Nose Cone Graphics

[Schmill]

Our 2003 Montana 3295RK lives in covered storage when not on the road except for the front 3-4 feet. I noticed the graphics on the front are fading and developing a somewhat rough surface in several areas. We wash and wax the unit once a season and waxed over the graphics which I now believe may have been a mistake.
Does anyone have any advise as to what, if anything, may restore the graphics?

Thanks a bunch for your input,

Jacob Schmill

[HamRad]

Schmill,
About the only thing you can do is to remove and replace them. Or just remove them. Some folks have talked about painting on replacements of one sort or another. But I haven't seen any painted replacements.

We replaced all our decals this past January while in Quartzsite. Actually the job was done by the good members of the MOC!

Good luck.

HamRad

[Okie Guy]

I have a late 2007 and my main "Montana" graphic is starting to peel from the top. The dealer is trying to get the factory to replace them but no word yet. I will let you know what they say. My dealer did tell me no matter what you do in abotu 1-2 years they start to shrink and then aftera while peel off.

[grampachet]

Mine are peeling and it is just over a year old. I contacted Burlington Graphics and they sent me new ones within about a week. Kristin was very nice to work with. Only thing required was pictures, date of mfg and email address and mailing address.

[richfaa]

Our Graphics are a bit over 3 years old and are not peeling or shrinking. Co-incidently we have never waxed the graphics or the 3400. We do put a lot of road miles on this thing and the nose graphcs have taken many bug hits and are nicked and dinged. If I had a choice we would not have nose graphics at all. When they look to bad we will remove them and leave the nose blank.

[grampachet]

I have never waxed mine, however CW talked us into the Duratain no coating. Hmmmm wonder if that has any thing to do with the peeling of the nose cap?

[EagleRunner]

I had the Duratain sealer put on mine when I purchased it and have not seen any peeling of the nose graphics. However, on the side that gets the most sun I do have grapics that are starting to peel and split. I have a 2005 2955rl. I don't think Duratain had anything to do with the graphics peeling on the nose. Could it be the nose on your rig faces the sun most of the time?

[ols1932]

Our graphics are nine years old and there is no peeling. I have waxed, used The Solution, Wash 'n Dry, Protect-All, Armor-All. You name it, I've probably used it. The wax I've used ranges from liquid to Simonize paste wax.

Orv

[Glenn and Lorraine]

I hate to say this but all the various waxes, polishes, etc. mentioned in this thread go totally against what Burlington suggests.

The following comes directly from Burlington...

quote:Exterior Graphic Care Instructions
The graphic package you have purchased with your Keystone RV was designed for superior durability and requires little maintenance. Please follow the steps below to get the best performance from your graphic package:
1. Wash your graphics with soap and water or car wash detergents. Rinse thoroughly. Do not use abrasive sponges (like SOS pads) or abrasive cleaners (like Comet) to clean your graphics.
2. Start cleaning at the bottom of the graphic and work up, rinsing the abrasive dirt and contaminants away as you go. Starting at the top can leave streaks where the concentrated cleaner runs down the side effectively cleaning that surface area more than adjacent areas.
3. We recommend that you do not wash your graphics with a high-pressure sprayer such as a power washer. Try to avoid the graphics when power washing your RV walls. High-pressure sprayers can contain enough force to lift the edge of your graphic and cause it to peel.
4. Do not overcoat your graphics with clear paint of any kind. Your graphics already have a clear coat over them.
5. Wipe your decal from the center toward the outer edge to prevent from wiping against the decal edge.
6. Do not let gasoline or other fuels drip or remain on your graphics for any length of time. If a spill occurs, wipe off the graphic and rinse with water immediately.
7. Do not use petroleum-based solvents on your graphics. They will soften the vinyl and damage the clear coat and / or ink.
8. Do not apply wax over your graphics, especially if the wax contains any petroleum or silicone distillates. Car wax will not improve the finish of graphics and can damage the surface of vinyl graphics after repeated exposure. If you do wax your RV, wax that has dried along the edge of a graphic can be removed by first softening it with rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs. Be sure to rinse the area after cleaning.

Having posted that I will say that, with the exception of the nose, to my knowledge no one has never applied any wax to my rig. BUT, my rig was displayed at the Tampa RV Show. It is altogether possible the dealer waxed it prior to the show. Yes, I did wax the nose one time after removing a ton of Love Bugs and YES, my graphics on the nose and both sides have begun to peel.
If and when I get my graphics replaced you can bet I will be following Burlington's suggestions posted above.

[Trailer Trash 2]

I dont think it's the waxes that the graffics company says causes the problem, I dont see other manufactures with the amount of shrinkage Keystone has. It's just realy poor grade plastic they use.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Don't know about that Don. At our CG in Florida there was a Cedar Creek and 2 Open Roads with peeling graphics. There also was a 1 year old KZ that just had some minor shrinking.
The reason you see more Keystone's is that by following this MOC forum you are seeing a lot of graphic problems. I wouldn't be afraid to bet that if there were another RV forum like the MOC you would be seeing and hearing the same complaints. This forum is a one of kind in that the manufacturer has no control over what is being posted.

[MacDR50]

If your graphics peel and remove them how do you deal with the "shadow" that they leave behind? Shadow meaning the area the fiberglass finish that hasn't been exposed to the sun and road grime etc.