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Old 03-28-2020, 05:39 PM   #1
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Did your Bounder come with Diamond Shield already on it?

So, after our first trip across Florida last weekend, our front was obliterated with love bugs. Knowing that these need to be washed off sooner rather than later, I did a search on YouTube and found a guy who was talking about his RV and the fact that he had a "clear bra" on it called "Diamond Shield". My eyes lit up as I remembered seeing that logo on the right front of my new coach. Sure enough, when I went back to check it, you could see all of the places where this product had been applied: across the front, around the four wheel wells, near the entry door key, etc.

I searched the brochure for the Bounder, I searched the website, I could find nothing about this. Doesn't it seem like a FEATURE that Fleetwood should be mentioning to their prospective customers? Or, did I just get lucky with someone's mistaken installation on my coach?
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Old 03-28-2020, 06:09 PM   #2
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Our 2016 Bounder had it and now our 2019 Southwind has it. We bought both brand new and they were factory installed.
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Old 03-28-2020, 06:11 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AZ RV'r View Post
Our 2016 Bounder had it and now our 2019 Southwind has it. We bought both brand new and they were factory installed.
OK, then. Thanks for the reply!

Seems like a marketing issue. I would definitely want prospective customers to know every feature that protects their MH!
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Old 03-28-2020, 06:17 PM   #4
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Did your Bounder come with Diamond Shield already on it?

We put 2 coats of “Rejex” on the whole front cap twice a year and the bugs pretty much wipe off... or at least much easier. Some people on here say they use it on the glass... I do not.

It is easily found on Amazon for about $15 if I remember right.

Good luck!
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Old 03-28-2020, 06:35 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by AZ RV'r View Post
We put 2 coats of “Rejex” on the whole front cap twice a year and the bugs pretty much wipe off... or at least much easier. Some people on here say they use it on the glass... I do not.

It is easily found on Amazon for about $15 if I remember right.

Good luck!
Thank you! I knew there was something out there that would help, but for the life of me could not remember the name. Headed for Michigan next week; I'm sure the front end will be comical by the time I reach there.
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Old 03-29-2020, 09:10 AM   #6
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Diamond shield or 3M shield

My 2011 Southwind came with this stuff on the nose, around keyholes in door and a couple of other places. While in theory , this stuff should be great. In reality, or at least for me, it turned in to a nightmare. This stuff is often not put on correctly and it will get type of fungus underneath it, it will also start cracking and it WILL look like crap. I called a couple places about removing it and they wanted $1200.00 to do the job. Then year before last one of my friends was looking at my nasty looking front of motorhome. He said his Sceptor did the same thing and he removed it himself. He said it was very time consuming and that you just had to go slow, take your time, do it a little at a time. He said he used a heat gun and plastic razor blades and it came off fairly easy and in big pieces. HOWEVER, there are at least 2 companies that make this stuff, one comes off in big pieces, other comes off in LITTLE pieces. It took me 12 hours total spread over several days to get this crap off. I used plastic razor blades, a nonmarring scrapping set from Harbor Freight, and about 5 cans of GOOF OFF. I managed to get it all removed then put about 3 coats of good wax on. By going slow, I did no damage to paint. It looks good and cost me around $50.00 and my time. I also read that the people that make this stuff recommend it being rremoved every few years because of these problems. I would never buy anything again that had this mess on it. But at the end of the day it is each persons choice. If you will go to YouTube you will find a lot of videos about this stuff and removing it.
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Old 03-29-2020, 09:22 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by catonine View Post
My 2011 Southwind came with this stuff on the nose, around keyholes in door and a couple of other places. While in theory , this stuff should be great. In reality, or at least for me, it turned in to a nightmare. This stuff is often not put on correctly and it will get type of fungus underneath it, it will also start cracking and it WILL look like crap. I called a couple places about removing it and they wanted $1200.00 to do the job. Then year before last one of my friends was looking at my nasty looking front of motorhome. He said his Sceptor did the same thing and he removed it himself. He said it was very time consuming and that you just had to go slow, take your time, do it a little at a time. He said he used a heat gun and plastic razor blades and it came off fairly easy and in big pieces. HOWEVER, there are at least 2 companies that make this stuff, one comes off in big pieces, other comes off in LITTLE pieces. It took me 12 hours total spread over several days to get this crap off. I used plastic razor blades, a nonmarring scrapping set from Harbor Freight, and about 5 cans of GOOF OFF. I managed to get it all removed then put about 3 coats of good wax on. By going slow, I did no damage to paint. It looks good and cost me around $50.00 and my time. I also read that the people that make this stuff recommend it being rremoved every few years because of these problems. I would never buy anything again that had this mess on it. But at the end of the day it is each persons choice. If you will go to YouTube you will find a lot of videos about this stuff and removing it.
YIKES! That's not good. Maybe that's why they don't advertise that they use it!

Thanks for the feedback. I'll definitely keep an eye on it.
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Old 03-29-2020, 07:41 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by catonine View Post
My 2011 Southwind came with this stuff on the nose, around keyholes in door and a couple of other places. While in theory , this stuff should be great. In reality, or at least for me, it turned in to a nightmare
When.....?

Your coach is a 2011, when did it become a nightmare?

What is your expectation of the lifespan of this protective sheet of plastic on the front of your RV? This piece that gets road, bug, weather, and everything else attacking it head on?

Sorry but I am always amazed when people bad mouth a product and make blanket statements and then top it of with no clarification.

Lets start with the basics,
Have you owned the coach since new?
Did the previous owner maintain the shield twice a year as stated in the owners paperwork? Since you have owned it, have you maintained it as stated in the owners paperwork?
How many days a year is the RV outside in the elements.
Are you full time or part time. If full time is it ever covered or is it out in the full force of sun and nature 365 days a year?
Are you part time? Where and how is it stored when not in use?
What US states does it stay in and for how long? Humid...or dry climate...115 degree heat... 20 below freezing in the winter?

Why....

Because all of this matters when you say things like you did.

Heres a made up scenario.

I park it with the nose facing the sun in my spot in Florida about six months a year during winter, right near the ocean and salt air. Then in the summer I park it with the nose in the sun in Seattle where it rains a lot.

How long would it last? We would all be amazed if it lasted 10 years.

This applies to all aspects of RV's including the roof and the paint. If not maintained or protected, it will fail, and time kills all no matter what you do.

Let's talk about the MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU SAID....
"By going slow, I did no damage to paint. It looks good and cost me around $50.00 and my time."
again, you said...
"IT LOOKS GOOD"

I wonder why it looks good? Is it because that sheet covering the front did its job and saved and protected your paint?

But this takes the cake....
"I also read that the people that make this stuff recommend it being rremoved every few years because of these problems."

Please post a snapped picture of documentation from the manufacturers where you read this.... anywhere, any place, just proof just show us where you found this. Im not holding my breath.

Mine has been great and I would purchase it on every coach in the future. and if it failed like I expect it will in a decade I would remove it and consider installing a new piece.
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Old 03-29-2020, 08:08 PM   #9
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To answer the OP's question: no, ours did not. But then it was an '06 bought new. The only place that had it was a small section which ran across the bottom of the outside of the entry door. For the most part, it did what it was put there for - protection. The top left corner was never adhered properly to the door from day 1, so no matter how much I tried to keep it clean, mildew got underneath that corner.

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Old 03-29-2020, 08:46 PM   #10
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My 05 Kountry Star had it from the factory and when I bought it at 10 yr old it was failing. I had it replaced for $2000. The paint underneath was perfect except for a quarter sized spot that lifted beside a headlight. So it did it’s job. The new material carries a lifetime warranty. Had it not been for that fact I probably would not have replaced it after removal. I might add that my coach had the full body paint option which included Diamondshield. Gel coated units did not get DS. That may be the same with other manufacturers in that timeframe.
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Old 03-30-2020, 05:37 AM   #11
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If you like it, that is great. I dont and never will. I stated what had happened to me with the crap and that is all. I took care of the crap like I was instructed. After about 4 years the mold started to form underneath and rapidly turned to looking like crap, and cracking. As to my comment about the paint looking good, I simply meant that I did not gouge or damage the paint while getting the crap off. Like I said, glad it works for you and you like it......I dont.
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Old 03-31-2020, 09:29 PM   #12
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I bought a 2017 Holiday Rambler Vacationer in May of 2018, it was new. After about 1 1/2 years the diamond shield had mold growing under it. I had to have it removed and now it is gone.
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Old 04-01-2020, 12:04 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AZ RV'r View Post
When.....?

Sorry but I am always amazed when people bad mouth a product and make blanket statements and then top it of with no clarification.

Lets start with the basics,
Have you owned the coach since new?
Did the previous owner maintain the shield twice a year as stated in the owners paperwork? Since you have owned it, have you maintained it as stated in the owners paperwork?
How many days a year is the RV outside in the elements.
Are you full time or part time. If full time is it ever covered or is it out in the full force of sun and nature 365 days a year?
Are you part time? Where and how is it stored when not in use?
What US states does it stay in and for how long? Humid...or dry climate...115 degree heat... 20 below freezing in the winter?
First, turn off your condescending attitude, sir!

We purchased a brand new 2017 Bounder 33C and within ONE year, the mold was visible under the "shield". I've removed some of it but have a lot more to go before it's all gone. Indeed, this stuff is total crap! I would much prefer getting a nick or a bug on the front my my MH instead of having this stuff on there, because it ALWAYS looks ugly.

Your request for "basics" is bizarre. Are you implying that anyone who has the mold problem is stupid or didn't do something right? I've followed the Diamond shield instructions, so proper maintenance is not the issue. And what does leaving it outside got to do with it? If the Diamond Shield can't handle the elements, it should never have been installed on the front of a motor home that will undoubtedly spend most of the time in the weather!

You may be one of a handful of lucky owners who are happy with the stuff. Good for you, but, just do this for me, type "Motor Home Diamond Shield" into Google and see what comes up in the results. 90% of the search results have to do with "Removing Moldy Diamond Shield From An RV". Hundreds of articles and videos about how bad it is.

And you ask the OP:
Let's talk about the MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU SAID....
"By going slow, I did no damage to paint. It looks good and cost me around $50.00 and my time."
again, you said..."IT LOOKS GOOD"
I wonder why it looks good? Is it because that sheet covering the front did its job and saved and protected your paint?"


** AZ RV'r, apparently you didn't understand when the OP said it "LOOKS GOOD" - it's because the moldy Diamond Shield was GONE!

And you ask the OP:
"But this takes the cake....
"I also read that the people that make this stuff recommend it being removed every few years because of these problems."
Please post a snapped picture of documentation from the manufacturers where you read this.... anywhere, any place, just proof just show us where you found this. Im not holding my breath."


** AZ RV'r, Good thing you're not holding your breath because right there on the Diamond Shield website they have a page entitled "REMOVAL & REPLACEMENT", with a company excuse for why the material has "limited life expectancy which means it is more likely to stain, yellow, or crack."
- Here's the "snapped picture" you requested. Note the photo on the right showing the mold ON THEIR OWN WEBSITE!
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Old 04-01-2020, 11:23 AM   #14
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"Phochief"....Sorry you had bad luck with yours too.... but that was not my intent to be condescending... but it is equally unfair to just throw out a blanket statement bad mouthing something.

I will try to "nicely" answer you below.

First to address you and others that have premature failure....
I will say that if yours or others with the Diamond shield have failed in a year or two, I COMPLETELY AGREE with you, that the company, product, and installation has failed you.... and it should be on the manufacturer to remove and remedy the situation! I would be angry and calling Diamond shield to "come take this crap off" I don't know what amount of time it should last, but 1-2 years is definitely not enough!

That being said... If it lasted +4 years outside 365 days a year that might be fair too... and it might be time to have it removed. I do not know what what Diamond shield thinks the lifespan is for their product

Ok here we go.... I will directly answer your comments.

"Your request for "basics" is bizarre. Are you implying that anyone who has the mold problem is stupid or didn't do something right?"

YES... that is exactly what it could be, but it could be many factors thats why I wanted "the basics"... If the coach is 11 years old like in "catonine's" signature... it's completely possible that no maintenance or care has been done with the Diamond shield and it could be the reason that it failed. He stated 0 information as to why, when, or how the failure occurred... hence my reason for "basic questions." If he bought the coach new and he removed it with mold, cracking, yellowing, or whatever failures in the last 2 years that would mean he got about 9 years out of the product. I think that would be a great service life.

If he had said something like...
I have owned the coach for 5 years and it has always been parked in covered storage in Iowa with no rain or water contact and little sunlight on the diamond shield....
That would have told the story and we all would have a better understanding. But just saying something like "this stuff is crap" to me is not a fair comment.

As I stated in my post and above ... I never said or implied that I expect this product to last or look good forever.


Next...

"apparently you didn't understand when the OP said it "LOOKS GOOD" - it's because the moldy Diamond Shield was GONE!"

OBVIOUSLY no one on this site would want to have yellowing, cracking, chipping diamond shield on the front of their coach. But his "looks good" comment could be a reference to the paint looking good or the coach looking good now that the shield is removed.... only he could clarify what he was thinking, but the way it was written, I took it as "the paint."

Last...

"Good thing you're not holding your breath because right there on the Diamond Shield website they have a page entitled "REMOVAL & REPLACEMENT", with a company excuse for why the material has "limited life expectancy which means it is more likely to stain, yellow, or crack."
- Here's the "snapped picture" you requested. Note the photo on the right showing the mold ON THEIR OWN WEBSITE!"

Great proof... Thats good enough for me! Is shows that the company knows and acknowledges that the product has a lifespan... as we ALL should... but this kind of the point of my other post you seem unhappy with.

In the picture you put up it states that "the expected life can very based on film, climate, and general maintenance." all the things I asked to be clarified... kind of helping my argument.
If "catonine" is unhappy that his diamond shield has failed and is cracking and yellowing on his now 11 year old coach... It's not fair to say "this stuff is crap." It might be +5 years over its expected lifespan. again why I stated the need for "the basics."

Hope this helps and is not condescending.
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