Painting or Wrapping Camper Shell

I'm scouring the web for a use camper shell and I'm finding some out there, just not white like my truck....

I'm considering wrapping the shell (ARE or Snugtop) in vynil as opposed to having it painted. Has anyone ever done this? Trying to wrap it white to match the truck. I have a few friends who work with vynil and can get me some at a good price to do it with.

Will I regret this option? Of course there wouldn't be a whole lot wasted if I change my mind other than time and bit of money.

Thanks! (Loving my first Taco!)

 

You'll have a better chance of matching your truck with paint. The vinyl is probably going to limit your matches.

 

IMO if you have access to people that can do it right and the good quality materials, i would go for it. Get a quote on getting a camper paint matched and see how much cheaper it is to wrap.

 

I'm sure it's more expensive now but I think I paid $150 to have my first shell color matched on my '95 Tacoma (back in '96). Try taking it by a local tech school or high school with a body shop program and see what they charge. You could do the prep yourself to save some money or heck, just prep and paint it yourself, it's not like there's a ton of surface area, you could probably do a perfectly acceptable job with a couple of those color-matched aeresol cans and a coat of clear. You can buy the stuff at Napa or other vendors.

 

In my opinion, vinyl wrap is much more practical and gives awesome look to your car. My vinyl wrap project was installed by ********** and I am very satisfied!

 

Wow, old thread.....Did you paint or wrap? Im in a similar situation

 

Same here. My ARE camper is Barcelona red and my truck is radiant red. I found a vinyl that i liked and thinking about doing the wrap myself with a buddy. Color is Avery carmine red. Not sure how much vinyl to use, I’m thinking 5x10ft but not sure. Got a quote to paint the camper shell but it’s $550. I was also thinking monstaliner too.

 

I wrapped mined....brand is vvivid, can be bought at Amazon. I bought the 5ftx10ft for $60. Its a bit ghetto, need more practice....but it will do for the time being....its not a show truck, so it is what it is...

 

Looks good man! So 5x10ft is enough? Looks like you have a ARE topper too.

 

I did it in section. Driver side, passenger side, and the top. The sides will need to be stretched a bit. Yes it is ARE cx.

 

Looks great in the photo....I’ll be wrapping an ARE MX soon. Happy with the Vvivid? I’ve heard it is better than the 3M. Any tips?

 

Vivid is good. Tons of vids on YouTube vivid brands. I'l buy again.

Tips: used heat gun on low....get vinyl kit....don' be afraid to stretch...practice first.....and be patient.....

 

Mine is wrapped in 3M. I purchased it this way. Owner was going through a lot of manzanita in California scratching (pin stripping). Instead of hearing that nail biting sound she just slides through whisper quiet.

 

Matte or gloss finish?

 

Looks to be gloss. Kinda shiny. Everyone stares at it and I get lots of thumbs up.

 

This is a great idea. I just got a used canopy in magnetic on my cement. The TRD OR wheels are magnetic so the mismatched look is kinda growing on me. It sort of keep the look of a truck over a long SUV in my opinion. Maybe this is just the cheap side of me not wanting to spend $500 to paint a cap that cost $550. However a matte black wrap would look sweet with some black wheels.

 

I’ve got MGM on Super White. Decided I like it enough to not spend the money to paint/wrap it....

 

MGM on white is all right....flam’n gay blue on white is som’n else...

 

Paint a few stars on that canopy and add some red pinstriping. USA! USA! USA! USA!

 

Blue no more!! It was a pain in the butt and far from perfect. The factory ARE paint is perserved and the white vinyl looks way better than the blue top.