Cut the seams on a large graphic on a trailer?

[Andy D]

I'm putting graphics on an old trailer and it has flat sheets of steel butted up edge to edge with 1/8" gap
filled in with some type of caulk, no rivets or weld.
I haven't done a whole lot of trailers but I have been told in the past to cut the vinyl graphics at seams, so that down the
road the graphics don't "tunnel", allowing water and trash behind them.

What do ya'll do?

 

[ikarasu]

Cut every seem otherwise there will be a failure. 3M actually voids any warranty if a seem isn't cut... It not only.tunnels and allows water, but in winter when it's cold vinyl is brittle. So if there's a space behind from air or something else it'll start to Crack and eventually ruin the whole panel.

 

[Billct2]

cut

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I do a lot of trailers and box type wraps... you need to cut it for the reasons mentioned above.

 

[player]

No way to use adhesive primer?

I am not experienced with this, just asking.

 

[Christian @ Visual Graphx]

Primer doesn't solve all the other problems... The biggest issue is panel flex going down the road and seasonal expansion/contraction you must cut any transition of panels on any mobile object. If this trailer was permanently mounted to the ground in a conditioned environment you could get away with it.

 

[Phil Swanson]

Cut, Cut, Cut, so easy to do, why wouldn't you do it?

 

[Gino]

You're most lilely gonna hafta cut back to where there's no caulk or whatever they used. I believe it's a type of Silicon adhesive. You might have at least an 1/8" gap or whatever the division is in each panel. Be sure to keep that in mind when placing elements in the design.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]