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07-12-2013, 06:32 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Durham, NC
Posts: 106
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3M Diamond Shield
Is there a fail proof way of getting the stuff off. I have an 01 HR Imperial, and the front end has this stuff that's starting to look real pitted. I want to take this stuff off, but am concerned about ruining the paint.
Grady Ray
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07-12-2013, 07:08 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,754
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Call DS or send them an email.
__________________
2014 American Eagle 45T
DD 13, 500 HP
Pulling a Honda CRV
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07-12-2013, 07:15 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Fort Worth TX
Posts: 845
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Do a search for "removing diamond shield" and you'll find plenty to read....
__________________
2005 Newmar Dutch Star 4024
Pulling my 2012 Malibu w/Blue OX & Patriot brake unit
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07-12-2013, 07:50 PM
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,607
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Definitely do the search. I took it off my 2008 Bus and it did take some pint off. It was a slow, finger cramping process as well. I found lacquer thinner the best solvent (only partial) for the residual glue. When we ordered the 2013 Bus WITHOUT it, it showed up sporting a full DS face. The Tiffin guys at the factory pulled it off in about 45 minutes. Of course there was 5 big guys doing the pulling and a LOT of effort. And yep, it took some paint there too. They used xylene as a residual glue solvent.
Good luck. We're definitely happier without it than with it on. I can fix paint chips, I can't fix either the DS or the chips under it.
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07-13-2013, 08:42 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Montgomery, AL
Posts: 1,199
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If it has been on there since 2001 it is going to be a bear to remove without pulling paint with it. You probably have the 3M product and not Diamond Shield. I had the 3M on my old one which starting getting mold around the edges within 3 years. I started by using a hair dryer then pulling the edge very slowly. It took me forever and I wore off my fingernails (had to wait for them to grow back enough in between letting my sore fingers heal). I would peel and then use an box cutter to remove what I managed to get off that day. It looked like you-know-what until I got it all off. I used fingernail polish remover to get off the residual glue and followed by washing it very good. Even with all the care I took there were a couple of places where I had to use touch-up paint. That was the biggest job I ever undertook on that MH.
__________________
Mel (Melanie) and Harry
2009 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH
2014 Jeep Wrangler Sport
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07-13-2013, 06:36 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Pensacola, Florida
Posts: 5,173
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Grady, I think Mel has right. Diamond Shield was not available in 2001. Getting the 3M (or DS for that matter) off is a little like getting a divorce - there ain't no easy way. Getting it off without some paint coming with it is going to be more difficult yet. Best of luck.
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Travel well, travel safe,
Jim
2006 Tiffin Phaeton - 2011 Cadillac SRX
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07-13-2013, 07:15 PM
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#7
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Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 39
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Grady, I am in the process of taking that stuff off right now by myself. Everything that i have read did not work for me. I am half done going on 8 hours spent so far. Tried a heat gun, melted the paint stopped using that. Sprayed goo-gone over the film helps some. Using a round edge paint scraper, edge is very fine not sharp. Getting underneath the plastic film pushing carefully. You can take the top sheet off this way but leaves most of the glue residue which is the problem for me. Used some pam original cooking spray and seems to dissolve it better that anything. You will have to back track scraping the residue off. Keeping it wet is the key in my opinion. Everyone was out of xylene (my luck) will be purchasing some to try. You will loose some paint in areas but anything looks better that what mine did.Slow,slow process. Worst product that I have ever seen. I think its one of those projects that many ideas work for different individuals. Good luck. Keep us informed.
__________________
2004 Mountain Aire, Model 3778, 2013 Honda CRV, Brake Buddy
Carson
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07-14-2013, 07:10 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 715
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I used 3M adhesive remover and it made the adhesive removal part a quick job. I used a very hard plastic scraper to get the DS removed. Very slow job. I peeled a little paint where rocks had impacted the film. Really worth the effort and time. See my final photos. I had the front repainted after all that film was removed.
__________________
2007 Dutch Star 4320
2010 Mazda Miata 6 speed
Roadmaster tow
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07-16-2013, 07:08 PM
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#9
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Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 39
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What finally worked really fast to get the glue residue off for me was.....Goof off.... from Walmart for 5.97 ,turns it to a milky white paste. Will never buy diamond shield film again has not worked for me.
__________________
2004 Mountain Aire, Model 3778, 2013 Honda CRV, Brake Buddy
Carson
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07-17-2013, 08:11 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Polk City Florida
Posts: 1,930
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There is a company in Sarasota FL that removes it but it is not cheap and NO guarentee for damaged paint. There is another company that sells a "love Bug" disolver that says DO NOT use on diamond sheld because it will disolve it. We just ordered a new 2014 Tiffin Phaeton and our order states NO Diamond Shield.
This product ( as well as 3M ) is installed within hours after the coach is out from the paint barn and drier.
The problem is their is still a small percentage of moisture in the paint and then trapped under the film.
Sooner or later it will turn to black marks which is mold and look like **** I have used a bra for years and the front looks like the day it was painted.
__________________
Don and Nancy
[2018 Tiffin Bus 40 AP, 2022 Ford Edge ST , 9yr old sisters Sara n Kaycee, Havanese, Electric Catrike
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07-17-2013, 10:23 PM
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,607
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Quote:
Originally Posted by djbmsu
There is a company in Sarasota FL that removes it but it is not cheap and NO guarentee for damaged paint. There is another company that sells a "love Bug" disolver that says DO NOT use on diamond sheld because it will disolve it. We just ordered a new 2014 Tiffin Phaeton and our order states NO Diamond Shield.
This product ( as well as 3M ) is installed within hours after the coach is out from the paint barn and drier.
The problem is their is still a small percentage of moisture in the paint and then trapped under the film.
Sooner or later it will turn to black marks which is mold and look like **** I have used a bra for years and the front looks like the day it was painted.
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Call the factory before your Phaeton ships to the dealer. We ordered the 2013 WITHOUT and even had Bob Tiffin call us personally to be sure we wanted it that way. You guessed it.... Came through with the DS. Rather than mess with the dealer (we took delivery in Buffalo, NY on Jan 16) and the weather, we stopped at the factory on the way back from Arizona and had it removed. They tried more than a few times to convince us to leave it on, but when I insisted it was taken off and the necessary paint repairs done.
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07-17-2013, 10:26 PM
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,607
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By the way, the water under the DS comes from the water/soap solution they use to put it on with. Their paint is all solvent based, not water based. Water in the paint would cause no end of fisheye problems.
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07-18-2013, 03:48 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Lakeside RV Park, Livingston LA
Posts: 816
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I also used the "Goof Off" and a scraper. The glue is the hardest part to get off.
__________________
Lloyd, Cheryl & Samantha our Shih-Tzu
07 Pace Arrow 38P & 07 Liberty 4x4
How's that hope and change working for you???
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