Wrapping lower parts of vehicle?

[Ridler]

So I'm getting ready to wrap my shop truck that has been a project of mine for a while. I've done wrap accents but never a full vehicle and I'm just looking to make it all one color since I had to do some bodywork to repair some spots and they are in epoxy primer now.

My question is, when wrapping the lower parts of the truck, like the rockers and bottom parts of the bed, do you bring the vinyl to the very edge and then use the edge sealing tape over the edge of the vinyl and then around the back side of the panel or do you cut short of the edge by a little and then seal with the tape so it doesn't wrap around?

Just trying to see what is the proper way to keep from having water penetration under the vinyl.

This is a 2003 GMC reg cab short bed that is lowered 4/6 with a welded in roll pan, in case it matters.

Thanks for any advice you guys can provide.

[Supreme]

We used to wrap right to the edge and in the case of rocker panels we'd wrap the edges since we had them off. Over the years it became a bit unnecessary to do so as really no one gets under there to see any exposed colour other than a mechanic.

 

The practical way to do it is stop short of the edge. The edge itself is always exposed to high amounts of containments so you will find there will be places that lift no matter what you do. By stopping short you get the edge stuck down on a nice flat surface. Doing it this way you dont need a sealer at all, but it is something we put on under edges as a extra bit of insurance anyway.

 

Another way to do it is to trim it back on the under edge and then throw a second piece over the top that goes to the edge. This gives you a replaceable layer that you can replace over time if it does lift. We use it a lot here but more so for ease of replacing gutter rashed areas.

[Ridler]

Supreme - Thanks for the response.

 

Another question I have is, when I go to wrap the bed, should I divide it up into three sections, each side and then the roll pan or just wrap all the way around in one big piece so there would be no seems at the roll pan?

 

I'm thinking it would be to hard to wrap all the way around from one side to the other and just easier to do one side at a time and put a seam at each end of the roll pan with an overlap.

[painted600rr]

i say each side and the roll pan seperate

[Ridler]

After looking at it for about 20 minutes I think your right painted600rr. Three pieces just looks easier and less hassle.