28’ AT&T NASCAR Trailer Rewrap

[wrapwrap]

Hey guys, this is my first post on here. This forum has helped me a lot starting my shop over the last couple of years so thanks to all of you guys for being a part of this collaborative community.

TLDR at bottom of the post
Photos are included as well

I have a customer that has a 28 foot semi trailer that has been wrapped since 2003. Obviously all the vinyl is cracking and visibly pulling paint up from the shrinkage in many areas. The paint is definitely very old as well. And I’ve done enough jobs to know that paint coming up and removals can create nightmares, and no profit jobs. Obviously I need to price accordingly for the removal and inform the customer that paint will absolutely come off during the removal and the bodywork will be necessary before rewrapping.

What I’m concerned about is the process in between the removal and re-wrapping. I need to be able to present this to the customer in a way that is positive, but realistic while giving him a good option to get this done. I went ahead and called a couple of body shops, asking about working on a trailer like this and all said that they do not work on trailers. It makes sense that there are specific shops that do this kind of stuff so I get that. Or if the customer wants to take care of it: I don’t want to remove the wrap and then have the customer say hey I’ll have my guys prime it for you. I need a good installation surface and paint or primer that won’t come up. Even if they did a quality job priming it I doubt that they will do everything that needs to be done to ensure that the final will stick well to all areas of the trailer.

Should I consider just forgetting about the removal and combining it into the body work? Something like hiring or having the customer hire a mobile sandblasting/dustless blasting company to come out and just bring the trailer back to bare metal? And then prime it? Or leave it bare metal?

This is a new customer for me and he also has a lot of other potential business now and in the future. My goal is to give him the absolute best option to get this done so that he can make a decision on whether he wants to do it or not versus me turning down the job like I would most likely do another situations because of my lack of experience with this specific scenario (and the time needed to figure it all out) and ability to take other projects on. I’m a very capable shop in all other aspects, so I’m not worried about my abilities to do the project but just worried about the bad paint/removal situation.

How do you approach this job? I get that some of you would just turn this down and I want to hear from you too. But remember, important new customer, and really doesn’t seem like budget is an issue provided we can do the job properly.

Trying to avoid the scenario where I take the job quote the removal and the wrap, and just say “yeah will worry about the bodywork issues if they come up.” And then customer getting impatient or angry that they already paid a lot for removal and now I have to pay an unexpected amount for bodywork or paint. I’ve been in all of these situations and I am an honest and fair company so I really hate to put myself and customers in this position.


TLDR:
I have a customer with a 28 foot semi trailer that once they’re trailer wrapped. The trailer is been wrapped since 2003 and I foresee lots of paint coming up during the removal. I don’t want to quote the job until I can think of the scenarios of bodywork/prep work needed before rewrap and provide quotes for those as well. The customer is new and could be a big customer for my company so I don’t want to just turn the job down, I want to provide an extensive quote for everything that could be needed to get the job done.

Let me know what you guys think

 

[Mike Paul]

Walk away,

 

[somcalmetim]

We would normally get a pressure washer company to blast or steam off old wraps and the underlying glue like that and see what it comes back like and go from there...(be careful the wash company actually gets the glue off around the rivets and trailer in general and doesn't just spray it around or it can add up in prep/clean hours)...depending on budget/client expectations, if you are re-wrapping anyway, repainting might be overkill even if a lil paint comes off depending where and what kinda finish the rest has...if they have the money and want it nice a full sand blast and respray is something you can quote, outsource and facilitate for them but the new wrap can also hide a lot of sins on an old trailer to save them money...first step is getting the graphics and glue off to see what you are working with...even just heating up and trying to remove a 2ft section should give you an idea if its newer removable material or old stuff for an idea what kind of PITA its going to be...we had a 48' trailer wrapped in 10 year old 3M 180 that was cracking and looked bad but 2 guys removed the whole trailer by hand in 2-3 hours with a propane Garden Weasel Torch and it only needed minor cleanup.

 

[visual800]

There aint enuff money in someones budget for that, I would aslo walk away

 

[danno]

We have just completed a 53' in similar condition. We had bead blasting to bare completed off site. It wasn't cheap. Our client decided not to prime/paint metal before re-wrapping. Gave a nice texture finish. We also advised the client that we would not be responsible for adhesion failures.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

We have just completed a 53' in similar condition. We had bead blasting to bare completed off site. It wasn't cheap. Our client decided not to prime/paint metal before re-wrapping. Gave a nice texture finish. We also advised the client that we would not be responsible for adhesion failures.

Bare aluminum corrodes pretty fast

 

[Notarealsignguy]

That looks like a mobile cell tower that they roll around to large events where the main towers would be overwhelmed. They also can use them in emergencies. There's a lot of money inside of those and Nascar might co-op the expense of the job. Either way, I wouldn't be afraid to shoot high. We replaced some flooring in these same type setups and got top dollar. It's not like an empty trailer that is cheap to replace.

 

[JBurton]

Bare aluminum corrodes pretty fast

Unless you're a good way from the coast...

It's not like an empty trailer that is cheap to replace.

Agreed, this doesn't look like anybody's cheap pet project. Note the two staircase and commercial locks on both doors. Totally worth the effort to quote.

I'd opt for a dry ice gun rental. Don't know how well it would work, or if it would work, or if it'd take a day, week, or month, but after watching a video of one in action, I don't care I just want to try one out myself.

 

[2B]

That looks HORRIBLE for removal, 20 years exposed to the elements
What are their expectations for the lifespan of the new graphics?

IMO sub out the removal needs to be sandblasted or HOT high-pressure washed
It will be best to have the end customer do the removal so you are not held liable, that looks like a high-value trailer

DO NOT BID THE REMOVAL AS A PRICE, BY THE HOUR ONLY

 

[Gino]

Walk away,

RUN away.

I priced one out this past spring. They wanted me to remove everything and wrap it in all black with white copy. I asked, you guys have a paint department, why don't you paint it ?? He said they can't be bothered with this stuff, just have a sign shop do it. Just went by Friday evening...... it's still red & white. So much body work needed, patchwork and I said all that stuff still hasta be done. We can't wrap air and rust.

 

[JBurton]

RUN away.

I priced one out this past spring. They wanted me to remove everything and wrap it in all black with white copy. I asked, you guys have a paint department, why don't you paint it ?? He said they can't be bothered with this stuff, just have a sign shop do it. Just went by Friday evening...... it's still red & white. So much body work needed, patchwork and I said all that stuff still hasta be done. We can't wrap air and rust.

See, that's a cheap(er) trailer. Not saying it isn't worth the work or anything, but the fact that it's a step in setup, narrower than the wheel wells, RV door handles and doors, external a/c units.

 

[gnubler]

Looks like a nightmare job.

I got called about doing a box truck last year. It was bad, the old vinyl looked like it was from the 90s. The rear rolling door was all warped and weathered. Same thing, they wanted it wrapped in solid black with white lettering, so I told them to go get it stripped and repainted, then I would quote it. I saw it a few months later broken down on the side of the road with a big tow truck rolling in...I think it had more pressing issues than needing vinyl graphics.

 

[Stacey K]

I really like the idea of "You get the graphics removed and the cost to re-wrap is XX, pending a look at the trailer once the vinyl is removed."

 

[jfiscus]

I would ask to come by and see it in person and do some removal testing. Take your torch and get it very hot then see how it comes off. It looks like 3M 180c, so it SHOULD come off "ok" or at least a lot better than other materials.