Need Help Removing old dead vinyl

[jrreid]

I wrapped a fleet of box trucks about ten years ago.
Over the years, I’ve mentioned they may want to remove that wrap before it dies.
Well they waited until the vinyl was cracked, faded and basically dead before they came to me and asked for a new wraps on their trucks.
I have a vinyl zapper but there is no way I am going to use it to remove vinyl off a 24 ft truck.
How are you guys dealing with removing dead wraps?
Or do you just clean up the old vinyl as best as you can and wrap over it?
Thank you for your help.
Jim

 

[Geneva Olson]

we just recently went up on our fees. we charge $115 anhour to remove wrap.
i might spend an hour or so on it to see how bad it is with goo gone, heat gun.

maybe a steamer?

what's a vinyl zapper?

 

[Bradley Signs]

I have always wondered if these wraps will come back to haunt everyone.
What about all the cars that get wrapped? What happens to the value of them as time goes on and the wrap gets old and starting to crack?
If I had a car that had been wrapped, and I want to get a new car, will anyone take my old cracked vinyl wrapped car as a trade in?

I wouldn't want to be in your shoes...

There's your dinner!

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Nobody wants to touch them. We get a lot of these from people thinking that we can sandblast them off and then re-paint their truck. This is after they've been all over town trying to find someone to remove it. I tell them to wrap over it or buy a new truck. 1 more reason why I hate wraps.

 

[GAC05]

Steamer works pretty well on old IJ180/matching lam, even if it has already gone from toast to cracked.
Leftover glue cleaned up with Goo Gone and/or WD-40.
Still not a job you really want to do if you can pass it on to someone else.

 

[gabagoo]

I always thought they removed the wraps ( on trailers anyhow) with high pressure washers?

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

At the request of a cheap customer and another sign company, I rewrapped a van that has cracking and peeling all over it. I knocked off all the flaking parts and then rewrapped it. It's been about 2 or 3 years and when I drive by their store I look at it and it's still holding up decently well. Not perfect by any means.

 

[Stacey K]

I had a guy call and ask me to unwrap a corvette that he just bought. Didn't want anything new on it, just unwrap it. I'm guessing he got a deal on it because it was wrapped but now to try and find someone to unwrap it...good luck. I passed on it and suggested that he buy a heat gun and hire a teenager (in a nice way). He never responded back to me. Guess that wasn't the answer he was hoping for.

 

[Boudica]

It's been my understanding that the reason to go with a wrap vs paint is resale value. Because it's easier to remove the vinyl. But I guess the ideal scenario is that you use premium cast vinyl and the vehicle owner doesn't leave it on to the point of cracking.
So I'm thinking these nightmarish testimonials are the result of cheap and/or calendared vinyl?

Even with the good stuff, stripping vinyl sucks!

 

[unclebun]

You have to remove wraps within a time specified by the vinyl manufacturer (usually 1-2 years) to get them off without a huge amount of time and pain.

 

[d fleming]

Have an electric co here that I have done some signs and shirts for. When I moved out here 16 years ago it took me 6 months looking at his vans in traffic to figure out from the wrap he was an electrician. Useless overblown design work. 2 years ago he asks how much to remove the old wrap. I told him more than his 15 year old service truck is worth and no, I can't replace a panel of your dead wrap that another shop (who is no longer in business) did over a decade ago. These things are hideous everywhere they go. Think I might print this thread to show customers why I mostly advise against a wrap if cut vinyl will do the trick. Honestly with cut vinyl the message seems to be able to come across better because of the lack of distraction most wraps are from poorly designed ad schemes. That and wraps have become so commonplace nobody notices them very much these days.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Have an electric co here that I have done some signs and shirts for. When I moved out here 16 years ago it took me 6 months looking at his vans in traffic to figure out from the wrap he was an electrician. Useless overblown design work. 2 years ago he asks how much to remove the old wrap. I told him more than his 15 year old service truck is worth and no, I can't replace a panel of your dead wrap that another shop (who is no longer in business) did over a decade ago. These things are hideous everywhere they go. Think I might print this thread to show customers why I mostly advise against a wrap if cut vinyl will do the trick. Honestly with cut vinyl the message seems to be able to come across better because of the lack of distraction most wraps are from poorly designed ad schemes. That and wraps have become so commonplace nobody notices them very much these days.

Exactly! Are you advertising your business or trying to wow your friends? They are so tacky

 

[Notarealsignguy]

It's been my understanding that the reason to go with a wrap vs paint is resale value. Because it's easier to remove the vinyl. But I guess the ideal scenario is that you use premium cast vinyl and the vehicle owner doesn't leave it on to the point of cracking.
So I'm thinking these nightmarish testimonials are the result of cheap and/or calendared vinyl?

Even with the good stuff, stripping vinyl sucks!

Buy it the color that you want or live with it

 

[Stacey K]

This is an interesting thread. I always thought I was at a disadvantage because I don't do wraps. Maybe not!

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

I don't think I've ever seen a good wrap... They are so over designed that most you can't read and it's too busy.

 

[Boudica]

I don't think I've ever seen a good wrap... They are so over designed that most you can't read and it's too busy.

I make good wraps. My style is clean looking and easy to install. I'm most fond of the partial wrap.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I make good wraps. My style is clean looking and easy to install. I'm most fond of the partial wrap.

I like partials better too.

 

[GAC05]

I don't think I've ever seen a good wrap... They are so over designed that most you can't read and it's too busy.

You have to get out of Texas once in a while.

Good wrap

 

[Notarealsignguy]

You have to get out of Texas once in a while.

View attachment 159817
Good wrap

Good design but paint and a small decal would be the better method and last longer. Probably cheaper too. We could do it for $4-5k all in with a nice profit.

 

[GAC05]

Good design but paint and a small decal would be the better method and last longer. Probably cheaper too. We could do it for $4-5k all in with a nice profit.

We are not allowed to paint in our current location - no space - no booth. They did try to save some money and had a few of their tractor heads painted to match. They saved too much money and soon had pink tractor heads fading fast pulling wrapped trailers that have stayed bright red for a pretty good number of years 6-8.