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what do you used for front cap protection?
Hi guys,
I Know from the plastic coach group that Diamond Shield either comes with the coach or is offered as an option to protect the front of the coach. There is also a plastic guard available or a bra as a consideration.
What do you use on your coach? I know out west there are many two lane roads and speeds of 65+ mph. Along with that you can have high winds and 18 wheelers kicking up sand and gravel. That’s why I ask the question because of all the different driving conditions you’ve seen!
Do you put something on your front cap (is it called that on a Prevost)?
HJ
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18 Replies
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Many use a 3m stick on type shield that is not visible when installed…old days the coaches used bras or a plexi type covering…..
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Hi Jeff, So you’ve found the 3M Diamond Shield works well then? The life of them is about 5 years I think but I guess it’s become standard from what I’ve seen!
HJ
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What nobody is willing to admit is the stick on protective coating starts out as a nice idea, but as it ages it yellows, crazes and generally speaking looks like shit and requires a very time consuming process to remove it.
For a while it was all the rage, and then for a while there were a lot of posts on the previous forum about the lousy appearance and the difficulty removing it because it did not age well.
We have brutally teased one another about the plastic shields because they get milky, because they get dirty and the front of the coach gets dirty also so owners had to clean not only the front of the coach, they had to clean both sides of the plastic shield. And the plastic certainly did not improve the looks of the coach.
Then bras came into being. They didn’t look great either, but they protected the front pretty well. But they were not without their issues. They had to be removed if moisture got beneath them. they rubbed the paint and stainless if they were left on and not cleaned after each use.
If you owned a coach and did nothing to protect the paint or stainless after 15 years you had a collection of tiny stone chips in the paint and small dents in the stainless steel.
Pick your poison.
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What did you choose for your coach Jon?
Jeff and Lindsay
91 Marathon XL -
I had two previous coaches and used nothing. My current coach I have a bra that came with it and I use it about half the time. I am less concerned about chips and dings and more concerned about the effort to get the bugs off the front of the bus. I don’t bother cleaning bugs off the bra.
I like the coach to look nice, but I’m past the point where every little scratch and ding gets me excited. It’s 11 years old and is entitled to show a little wear and tear.
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I’ve always liked the idea of the 3M product but I do know it only lasts about 5 years and costs about 1500 bucks to have it professionally taken off.
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This conversation reminds me of my parent’s generation. They used to put a sheet or plastic slip covers over the sofa or the car seats. The entire time they owned whatever was covered it looked horrible but it protected the fabric. The only one that benefitted from the use of protective covers was the person that bought the used sofa or car from them.
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I personally saw the process of the 3M material removal on a Marathon trade-in at Liberty last year. It was a very slow process working a millimeter at a time with a plastic blade of some sort (two guys working).
I’m thinking at 5 yrs., I will have the film removed and a have a new one installed. I’ve ‘heard’ that it will come off easier when not as old and maybe not damage the paint.
Maybe Jeff would have advice?
Mark
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We had the plastic shield on our previous coach. It did a fine job protecting the front, but with certain wind directions, it had a vibration that was quite annoying. When it cracked (I guess from old age) I just threw it away. When we had to have the front repainted, I chose not to put the film on, and two years later when I sold it, had several pock marks in the paint. This coach has film on the front. It is still transparent, but is badly cracked. Have it on my list to replace, but it still protects the front of the coach, and since it has no impact on drivability, mechanical reliability, or safety, it will stay on there until I’m ready to replace it. I had a bra on the tow car a long time ago, and besides the issue of rain, it also started to rub the paint. Woould not put it on our coach.
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I had new bra’s made and used a soft / fiber backing against the paint unlike the originals that had a vinyl type backing. As with any covering, regardless of material, remove when you park so it doesn’t create “sweat” and moisture that can affect paint… -
Jon wrote: “This conversation reminds me of my parent’s generation. They used to put a sheet or plastic slip covers over the sofa or the car seats. The entire time they owned whatever was covered it looked horrible but it protected the fabric. The only one that benefitted from the use of protective covers was the person that bought the used sofa or car from them.”
This practice continues today in parts of Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island.
I’ve also seen Prevost coaches with the clear vinyl on the carpeting … keeping the carpeting prestine for guys like H.J. to buy the coach and let that carpeting breath.
Then Brady wrote: “As with any covering, regardless of material, remove when you park so it doesn’t create “sweat” and moisture that can affect paint…”
H.J.: Here is something else to worry about … previous owner(s) who left the vinyl bra on long term. Jeff Rowe brought Prevost/Liberty expert John Stone along to inspect our coach when we first saw it. We knew the coach had been in its bus barn for a long time. The seller opened the big door as Jeff and John walked up to the it and when they saw the bra on the coach they both GASPED! They walked up to the front of the coach and carefully pulled the bra away from the coach front and inspected it to make sure the paint hadn’t been damaged. Many coaches were delivered with bras.
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Our bus came with a bra. It is a jillion yrs old and still looks good and does its job.
I wouldn’t put the 3M stuff on my worst enemies bus.
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Im with Jon on this one! We roll without a bra or any 3M product. I’d just pull the bumper apart and re paint every couple years. Chances are the the fender skirts would need to be touched up too while we have the paint out. As for the paint below the windshield and above the stainless, After 25K miles there are very few rock chips and knicks that can be seen from a couple feet away. My bra stays neatly stored above the garage!
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One comment on using the bra, it would protect the paint but it would also protect the stainless panel on the front of anXLII. Those run about $1000 and then about 6 hours labor to remove, prep, and install new. Dont ask why I know this. 😡😡
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We have the 3M on our coach. It is old and cracked, and once Iget the coach zeroed out, it will be replaced with new film. The film protects the paint, even though it is cracked. The bra rubs the paint, and repainting every so often woould be prohibitly expensive, with the intricate paint job. We had a plastic shield on oour last coach, and it did a great job at protecting the paint, but didn’t look good. I eventually threw it away. When we repainted that coach, I chose not to put plastic on the front since we planned on replacing the coach, and a year later we had plenty of rock chips in the paint.
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