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astmi

RV Mask/Diamond Shield

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On ‎1‎/‎31‎/‎2018 at 9:39 PM, astmi said:

Did anyone ever experience  Diamond shield ?

Is it different from 3M mask?

We have the Diamond Shield on our Georgetown... What is your issue astmi ?

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Huh???

My personal thought, it's a great product and for 6 to 7 years you'll love it...then you need to replace it (nothing last's for ever) and $5,000 later, you'll hate it. :wub::angry:

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When I had my last coach painted they offered me DS for $1250.  I asked how much to repaint the front, $850.  When I sold it last year the paint job was 5 years old and it looked like new, no need to cover it or repaint it.

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We will see how long it lasts.  My manufacturer instructions say you are suppose to clean and then put a coating of 303 on it every month.  I suspect if an owner did that and never missed a month it may last a long time.

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I bought a new Holiday Rambler Vacationer in May 2018, it had the diamond Shield on it.  After about a year I noticed mold growind under the diamond shield.  I contacted the company and got no results.  It got so bad tht I had to pay to have it removed.  I had a Company in Dover Florida remove it.  It cost $400.00.  I did not have it replaced.  they did a great job and it looked again like a new coach.  the company was called Allied Power.  They also replace film but use another brand.

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I had mine gouged by the dried stems of a bush growing alongside my driveway. One of 14 different pieces. Replacement cost: $528 for that small section. That's just the pre-cut section, uninstalled.

 

DiamondShield Diagram.png

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Andy, we had our's removed by Xtreme Graphic in Nacogdoches, paint underneath was buffed out and looks great. Did not have it replaced. Of course I was lucky, I had some damaged to the front corner and James convinced the adjuster that he could not match the paint without removing the D/S, insurance covered the cost.

Herman  

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Any way you slice this subject, the plastic is not for a lifetime and should be considered to be a maintenance item. Replace it in ten years +- a bit and start over.  It is still cheaper than having the front end refinished!

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There is a new product, sorry I don't remember the name. What sold me on it was the tech taking a piece of scotch brite pad and scuffing it up leaving it with scratches. Ran some hot water over it and the scratches disappeared.  Had it installed at Oregon Motorcoach. Warranted for 10 years

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Don, if you could find the name of the film it may help a lot of folks. Maybe you have the invoice where you had it installed.

I have heard but can't verify it, one of the reason the 3M or Diamond shield fail is that it is install most of the time on what is refereed to as Green Paint, paint that hasn't completely cured.  (New Coaches)

Herman

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We have Dura Shield on our coach, and it is horrible.  We have mold growing under every surface that is coated with this stuff.  On our color scheme, it's not too noticable on the black painted sections, but we have a lot of beige and champagne colors that look really bad with the splotchy dark brown mold.  I'm considering removing it and not replacing it with anything.

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Mike I am with you. So far on my 2008 MADP  my "whatever it is coating" looks ok. I think it has been replaced not to long ago. I plan on wiping it down with 303 to keep it that way. I passed on a coach that looked like the one in Urban Hermit's post. I just didn't want to deal with it. I think it is an unnecessary add on/profit center for the dealers like stain fighter for the upholstery. My last coach had over 125,000 miles on it and no noticeable damage to the front cap. Yes there was some minor stuff down under the bottom edge but you couldn't see it unless you were under the coach. If this stuff goes bad I will not replace it.

Bill

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Well there is  substantial difference in the abrasive impact on the front end cap of a coach that spends most of its life in country unaffected by the likes of snow and ice seasons, not that we use them much then. The debris called sand, containing rocks has a significant impact in places like Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas , New Mexico and Pennsylvania to mention just a few that remain into the travel season. Using the distained film is a whole lot less expensive than refinishing.  It seems there is always a lot of stuff on the roads in this part of the country and living here we get to experience it at a higher level. The film just needs replacing periodically , still less than  the other alternatives. Like a Battery it does not last forever. 

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Carl,  We had our first experience with the "Love Bugs" last spring, pretty ugly. There are some surfactants out there that when sprayed on the mess, allow for quick and easy removal. There are also some "shield" products that if applied before needing them also allow for easier removal. Our catch not having to deal with such a problem in remembering to use it beforehand. Since you brought it up I made a note to help me remember to chase it down.

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The mold under the film is ugly. The film is extremely difficult to remove. I studied several utube videos and tried three different processes including products and tools  from a company called Uglyshieldremoval in Florida. I spent over 20 hours and had removed about 6 square feet. I sold the coach and got a new one in 2016. I now follow the manufacturer advice closely: remove all bugs and clean the surface every day. Use formula 404 regularly. The juice in bugs penetrates the surface and causes mold to grow under the surface. A friend had his professionally removed and replaced for 2500.00

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 james68, welcome to the forum. Buying a new coach is a great way to get rid of the Dimond shield  problem.;) If/when I have to take it off I will not put it back. 

Bill

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