Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

I like it

Those look good, I talked with two local companies yesterday. It looks like I should be able to cover my pontoon without any graphics for a little under 300.00. So I believe the vinyl is the way to go. I just need to take some time and make sure I do it right. My fear is making sure I dont do some hack job and end up wasting the money! I wish my panels werent on the inside, it would look like it would be alot easier if it was more like curtiscapk's toon. Thanks so much for the usefull information......the guys I talked with yesterday almost seemed stunned that I could somewhat talk to them with knowledge!

MIne is just like yours I think you mean tigerz procraft...

umtigerz wrote:

spurhunter wrote:Some great info, cant wait to see the renerding you do for mine!

Sorry about the delay, we've been covered up with work, I don't think I'll have time to get the graphics on my boat by the weekend!
Anywho, here's a rendering for you spurhunter, I'll send it in email in the morning, and we can start to tweak it from there.
I kinda used some of the original design elements, and kept the name at the rear of the sides.
I've definately got to tweak that name a bit. Let me know what you think.

Looks great!

I'd love to cover my current sides with a custom designed graphic, or perhaps just a solid darker color. But I'd hate like hell to install it over a few areas where the siding isn't "perfect" .. ie: has a few dents and dings. Is there a way to get those fixed ? Or is the fix simply buying new panels ?

Buccaneer wrote:I'd love to cover my current sides with a custom designed graphic, or perhaps just a solid darker color. But I'd hate like hell to install it over a few areas where the siding isn't "perfect" .. ie: has a few dents and dings. Is there a way to get those fixed ? Or is the fix simply buying new panels ?

I have imperfections, but figure if I get it all gussied up even with those, it will look 100 X better than it does now.

Buccaneer wrote:I'd love to cover my current sides with a custom designed graphic, or perhaps just a solid darker color. But I'd hate like hell to install it over a few areas where the siding isn't "perfect" .. ie: has a few dents and dings. Is there a way to get those fixed ? Or is the fix simply buying new panels ?

Their just may be a way to pull some of the dints and dings out if their aren't any real hard creases. Pick up a pops a dent wallyworld did stock them for about twenty bucks. I used one to pull a serious couldn't live with dint out of the back quarter panel of my pickup truck and made it livable. If the dent hadn't been across a hard body line I'm confident that I could have completely eliminated it.

I think I've decided to do a complete new skin on my toon... attached to the outside of the rails - like the newer pontoons are. My plan is to attach a vinyl edging on all 4 edges of .040 smooth panel and attach it to the rails using 3M VHB tape. I'll then have it wrapped with my graphics.

umtigerz - Question... you mentioned wrapping as being completely different. Can you explain the difference?

cjett wrote:I think I've decided to do a complete new skin on my toon... attached to the outside of the rails - like the newer pontoons are. My plan is to attach a vinyl edging on all 4 edges of .040 smooth panel and attach it to the rails using 3M VHB tape. I'll then have it wrapped with my graphics.

umtigerz - Question... you mentioned wrapping as being completely different. Can you explain the difference?

A wrap is just printed vinyl, most of the time its laminated. The vinyl is typically 2mils thick and the lamination is 2 mils thick making the final product 4 mils. Its very easy to work with, we are currently in the middle of doing 5 vans a partial print wrap install using the best of the best, 3M controlTac, however its non laminated, but it is pre-masked, that helps- but it is stilll very tricky to work with. Especially with the elements that a boat is under, and the reflection of the sun off the water make SURE to get your wrap/prints laminated, you'll thank me in the long run.

Getting the final product for a pontoon boat wrap should be fairly easy, again measure, measure and re-measure, do a scaled out drawing if you can and have all your info with you up front for an exact quote. Pricing will be on a per sq. ft basis, some prices I've seen as low as $5.50-$6.50 per sq. ft., and its the cheap stuff, not that it doesn't have a place in the market, but it not the best for this application. 3M controltac is the only thing I'd trust in this case, lets just say its the high performance vinly on the print/wrap side of this business.
You'll get that cheap vinyl printed and baking in the summer sun on the lake and within 18-24 months it will start to fade, I've seen it many times.

If you are re-skinning your sides, you might consider a pre-install, put your printed wrap graphics on your sides before you install them, will make for an easier job and you can line them all up in a row side by side on a flat surface.

Hope all the info helps, keep the question coming

umtigerz wrote:

cjett wrote:I think I've decided to do a complete new skin on my toon... attached to the outside of the rails - like the newer pontoons are. My plan is to attach a vinyl edging on all 4 edges of .040 smooth panel and attach it to the rails using 3M VHB tape. I'll then have it wrapped with my graphics.

umtigerz - Question... you mentioned wrapping as being completely different. Can you explain the difference?

A wrap is just printed vinyl, most of the time its laminated. The vinyl is typically 2mils thick and the lamination is 2 mils thick making the final product 4 mils. Its very easy to work with, we are currently in the middle of doing 5 vans a partial print wrap install using the best of the best, 3M controlTac, however its non laminated, but it is pre-masked, that helps- but it is stilll very tricky to work with. Especially with the elements that a boat is under, and the reflection of the sun off the water make SURE to get your wrap/prints laminated, you'll thank me in the long run.

Getting the final product for a pontoon boat wrap should be fairly easy, again measure, measure and re-measure, do a scaled out drawing if you can and have all your info with you up front for an exact quote. Pricing will be on a per sq. ft basis, some prices I've seen as low as $5.50-$6.50 per sq. ft., and its the cheap stuff, not that it doesn't have a place in the market, but it not the best for this application. 3M controltac is the only thing I'd trust in this case, lets just say its the high performance vinly on the print/wrap side of this business.
You'll get that cheap vinyl printed and baking in the summer sun on the lake and within 18-24 months it will start to fade, I've seen it many times.

If you are re-skinning your sides, you might consider a pre-install, put your printed wrap graphics on your sides before you install them, will make for an easier job and you can line them all up in a row side by side on a flat surface.

Hope all the info helps, keep the question coming

Thanks umtigerz. One other quick question... If I wanted to go with a single color, say a gloss black, what would be the best material to use?

Thanks again.