Factory Decal Removal

[frethel]

Anyone know of an easy way to remove the factory decals from a vinyl? sided travel trailer? I have a 2008 Gulfstream Ameri-Lite 21MBLE and the Ameri-Lite decals are pealing and torn. The body panels are in perfect condition, so I don't want to risk damaging them trying to get the decals off.

[Lowsuv]

I was able to remove mine without chemicals .
I went slowly so as not to leave glue .
I worked on them over several different times when it was warm out .
The hair drier method worked the best .
I did use a razor knife to get to the edge of each decal .
I just pulled each off slowly .
I then used a cleaner / polish / wax on the affected area .
Patience was my friend .

[gechin]

After wd40 I used miguires compound that got rid of ghost and looks like new

[shum02]

Here is a decent video

Decal removal - youtube

[dadmomh]

Ditto on the hair dryer, Goo Gone and Patience. Once you get a corner or two loose, just concentrate on that area working the decal off as it will. If you pull too hard, it'll break and you're back to Square 1. Goo Gone is great and then wash the whole area with a solution of Dawn and water...should take off any remaining residue. You'll likely have a shadow of the old decal and if you plan to replace it with OEM - contact the manufacturer and don't expect it to be cheap - you can use that shadow to help realign the new one. We did this on the rear bunk of our ROO HTT and the cost for the new Kangaroo on skates was about $50 incl shipping. It came with instructions that said something to the effect "reapply", well, thanks for the help! When we had our boat many years ago, we ordered the name for the rear (I know that's not the real name of it) and it said to use a solution of Dawn and water, wet the whole area well and lay the decal on. The water solution will give you some time to work to get it aligned and then one of those small wallpaper plastic squeegee tools to gently work the water out. Let it dry and you're good. I did call FR and talked to a guy about the directions and he didn't care one way or the other about the Dawn and water solution, but remember that they apply hundreds and it doesn't matter if their alignment is great because there is nothing under it to show. This is easy and works like a charm. Remember the patience. BTW, welcome to the forum. Every so often someone is having a bad day - don't take it personally.

[wrenchbender]

For the last 15yrs I have used a heat gun for the decals and WD 40 to remove the adhesive

[deltamaster]

I used a variety of methods to get my decals off.

Heat gun worked well on the decals that were not to badly cracked. I had to keep the gun moving and not leave it in the same spot too long.

Solvents worked to remove the residue but did not work too well to remove the decals.

For the decals that were badly cracked I used several eraser wheels on a drill.

Thing is that as others mentioned removing the decals takes a lot of time and patience and work.

[rexlion]

Brake cleaner and carburetor cleaner are excellent solvents for dissolving stickum.

[HJGyswyt]

I used a heat gun to warm the old decal, just a small section at a time, and a plastic putty knife so as to not scratch my fiberglass. Then I used WD40 sprayed on, scrubbed with a coarse dish scrubber and wiped down with an old shop cloth. Followed that with a wash using dish soap and everything looked pretty good. Good luck. Post a before and after picture if you can. All the best, Hans

[You_can_t_take_]

I've used an iron... set it to low and increase the heat as necessary. Don't leave it on one spot too long. It does work well once you get the hang of it... but you need to be careful. Then remove the glue residue afterward.

[TheBreu]

Use a hair dryer, heat gun will be overkill. Plastic scraper will work for some of the more stubborn spots. Vinyl off listed earlier will remove the sticky that is left behind. Spray it on, let it set for a few minutes and wipe away. Denatured alcohol will help in residue also. I work at a sign shop and do vehicle wraps and this is what we use on a daily basis to remove old stuff.

[jfkmk]

I bought a used vehicle one time that had multiple bumper stickers all over the painted bumper. I know it's not the same as the factory decals, but a bumper sticker remover (spray on) bu Turtle Wax worked wonders.

[Winnebago_Bob]

darsben wrote:

frethel wrote:
Anyone know of an easy way to remove the factory decals from a vinyl? sided travel trailer? I have a 2008 Gulfstream Ameri-Lite 21MBLE and the Ameri-Lite decals are pealing and torn. The body panels are in perfect condition, so I don't want to risk damaging them trying to get the decals off.

WHICH OF YOUR DUPLICATE POSTS DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO ANSWER ON?

Nice helpful post to help your fellow camper said no one ever..

....

I had the same issue with my last rig and did as the others suggest - we used a combination of hair dryer, goo gone, and 1000X patience.

Ignore the folks who give you a hard time and think they somehow own the forums because they've been here a long time. I've been camping 45 years and just joined here myself.

Post count is no indication of intelligence..

[westend]

I'd try this Vinyl Off liquid softener before anything. If it doesn't soften quick enough, it will still remove the residue.

[rav]

hair dryer or heat gun (cautiously) and mayo to remove the glue- it works- rub it on and wait a minute and wipe off.