RV body dent fixed with a “wrap”?

By Chris Dougherty
Chris Dougherty is a certified RV technician. Here is a letter he received from a reader while he was serving as RVtravel.com’s technical editor.

Dear Chris,
We have an ’04 Winnebago Journey, and the back panel on the rear of the motor home has a large “dent” from a run-in with a tree. Our dealer recommended applying a vinyl wrap with some sort of scene to mask it. Do you know anyone we could contact regarding this? —Phil

Dear Phil,
RV wraps come in all sizes from a small piece for the rear to covering the whole coach, and are print and apply. I have seen many RVers do this, although not necessarily for the reason you want to. It will work to a point. You will still see the dent in the cap unless it is repaired first, even if it is a rough fiberglass patch.

Most sign shops do this nowadays. They have large format printers that print whatever image the client wants to the medium before it is applied to the vehicle. Applying the wrap takes some knowledge and experience. In fact, 3M, the manufacturer of most of the vinyl wrap out there, certifies installers, although my local sign shop isn’t “certified” and they’re fantastic.

I would recommend looking for a list of local sign shops, or do a Google search for “vehicle wraps” and the zip code you’re in. Any of them should be able to do a fine job.

##RVT784