Community Forums

lhill · 08-03-2014, 01:27 PM

I am in the process of removing the badly deteriorated Diamond Shield from my '07 DSDP. I was hoping that I would have minimal paint damage during the process as others have written. The junk is actually coming off okay, guess the warm Texas weather has softened it enough, but so far I've found 3 different areas where my paint has lifted and is not adhering to the fiberglass. It's like a large air bubble under the paint. Looks like very poor paint prep or contamination by the folks at Newmar.....the diamond shield was holding my paint on!

I've put a few pictures in the galley area and will try to add some here.
Anyway, looks like a trip to the paint shop for me....

GaryKD · 08-03-2014, 02:55 PM

Hi lhill,
The same happened to me. Precision Paint in Bremen, Indiana painted the front of my coach. They painted it exactly as it came from the factory. I went to a bra for the front of the coach. No more Diamond Shield for me.

lhill · 08-03-2014, 04:59 PM

Thanks for your response Gary. I still have the large panels between the headlights to go.....I hope I have better luck on the flat surfaces. Did the painters ever tell you why they thought your paint lifted like mine? Also, I'd love to have a bra for my front end....where did you get yours? Thanks again!

millerj · 08-03-2014, 06:29 PM

I had a fender bender repaired on my coach earlier this year at Precision Paint in Bremen, Indiana and they did a fantastic job and charged what they originally estimated the work at. In addition they were one half the cost of what Newmar wanted to do it.

lhill · 08-03-2014, 08:02 PM

You folks are lucky to have a place like Precision Paint to go to. I'm sure I can find a shop here in Houston that can handle the touch up.....or the entire front end paint job. Note, it's only been 1 color that has lifted so far, the other 2 colors on the front have been okay. Not sure that has any bearing on the problem. Fingers crossed!

bnsonger47 · 08-03-2014, 09:00 PM

Not to rain on the parade of compliments regarding a certain paint shop in Bremen, however, any paint shop that has worked on motorhomes, busses or trucks can do the job. Paint is mixed differently now that thirty years ago. Techniques have changed, too. The important thing is that if the color is one color (no stripe involved) you're well off. It's doing the striping that becomes an issue. That's where experience comes in.

Just last week I was in Elkhart county. I've visited three paint shops that do work under contract to a two manufacturers. One would be surprised at who does and who doesn't paint their own coaches. In fact, two of the contractors did work for Forest River and each didn't know about the other's work. Psst, don't tell. OK?

harleychief · 08-04-2014, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lhill

I am in the process of removing the badly deteriorated Diamond Shield from my '07 DSDP. I was hoping that I would have minimal paint damage during the process as others have written. The junk is actually coming off okay, guess the warm Texas weather has softened it enough, but so far I've found 3 different areas where my paint has lifted and is not adhering to the fiberglass. It's like a large air bubble under the paint. Looks like very poor paint prep or contamination by the folks at Newmar.....the diamond shield was holding my paint on!

I've put a few pictures in the galley area and will try to add some here.
Anyway, looks like a trip to the paint shop for me....

Glad to hear that the DS is coming off easily, have you had any problems with the adhesive? I started doing a test area on mine, the DS peeled right off but the adhesive that was left is giving me fits.

Route 66 · 08-04-2014, 04:48 AM

Just as lucky as you.

Precision Paint is a multi day trip for many of us.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lhill

You folks are lucky to have a place like Precision Paint to go to. I'm sure I can find a shop here in Houston that can handle the touch up.....or the entire front end paint job.

lhill · 08-04-2014, 07:06 AM

Charlie, some areas leave almost no adhesive while other areas leave a bunch. I just wipe the adhesive down with Xylene a few times to soften the glue and then scrape it away with a plastic razor blade and shop towel. So far it's working pretty well. I have decided that for the really large panels I will use the plastic blades to score the film into smaller strips and remove and then clean smaller sections at a time. Good luck with your project!

montiem · 08-07-2014, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lhill

I am in the process of removing the badly deteriorated Diamond Shield from my '07 DSDP. I was hoping that I would have minimal paint damage during the process as others have written. The junk is actually coming off okay, guess the warm Texas weather has softened it enough, but so far I've found 3 different areas where my paint has lifted and is not adhering to the fiberglass. It's like a large air bubble under the paint. Looks like very poor paint prep or contamination by the folks at Newmar.....the diamond shield was holding my paint on!

I've put a few pictures in the galley area and will try to add some here.
Anyway, looks like a trip to the paint shop for me....

That looks like a paint failure, I would take it to a place and have it tested for a foreign substance on the fiberglas. I just removed my shield and it come off easy enough but the lettering on the front was mounted on the top of the shield. I asked a guy in town how and he said put it out in the sun, let it get warm and off it came. The glue was a little more difficult, Goo Gone, spray on let stand and then used a plastic putty knife, no scratches.

Are you putting some other type of protection, like a bra. I have not had any experience with those, I certainly do not want one of those plastic bolt on schields. The guy here said he takes the shields off of a new cars as soon as he gets one.

montiem · 08-07-2014, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lhill

Charlie, some areas leave almost no adhesive while other areas leave a bunch. I just wipe the adhesive down with Xylene a few times to soften the glue and then scrape it away with a plastic razor blade and shop towel. So far it's working pretty well. I have decided that for the really large panels I will use the plastic blades to score the film into smaller strips and remove and then clean smaller sections at a time. Good luck with your project!

Charlie I just read your post, be careful scoring the shield, in my other post I said my name was glued on top of the shield, I thought I could take a razor and score it around the letters, not a good idea. I just did a part of one and noticed it was scoring the paint, plastic blades may make the differance different but if if cuts the shield it may cut the clear coat.

You know what is really strange it the manufacturers continue to use this product, and we keep taking them off. GO FIGURE

Ramets · 08-08-2014, 06:53 AM

Last winter I started the removal of my DS along with another guy where we were staying in FL. I decided after a few attempts to have someone else do it for me. My neighbor said I was crazy to spend $500 to have it done. Well the guys who removed mine did a fantastic job. You'd never know it was ever on. No paint damage at all, plus it only took them about an hour and a half and they were gone. My neighbor took two days, and had $1800 dollars worth of paint damage. It worked for me.

smlranger · 08-08-2014, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramets

Last winter I started the removal of my DS along with another guy where we were staying in FL. I decided after a few attempts to have someone else do it for me. My neighbor said I was crazy to spend $500 to have it done. Well the guys who removed mine did a fantastic job. You'd never know it was ever on. No paint damage at all, plus it only took them about an hour and a half and they were gone. My neighbor took two days, and had $1800 dollars worth of paint damage. It worked for me.

I'd pay $500 to have mine removed in a heartbeat. However, haven't found anyone in my area of Virginia who wants to deal with it. We will be in Myrtle Beach, SC in a few weeks and I hope to find someone who will remove it while there.

TomandGloria · 08-08-2014, 07:16 AM

I used Adhesive Remover by AutoTec. Got the product info from another member here on the forum. That and a plastic scraper took the adhesive off quick. Can't be done in direct sunlight and needs to be done in temps under 68*. I can tell you I panicked at first when I started this, but that remover made it super easy.