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Bill M. · 02-19-2012, 08:18 AM

Stripes coming off my 1987 Excella. I have one side removed and the glue stripped. (used Certistrip and a scraper). Not sure what I want to do next. I see that I can buy the 7 inch wide striping of the same pattern. Not sure I think I can actually install it. Has anyone put on their own stripes using the replacement trim? Is it doable? Have seen several done by P&S and they did a good job. Does anyone have other suggestions for side? The Al is still showing stripes. Is there a way to sand or polish it a little to look like the rest of the mill finish. Maybe a orpital polisher and the right grit? Considering just clearcoating the part between the trim bands and then maybe a small stripe? The wide blue stripes is the feature I like the least on this vintage Airstream anyway.

Riverrat6270 · 02-19-2012, 08:24 AM

Where were you able to find stripes? I have an 80 Excella that needs new stripes.

Dan and Liz · 02-19-2012, 09:28 AM

Out-of-Doors-Mart has a selection of decals and trim. Replacement is doable, but the compound curves on the rear corners can be a real challenge.

noreen · 02-19-2012, 10:17 AM

I removed the vinyl stripes on our 81 Excella and painted with ustoleum rattle cans firs priming with zinc chromate primer. Looks good after 3 yrs. Sal.

noreen · 02-19-2012, 10:21 AM

I also put reflective tape strip down the middle of the wide stripe. Sal.

Inland RV Center, In · 02-19-2012, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill M.

Stripes coming off my 1987 Excella. I have one side removed and the glue stripped. (used Certistrip and a scraper). Not sure what I want to do next. I see that I can buy the 7 inch wide striping of the same pattern. Not sure I think I can actually install it. Has anyone put on their own stripes using the replacement trim? Is it doable? Have seen several done by P&S and they did a good job. Does anyone have other suggestions for side? The Al is still showing stripes. Is there a way to sand or polish it a little to look like the rest of the mill finish. Maybe a orpital polisher and the right grit? Considering just clearcoating the part between the trim bands and then maybe a small stripe? The wide blue stripes is the feature I like the least on this vintage Airstream anyway.

The discoloring is from the old decal.

It cannot be rubbed, polished aor anything else to match the rest of the metal, unless you polish the complete trailer.

What some of our customers changed to was painting that area with Dupont's "Chromalusion" paint.

That's the paint that changes colors as you walk by it. It's available in several basic colors.

It looks fantastic when done, but...........it's not cheap.

People will stop as gaze at it, because it changes colors as you look at it from front to back.

Andy

Andy

dznf0g · 02-19-2012, 11:48 AM

As far as learning how to stripe.....go down to your local car dealer and spy on the sublet companies which come in and stripe the dealer's cars for them. You'll pick up a lot of tricks.

Bill M. · 02-21-2012, 10:58 AM

Thanks Andy and others. For now I am just gonna clean it up and put some clear coat over the Al, shadow stripes and all. I can redo the stripes later if that is what we want. I bet the Chromailusion looks good, but that is a bunch of money and I am a relatively inexperienced painter.

woodfox45 · 02-21-2012, 11:43 AM

You can buy the stripe direct from Airstream they have a wide selection of them . I bought the stripe for mine it is the two tone blue with silver pinstripes 7 1/2'' wide not a easy job to replace getting off the old was nearly impossible . I gave up and only replaced what was bad . I think the materal was around $4/ft. Good luck Les wbcci 14183

Bill M. · 02-21-2012, 03:36 PM

Thanks Less. I can get the old off. Scraper and Certi Strip. Yes, it is hard.
How is the new applied? Is it a sticky back on a thin vinyl front? Is it as hard as the numbers to work with?

thanks for the input.

reinergirl · 02-21-2012, 04:45 PM

May be too late for you, but if there are others that need to remove pinstripes... there is an eraser to do this. Google "pinstripe eraser"

Here's a video of it in use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRLoGehgddE

bwoodtx · 02-22-2012, 09:33 AM

you can also take a picture and measurement and go to a graphics place and get some vinyl stripes.

Condoluminum · 02-22-2012, 10:52 AM

The striping on our '88 Excella had begun to fail, and I tried a few tricks to remove the old vinyl.. After use of: Plastic Scraper, Heat Gun, Pressure Washer, Stripper, and a few other concoctions, we got the vinyl off, but not the underlying residue adhesive.. The replacement multi-color striping (wide roll) is available from Airstream through dealers, at ~$5 per foot now..

We gave up, called local dealer, and Service Mgr suggested: "Why not paint it, because stripe install is a pain..." Having already bought striping, I decided to ask him to remove adhesive (their body shop has industrial stripper) and install tape, while fixing leak under heavy aluminum Excella emblem in front of door.. Will get it back shortly and report on cost and success.

There is thread here on Forums explaining that new install goes better if tape applied with water and maybe dish soap to facilitate adjustments, as 15' of wide tape is real hard to get down without bubbles or boo boo's...