Rubber trailer tarps and vinyl

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

I have a customer that is ordering some rubber trailer tarps. They have a canvas-like plastic coated inside surface and a smooth rubber outer surface that vinyl seems to adhere relatively well to on a sample we were given. Has anyone used cast vinyl on a rubber tarp and if so, did it hold up well long-term? They were quoted $4000 to have the logos screen printed on the tarps, but they would rather pay us $1200-1600 to apply vinyl to them and they say they would be happy if they can at least get five years of them. If anyone has any information on this, please share. I'd like to hear opinions and share the good and the bad with the customer so they know what to expect. Thanks!

 

[Billct2]

I did a few years ago and they stuck OK, but no way would I give any gauranty, especially not 5 years, I wouldn't warranty vinyl on a box truck for 5 years. And last ones I looked at for a client seemed like vinyl would stick, but I told them the issues and they opted for having them done by the supplier, who I think was printing them.

 

[CanuckSigns]

I wouldn't trust it long term, especially if they are rolled or folded. is painting an option? use the vinyl to create a paint mask and use a good quality paint?

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

I wouldn't trust it long term, especially if they are rolled or folded. is painting an option? use the vinyl to create a paint mask and use a good quality paint?

Paint or screen printing was my initial suggestion, but the customer didn't want to pay the manufacturer $4000 for screen printing so they called us wanting to do vinyl, which I had originally expressed that I had some reservations about. They think they are going to save money having vinyl applied, but I think they would have been better off with screen printing for overall long-term durabilty. Painting may be an option they will want to consider and I may try to steer them in that direction at this point. They already turned down the manufacturer's offer to screen print and the tarps have already shipped. If you were going to paint, what would be a good flexible option? Polyurethane paint, perhaps?

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

I did a few years ago and they stuck OK, but no way would I give any gauranty, especially not 5 years, I wouldn't warranty vinyl on a box truck for 5 years. And last ones I looked at for a client seemed like vinyl would stick, but I told them the issues and they opted for having them done by the supplier, who I think was printing them.

We express zero warranty on something like this as it wasn't my recommendation in the first place. They part about "would like them to last 5 years" is their words, not ours. Personally, I think vinyl is a huge gamble that will likely end poorly. The vinyl sticks okay to the test sample they gave us, but not great, so I'm definitely very leary at this point.

 

[equippaint]

Tarps area heavy and hard to handle for one person. They get thrown on the ground and drug up and over various loads, often times in the rain, upside down and right side up. I don't see vinyl being a good option and really don't see it even adhering well on truck tarps that are never touched. You are just wasting their money and causing yourself future headaches to try and save them money.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Any suggestions as far as whether or not paint is an option and if so, what kind of paint would be recommended?

 

[Johnny Best]

If you have the table space it would be faster and cheaper to make a screen and move it to where you need it and screen it. Faster than cutting out vinyl, weeding and applying. But the tablespace to let ink dry after screening it would be a problem. I think NazDar 9700 ink or their vinyl inks would work. Just need to put shims under screen to give it a "bounce" off fabric to get a clean print, flood coat it and move to next one.
Putting vinyl on the tarp will be creased and damaged from taking off and folding. Just like a banner's cut vinyl looks bad after the customer has folded it up a couple of times.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

If you have the table space it would be faster and cheaper to make a screen and move it to where you need it and screen it. Faster than cutting out vinyl, weeding and applying. But the tablespace to let ink dry after screening it would be a problem. I think NazDar 9700 ink or their vinyl inks would work. Just need to put shims under screen to give it a "bounce" off fabric to get a clean print, flood coat it and move to next one.
Putting vinyl on the tarp will be creased and damaged from taking off and folding. Just like a banner's cut vinyl looks bad after the customer has folded it up a couple of times.

I told the customer from the beginning that screen printed was probably the only way to go, but they didn't want to spend the money. I spoke to a veteran sign painter about this and he suggested painting with screen printing ink, or possibly exterior acrylic latex, or House of Kolor polyurethanes. We're really busy with other jobs, so I'm leaning towards turning the job down altogether. I don't need a headache, nor the money that bad.

 

[CanuckSigns]

if you don;t need the money I would think it's wise to turn the job down

 

[Johnny Best]

If you have a premonition of this being a headache. Then take your own advice and pass on it.