Diamond shield, 3M shield & other maintenance items

[Doug Allman]

Just came across  RVbylife.com  that has several products I have not seen before that in maintaining your RV may be a large help for its appearance.
They have a liquid that helps in removing that old clear film that gets very cloudy and deteriorated looking. Also a ROT liquid that can restore deteriorated wood areas that you can then drill. A slick liquid that when recaulking anywhere you can get a smooth clean seam line with. etc.

[Chuck Bayman]

I used their Release product last summer to remove the 3M film from our coach.
The product work very well but not as easy to remove as in their video. I believe
this was do to the condition and age of the film on our coach. Mine came off in
small pieces. I had 55 hours over 11 days and 3.5 bottles of Release and some
pretty sore hands. I was qouted $1000.00  and $1200.00 to remove the film so
I believe my time was well spent. My front cap looks brand new and I only have
a couple hundred dollars and my time in it.



 
 

[Guy Pryor]

i removed the 3M plastic cover from my front cap I tried several products including Gas in a spray bottle witch worked pretty well but the best was to work on it when the sun was shining directly on the front of the Motor-home. I did try using a heat gun also but it is vary easy to use to much heat and damage the paint. My 3M shield was in vary bad shape and took me a month to remove it. The most useful  tool I used was a plastic scraper that I bought on Amazon, I think it was like $15 and came with a 100 blades they are just like a double edged razor blade except plastic. I only used about 20 blades for the job. Sense then I have used that scraper on several other projects it really saves your fingers and dose not damage the paint or clear coat.
https://www.amazon.com/Mini-Scraper/pages/3035661011

[Andy Riess]

I removed the 3M mask from my 2003 Contessa by using a Home Depot purchased wall paper steamer/remover and a plastic scraper. It was time consuming and labor intensive but worked. I used WD40 to remove the leftover glue. Better to do it a bit at a time. It's no fun but can be done..

[Joel Ashley]

Related to this topic and for those of us not yet with a substantially deteriorated film, I’m considering ordering and using Novus plastic rejuvenating products, perhaps the 3-part kit, as recommended by Diamond Shield, the most common film provider (3M was a Beaver factory standard or option).  Then following up with the HydroSilex I just got and used on our old toad.  It is according to the mfr. okay to use on plastic films.  Diamond Shield prefers us to use Aerospace 303, and I use that (or in the past at least Protectall) already for a protective finish on other areas like the Fantastic fan roof seals and AC covers. 

Maybe it’s overkill, but the film is obviously from these and similar threads very hard to replace, so a coat of 303 with a HydroSilex finish replenished regularly while traveling may forestall the inevitable.  Except for a few rock dings, ours is not yet all that bad looking.  But then on trips I try to clean it with the windshield in camp, and at least biweekly if not weekly have replenished the cap with other anti-UV, anti-bug polishes.

Granted I’d rather be out fishing or in the lounge under the awning after a day’s drive, but occasionally I still have the wherewithal to get at it while I’m scrubbing the windshield and Lee’s busy making dinner.  As long as a hot setting sun isn’t on the front, it’s been a plan.

Novus 7100 Plastic Polish Kit - 8 oz. at Amazon and others, but less $ if you don’t care about the #3 product for large scratches.

Joel

[Stan Simpson]

I'm following this thread with interest. What happens when you remove the 3M shield? Are you down to the original paint? Our 3M is cracked all over. If I remove it, will the original paint be marred as well? Or is it a crap shoot as to what I will see? I have a quote to remove it, and re-paint the front cap; $4000. I can cut that in half if I remove it myself.

[Guy Pryor]

Here is a pic of the results of removing the 3M shield from my beaver. I did have some paint damage after removing the shield some of the rock chip damage that the 3M shield has protected you from has damaged the paint but the shield has held the paint chip in place so when removing the shield the chip is removed also. But if you are going to have the front repainted that should not mater. On mine I was able to get some touch up paint to match and from 30 feet away it is not even noticeable.