How to Remove Decals from an RV? Tips and Tricks

Decals are fun, but you probably have seen that they do not always age in a good way over the years. Deteriorating vinyl stickers can make an RV body look bad. If you have gotten the most amazing decals, these will also fade or even peel as time passes. This is why you will want to easily remove the decals from the RV. So how to Remove Decals from an RV?

There are different methods to do this which you can research on the internet instantly about. Everyone who removes these seems to agree that often the process is not tough, even with the toughest and meanest decals. It can be done perfectly at home by getting the right equipment.

Some paper towels or maybe an old rag, soapy water, scraper, are the things that you will need. You should work from one side of your sticker going to the other. It is important to scrape carefully if you do not want to tear the decal. It will be tougher to remove as well.

How to Remove Decals from an RV?

Tips you can follow.

Heat to remove decals from the RV

If you have a hairdryer you can use it. With the help of heat, you can easily remove the old RV decals. Those who do not have any heat gun can use a blow dryer-style hairdryer.

When you heat the RV decal you should peel this up from one edge. A toothpick may be employed to find a place to peel from. Utilize a plastic scraper so that you can slowly and carefully work the decal off whilst you heat it.

It is better to not employ a razor blade or even some other metal blade to remove the decal because it is possible to scratch the metal surface. This can result in rust or even corrosion on the RV.

If it is a hot day and you park the RV in direct sunlight, this may loosen the decals so that you can remove them. However, you need to know that sun exposure will not be effective on older and baked-on decals. If the RV stays in full sunlight, it will be tough to keep the interior area cool.

With a blow dryer or even heat gun, you can apply the heat at the place that you require it. This will also loosen those decals which have baked onto your RV exterior.

Adhesive removers

If you can remove the outer layer of your vinyl graphics, this will be easy. When this has been removed, an adhesive remover may be used to remove the gummy glue off. Many generic adhesive removers work upon old as well as new decals. It is important to clean the place with some soapy water when removing the solvent residue.

Traditional solvents

Another step that can help you out uses traditional solvents. This includes stuff like mineral spirits as well as paint thinner to get rid of the vinyl decals along with the glue residue that they leave behind.

Mineral spirits can work best on the residue. However, paint thinner can get rid of the paper or also vinyl outer surface. If a camper wants to remove decals or any bumper stickers from chrome, they can try traditional solvents. If you are using these on a trailer or RV they can simply give you results.

You can even soak some rag or also heavy-duty paper towels in a solvent of your choice. This can then be put over the decal. Let the solvents soak in for minutes before starting the scraping procedure. Without doing this and rushing to start the scraping, will stop the solvent from effectively doing its work. It has been found that the removal task will be tougher if you do this.

Correct tools to get rid of decals

If you get the right tools to remove faded and other decals from the RV, this works. The task will be easier and can be done in rapid ways.

A petty knife can work gently after you have heated the backing. However, you will need to start by preparing the place for the removal.

You need to keep in mind that a metal scraping tool can cause more damage in comparison to other methods. Choose a plastic scraper from a good company instead.

Eraser wheels

An eraser wheel attachment for a cordless drill can be used. You can remove damaged decals that are cracking, with this on your truck or RV. These are not those small hand-held eraser wheels that you started using in school. These can be used but the task will take much time to end.

If you get eraser wheels, these require slightly more work than many adhesive removers. However, currently, eraser wheels are said to be safe for any surface. These will not leave behind residues that need to be cleaned when the decal has been removed,

Small stickers can be removed straight away with these. You may take decals off places at the places that solvent tends to damage soft rubber and other materials.

How to remove oxidation

As time passes the surface area present around a decal can become oxidized. This can turn the area into something that does not look good.

At the time that the decal from the front or any area is removed or goes away, it leaves behind some fresher painted surface that has been kept safe from oxidation. This may be a large area.

The “ghost” of the past decal is not able to be removed even if a guide claims to give you tips to do this. You will learn that this is the original color. However, a deoxidizing cleaner can be used on the surrounding place so that it might come back to its original finish. This trick may help you out. You need to be careful.

Depending on deoxidizing cleaners from a hardware store, automotive parts location, or some specialty company can help some people out.

This can be used on a lot of materials. It can also be used to brighten the paint, rejuvenate faded chrome, etc. This is a method that is recommended.

From the above, you can see that it is not tough to remove decals from the RV. However, it tends to be labor-intensive. If you know more tips then you can let us know too. Use the contact us page form or comment below.