Diamond Shield removal and Qs

[DDMA]

Hi guys,

I need to remove Diamond shield and mine is badly cracked everywhere.

Bought the coach used and I did not let it get this bad.

I have heard gasoline, plastic razor, scrapper, heat... And with all that it can take up to a week.

I have called the Diamond Shield directly and they are supposed to get back to me with estimate but it has been over a week. I suppose they are tryin to walk away.

Just wondering, has there been mass class action law suit against them yet?

[Lued]

DDMA I am working on my 3m mask now, not fun I have about 30% done, the easiest I found so far in doing it in the sun after it has warmed up, Im in AZ now, and using plastic razor blades, buy a 100 or so, and some sort of holder and glue remover. Good luck.
Abrasive Blasting Cabinets, Auto Body Repair items in TP Tools and Equipment store on eBay!

[vraines]

There have been a bunch of processes posted on this site with varying degrees of success. I depended on sunlight to soften the adhesive, but not mid-day sun. The strong sunlight seemed to soften the shield and cause it it break off. I used a hard plastic scraper similar to a Bondo spreader, but much harder. I got it at a auto paint store. They gave it to me. I used 3M adhesive remover and it worked very well. I lost almost no paint, but the rock impact point on the shield were the most problematic. It took a lot of time,but the cost was mainly time. I tried a heat gun, but that was a PIA, and was not any better than working in the sun. Don't be afraid of this. You will be pleased with the result.

[RayJr]

I worked at camping world and diamond shield sent a teck to remove the stuff due to a warrenty problem, he used a heat gun and took his time not to damage the coach. I would say in the sun and light heat from a heat gun and you'll do fine just take a while.

[DDMA]

Thanks for the post guys.

When I say bad, I mean this. Maybe I understated this. I anticipate pulling little pieces at a time.

Diamond Shield quoted $1200 for the removal.

I feel like hiring 'manual labor' folks and have them work on it and come out cheaper.

Has anyone done that? Is this work highly sensitive to technique?

I can do it but if I were to do it for a week, I might as well pay Diamond to do it for me.

[Ramets]

i'm in Silver Springs, Fl., and I have a Diamond shield guy coming out in a week to remove it. I started to do it myself, but it became such a P.I.T.A. I said the hell with this and called Diamond Shield who contacted a guy who's contracted to them. He then called me to set up an appt. to get this crap off. It's gonna cost me $700 but to me it's worth it. I saw it being removed late last year at Alliance RV in Wildwood, Fl. and the guys doing the work were using steamers to get it off. When they were done you'd never know it was ever there. After I get it off I might check into getting a bra.

[adonh]

Originally Posted by DDMA

Hi guys,

I need to remove Diamond shield and mine is badly cracked everywhere.

Bought the coach used and I did not let it get this bad.

I have heard gasoline, plastic razor, scrapper, heat... And with all that it can take up to a week.

I have called the Diamond Shield directly and they are supposed to get back to me with estimate but it has been over a week. I suppose they are tryin to walk away.

Just wondering, has there been mass class action law suit against them yet?

Here is a thread I started on removing the 3-M product. The same steps would apply to the Diamond Shield. Hopes this helps.
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f258/anot...ct-169409.html

[djbmsu]

I am not sure any suit against 3M or Diamond shield will go anywhere. It is advertised to protect from stone ships and bug damage and it does exactly as advertised. I am still amazed that RV manufacturers are installing the junk, knowing full well that it will do crack and mold will form beneath the film.Not to mention that paint can damage when removing the crap. I ordered our new Phaeton WITHOUT and had a Bra made for $599. Get to our destination and remove the Bra. Last three MH did the same and in five years the front looks like brand new !

[DDMA]

Originally Posted by Ramets

i'm in Silver Springs, Fl., and I have a Diamond shield guy coming out in a week to remove it. I started to do it myself, but it became such a P.I.T.A. I said the hell with this and called Diamond Shield who contacted a guy who's contracted to them. He then called me to set up an appt. to get this crap off. It's gonna cost me $700 but to me it's worth it. I saw it being removed late last year at Alliance RV in Wildwood, Fl. and the guys doing the work were using steamers to get it off. When they were done you'd never know it was ever there. After I get it off I might check into getting a bra.

Does yours look as bad as mine?

I would have given up $700 to get this done. $1200 may approach new paint job on the nose.

I have steamer, heat gun..... someone suggested the rubber wheel that is used to remove decals and accent strips. I may give that a go.

May end up hiring a few folks and have them go at it for a couple of days. I bet I will come out cheaper.

I would like to hear more about the removal and your experience with it. Please keep posting!

Thanks.

[adonh]

Originally Posted by DDMA

Thanks for the post guys.

When I say bad, I mean this. Maybe I understated this. I anticipate pulling little pieces at a time.

Diamond Shield quoted $1200 for the removal.

I feel like hiring 'manual labor' folks and have them work on it and come out cheaper.

Has anyone done that? Is this work highly sensitive to technique?

I can do it but if I were to do it for a week, I might as well pay Diamond to do it for me.

Are the cracks shown in the picture all the way through the surface, or are they under the surface material. Most I have seen or under the surface material, I know mine was was. It seems that what fails is the adhesive. Nice advertisement for Diamond Shield with their emblem and phone number shown in the picture.

[Furniss]

My wife and I have just completed the removal of Diamond Shield from our 2007 Discovery. We tried all of the methods suggested in the IRV-2 forums. All of the suggested methods worked to some degree. What worked best for us was to work in the early morning , before the sun was on the coach. We used a Wagner wall paper steamer to soften the adhesive and pulled the plastic coating using our fingers. Do not get the plastic to hot or it will stretch and break. On the sections where the mold was very dark the plastic would break into small pieces. We used plastic razor blades in holders to remove the small pieces. The residual adhesive was removed using alternate sprays of 3M General Adhesive Remover and then Xylene. The operative word here is PATIENCE! Let the chemicals do the work, spray several times if necessary. Then use the plastic razor blades to remove the adhesive. Don't forget to cover your headlight lenses. The chemicals will etch them. We are in our senior years and got the job done, you youngsters (less than 65 ) should be able to do this easily. We did it in 30 hours between the two of us.

[adonh]

This is a Sweat Equity project for sure. What do you think 30 hrs of labor for 2 people would cost. I am sure glad my 3-M cover is off but I would not want to do this job again.

[Mac99]

There is nothing inherently wrong with the 3m films, it is mostly
a lack of proper care, cleaning and maintenance. Using 303 protectant,
and care in cleaning what is really a "plastic film", can give you
many years of good performance. Here is a photo of an 08 DP
with 55,000 miles. 303 Aerospace protectant every 4-5 weeks.

[taminator]

Check out this thread:

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f107/flee...ne-193056.html