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Old 05-01-2011, 09:03 PM   #1
D and M On The Road
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A Story About Graphics You Might Want to Read

I will apologize now for the length of this post. I am not posting this to open discussion or to start debate on my research but I hope it may help someone else with their graphics or at least give them "food for thought".



We have a 2002 Montana that we bought in July of 2001. Unfortunately we have always had to store it at a storage facility which means it sits in the sun every day. Plus we were always “weekend warriors” as we both worked full-time. Here’s our graphics story:

2004: We noticed that our graphics were just starting to look a little faded. No worries.

2006: Graphics are looking faded, some edges starting to peel and are cracking. Oh-oh. Called a few dealers. Obtained quotes of $800 to over $1000 for a new set, not including installation. Called Keystone. Keystone would not deal with us. Frustrated, we quit our hunt for graphics.

2008: I persisted with so many emails and phone calls to Keystone & Burlington that we were able to buy a whole new set of graphics direct from Burlington for $280.

Our graphics were in such bad shape, and there was so much discussion and so many opinions on the MOC about the Montana graphics that I started researching to find out more about graphics. I’m one of those people who want to know “why” and with the whole world at my fingertips (love the internet!), I will research hours and hours to find the answers and I will hunt down “experts” and make phone calls to them. Here is an updated synopsis of my 2008 research and phone calls to experts who deal with graphics:

Burlington Graphics is about a 29 year old company that specializes in screen, flexographic and high resolution digital printing. They are considered one of the top graphic companies in the USA. They have been the only vendor (and still are as far as I know) for all the graphics for the Montana line.

"Avery” ( the leading name in labels & adhesive paper) supplies Burlington Graphics with the adhesive vinyl graphic paper. In 2008 it was a 2 mil cast paper and one of the best you can get. The thinner the better when it comes to the graphics industry. You don't want a thick edge on graphics. That just allows for water to collect & sit on the edge and that weakens the edging which allows for curling of the graphic. It will then also give the wind something to grab onto. As with anything else, whenever newer & better vinyls and adhesives are produced, Burlington will upgrade to the newer product. That is why some folks who get replacement graphics might notice a change in them.

Graphics have a street life of 5 to 7 years
if they are properly cared for in the beginning.


It doesn’t matter what brand of RV you have. If our RVs live in areas that get hot sun, or prolonged exposure to the sun, are stored outside without a cover, are high-pressured washed or aren’t waxed several times a year, then they will have started to show fading, cracking and peeling much sooner than the expected street life. Same with cold, wind and rain. Any one of the above conditions will shorten the street life of the graphics. So basically, graphics are doomed and start to deteriorate the same day they are applied. No matter what you expect of your graphics, they can't, and won't last a lifetime. If they do outlast the experts opinions, just consider yourself lucky, but they will deteriorate at some point.

With proper care, we can only prolong the inevitable.

It’s impossible to keep our RVs out of the sun while traveling. But what we can do is try to get shaded campsites, store the RV under shelter or get a cover for it, hand wash and wax it more often. Washing and waxing is critical according to the experts I talked with. We should be doing it every couple of months, at least. Our cars and trucks don’t go too long in between exterior maintenance, neither should our RVs. People who apply graphics to their cars or trucks usually hand wash and wax those vehicles often and their graphics will usually last up to and probably beyond the street life.

If graphics are applied to the rig in temperatures below 55 degrees, then the graphics won't adhere as well, which can cause early peeling. So that makes me wonder about if the graphics are applied at the correct temperature inside the factory and then the unit goes outside too soon and sits? The graphics won't have had enough time to "bond" and will start the curling & peeling process early. It would be interesting to see the build dates of the rigs that have graphics problems before the 5 to 7 year street life of the graphics is up. But then again you have to account for if the RV has been washed & waxed every couple of months, the sun, wind & rain factor and where the RV is stored at. Too much to really figure out.

My 2008 research certainly showed ME that we, the consumer, have a lot more responsibilities to maintaining those graphics (more than I ever thought) if we want them to last at least to the beginning of the end of their street life.

In 2008 I also researched the locales of MOC member who were at that time mentioning their graphics were having problems: 3/California; 1/Colorado; 2/Georgia; 2/Maryland; 2/Michigan; 1/ Texas; 2/Ontario, Canada.

2011: I recently retired and am the driving force behind getting our old graphics off and the new ones on. I am currently finishing up removing our old graphics and we definitely waited too long to do it.

They are so cracked on one side of the RV that they come off in 1/2" pieces even with the aid of a heat gun and scraper. It’s taken us countless hours to get where we are now in the removal process and we have destroyed our fingernails and burned our fingers in the process. The decals on the other side weren’t as cracked and we were able to take off pieces in anywhere from 6 to 12 feet long. We hope to have the new graphics on by the time we are at Lake Siskiyou during Memorial Day Weekend.

A potential problem that I haven’t even addressed yet with our new graphics is that they also have a “shelf life”. That could mean our new graphics that have been sitting for 3 years in our house could quite possibly be bad. I don’t even want to look at them until I am ready to install them and am keeping my burned fingers crossed until I pull the graphics out of the box.

The moral of our story is, as soon as you notice a problem with your graphics, jump on it and stick with it. "The squeaky wheel gets oiled". Don't get frustrated and drop the issue like we did. Wash and wax your RV as much as possible as each coat of wax helps protect those graphics.
 
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Old 05-02-2011, 01:17 AM   #2
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Great report, very informative.
Thanks for the trouble you went to on this to help us.
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Old 05-02-2011, 01:51 AM   #3
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Thanks for all your efforts on this subject. You obviously have dedicated a lot of time to this subject. Need a point clarified. Everything I have read on this forum says do not wax the decals. Are you suggesting we do wax the decals, or just wax up to the edge of them?
Again, thanks for your efforts and I/we look forward to the clarification. Jim
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Old 05-02-2011, 02:05 AM   #4
Johnnyg
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Is there a preferred wax we should use or will any do?
Thanks for the report.
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Old 05-02-2011, 06:31 AM   #5
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Thanks so much for sharing your story and information with MOC!
I am taking mine in today for a bath and wax job at my local Camping World. They have a guy there with a RV detail business that I want to check into...supposed to be pretty good.
If I was able to store my trailer at home, I would probably do it myself but there's no way I can do it at the storage facility.
I'm curious too about the issue of waxing the decals/graphics. Wondering what Burlington would officially recommend?
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Old 05-02-2011, 07:13 AM   #6
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We just got new graphic for our front cap and instructions of care and it states do not wax... Just FYI.
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Old 05-02-2011, 09:50 AM   #7
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Why in the world would you put a no wax graphic on a rv? Don't they know people wax them?
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Old 05-02-2011, 11:07 AM   #8
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Excellent research, Margee. Thanks.
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Old 05-02-2011, 04:02 PM   #9
scductman
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Makes you wonder why they tell you not to wax them don't it I wax my truck with strips and letters on it. They also told us you could not clearcoat them but they have a clearcoat on them from the factory. Maybe I wonder to much!!!
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Old 05-02-2011, 04:49 PM   #10
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quote:Originally posted by scductman

... They also told us you could not clearcoat them but they have a clearcoat on them from the factory. Maybe I wonder to much!!!
Bobby
I was surprised to see the new "Big Sky" package upgrade has decals that are clear-coated. After being told to not use anything on the decals, I too wonder what Burlington has to say about clear-coating on top?
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Old 05-02-2011, 05:23 PM   #11
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Carl I clearcoated my front cap over a yr ago when I replaced the graphics and it set in the sun, cold, and rain since and still looks as good as when I did it. Just did the rear cap. I am not being hard on burlington but I don't think they have all the answers!!!
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Old 05-02-2011, 06:45 PM   #12
D and M On The Road
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My research was done in 2008. It's now 3 years later. Papers, adhesives, inks and manufacturing methods are always changing. I was told back in 2008 by Burlington and the other graphics folks I consulted that we should use any good quality wax that we'd use on our cars and trucks but don't use one that contains any petroleum distillates as it will soften the graphic.

All graphics from 2008 (or before) materials are recommended to be washed & waxed. I don't know what 2009 to current graphic maintenance is recommended. It would be interesting research to see if it's the same recommendations and if not, why?

What are we going to do when we get our new graphics on? They are from 2008 materials so we will be doing anything we can to keep them in good shape which will include washing and waxing more often.

I think each person should do as they are comfortable with, but remember, we can only prolong the inevitable.
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Old 05-07-2011, 03:22 PM   #13
Tom Gina 06
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Good Point D and M, It amazes me to no end that anything you purchase today has a supposed shelf life of around 5-7 years. Less if you live in an extreme environment.

I believe the perception has become that everyone will buy new every 5 years. So dump the problem on someone that can't afford new or those that purchased new and want to hang onto them for longer term. Seems kind of phony that we customers stand for this type of quality control and believe it is OK to live with a sub-standard product. I remember in the (really) old days our old camper(Trail Blazer) the Aluminum siding had different colors of paint on it to give it a nice looking contrast that lasted for years. Today lets make everything white and throw some stickers on it because it is the cheapest way to get a sale for maximum profit, who could possibly care what happens after that. Is it really worth the time to replace crap that is just going to fall off anyway?

I think maybe we should start a section of Montana MOC that is for us that that will choose to have no graphics. Maybe call it, "Is it, or isn't it a SOB" or "My Naked Monty"....

Any suggestions or ideas feel free to chime in.......

Oh yea I thought my graphics would be a real pain to remove but I changed the direction of my rig so the sun is opposite and they are falling off at an inch per week now. Shouldn't be much work to finish the job in a month or so.
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Old 05-08-2011, 04:34 AM   #14
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I posted this somewhere before. We have some new friends that have been in the graphics business for years here in Northern Ohio.Much like Burlington but on a smaller scale. They do Boats trucks anything. Over dinner I related our Graphics problems. His general statement was shrinking, peeling graphics are caused by poor quality materials or improper installation or both.

Now I am no expert but they are. He will come over a look at our Montana as well as a sample of the graphics that Burlinton gave us to replace damaged ones.
I hear what Burlington tells us year after year after year at the rallies.....we shall soon see.
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