How long does a vehicle wrap last? This is a question many business owners and companies ask when considering vehicle advertisement. Many companies choose to use promotional vehicles to get their message out to potential customers. These promo vehicles take advantage of the fact that drivers always have to remain wary. In practice, this means watching all of the other nearby cars on the road, so it makes sense that people would use this habit for advertising purposes.
That’s where a vehicle wrap comes into play. In the old days, companies had to give their promo vehicles a whole paint job. The only other option was to settle for decals, which are almost as expensive and prone to peeling away. The vehicle wrap, on the other hand, is basically a decal that covers the entire vehicle.
How Long Does A Vehicle Wrap Last?
It is not possible to put a definite figure on this matter because it can be affected by many things. In general, though, most companies guarantee their work for 3-5 years, so that is probably a reasonable lifespan to expect. That’s good because vehicle wraps would not be a cost-effective option if they didn’t have this long life.
At the same time, there are two big factors that can affect the longevity of your vehicle wrap. For one thing, the quality of the material will play a big role. Vehicle wraps are generally made of vinyl, but there are many variations on this material. Some vinyl is thick and strong, while other vinyl types are thin and weak. Naturally, that first category will last a lot longer.
Another factor that affects the longevity of your vehicle wrap is the wear and tear that comes from normal use. Like most other things, these wraps will expand in hot weather and contract in cold weather. This produces a very small amount of warping, and the problem can go from large to small over time. Rain, snow, hail, and sleet can also be murder on a wrap, so your lifespan will be lowered if your area gets an unusually large amount of those things.
Finally, we have the factor of installation. As we said earlier, the wrap is basically a huge decal. If you’ve ever applied a decal to your car, you know that it can be very easy to make a mistake and ruin the entire job. You can even strip the paint from your vehicle if you aren’t careful. Most professionals won’t do that, but some of them will fail to secure all the edges properly. Over time, this leads to peeling, flaking, and the loss of the vehicle wrap.
Washing Your Wrapped Vehicle
This matter warranted its own section because it represents one of the most common mistakes. A vehicle wrap is meant to resist water because it has to withstand all sorts of weather. At the same time, it wouldn’t be a good idea to push your luck. For instance, taking a wrapped vehicle through an automated car wash is likely to be a bad idea. You might get away with it once or twice, but frequent use of machine washing will reduce the lifespan of your wrap.
Although it takes a little longer, you should always wash a wrapped vehicle by hand. This should be done with a soft rag and a non-abrasive cleaner. You should obviously avoid anything that contains bleach so that you don’t wash out the color of the vinyl. Soap and water is probably the best option when you need to clean that promo vehicle.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of cleaners on the market that are just too harsh for use with wrapped vehicles. If you find yourself unsure about the suitability of a certain cleaning product, start by testing the cleaner on an inconspicuous area of the vehicle. For instance, you might put a little dab on the underside rim of the bumper. If something should go wrong, people are highly unlikely to see the results.
Never Try To Fix It Yourself
In most cases, a little bit of DIY skill can be handy. However, this isn’t one of those cases. The application of a vehicle wrap is a very specific and exacting process, so you shouldn’t try to do it as an amateur. Likewise, if something begins to go wrong with your vehicle wrap, you shouldn’t try to fix it yourself.
Ordinarily, we would advise people to go DIY on that problem. However, you really need the services of a professional for this one. If your wrap begins to fade, crack, or peel, you should return it to the same person who did the installation. Since they are the ones who first applied the decal, they will know best how to remove it when the time comes.
A Word About Polishing
Since you are trying to make that vehicle stand out as much as possible, you might also be thinking about giving it a good polish. After all, there is something about a nice healthy shine that makes you want to look. This factor can be utilized for your promo vehicles, but it’s important to do things in the right way.
You should never use a carnauba-based wax to polish a vehicle wrap. Instead, go for a polishing compound whose main ingredient is silicone or Teflon. Likewise, you should never use any kind of wax on a wrapped vehicle that has a raised or matte finish. These kinds of wraps are not supposed to be smooth or shiny, so it would be kind of pointless to polish them.
Conclusion
If you are using promotional vehicles, a vinyl vehicle wrap is a great blessing. With only one step, you can turn a standard car into something that stands out from a mile away. Naturally, that is what you want from a promo vehicle! A few decals won’t grab the attention you want, so you need to cover the whole thing. We hope that this article has been helpful to you, and we also hope that you will fill out the contact form to receive more interesting articles like this one.