Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 03-10-2013, 12:27 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 468
Sticker problem

Got a problem with stickers that the PO put on the van. Hoping for some suggestions to get the last one off....

The PO was sticker crazy, putting souvenir stickers on the bottom of the PH bed and the rear barn doors...on the paint no less, not the glass. Sheesh.

Many were vinyl, and came off safely, some easy, some with a lot of elbow grease and solvents.

I've gotten them all off except for one. And it is one stubborn SOB.

I've tried Ronson lighter fluid (contains naptha, which usually cuts most adhesives like nobody's business and seems safe for clear coated paints), WD-40, and Goo Gone. None of these cut the adhesive at all, not even the Goo Gone. I'm using a soft plastic putty knife to scrape at the edges, but I can only get the sticker to come off in little flakes. I've put solvents on it and let it soak, but nothing seems to work.

The sticker has no image left. The weather must have worn it off, and what is left behind feels like paper, but has an extremely thin layer of celluloid or something like it under the paper. Tried teasing it up a little to try and peel it by grabbing it with tweezers, but it is so brittle it just breaks into flakes.

The sticker is an oval, originally probably about 4x6 inches in size. After over an hour of working on it this afternoon, I probably was able to remove about 1/4 of inch of sticker at the top.

I would be grateful for any ideas.

__________________
DesertBoat ...has been SOLD. Sad to have seen it go.
photographix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2013, 12:45 AM   #2
Site Team
 
daveb's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Turlock Ca
Posts: 10,407
Garage
Re: Sticker problem

Did you try heat from a hair dryer?
__________________
2006 Ford 6.0PSD EB-50/E-PH SMB 4X4 Rock Crawler Trailer

Sportsmobile 4X4 Adventures..........On and off road adventures
daveb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2013, 06:54 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
shenrie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: boise idaho
Posts: 2,625
Garage
Re: Sticker problem

i used to take all those same steps, then someone told me about the eraser wheels. its just what it sounds like, a bigass eraser on a bit that allows you to put it in a drill and basicaly burn stuff like stickers and pinstripes off paint.



it has the ability to burn paint if you leave it in place too long, so be careful, but I have used the same wheel to remove crap off of 10+ cars now. has paid its self off tenfold and i have yet to ruin any paint.

either way, good luck. poorly placed stickers can be a bitch. stickers can be evil in the wrong hands...
__________________
"understeer is when you hit the wall with the front of your car, oversteer is when you hit the wall with the rear of your car, horsepower is how hard your car hits the wall, and torque is how far your car moves the wall."
shenrie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2013, 08:04 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
jage's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Parker, CO
Posts: 7,643
Re: Sticker problem

2nd the hairdryer and follow up with Goo Gone (essentially orange oil).

Use an old (or don't tell the owner) hairdryer and slowly heat the sticker and the area. Take your time getting closer and checking the warmth. After a few minutes I wind up 2cm from surface, always moving the flow around but in smaller areas. Once a corner of the sticker comes up* pull gently at 90º from the surface while heating up and down the growing line of removal on the sticker side. If you're not burning your fingers while pulling at the sticker, you're not hot enough (wiser people would bring a tool or wear gloves!) and the whole area should be warm to hot from the initial slow approach, so you're only heating the removal line over the edge.

Whatever is left can be removed with multiple applications and soaking with the Goo Gone, rubbed off between applications with a bit of old towel.

*Plastic scrapers, body kits and plastic "grout removal" tools each help, but the idea is not to scrape the sticker off.

I just did several stickers off my Tacoma this way- paint, glass and interior. Only one on the paint required soaking of the Goo Gone before the residue would come up.
__________________
it was good to be back
jage is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2013, 08:34 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 468
Re: Sticker problem

Great instructions on the hair dryer technique! I'll see if maybe a new bottle of Goo Gone will help, mine was pretty old and didn't smell like oranges. I'll check out the eraser wheel if that doesn't work.

I'll see if I can liberate the wife's hair dryer from its bathroom prison this afternoon and give that a try.

Thanks, all!
__________________
DesertBoat ...has been SOLD. Sad to have seen it go.
photographix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2013, 10:43 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Ford_6L_E350's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Washington - Ridgefield
Posts: 4,728
Re: Sticker problem

Hair dryer works, but for some reason I prefer hot water. Boil water in a kettle, pour it slowly over the sticker. The heat will soften the adhesive and allow removal of most stickers. Maybe I like because I don't need an extension cord.

Frequently, parking with the sticker in direct sunlight will soften the adhesive enough also.

Mike
__________________
Alaska to Key West, Labrador and more
Prostate cancer survivor. See Thread Prostate cancer and Sportsmobiles
2015 VW GTI 2020 Fiat 124 Spider
2012 E250 Hitop camper
Ford_6L_E350 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2013, 12:56 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 468
Re: Sticker problem

Finally! After 1.5 hours of soaking with boiling water (thanks, Ford_6L_E350!), Goo Gone (used a whole 4 oz can!), rubbing with a paper towel, and sitting in the sun, I got the sticker off.

Once I had gotten the celluloid/plastic/whatever it was softened and peeled off in small spots, the adhesive came off pretty easily.

What a job! All for a stupid $2 sticker.
__________________
DesertBoat ...has been SOLD. Sad to have seen it go.
photographix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2013, 10:39 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
buckkiller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Yakima WA
Posts: 673
Re: Sticker problem

Heat gun works best....removed Tyson graphics In a few hours
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
__________________
"The Redneck Mexican"
2002 E350 EB 7.3 Clydesdale 4x4 w/8' lift,
Colorado Camper Van pwr top,
Van Specialties build out
buckkiller is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2015, 10:51 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Aldercrest's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 475
Re: Sticker problem

My Sportsmobile stickers were peeling and looking pretty ragged. I pulled them off today, but there is still a lot of residue from the adhesive. Any tips for how to get that off? Hot water, alcohol, goo gone, citric degreaser? A combination?
__________________
2002 E350 EB - Voyager top - 7.3 - Quigley 4WD
Aldercrest is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2015, 01:02 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 468
Re: Sticker problem

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aldercrest
My Sportsmobile stickers were peeling and looking pretty ragged. I pulled them off today, but there is still a lot of residue from the adhesive. Any tips for how to get that off? Hot water, alcohol, goo gone, citric degreaser? A combination?
I would try the solvents you mentioned in order. If those don't work, try lighter fluid with naphtha (Ronson is easy to find at drug stores). You might also want to try Simple Green Degreaser, available at Home Depot and probably Lowe's. A bug and tar remover might help, too.

Don't get frustrated and resort to a razor blade! You'll ruin the clear coat.

When you do get the glue off, wash the area with warm soapy water and rinse to get rid of the solvent, then apply a good car wax.
__________________
DesertBoat ...has been SOLD. Sad to have seen it go.
photographix is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Sportsmobile Registry

Rex

Tomboy

99 Ford

dogredsurf
Add your Sportsmobile
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:52 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.