Opinions on Raptor liner

**BroncoHauler** · 02-01-2011, 11:12 AM

Have been thinking about painting the penthouse top white to keep the SMB cooler. Before making any decisions, I want to explore all the options, including a white (or light colored) spray-on liner.

For those of you with the Raptor liner from SMB on your penthouse top, are you happy with it? Any peeling, chalking, or flaking issues?

I'm not overly concerned about fading as I'm thinking about white or some other very light color.

Herb

Roonie · 02-01-2011, 11:18 AM

I see you can also tint it if you want? I assume this link below from Amazon is the same stuff? I am interested eventually in doing the same thing so there is no fiberglass maintenance to deal with on the PH. I am lucky and have white already. Is this something you would do yourself or have a shop do it?

http://www.amazon.com/Raptor-Tintabl...6584144&sr=8-2

**BroncoHauler** · 02-01-2011, 12:07 PM

Good question. Believe it's the same stuff SMBw uses.

I have a compressor, but I'm not sure it has enough airlfow, and my neighbors probably wouldn't appreciate me spraying this stuff out in the street. I think the hardest part would be removing my solar panel and masking off the ENTIRE van. Don't know if I would remove the Thule rails or paint/spray around them.

So right now I'm just looking at options, and haven't decided if I would paint it myself, spray-on liner it myself, or have it professionally sprayed with either LineX or Raptor.

Herb

joey2cool · 02-01-2011, 12:51 PM

I've got the SMBw Raptor liner. Had them color match it to the silver van (costs more $$$ to do that and I believe it comes white standard). No evidence of any problems with it, but my van is only six months old. Can't imagine the thing flaking or peeling down the road. Might get damaged if in a collision. Somebody on this forum once thought about doing their entire van in the stuff. I think that would be ugly, but it certainly seems like it would do away with paint chips from rocks, and maybe even minor dings from cars doors parked next to you. Does anyone know how thick the liner is? Seems substantial to me.

charlie56 · 02-01-2011, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroncoHauler

For those of you with the Raptor liner from SMB on your penthouse top, are you happy with it? Any peeling, chalking, or flaking issues?
Herb

Ours turns 3 years old this month. Have had no problems with it what-so-ever. Put me down in the recommend it column.

**BroncoHauler** · 02-01-2011, 03:33 PM

I'd be especially interested in hearing from anyone with a white Raptor coating.

How long has it been on your PH, and is there any yellowing?

thanks,
Herb

Ford_6L_E350 · 02-01-2011, 05:03 PM

Herb,

Do you have that much heat coming down throught the top? I doubt white will change the inside temp much, if at all. The top has a layer of wood, fiberglass and the inner liner. I'll bet the solar panel stops much more heat than going with white will.

And you will ruin the looks of your beautiful van.

Mike

TwoVans · 02-01-2011, 07:05 PM

Herb,

I've gotta go with Mike on this one. I'm told that dark green is the hottest color car you can get. So, of course I went with that for life in AZ. I also have a white Yukon XL.

Both have been outside through an AZ summer now. Although it is possible the van got hotter, you can't convince me that it was significant.

That's an all green to all white comparison. I can't imagine just the top painted white would net you a change you could feel.

That being said, sure wish my top had been done at SMB West. I have little doubt it will wear significantly better.

Eric

**BroncoHauler** · 02-01-2011, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford_6L_E350

Herb,

Do you have that much heat coming down throught the top? I doubt white will change the inside temp much, if at all. The top has a layer of wood, fiberglass and the inner liner. I'll bet the solar panel stops much more heat than going with white will.

And you will ruin the looks of your beautiful van.

Mike

You know, you talk yourself into a plan, and then someone has to shoot it full reality-holes. Maybe it's all the glass I have, but 117 degrees in Phoenix a few years ago was absolutely miserable in the van, with the dash AC on max, and the rear 12V AC blower on max. It could not keep up.

Now I do realize that 117 degrees is far out of the norm, and I do realize that a Ford van AC system just down-right sucks, but I never want my family to go through that again. So, I see my options to keep the heat down are lightening up the roof color, changing out the window tinting for specific heat reduction tinting, and installing the Max AC Assist valve from DieselSite. Any other thoughts?

Herb

Roonie · 02-01-2011, 08:02 PM

Here is some guy that did his whole Toyota in Raptor liner with pics.

http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/u-po...ner-kit-14621/

Here is a step by step application to a fiberglass roof for a Jeep. Same process for ours I imagine.
http://home.comcast.net/~coolfj40/JeepCJ7/Roof/roof.htm