Woodgrain Decal Help?

[jthew1]

I'm about to attempt removal and replacement of the woodgrain decal on my 86 345 motorhome.

Have 3M Woodgrain and Stripe Adhesive Remover and 80 feet of decal at $6.10 per foot. Needless to say, I don't want to mess up.

Any advice you may have before attempting this project would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

[drboyd]

For that much investment in the new decal, I'd do the removal myself, and take it to a pro (not your local RV deal, an actual pro) to have the new decal installed.

[swebster]

Please post some pictures of the before, during and after if you can. The woodgrain on our 345 is a mess. Cracked and peeling. We've considered removing it altogether and doing something else but I'd like to see how yours turns out first.

[zduke4x]

Without knowing more specifics of your tapes condition, here is some of my experience....

Usually the top layer of the wood grain will peal off (separate) leaving the old but securely attached base...if so this is so and it is uniform and not cracked or torn, it often can be used as a guide for the new strip after a wipe down with a cleaner and body shops even paint over it and use it as a guide and you don't know it is there.....

Or the base is loose and it all must come off....most of the 3m strippers come 2 parts, a vinyl strip remover stage and a adhesive stage remover and then you are down to bare metal...after cleaning of the stripper off...pop some lines(chaulk lines will work)...this is all pretty easy..

the harder part is applying the tape.....it must not be stretched or wrinkled or the integrety of the adhesive is compromised.....roll out several feet, if it is warm, let it straighten some and line it up to your marking lines as you go...put it on in the longest sections you can handle without cutting, you will wish you had 4 hands.....I would suggest a spray bottle of application solution that makes the tape "slide" for aligning and straightening, it dries pretty fast but allows you to correct your lines without peeling the tape off....there are home solutions people use, but with your investment, some commercial or 3m solution from an automotive finish source would be best...run the tape long on each end and use a razor knife to trim to fit when finished....go right over door cracks, etc and then cut and wrap those cuts inside....note how the old tape was applied as an additional guide....

Lastly read Drboyds last post and consider getting a price quote if you are not comfortible with the basics and let a pro at a detail shop put the stripe on, if you strip the old tape, it might not be too costly to get the new put on....lol...jem

[silver buffalo]

Has anyone found the woodgrain decal cheaper than $6.00 a foot? If so, where?

[jthew1]

Thanks for your response and advice.

I had a "panic attack" this morning when I read your posts and almost cancelled the project.

But, after reviewing it tonight with my friend (25 years of body shop experience), my wife who will do the job (a darn good wallpaperer) and watching a video (at www.stripeman.com), we're going for it.

I'll try to take some digital photos and keep you posted on our trials and tribulations swebster@myrvadvanta and others. And, drboyd and zduke4x, my body shop friend says you're both absolutely correct.

"You've got to be dumb enough to start it and smart enough to finish it"

[zduke4x]

I checked fairly thoroughly for a source and could not find one that wasn't overly expensive to me....

Never really liked the woodgrain and saw some tape jobs here on the forum where people did their own thing with bargain tape or to match their toad or their own taste and have purchased 150 foot multistrip on eBay for 25 bucks and will have black, grey, silver, and a red highlight center stripe.

Depends if you want to stay stock or go custom, seems custom is cheaper in this case....jem

[jthew1]

I'm in trouble with the "project" already, shouldn't have been so cocksure about how simple it looked! ALANSD and I have been PMing about his experience which turned out beautifully (see his photos elsewhere in the Forum). Following is the jist of my last PM to him, with which I will continue this thread (and plea for help):

Upon opening the roll of decal from Airsteam, discovered it is only the 3" wood grain stripe and six 1/8" silver pinstripes. It doesn't include the full width 6-1/2" gray background decal. Alan has left the background decal in place and others have painted over it. But, mine is shot and needs to be removed to the aluminum skin.

I haven't gotten word back from Airstream as to whether the background decal is available, at yet additional cost (the woodgrain/pinstripe decal was $488). I've considered painting the background the same color as the lower panels, but this will also be costly. And, I doubt Airstream will take the woodgrain/pinstripe decal back, as it was cut to length.

Any further suggestions would be greatly appreciated and possibly prevent my early demise (by heart attack, suicide or murder, by my wife)

Humbly,
Jeff

[zduke4x]

Man o' man....sounds bad but it isn't!!!!

Just remove bad black tape and mask area and paint a satin black backgroung and apply your stripes.

OR go to a commercial stripe supplier and buy a roll of 6" or maybe a kindly sign shop will cut you some 6" in a couple sections.

Or if you find a deal on 3" you can put 2 stripes edge to edge and other stripes will cover seam....this will work with 2" also....

A note...measure your 3 " woodgrain and see if it is really 3"...mine was closer to 2 3/4"....lol...jem

[PeterH-350LE]

Or you can buy rather inexpensive stock at the autoparts store to fill the spaces left.
(like the red I used)
In some areas I used silver pin striping on the lower spaces to cover the old surface.

[ALANSD]

I sent a pm with the email address of the guy who sells the stripes on EBAY I got that 150' roll for 30 bucks or so, and it has looked good now for almost a year. No peeling or fading in the hot summer sun either.Here is is for anyone else interested.

The paint idea is a good one also- check KZENER40 who panted his stripes blue, and matched his bambi to his motorhome.

bpeter7460@aol.com (stripe man)


also found this on EBAY looks like a deal for someone...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2429357225

[ALANSD]

restriped........

[jthew1]

Thanks everyone for your response, you're great! I received 4 replies and a PM within 2 hours of my post and plea for help.

In addition, received a phone call within 12 hours from Nancy at Parkview RV parts who talked to Gina at Airstream parts who talked to her boyfriend on the factory floor. Unbelievable!

This forum and the quality of people involved is amazing. I follow a couple of professional aviation forums and get disgusted with the "flaming" that takes place.

You're right, my problem "sounds bad, but isn't". Guess I was just looking for "instant gratification" and that's not the way it is with these classics. "Patience boy - patience"! (quote from my Dad, circa 1960's).

Thanks again and enjoy a great Holiday weekend "Streaming". I hope to get on the road Monday for a week, IF the main door hinges arrive tomorrow from Airstream. Oooh, I feel another "panic attack" coming on

Regards,
Jeff

[jthew1]

Originally posted by jthew1
"You've got to be dumb enough to start it and smart enough to finish it"

Well, I was (dumb enough to start it) and now I am not (smart enough to finish it)!

One month later, I've only got 3' of decal stripped off with 77' left to go. I checked the actuarial table in my life insurance policy and Northwestern Mutual is betting against my ever seeing the other end, at this rate.

I started out with what the pro's use - 3M Woodgrain & Stripe Remover (08907) and 3M Woodgrain & Stripe Adhesive Remover (08908) and then 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner (08984). These won't even touch it. Next, tried a 1,400 degree heat gun (aluminum melts at about 1,600), and again no joy.

Managed to get 1' off before giving up, but now it's too late to turn back. Took a hiatus from the project and went on to paint stripping. Did a lot of research and found a user and environmentally friendly stripper (I try to avoid the nasty stuff with MC, etc). It worked well and was pleased with the results. See my posts regarding "Back To Nature - MultiStrip" in the "clearcoat - plasticoat stripper" thread.

As the MultiStrip worked so well on paint, decided to try it on the decal. It does an equally good job of removing decal, BUT leaves a lot of the glue intact. That's my current dilemma. Tried the 3M products, heat and various mechanical means which resulted in another 2' (1' per hour) of decal being removed.

Last night, after a couple of Heineken, and out of desperation (stupidity), decided to try everything under my work bench and the kitchen sink to get the glue off - NOT.

This morning, talked to all the pros at the body shop, auto parts and paint/wallpaper store - no one has an answer. Even talked to a nice little old lady in the supermarket who recommended Easy-Off oven cleaner. But the directions caution against use on aluminum - it was a thought anyhow.

So, I'm convinced that the only "experts" are here on this Forum and a few pros scattered around the country. Someone who's actually 'been there - done that''.

So, how about it, I need your HELP!

Thank you in advance for your reply.

Regards,
Jeff

P.S. The Wife says I don't have enough patience, but keep in mind she is:

1) beneficiary of my life insurance policy
2) keeper of the proceeds in the '"cuss jar" which now contains over $12.00 (at a quarter per cuss) - had one sh@# hemorrhage that cost me a buck and a half alone.

[zduke4x]

Is the adhesive soft or hard(brittle)? A single edge raorknife my strip the adhesive....may scratch aluminum a little but it will be covered up with new tape....lol...jem

[87MH]

Citristrip:

I was able to remove all but 15' of the decal from the 345 with only a handheld dryer. The aluminum sitting in the sun helped also.

On the 15' that gave me trouble, I hit with the Citristrip on a warm day, let it work about a half hour, and scraped it off with a plastic scraper.

The Citristrip did not remove all of the adhesive underneath, but there was not much of that left.

Now, I had to hit the black accent stripes above and below the woodgrain several times with Citristripto loosen them up.

[swebster]

I'm getting ready to remove mine soon. Anxiously awaiting Jeff's results.

Dennis...looks cool without the stripe. Are you leaving it "natural"? Also...is that some polished aluminum I see?

[87MH]

...looks cool without the stripe. Are you leaving it "natural"?

The jury is still out on what goes back, if anything.

It will be easier to add rather than to take it away.
I will probably try some vinyl "test areas" prior to installing permanent decals or striping.



Also...is that some polished aluminum I see?


Yeah, no turning back now. There were areas that the clearcoat was letting go (none left on the roof at all), so to do it right, it all needed to come off.

I've tried SS, nuvite, and a 3M compound.

No outstanding technique yet.

Tonight, I'll give it a shot with wetsanding with 1000 and 1200 grit paper.

[swebster]

Wow...you are way ahead of me on what we've been planning for our exterior. We saw a pic of that highly polished AS MH on the "favorite MH pic" thread about a year ago and that was the clincher for us to buy an AS. I know you can't get the newer MH's to polish up to a mirror shine but I've tried a few small test spots and I like the look a lot.

Keep me posted on your progress and techniques please. I still have some mechanical things to work on with ours which are keeping me from the "fun" stuff (like polishing and interior changes). But I do plan to polish the nose in October.

[87MH]

Steve:

I've had the 345 since January, and for the first 3 months there was not more than 1 day that I was not underneath of her.

I'm glad that THAT part of our relationship is over!

Basically, I picked a really sound unit, but the interior carpet and upholstery were really gross.

After replacing the carpet with Pergo, redoing the upholstery, captains chairs, and all of the interior side panels, I really like what I've ended up with.

Had to replace the forward AC, that was not expected, but I've mounted an interior AC that's vented and drained to the outside via the couch area. Used the area forward of the Propane tank for a downward air vent and tied the drain into the overhead AC drain. WIth quick connects and valves on the water drain, the changeout to the interior AC is quick and easy. The unit also acts as a heater/dehumidifer, so I've pretty well got all of the seasons covered.

I built a 55' X 16' X 14' tall carport over the driveway next to the house, the heat load from the sun was unbelievable down here. Also, I no longer worry everytime a thunderboomer rolls through.

It's been a long and expensive summer, but the end is in sight.

Really looking forward to using her now that the weather is cooling off.