scratch prevention ideas

[osidepunker]

Hello!

I beat the snot out of my truck every chance I get. When I off road, the last thing I want to be concerned about is crashing through brush/cacti/tree branches. Also, rocks from the front tires are sand blasting my rear fenders. Mud flaps are not really an option and they wouldnt solve the problem 100% anyway.

I am mostly concerned about durability. I want The Truck to last 10-15 years. Looks are truly a secondary consideration for me. With that said, I need to do something to protect my body panels. I have fiberglass at all four corners and the doors that I need to protect. Bumpers, hood, roof, tailgate are not a concern. Here are the options I have been considering:

1. Linex - Pros: super durable and long lasting. Easy to repair. Minimal maintenance. Cons: Very expensive, over $2k for the sides. Very heavy, estimates range from 100-175lbs of extra weight. Increases coefficient of drag due to the bumpy surface, which reduces MPG (dont discount this effect, Linex trucks take a 1-2 mpg hit). Application quality varies. Some shops do a very bad job.

2. Vinyl Wrap - Pros: More durable than paint, easy to replace panels. Looks killer. Cons: Very expensive, as much or more than Linex. Probably will not stand up to the kind of trail abuse that I will expose it to.

3. Fiberglass Gel Coat - Pros: Easy to apply. Inexpensive, should be under $1k otd. Very durable if the right Gel is chosen. Possibly as durable as Linex. Should look very good if applied right, like a factory paint job. Cons: I have not seen a truck with a full Gel coat applied. Application on metal is questionable. Some Gels list metal as acceptable, some do not and claim it will crack as the metal expands/contracts. Basic problem for me is lack of information. If its so good, how come every truck is not doing this? But if you ask boat owners they will tell you its a must on your truck...

Are there any other options I should explore??? Does anybody have anything to add to the above information??? Is there anybody out there who has thought about trail coatings??? I need some ideas!

 

[wagex]

they make a clear stick on stuff ive seen on jeep forum a couple times some guys put it on newer jeeps, seems like it works great guy brushed up against some trees it looked like the paint underneath was scratched all to hell, he peeled it off, and boom fresh new paint put a new piece on and looks like new. i cannot remember the name of it for the life of me. search paint protection film there seems to be alot of products out there that work.

 

[robert]

3M makes clear film that I've seen people put on the sides of the trucks.

 

[ssapach]

You can wrap a vehicle in the clear 3M film. Most people usually just get it on the front bumper and hood for stone chip protection on the roads. But some people cover their entire vehicle in it to help "preserve" the paint/finish.

It will be costly like vinyl wrap, it's the same idea.

3M sells spray cans of clear film. Not sure how durable it is in comparison to the other method, using the full sheets of the stuff.

There is also Plasti dip. It's not as durable, but it's also not permanent and can be applied at home (spray or brush). Some people use it for temporary colour changes, since it can be peeled off after. I sort of doubt this stuff would be durable enough for your needs.

 

[tylerrafferty71]

I work in the wrap industry and it really can't get better than a wrap. All of my vehicles are wrapped. I don't have to worry about scratches or resale value.. And it increases value of you care for the wrap

 

[JamesW]

I'd be going for a wrap if I were very worried about my finish.

My Pajero gets dragged through the forests here,usually getting stuff dragging down the sides of it, I try to keep it waxed with a good carnuba wax, it keeps it looking clean, easier to wash, and it seems to keep the scratches away. My bumpers still get scratched to hell due to being soft plastic, but the paint on the metalwork seems to stay relatively good. It is still scratched, but if I went over it with a polisher I'd like to think that about 90% would come out



That being said if I had a truck that was newer I'd be opting for the 3m clear wrap

 

[aa2300]

You could always use Plati-Dip. Check out this google images search for some examples. I actually really like the matte look and it peels off whenever you want. It can be done with rattle cans, or a paint shop can do it for 1000-1500 too.

And while not in-expensive very cool looking Kevlar Paint

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

For a temporary solution, i had thought about getting some of the adhesive floor protector rolls that contractors use. Doesn't leave a residue and is pretty cheap (~$15 a roll of 100'). Just run it down the sides and cut around the doors, etc.

 

[Wilbah]

I work in the wrap industry and it really can't get better than a wrap. All of my vehicles are wrapped. I don't have to worry about scratches or resale value.. And it increases value of you care for the wrap

What kind of wrap would you recommend from a protection and cost perspective?

 

[brianjwilson]

I figure I'll just scratch my truck now. It's free after all.

If I need it to look pretty later, I could put a fresh wrap on it then and it would look brand new. You know, rather than spending a bunch of money on a wrap and scratching and tearing it.

Actually I really like the wraps. One of the members here even did his whole tacoma in a clear wrap and did an amazing job. You would never know it was there, but it held up extremely well to scratches and heavy brush etc. The clear wrap seems to be sort of self healing. The downside is that, long term, they can yellow and crack and be very difficult (and damaging) to remove. Oh and if someone else does it (I sure don't have that kind of time or patience) it costs a fortune, money I would rather spend on something functional. The truck could be detailed and touched up a lot of times for less money.

The adhesive wrap (temporary) actually isn't a terrible idea. Pete, who used clear film on his tacoma, actually used some of that self adhesive carpet film on the fiberglass canopy for an off road trip before he wrapped it. The plastic was scratched and horrible looking, but we easily peeled it off in about 10 minutes and the canopy looked brand new. Not a bad idea if you really want to preserve the paint and you know you're going to run it through the bush for a couple days. At least I'm pretty sure it was carpet protector that he used...?

 

[osidepunker]

Thanks for all the responses! Keep em coming!

3m wrap: The Truck had two 3m patches right in front of the rear wheels to guard against rock chips form the front tires. They did not last one season. For that reason I think that I would choose Linex over wraps. I was just hoping someone would chime in and convince me that wrap is better than the 3m clear, but sounds like its not.

plasti-dip: I want a permanent solution. I dont want to have to keep messing with it.

@Verkstad : Looks are secondary as I said. Scratch prevention is a priority because I am chipping the paint down to the metal. The bedsides are the worst. Thrown rocks are chipping down into the raw fiberglass. I have thought about mud flaps, but I am sure I will just tear em off on the trail. My Linex mpg opinions are based on anecdotal evidence. But the weight is a bigger concern for me. The Truck is already a heavy pig, I need to save weight where I can.

I guess what I am really looking for is someone who has tried gel coats. The durable kind that you see on boats. Linex is currently my first choice, but I cant seem to convince myself to pull the trigger due to cost and weight.

 

[verdesardog]

Scratch protection? .... We don't need no stinkin' scratch protection.

The AZ pinstripes on my truck give it character and were free!

 

[osidepunker]

Scratch protection? .... We don't need no stinkin' scratch protection.

The AZ pinstripes on my truck give it character and were free!

haha! trust me homie, desert pinstripes dont bother me. I have plenty of those and The Truck only has 25k miles. Its when the bare metal becomes exposed that I start to worry...

 

[155mm]

Regular vinyl wraps provide some protection, but they also make specific paint protection films too, like XPEL Ultimate and Suntek. These are thicker than the standard vinyl and some have "self healing" properties to fill in scratches on their own.

Another option is a something like Opticoat, which basically would be like adding a thicker, slicker clear coat. I have a similar sized truck and quotes were from $750-900 for Opticoat.

These two solutions, or some combination thereof, is what is typically used to keep scratches out of cars. They are both fairly expensive, so mostly you see people doing this stuff to sports cars and luxury cars to protect from road debris.

 

[155mm]

So you could do a combination and do Linex on the rocker panels, then a true paint protection film (not a regular vinyl) on the leading edges of the vehicle and doors, then opticoat on the rest.