I replaced the decals on our Scamp trailer. It was not a fun job, mainly because they were so brittle (and a lot of them). Shouldn’t be too bad for a single “Roadtrek” decal. As said, an auto body shop shouldn’t charge much for a single small decal.
If you want to try it yourself, here’s the basic process:
- Do it on a warm day and use a hair dryer to soften the old decal for removal.
- Use a plastic razor (from hardware store) to slowly lift and peel back the old decal. The older and more brittle, the harder and slower it will go. Have plenty of extra blades on hand. This step is 80% of the job, so don’t give up!
- Clean the area thoroughly with acetone to remove all old adhesive.
- To install the new decal you’ll need a small decal squeegee (plastic, not rubber, from auto supply store) and a spray bottle with water and a drop or two of dish detergent.
- Spray the area where the decal will go lightly with the soapy water.
- Peel back the paper on the adhesive side of the decal. If it’s large, only peel back a few inches from one end and fold the paper back.
- Place the decal where you want it. Use a level or other means to get it straight. The soapy water gives you some working time to adjust the placement.
- Use the squeegee to work out water and air bubbles from the center to the edges.
- Peel back more paper and squeegee, a few inches at a time, until the whole thing is in place. If things go south- crooked or large bubble- you should be able to lift and start over, thanks to the soapy water. Did I say soapy water is great?
- Wipe excess water with a towel and let dry several hours or overnight. .
- Carefully peel off the paper on top of the decal if applicable. Some have paper on both sides; some don’t. Mine did and I had to coax a few sharp details to release from the paper.
- Wipe the whole decal with a dry microfiber cloth to make sure it’s clean, dry, and fully adhered.
One of the first things I did to our Roadtrek was remove all the decals, leaving only the small “Created by Roadtrek” badges on the lower front doors (which aren’t really decals). I prefer the clean look, and I’’ll never again have to deal with cracked, faded decals. Caution, though- on an older RV, decal removal may leave a ghost image behind where the finish was protected from the sun.