Decals

rwess wrote:
...
I have contacted both decal manufacturer and RV manufacturer and they all say do not put anything on them. ... Without anything on them they will still fade, crack and peel also.
...

THAT is exactly what they want to happen to the decals, fade, crack, and peel. Then you, the consumer, has to buy new ones. It guarantees them repeat business and repeat sales for them.

Build a lightbulb that can last for 100 years, and you'll only sell one to each person and then your business is over. Sell a lightbulb that last 100 hours, and you are guaranteed to have a meal ticket tomorrow!

DutchmenSport wrote:
Build a lightbulb that can last for 100 years, and you'll only sell one to each person and then your business is over. Sell a lightbulb that last 100 hours, and you are guaranteed to have a meal ticket tomorrow!

This sounds a lot like the RV industry. ;)

I waxed all the cheap graphics on our last TT at least twice a year for the 13 years we owned it. The graphics still looked like new.
Unless you bear down in one place and keep rubbing, your not going to hurt them at all.

After 13 years


If you want to keep it nice looking, wax it and keep the sun off it.

DutchmenSport wrote:

rwess wrote:
...
I have contacted both decal manufacturer and RV manufacturer and they all say do not put anything on them. ... Without anything on them they will still fade, crack and peel also.
...

THAT is exactly what they want to happen to the decals, fade, crack, and peel. Then you, the consumer, has to buy new ones. It guarantees them repeat business and repeat sales for them.

Build a lightbulb that can last for 100 years, and you'll only sell one to each person and then your business is over. Sell a lightbulb that last 100 hours, and you are guaranteed to have a meal ticket tomorrow!

No, the problem is the BUYERS of the RVs are too darned CHEAP to be willing to pay for PAINTED "graphics" and the vinyl stick on decals are the cheaper, lower cost way to add a few accents.

Also does not help that a lot of RVrs seem to "trade up" every few years, bet most only keep their rigs 3-4 yrs then trade up to bigger RVs with more bells and whistles.

Vinyl decals DO have a short life expectancy of 3-5 yrs to which there is NOTHING you can do to make it last longer. They are going to eventually fade, crack or peel.

At the most if you keep the rig out of the sun (IE garage it) for most of the RVs life you might squeak out 10 yrs or so before fading and cracking starts showing badly..

The main reason that decal and RV manufacturers state to do nothing is not for return replacements but because pretty much EVERY auto wax contains PETROLEUM BASED (CRUDE OIL BASES) materials which WILL EVENTUALLY ATTACK the vinyl..

If you really want those "swooshes" then take your rig to a auto paint shop and have them PAINT on replica "swooshes" in automotive paints, it WILL outlast your RV..

Expensive, yep, permanent, absolutely!

As far as 100 yr light bulbs goes, yeah, they could be made but to do so they HAVE to be designed to burn extremely dim..

It is simple and easy to do, take a 100W incadescent bulb, run through a dimmer, set the dimmer down as low as you can get it and just make a slight glow of the filament ( think nightlite bright). It WILL last 100 yrs but at the cost of brightness and efficiency..

Folks WANT bright bulbs and doing so manufacturers HAVE to trade off IN A SHORTER LIFE SPAN to make that happen..

Gdetrailer wrote:
No, the problem is the BUYERS of the RVs are too darned CHEAP to be willing to pay for PAINTED "graphics" and the vinyl stick on decals are the cheaper, lower cost way to add a few accents.

No, the problem is both manufacturers and buyers think they need/want gaudy graphics, for unexplained reasons.

If someone doesn't want problems with decals, remove them or special order a unit without them. Really, they're all butt-ugly.

Mine aren't Butt-Ugly.

Passin Thru wrote:
Mine aren't Butt-Ugly.

TPIWWP.

People have been waxing the decals and graphics on vehicles for years. Why would an RV be any different? You can see vehicles that are taken care of and those that are not with cracked and faded decals. I wax mine twice a year, still look like new.

mike-s wrote:

Gdetrailer wrote:
No, the problem is the BUYERS of the RVs are too darned CHEAP to be willing to pay for PAINTED "graphics" and the vinyl stick on decals are the cheaper, lower cost way to add a few accents.

No, the problem is both manufacturers and buyers think they need/want gaudy graphics, for unexplained reasons.

If someone doesn't want problems with decals, remove them or special order a unit without them. Really, they're all butt-ugly.

RV manufacturers like pretty much any business use Marketing specialists and marketing groups to determine the design and style that is most often wanted.

You can blame the insanely expensive High end Motor Homes for starting the over sized "swoop" fest graphics that you detest.

Folks like to think they are maintaining some sort of "expensive" image by desiring said graphics.

RV manufacturers would not be spending a penny on those graphics if they thought it would not sell MORE.

Like I mentioned, vinyl graphics DO have a limited life on average of 3-5 yrs then after that they are on "life support".

If you don't like them then perhaps you should consider the stark looking "FEMA" trailer looks with a plain generic white billboard rolling down the road :S

Gdetrailer wrote:
If you don't like them then perhaps you should consider the stark looking ...

I understand what you're saying, those Airstreams are ugly, too. :R