobile body shop or detail shop can probably remove them for you or an automotive paint store can probably sell you a professional grade adhesive remover and give you advice how to do it yourself. Good quality graphics are not easy to peel off generally speaking and it is easy to damage the skin of the trailer if you try to scrape them off.

 

[GaryOwen]

Check with RV dealers. They are used to removing/replacing decals for repairs. If you bought your RV from a dealer, I would start there. If not, I would check with either Campers Corner on Clinton Hwy in Knoxville, or Dunlap RV Center in Dunlap, TN. I used to deliver to both of these dealers frequently and both are good people. If they can't/won't do the work, they should be able to advise you as to someone who can.

 

[ARedmon]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, and Gary, I do know where Campers Corner is. Very familiar with Clinton Hwy. I used to work in a machine shop on Clinton Hwy for 8 years. We bought our camper from Weekend RV which is also on Clinton Hwy. Thanks again guys, I'll decide on something sooner or later. I'm not in a hurry; it's just graphics that don't match the truck. Not like an emergency or somehting. It's just that it would look SOOOOOOO much better if it matched the truck. I've seen a few 5ers and Trailers on the highway and in campgrounds that tow vehicle matched graphics on RV and they really look good.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

A good automobile body shop or detail shop can probably remove them for you or an automotive paint store can probably sell you a professional grade adhesive remover and give you advice how to do it yourself. Good quality graphics are not easy to peel off generally speaking and it is easy to damage the skin of the trailer if you try to scrape them off.

ALSO, the longer thay are on, harder to remove easily - and might leave visible image/shadow of where they had been installed...

 

[surfbeetle]

I used to do large scale signs and banners. The most common issue is UV rays. The cheaper vinyl adhesive doesn't retain the color w/o fading like the more expensive stuff. Also, vehicle wraps are not intended to last forever. Paint is usually the best bet, but don't settle for cheap paint either. I had the truck painted for $2,000 4 years ago the roof has already faded badly. Take your time and research it. RV Life and Trailer Life have advertisers that do this type of thing. Good Luck.

 

[BrianJ]

Call printing and graphics shops in your area to find one that installs route and OTR truck/trailer graphics and they should be able to accommodate you. I used to work for the parent company of a large beverage distribution entity that also had a large transportation company (150+ tractor/trailers), printing and graphics businesses, and several businesses in the motorsports industry (various manuf. and a NHRA team). Their printing and graphics companies did tractor/trailer graphics (i. e. beer trucks), the tails on Frontier Airlines planes (the animals), and the race trailer graphics. I managed the accounting and finance for the transportation, printing & graphics, and motorsport businesses so was pretty close to their operations, and they would have no problem coming up with a suitable product for an RV.



Just look for a local shop that installs graphics on tractor/trailers and they should be able to help you.