Putting new decals over old.

[MURPHY55347]

I have a 2018 Winnebago Vista 27N motorhome and a couple of the silver decals have spots on them that looks much like the mold you might see on Diamondshield. Otherwise they are in great shape. They are firmly adhered with no cracks. All other colors on the MH are fine. Can I put new decals over the old ones? I would probably use a different color just in case the spots might telegraph through.

[minnow]

I've had terrific luck with a product called GraphXOff. Its a thick gel which is applied with a paint brush. Let it sit fir about 10 minutes and the decal bubbles up. Take a plastic scraper and remove the decal. Reapply the GraphXOff on the remaining glue, wait a few minutes and the glue residue scrapes right off. It won't damage the paint and is easily washed off. I've used this for 5 years now. As the decals deteriorate, I remove them(and don't replace them).

[Gdetrailer]

Goo Gone works surprisingly well for many types of adhesives and it does so with minimal risk to paints and surfaces and not to mention your own personal health.

Lacquer thinners however can damage paint and your health and not to mention there are many types of paint thinner meant for use with epoxy paints and such and great care and respect needs to given to those.

Goo Gone often needs time to break down the adhesives and may require several applications and rubbing but for the most part there have been very few stickers that it hasn't worked very well on that I have removed over the yrs.

With that said, I have often heard that WD-40 may even work and there are purpose made decal removers made by most automotive paint manufacturers that most likely will work better than paint thinners.

You have to attack the glue base and the glue base may not respond to paint thinners.

[Veebyes]

Oh I never said anything about the hazzardness of lacquer thinners or acetone etc. Yes they are.

They work & they often cost much less than other products carrying a different name.

[Gdetrailer]

Veebyes wrote:


Get the glue off with lacquer thinners, cheap & what stuff like goo gone is probably based on anyway.

:R

Might wish to review the Safety Data Sheets..


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While Goo Gone may have petroleum based products in it, I would choose it as a starting product way before choosing any sort of Lacquer Thinners which includes Toluene and Acetone in very high concentrations..

One can always look up the SDS on products..

[Veebyes]

Hair dryer or heat gun on low with a scraper, plastic so as not to scratch the gelgoat. It takes lots of time & lots of patience to get the heat & scrape combo right.

Get the glue off with lacquer thinners, cheap & what stuff like goo gone is probably based on anyway.

[2_Retired]

We used a hand-held hair dryer and a putty knife to remove decals that had begun pealing on our RV. Just took some time, a little physical effort, and then used goo b gone to get the glue residue off.

[Grit_dog]

And be careful on the thin siding on RVs and heat guns. They’re more susceptible to scorching or yellowing than painted vehicle panels or boat gelcoat.
Removal can involve any number of methods. Heat gun (sometimes I use a propane torch if handier), razor blades, fingernails, putty knives, eraser wheels and various solvents, from lacquer thinner/acetone to adhesive remover, wd40, gasoline, goo gone etc. I generally prefer stronger solvents. Less scraping and elbow grease.
Get your technique figured out on less conspicuous areas and know that it takes a smidge of sense and coordination to take heat and a razor blade to your vehicle or RV.

[opnspaces]

Yes on the heat gun and plastic blades. But be careful to not overheat with the heat gun. Wave it over the decal for a few seconds then take it off and try the scraper. If not loose wave for a few more seconds. the vinyl will go from stuck tight to easy to peel to way too soft to peel very quickly.

[GMH]

Gooma wrote:
Yes you can use a heat gun and scraper to remove the decals. The trick is to get ALL the adhesive off also.

Yes, a heat gun and plastic scraper blades (Titan is one brand) will get 98% of it off. And 3M makes an adhesive remover that can take the remaining glue off.

[capacitor]

That would be Goo B Gone.

[Grit_dog]

I’d also remove the old ones first,,but if you’re putting matching decals on, they will last just as long on top of your current decals as they would otherwise and presumably look right.

[Gooma]

Yes you can use a heat gun and scraper to remove the decals. The trick is to get ALL the adhesive off also.

[corvettekent]

I agree with Gdetrailer on this. Do it right the first time or you will be doing it again.

[agesilaus]

You can supposedly remove the decals with a heat gun and putty knife. I'd try that first.