CarnationSailor
Cathedral City, CA
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The graphics on my 8 year old 5th have held up very well, maybe because it gets waxed every 6 months. However, now I am beginning to see hairline cracks in the darker graphics (decals) (no cracks in the white decals) on the side that faces the Palm Springs, CA sun all winter long.
Wanting to prevent further cracking, I'm thinking of waxing the graphics more often, but I'm also open to hearing what others have done in response to this problem.
Thanks
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corvettekent
Marysville, WA
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The reason that the dark colors are cracking is because they absorb heat. The only way to stop this is to keep it out of the sun.
You can remove and replace or just remove the vinyl but if it already has cracks it's done.
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joebedford
Home for the summer.
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Is there any way to "touch up" these cracks?
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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If they are simple patterns, consider using them as a pattern, remove and paint them back.
A good quality fiberglass paint will hold up well and can be touched up.
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CarnationSailor
Cathedral City, CA
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joebedford wrote:Is there any way to "touch up" these cracks?
Not really. These are "hairline" - extremely fine cracks that are not visible if you get 5 feet away from them. Any attempt to touch up them would for sure look much worse. I'm not looking to fix the ones that are there. I just want to prevent them from getting worse and from more forming.
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jjj
Lancaster,Ca.U.S.A.
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Most graphics are only good for about 7 years. I took off all my graphics and added new ones on the front and back. They said in the paper work they are good for up to 6-7 years and not to use wax. Sure enough by 7 years they were gone again.Trailer looks blah but not spending tons of cash for new graphics for a 19 year old trailer.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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May consider covering them with a vinyl wrap, same or different color.
Would be fairly easy to outline the existing graphics with knifeless tape slap some vinyl over it and cut them out the same shape. Wouldn’t fix the cracks but would hide them if they haven’t opened up and started peeling yet.
That’s what I was gonna do on our old TC but a for sale sign ended up being cheaper and much quicker!
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ford truck guy
Pennsylvania
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Use Aerospace 303 on them... Better then wax for decals
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LouLawrence
Traveling the US fulltime since 2000.
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As mentioned earlier, keeping the graphics out of the sun is the only thing that will slow down the process. Nothing will stop it.
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JimK-NY
NY
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My Rv is approaching 20 years old and the original graphics are in great shape. So is the additional graphic I added 12 years ago. My RV lives outdoors and has spent a lot of time in hot and sunny conditions in the SW deserts.
UV light is the main killer of RV graphics.
With only a little google research you can quickly confirm: 1. Carnuba and other typical RV/auto waxes contain zero or minimal amounts of UV protectants. In addition these coatings typically don't last very long 2. 303 contains UV protectants but 303 only lasts a few weeks before it needs to be reapplied in order to maintain UV protection.
Acrylics are natural UV blockers. Acrylic glazing is often used for artwork to prevent fading. So one solution to the fairly rapid fading, cracking and deterioration of graphic decals is to use an acrylic wax.
I have been using Zep acrylic floor wax on my RV for many years. I initially applied 4 thin coats. Every year or two I apply another thin coat. I have never had any issues with yellowing, cracking or deterioration of the finish. The Zep finish also protects against dirt, bugs, staining. A quick rinse is all that is needed to keep my RV looking new.
If you do consider Zep, I will warn you up front that careful prep is needed before applying the first coat. Any old waxes and oxidation need to be removed. I used wax stripper, and lots of scrubbing with a 3M kitchen pad and bar keepers friend.
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