Decal replacement.

[rjsd1]

I've ordered a set of factory decals from Crossroads to replace the decals on one side of my fw that have cracked and faded. Is removing and apllying decals for the novice or should I just pay someone else to do it? If I get someone else to do it what should I expect to pay for labor?

[JohnG3]

The decals on our Montana went bad. I removed them myself. The vinyl businesses wanted $100/hour to remove them. Found a "large stripe removal tool" from Eastwood or similar automotive paint business worked very well. It fits a standard variable speed drill or die grinder. I found if I kept the speed of the drill to a very slow speed the wheel worked better than at high speed. Then 3M adhesive remover took the residue off in short order. A 6" Ryobi random orbital polisher and a fine rubbing compound got rid of most of the shadows evened out.

[rjsd1]

Got a quote from local dealer to replace the decals on one side. $600 for the labor. Decals from Crossroads were about $400. They only sale them in pairs so I guess if the other side ever goes bad then I'm set. Gonna wait for the weather to warm up first.

[SpoiledRotten]

IRingTwyce wrote:
A tip for removing adhesive: Goo-Gone (available at Wally World) works pretty good, but a better cost-effective method is WD-40. Spray it on, let it soak, and it will disolve the worst of it. Then scrape with a plastic razor blade or a 'Lil Chizler. Link: http://www.signwarehouse.com/TT-VR-p-HT-CHIZ.html

I really like that idea. Just ordered some plastic blades for the scraping. WD-40 couldn't hurt the fiberglass, either. Thanks for the idea.

[ksbowman]

As said above there are good instructional videos on Youtube. I did mine and there is labor involved, but not difficult at all. I would and will do it again if necessary without a second thought.

[George_H]

Sign shop charged $50 an hour to remove and replace decals on our Carri-Lite, I got decals from original source.

[rjsd1]

Thanks guys.

[IRingTwyce]

A tip for removing adhesive: Goo-Gone (available at Wally World) works pretty good, but a better cost-effective method is WD-40. Spray it on, let it soak, and it will disolve the worst of it. Then scrape with a plastic razor blade or a 'Lil Chizler. Link: http://www.signwarehouse.com/TT-VR-p-HT-CHIZ.html

[restlesswind]

They are pretty easy to remove.Use a hair dryer to heat then up and slowly peel them back.You could save some money by doing the removal yourself.
I replaced a small one that went bad. (about 10" X 36") Thinking about it was more work than
the actual job.
There are several videos on removal and applying the decals on YouTube
The one I replaced was 9+ years old.The rest are holding up pretty well.Just faded,not peeling.

[IRingTwyce]

Take your rig to reputable sign company. They do this stuff for a living. They will know the best way to remove it without damaging the sides. I would also talk to them about the new graphics. They will use high-performance vinyl that will outlast by years the intermediate vinyl garbage* that your old ones are made of. Depending on the colors and how you care for them, you could get as much as 10-12 years or even more out of the new ones that way (7 or better if you have reds or variations of red).

*can't believe it some of the words that are censored!

[loulou57]

rjsd1 wrote:

loulou57 wrote:
We were told that there was about $1000 allowed under warranty for installation. If that helps any.

Where you having to have both sides replaced or just one? I just need 6 stripes on one side replaced. I will already have the decals just need the labor.

Monaco apparently sent all new decals for the whole TT. They shipped them to the dealer and then allowed dealer approx $1000 for installation.

[rjsd1]

loulou57 wrote:
We were told that there was about $1000 allowed under warranty for installation. If that helps any.

Where you having to have both sides replaced or just one? I just need 6 stripes on one side replaced. I will already have the decals just need the labor.

[SpoiledRotten]

Allworth wrote:
Now everybody go back and look at the OP's original questions!

I would not try to do it myself and I have no clue as to what would be a fair wage for doing it.

Sometime, I think of replacing something, thinking that is the only route to take. With some giving opinions on the situation and what we/they would do will sometime, shine another light on a situation that the OP may not have thought about. JMHO.

[loulou57]

We were told that there was about $1000 allowed under warranty for installation. If that helps any.

[hotjag1]

I posted a similar question about 2 weeks ago and received several good thoughts and suggestions, and also approximate cost from a couple of other people. I am having all decals on a 40' motorhome with several swirls and lettering done for $2900. It sounds like a lot of time is involved, so I think the price is fair and reasonable.