I'm no wrapper...big old FAIL

[Stacey K]

I failed miserably.

One of my oldest, best customers wanted black matte vinyl on his hood and the bottom part of the sides of 5 Dodge 2500 Diesels.

I said I would try it but I am not really a wrapper. Hoods were fine - no issues at all. The bottoms - complete nightmare, I got wrinkles and bubbles all over - we ended up tearing it all off. He wasn't mad or anything and he has a friend that will do that part. I'll just do the hoods and the sides, etc. The bottom on these vehicles have a lot of sharp creases and under there is the plate that holds the running boards with holes in it. It was a lot more than any other vehicle I have done a partial wrap on. And I'm not trained and I only do "easy" partial wraps.

The best part was I had a magnet on the side by the rear door and opened the door and it somehow got caught in the front door and dented the rear door. $2,000 to repair. I have a $100 deductible so I just claimed it. Thankfully he wasn't really mad at me for all this nonsense because he's a customer turned friend after 8 years. When he says jump I say how high - and I came in on a Sunday to do this for him - and about $50k in business over 8 years and never any issues so he was nice about it.

Know your limits and don't work on Sundays LOL

So, hopefully this makes you feel like a WINNER today!!

 

[Boudica]

Jot this one down in your book of experience. Ya gotta fill up that journal somehow!

 

[Gino]

Like with dogs...... shed happens.

Question: if you can lay the blue down, why can't you do it with the black ?? Was it air release ??

 

[Gene@mpls]

When things are going well, you are not learning anything.

 

[weyandsign]

They'd be better off painting the entire bottom like that imo instead of wrapping it.

 

[Stacey K]

Like with dogs...... shed happens.

Question: if you can lay the blue down, why can't you do it with the black ?? Was it air release ??

The black part under the door had horizontal creases - like 3 of them and then there's a bar that goes across also with a bunch of holes in it. I had to lay down under the truck and try and work the vinyl in all the creases - it was over my skill level laying on my back on a concrete floor then trying to put it on that bar (because you could see it if you stand back) and there were a bunch of holes in it all across for bolts.

Not my cup of tea....

 

[Gino]

The black part under the door had horizontal creases - like 3 of them and then there's a bar that goes across also with a bunch of holes in it. I had to lay down under the truck and try and work the vinyl in all the creases - it was over my skill level laying on my back on a concrete floor then trying to put it on that bar (because you could see it if you stand back) and there were a bunch of holes in it all across for bolts.

Not my cup of tea....

View attachment 172641

Understood. You don't like lying on your back to make money. Understood.

 

[DL Signs]

Personally, I don't like the black, that blue stands out so nice on the plain white by itself.

 

[gnubler]

Understood. You don't like lying on your back to make money. Understood.

No kidding! She shoulda charged waaaaay extra for that.

I believe Tex offers the same service.

 

[citysignshop]

WOW!...this guy must LOVE washing his trucks. Really. a landscaping firm with flat black, on all the places that dirt is thrown the first 100' you drive! But, obviously he has a fleet, and you're stuck with that! I agree 100% that this bottom zone should just be masked off and sprayed with a can of that textured boxliner crap. The guy will love that....it's even harder to wash! ;-b)

 

[gnubler]

^^I had a customer wanting something similar, running a strip of metallic vinyl along the sides to cover up rust. I told him it would probably be about a week until there were nicks on it from road debris and just covered in mud anyway. Half the roads around here are dirt, and the dust covers up vehicle defects quite nicely.

 

[Boudica]

^^I had a customer wanting something similar, running a strip of metallic vinyl along the sides to cover up rust. I told him it would probably be about a week until there were nicks on it from road debris and just covered in mud anyway. Half the roads around here are dirt, and the dust covers up vehicle defects quite nicely.

not to mention, vinyl doesn't stick to rust. It's not a long term solution for unsightly rust.

 

[Stacey K]

Well I'm glad nobody is ripping on me LOL I should suggest he have it all painted, I like that idea the best!

 

[UpAndPrinting]

Well I'm glad nobody is ripping on me LOL I should suggest he have it all painted, I like that idea the best!

We're always hardest on ourselves as artists. This was a learning lesson.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

That dent was already there...

 

[Stacey K]

That dent was already there...

That dent cost $2,010.00 to fix. There was 18 hours of labor when I said I would pay OOP. Then I told them I was running it through insurance ($100 deductible) and he put 24 hours of labor. They got the truck Monday late in the day and it was ready by 7am Wednesday. It's nice to know your local shop will work through the night to fix your dents.

 

[DL Signs]

That dent cost $2,010.00 to fix. There was 18 hours of labor when I said I would pay OOP. Then I told them I was running it through insurance ($100 deductible) and he put 24 hours of labor. They got the truck Monday late in the day and it was ready by 7am Wednesday. It's nice to know your local shop will work through the night to fix your dents.

No way, back when I had my body shop could I have gotten 24 (even the 18 for that matter) hours on a door ding past an insurance adjuster/ company. I'd have gotten laughed out of the industry. What are they smoking?
Maybe I never should have gotten out of that business.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

No way, back when I had my body shop could I have gotten 24 (even the 18 for that matter) hours on a door ding past an insurance adjuster/ company. I'd have gotten laughed out of the industry. What are they smoking?
Maybe I never should have gotten out of that business.

Body shops are worse than sign companies.

 

[GAC05]

Body shops are worse than sign companies.

I can't accept this. I was abandoned in the jungles of Guam and raised by a friendly tribe of body men & painters in the village of Tamuning. Early on I learned their ways of hiding or explaining away damage that may or may not have been there when the vehicle was dropped off.

 

[Stacey K]

Friends...I'm an idiot. I used the wrong kind of vinyl on the bottom - it was regular, not wrap.

I ordered some Avery wrap this week because I had to try again - just did a small area and turns out with the right vinyl all things are possible. I'm going to try it on my truck over the weekend and if I'm successful then the customer said - let 'er rip on the fleet.

I should have asked for help before I started. Lesson learned LOL