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Wrapping a trailer with... nothing

Texas_Signmaker

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
I have two trailers that I need to wrap, but the thing is like 95% of it is going to be plain white. The trailers are old and had previous shadows of letters on them so they want to just cover the whole thing. The only thing that's going to be on them (besides all the white) is a 3' x 2' two-color logo that I might as well just do in cut vinyl.

QUESTION IS... I don't have a printer so I usually just farm it all out to S365. Should I order a bunch of laminated blank 3M calendared vinyl for $2.50/sq. ft, or is there an alternative plain white vinyl that will do the same thing? I've got thousands and thousands of hours of experience with 3M laminated vinyl and not much with anything else. Is there regular vinyl that has the same feel and thickness as 3M laminated and it less then $2.50/sq ft.? This is a flat, oilfield box trailer...so that's why I was thinking the 3M calendared white from S365.
 
petepaz

petepaz

New Member
3M, and avery have colored wrapping vinyls for solid areas that don't need lam. they do have white available that would be the way to go
 
Johnny Best

Johnny Best

Active Member
I would use cast with no lamination, not calendar with lam. You want the thickness because that is what you are use to?
Would it not be cheaper to buy a roll of cast vinyl than going with 365?
 
Texas_Signmaker

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
I'm open to cast, but its summer here and I was worried thin cast would be tricky outdoors when its 100+ outside. Would IJ40 be OK?
 
J

Jb1983

New Member
sure it might be a little soft in that heat, so go with the 1080 by 3m it seems to stay more rigid than Avery a tad, but since its all white and not a print you don't need to worry about registration so just slap it on. easy.
try and fins some shade,/ work an evening
 
T

TimToad

Active Member
Depending on what size trailers they are, you could spend money on white color change vinyl which has a built in laminate and is easier to handle than unlaminated cast wrap. Or you could spend a couple hundred bucks on primer, masking tape, Ronan or 1Shot Bulletin enamel and some rollers and go at it that way depending on your painting skills.
 
Texas_Signmaker

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
Thanks for the info. I'm interested in pre-laminated white vinyl, what brands or models do you suggest?

Yes, I will be under a carport so I'll have shade, it's impossible to do wraps in the Texas summer sun.

I don't know how to paint a trailer. This customer is a huge global oilfield company, and they did a name change this year so they told me that in other locations where they had old trailers they've been just wrapping them...so I guess painting hasn't come up.
 
E

equippaint

Active Member
Pressure wash and paint it. There has to be a ton of equipment painters over in your area.
I will get chastised for saying this but if it was flat and had to be vinyl, Id use oracal 3165gra with 2 people or 3551gra by myself, no laminate. It'd be around .35/sq ft and has some weight to it. Its an oilfield trailer, Im honestly surprised that they'd even want to put a penny into it.
 
Texas_Signmaker

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
equippaint said:
Pressure wash and paint it. There has to be a ton of equipment painters over in your area.
I will get chastised for saying this but if it was flat and had to be vinyl, Id use oracal 3165gra with 2 people or 3551 by myself, no laminate. It'd be around .35/sq ft and has some weight to it. Its an oilfield trailer, Im honestly surprised that they'd even want to put a penny into it.
Click to expand...

Oilfield goes in boom and bust cycles. When it's bust none of them want to spend a penny, when it's boom they want everything they own to look like a million bucks. When I said "This will cost thousands" they said "Oh the company has money, they don't care".

This year has been the beginning of the boom cycle... so I'm happy.
 
E

equippaint

Active Member
Texas_Signmaker said:
Oilfield goes in boom and bust cycles. When it's bust none of them want to spend a penny, when it's boom they want everything they own to look like a million bucks. When I said "This will cost thousands" they said "Oh the company has money, they don't care".

This year has been the beginning of the boom cycle... so I'm happy.
Click to expand...
I was going to say they will be going to the auction in a few months.... we've been painting oilfield cranes over here for a while from the last bust
 
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