Front End Paint Protection for Older Motorhome?

[wahoonc]

What are other DP owners doing about protecting the paint on the front end with an older MH. Mine is a 2014 and the clear shield is toast. I have yet to have anyone give me a clean quote on replacing it. I have read that it is in the $3500 range to remove and replace it. I know removing it is a pain. I can't find pricing for DIY clear shields. Front-end re-paint is in the $2k range. In a way, I like the idea of the old-school bras that were fitted for years. I can get one of those for ~$700. Yes, they need to be removed promptly when you stop for more than a day, however, I am one of "those" people who also deploys my wheel covers if I am stopped for more than 24 hours.

Aaron

[Eagle5]

Hi Aaron,
My neighbor had his truck totally covered in 3M Clear Auto Wrap at a cost of about $750. I wonder if you could get other bids for removing whatever it is you have, and replacing it with the 3M product? $3,500 for just the front-end sounds rather over-priced to me.
Eagle5

[BombDoc1026]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

What are other DP owners doing about protecting the paint on the front end with an older MH. Mine is a 2014 and the clear shield is toast. I have yet to have anyone give me a clean quote on replacing it. I have read that it is in the $3500 range to remove and replace it. I know removing it is a pain. I can't find pricing for DIY clear shields. Front-end re-paint is in the $2k range. In a way, I like the idea of the old-school bras that were fitted for years. I can get one of those for ~$700. Yes, they need to be removed promptly when you stop for more than a day, however, I am one of "those" people who also deploys my wheel covers if I am stopped for more than 24 hours.

Aaron

I have a new to me 2014 Meridian 36M. My diamond shield has been removed by the previous owner. I had this conversation about adding it back with my campground neighbor this past weekend who had it done on his Dutch Star. He said Wilmington, NC is where he had it done at a diamond shield service center. I have yet to look into it but thought I’d share that info since you’re in NC.
John

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Eagle5

Hi Aaron,
My neighbor had his truck totally covered in 3M Clear Auto Wrap at a cost of about $750. I wonder if you could get other bids for removing whatever it is you have, and replacing it with the 3M product? $3,500 for just the front-end sounds rather over-priced to me.
Eagle5

I did a bit of asking around and apparently, the wrap stuff is quite a bit thinner than the Diamond Shield. Also, the main expense seems to be in the removal.

I am leaning towards cleaning the old crap off and just going with the bare paint for a few years.

Aaron

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by BombDoc1026

I have a new to me 2014 Meridian 36M. My diamond shield has been removed by the previous owner. I had this conversation about adding it back with my campground neighbor this past weekend who had it done on his Dutch Star. He said Wilmington, NC is where he had it done at a diamond shield service center. I have yet to look into it but thought I’d share that info since you’re in NC.
John

I will have to see if I can hunt them down. I filled out a couple of forms and called Diamond Sheild but have yet to hear back from them.

Aaron

[Ray,IN]

The front cap white paint on my MH was still looking good until I smashed it up, yes it had rock chips, but it touched them up with white touch-up paint in a small bottle with a brush on the cap. You couldn't see them if you were 10' away.
Now I have a very white shiny new paint job on the front cap($6k) this week, and considering what to use to reduce rock chips.
So, i'm following your thread wahoonc.

[BombDoc1026]

Please post if you do find the place in Wilmington as I am in Charleston and might consider doing this in the future. Whoever removed mine did a good job on the painted surfaces. However I suspect the chemicals they used damaged my headlight bezels (replaced those this weekend) and my “shield” that has the ITASCA letters is in poor condition. I’m not sure anything can be done with it short of removing and painting and adding new letters. I can get the letters but I’m having difficulty trying to figure out how to remove the “shield”. I can’t figure out how it is attached to the front cap. I’m wondering if there are screws behind the letters? It definitely needs work before new diamond shield is applied.
John

QUOTE=wahoonc;3950456]I will have to see if I can hunt them down. I filled out a couple of forms and called Diamond Sheild but have yet to hear back from them.

Aaron[/QUOTE]

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by BombDoc1026

Please post if you do find the place in Wilmington as I am in Charleston and might consider doing this in the future. Whoever removed mine did a good job on the painted surfaces. However I suspect the chemicals they used damaged my headlight bezels (replaced those this weekend) and my “shield” that has the ITASCA letters is in poor condition. I’m not sure anything can be done with it short of removing and painting and adding new letters. I can get the letters but I’m having difficulty trying to figure out how to remove the “shield”. I can’t figure out how it is attached to the front cap. I’m wondering if there are screws behind the letters? It definitely needs work before new diamond shield is applied.
John

QUOTE=wahoonc;3950456]I will have to see if I can hunt them down. I filled out a couple of forms and called Diamond Sheild but have yet to hear back from them.

Aaron

[/QUOTE]

https://autoworxprodetailing.com/dia...-wilmington-nc

[Jim_HiTek]

After 20 years of full time RVing from one coast to the other and from one border to the other, and from Mexico to Fairbanks Alaska I can say that there are few rock chips after driving in all terrains including driving those gravel roads in Canada, up and back 5 times.

All I do is keep far back from other vehicles, slow down on gravel roads, pull off to the side and sometimes stop when a crazy drives by on one. No shield, no wrap, just careful driving. And few chips on my '02 Winnie to be seen (couldn't spot any just now). The '94 Bounder I owned had a few 1/4" diameter chips but that was before I started keeping back from other vehicles and the other things. A paint job in Mexico fixed that right up though.

I don't envy your process of removing the Diamond Shield if that's what you have as I've read it's really a difficult process. I've seen quotes of up to $3500 for a shop to do it. Google shows some DIY's links.

I would recommend the excellent painters in Mexico to repair your current chips after the shield is removed. There's one in Los Algodones near Yuma for example.

[wahoonc]

I got my quote. They quote ~$1600-$1800 for removal. They base it on a $95 an hour labor rate. They usually take 3-4 days to do it because it is very tedious and hard on the hands. Which is in line with what I have seen and heard from other sources. This company is located in Wilmington, NC. They also can install a shield if you want. They use a different brand.

I have other priorities at the moment, so it will have to just look ugly until I get more pressing items taken care of, like six group 31 AGM coach batteries.

Aaron