This is what happens when you don't wrap with cast vinyl.

[Letterbox Mike]

Man it's sad..
Shops around here, use IJ35, for wraps all the time, and charge, and TELL the customers it's cast vehicle vinyl. I feel bad that the customer get stomped.. but nothing i can do about it.

That's what makes me mad. The shop I mentioned also claims to use cast and apparently they do a great job of educating their customers about it because when I quote against them their customers can spout off technical specs fairly well. When I explain to them that there is literally no way you can wrap a Sprinter with good vinyl for $1800 of course I'm the crazy one and they act as if we're trying to rip them off.

 

[signworxonline]

Hahaha wow that looks bad!! Was that done by the guy up the street that stole all the vehicle wrap images from other shops for his website??

 

[HulkSmash]

Hahaha wow that looks bad!! Was that done by the guy up the street that stole all the vehicle wrap images from other shops for his website??

No, some guy who started off doing business cards, now he's trying to do wraps.

Needless to say, i get more business because of him now

 

[Mikeifg]

I've got a similar situation I'll have to post pics as well. Sad thing is these wanna be cheap guys are too common.

 

[HulkSmash]

forgot to mention, the old vinyl stained the door handles, and the bottom step to get into the car..

 

[CentralSigns]

Looks like the last 3 5th wheel decal jobs we redid.

 

[johnnysigns]

but it looks so awesome, what was the problem?

 

[signage]

Isn't that the Distressed filter/effect?

 

[TyrantDesigner]

About twice a week I get the joy of removing calendared vinyl off of rigs that go with the cheap guy first who prints on the cheapest calendared around then doesn't even lam the print before installing ... 6 months in ... truck washes cause that cracking PLUS the acid in the water eats the ink off.

 

[WYLDGFI]

It sucks...I have a really good friend of mine using Oracal Calendared RA for vehicle graphics. I just want to smack him upside the head for doing it. He's used my laminator a few times cause his broke down. "Friends don't let friends wrap with Calendared"

 

[GypsyGraphics]

looks like a terrible install job too!
on pic #4, is that bumper all pieced together?

 

[dolce05]

thats not calendered vinyl. Its just not 3M or Avery. I would rather not mention some cheap off brands, but that would seem to be the answer. Is it laminated? that also will create removal issues. But calendered film also has an exterior life of over a year so i dont see this be attributed to being calendered, more then just being cheap vinyl, or cheap vinyl that wasnt laminated

 

[HulkSmash]

thats not calendered vinyl. Its just not 3M or Avery. I would rather not mention some cheap off brands, but that would seem to be the answer. Is it laminated? that also will create removal issues. But calendered film also has an exterior life of over a year so i dont see this be attributed to being calendered, more then just being cheap vinyl, or cheap vinyl that wasnt laminated

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yes it is calendered. I was there remember? The vinyl had no air release, and had just a plain white back. It was calendered, and it was laminated. it was cheap, and it was crap.

 

[HulkSmash]

looks like a terrible install job too!
on pic #4, is that bumper all pieced together?

yeah TERRIBLE install job.

 

[bigben]

wow! I always wanted to see what would happen if I use calendred vinyl for a wrap. Now I know... Thanks.

 

[Alti-Plotter]

Work for you ... and your steamer.

 

[parrott]

I hope you are charging an arm and a leg removing that sh!t. I am sure there are trade secrets that make a world of difference, but I will never remove vinyl again. At our shop rate and the experiences we have had, they might as well buy a "newer" used car.

 

[kstompaint]

3165RA is ok for wrapping something flat, like a trailer. Anybody who uses calendared vinyl to wrap a van gets the reputation he deserves. I haven't seen anybody around here doing that, but most of the wrap jobs I've seen from our "competition" might as well have been calendared. The only thing worse than the design is the installation. Eventually, we get most of them after they realize there's a reason our price is higher.

 

[MARSERdesigns]

I have seen this happen to 3M Controltac laminated with 3M cast. But it was only on the hood of a truck and after 5 years of brutal California sun and VU rays! It was a mofo to remove!

 

[SightLine]

On horizontal surfaces yellowing and cracking is common after a few years with most any materials if it stays parked outdoors all the time. 2 main causes - one is the sun and UV degradation and the real bad culprit not many are very aware of is acid dew - that really wrecks material over time. 3 years is really the max I've seen here for vehicles that are always parked where dew can settle on the surfaces. It does depend on the location as well though - seems to be worse in the city itself - maybe more chemicals in the air, not really sure. We had our own shop car outdoors 24x7, 365 with no cover and the wrap was still okay and looked great after 4 years for the most part. The roof and hood were the worst but still mostly came off in big peices. I did also wax it twice a year though but there was still some minor cracking starting in on the laminate on the roof. Pretty much all of the vinyl manufacturers have fine print that says the warranties are for vertical surfaces only. 3M does have a new gloss laminate out though that is specifically intended for extending the life of graphics on horizontal surfaces and warrants the material for this. It has much greater UV resistance as well as greater resistance to acid dew. It is their gloss 8528 laminate - I actually just got a sample roll of it in a couple of weeks ago. Not used it yet though....