Dear Dave,
The decals on my rig are very faded and cracking. They seem to be sticking to the surface fairly well, just pulling apart. Is there anything I can do to restore them or a way to paint over them? I have seen a few videos on YouTube showing how to paint them. —Mike, 2000 Winnebago Adventurer
From Dave:
This is a question that came from the owner of this 2000 Winnebago Adventurer that we used for several videos for the RV Lifestyle & Repair Club. It was originally owned by a couple in Arizona and subjected to the harsh environment. The local owner got a great deal on it. The edges of the graphics had slight peeling, but the main issue was the dried-out vinyl causing the cracking effect plus horrible fading.
Not much you can do to restore deteriorated decals
Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to restore the vinyl decals now that they have reached this point of deterioration. I have posted several articles about how to maintain them and extend their life with a product called “RejeX”, which you can get on Amazon here.
As I have stated before, the decal company does not recommend waxing over the vinyl or using anything except a mild detergent to clean and then rinse thoroughly.
I have also viewed a few videos on YouTube of masking and painting over the graphics. The challenge is, we never see how the project holds up later.
So, I reached out to my contact at Sharpline, the manufacturer of most of the vinyl for the RV industry, and asked about restoration or painting. I asked if you could use a body putty or other filler and paint over them like the YouTube videos. Here was his response.
From Sharpline
I really don’t have a way to accurately comment on painting over old graphics as that is outside our scope as more of an OEM supplier. The variables are endless like age, UV exposure, type of graphic raw material, screen printed or not, digitally printed or not, clear coated and previous care, just to name a few.
I would say it’s best to recommend they seek out a local sign shop or graphic professional who could look at their specific unit and give direction to owners on how to replace or some kind of repair solution based on context of that unit.
What if someone had waxed over the unit including graphics thinking that was a good idea and then we recommended painting over a few months later not knowing that history? I guarantee they would not have good results long term.
I would also say it is pretty much like an older car that has a paint job showing age and wear… It depends on how good you want it to look again and how much prep work and how much time and money you are willing to spend to achieve the desired results.
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The vinyl graphics on RVs range from ugly to downright hideous. Eventually they all fail, fade, crack and/or peel. The graphics suppliers know it, the RV manufacturers know it, even the customers know it, and yet they continue to force them on the buying public. Fortunately, the mega-swoop fad seems to be waning!
Too bad manufacturers don’t offer the option of NO GRAPHICS. But then we wouldn’t be driving/towing free advertising for the RV manufacturers.
Can’t have that!
We must be rolling billboards for the manufacturers.
I used GraphXoff to remove a cracked Nike swoosh decal from the back of our 2015 Winnebago View Profile 24G. It took only two hours (most of that time was spent waiting for the gel to penetrate the decal) and it only required a plastic razor blade to easily scrape the decal off. It left a ghost image of the decal but my wife likes it that way (happy wife…) I have before and after pictures but couldn’t find a way to include them.
There was a YouTube video made by Martin (last ?) now deceased on how to sand them down then paint over. Not sure how that worked out long term. I have tried to paint my decals, cracked and not – it doesn’t work! Even the good ones cracked with the paint on them.
I would suggest you tape the edges if straight lines or make templates/patterns of the swirls designs, then remove the decals and paint the former decal space. I have done this and it works very well! I used Rustoleum paint – about 5-6 yrs ago, and they are still perfect. The motorhome sits outside, uncovered, from +100f to -30f, wind, sun, snow and all – typical of ND weather!
To remove the decals, use a hand held hair dryer on medium heat and a razor blade scraper (be extremely careful of scratching the surface; better alternative is a sharp plastic scraper). Then clean the glue or residue off with mineral spirits, then alcohol, let dry thoroughly before painting. Be sure to tape off areas you do not want over spray. I used blue or green masking tape on the edges/outlines and little pieces to hold old newspaper sections to non paint areas. Wear a face mask and vinyl gloves and maybe a hat! Hopefully you’ll have a windless day or evening. (Disclaimer: This information is provided free and is not guaranteed to work for your project!)
Why do I have the feeling that all this senseless decalling is intended to make RVs look older sooner than they need to?
Thank you for the discussion and “insider intelligence,” Dave. Have a great day and safe travels!