Anyone do a Vinyl Boat Wrap on a Tiara (and will admit it)

[davisfamily]

We are in the process of (hopefully) purchasing a 3800 Open.  I love navy blue hulled boats and am intrigued at the idea of having the boat hull wrapped in navy vinyl.  The photos look amazing--as good as a painted boat for 25% of the cost.  Has anyone done this successfully?  Any suggested questions that I should be asking the "wrap" guy?

[reeltimebrad]

I also have a blue hull and it needs paint badly! All the wrapped boats I've seen are flashy with lots of logos and you would not notice minor imperfections as you would on a solid dark color. My other concerns are how long do they last and how do you fix a scratch or gauge.

[Misdirection]

My last boat (non Tiara) had a partial wrap on it. The wrap was a teal color and eventually faded. Its not like you can buff them out. So while they may be 25% of the cost, how often will they need replaced? Maybe they have improved since then, but I personally shy away from them.

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[Sans Peur]

I think a solid color would be hard to make look right. I have a few wrapped vans but they have logo's and writing all over so any imperfections or scratches are practically invisible. All the wraps are 3 or 4 years old and look new, even being in the FL sun and heat. I think you can spend a little more and get some UV stabilized material. With a solid color I would be worried.

[trit21]

I own a wrap company so I will tell you solid color wraps are not difficult to match since the material they use is dyed material from the factory, 3M 1080 or 2080. They have about 60 colors or something like that and they will last a long time on a vertical surface, side of the boat. Problems you WILL have is the material only comes in 60" widths and may be difficult to wrap in one piece so there may be seams, but that will depend on the boat and the installers. DOCK RASH, you will rub against something eventually and it may (probably will) mark or tear. Repair is near impossible to make it look seamsless. If you want seamless and a perfect finish, you will have to replace an entire sheet. All wraps fade over time. Although it may not appear to fade, if you were to print a new piece or get a new piece of material it will be obvious it has faded. All vehicle wrap material has a UV inhibitor either in the material or a laminate (if it is printed) over the top to help protect against fading and scratching. But it is not a magic piece of vinyl, chances are if you rub a dock or pile it will mark and / or tear. It is less expensive but again, it is not paint. Although 3m and many other manufactures sell this as a replacement for paint, IMO, it is not, unless you have a show car that is not driven OR you know the limitation of a wrap at the onset. Which now you do.

My company: www.pinnaclesignworks.com