Is There A Way To Restore The Graphics On My RV?
As an RV collision repair specialist in Dallas Texas, we get customers coming to us every day with new and used RV’s looking for repairs and cosmetic repairs or upgrades. One question we get asked a lot is how to repair or replace the graphics on their RV, or if there is a single product on the market that you can spray on to there a product that will restore the graphics on the side of my motorhome?
Ever since RV manufacturers switched from aluminum sided RVs over to laminated or fiberglass RV exterior wall construction, graphics have been a big part of the RV market. Usually these are colorful swoopy swooshes and stripes that help fill up the expanse of what would be just a boing slab side.
RV graphics are very susceptible to sun fading and to abrasions such as tree branch scratches, and over time can begin to make the RV look bad. Often these vinyl graphics will not outlive the RV. Some RV manufacturers do paint on their graphics and they hold up much better than the vinyl ones.
As far as a product to make faded and scratched RV graphics look new again, no such product exists. You cannot buff and wax or even armor all them back to new condition.
Sun is a major enemy to RV’s and since they are so large, they do end up spending much of their time out in the sun parked either in a driveway, an RV storage lot, or at an RV park. There is a product that you can use to prevent this damage from happening again if you eventually decide to replace the vinyl graphics on your RV. The product is 303 Aerospace Protectant, which if used regularly can significantly increase the lifespan of vinyl graphics. 303 Aerospace Protectant has UV screening technology. Regular use gives 100% Prevention of UV caused slow-fade and hinders the development of cracks in the vinyl graphics.
A lot of RVers routinely use the 303 Aerospace Protectant on their RVs and not just on their graphics as it also works on Rubber, Gel-coat Fiberglass, Plastics, Acrylics, Poly carbonates, Carbon Fiber, Resin Composites Dacron and Monofilm.
Replacing RV Graphics
If your graphics are too far gone to protect, your choices are limited to either leaving the graphics alone or replacing them. If you do decide on replacement, there are basically two options for you:
Get New Vinyl Graphics: This is the most cost-effective of all the options. You can have the old vinyl graphics removed and new vinyl graphics installed. The first place to look for vinyl graphic for your RV is to contact the manufacturer of your RV and find out if they have them. If they don’t you can look on the internet and see if you can find them. Ebay is full of sellers with RV Graphics that also include graphics for some large RV Manufacturers, as well as generic graphics, that you can use them to personalize your RV.
If your can’t find what you are looking for online, you can go to your local sign shop, or take it to us here in Dallas Fort worth for a complete replacement. Placing new graphics on your RV takes skill and experience and it is best left to the experts for installation.
Get a vehicle wrap: Of course this option is going to be a lot more expensive than just replacing the cracked and faded graphics on your RV. A wrap is basically a giant vinyl graphic that is placed on your RV. The advantages of an RV wrap is that it can be custom designed any way that you want. Most companies that offer vehicle wraps are mobile services and they can come to your location and do the whole job for you in about a half a day. They can also work with you to get a custom design. The main disadvantage is that it is basically a giant decal that will not last as long as a good paint job. These wraps can also fade get ripped start cracking, etc.
Get your RV panted: This is the most expensive option, but if maintained properly will last the longest. In place of decals, we can paint the designs directly on the RV. The more complicated your design is, and the more colors that you use, the more expensive your paint job will be. We have to mask off each individual color and the time materials and labor will all start to add up. Usually when we are painting graphics, it is to replace existing graphics in a repair. However we can paint your entire RV for you.