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If you want to restyle your rear Bumper and give it a fresh new look, rear bumper wraps are some of the best options you can choose. At Rvinyl, we carry only the best wrap brands available today, ensuring you receive durable vinyl wraps designed to last many years. You can always trust us to supply you with the perfect wrap for your creative vision. And if you're looking for some tips, we got you covered. We asked Justin Pate of The Wrap Institute to create a video that covers the process from start to finish. You will want to assemble the following tools before beginning:
The first step on a back bumper like this, is to clean. Lots of dirt can build up on this upper area, and a big focus should be put on the edges. Always be sure to use a tucking tool and a highly absorbent microfiber towel to get in here and keep in mind that these cleaners can be purchased from Rvinyl. And because rear bumpers are such complicated objects in terms of recessed areas and angles, it is highly recommended to wrap it in two pieces here.
3M Knifeless tape is being put on the body line that separates the inside portion of the buffer from the outside. This will set up a perfect overlap that will disappear into the body line.
So take a piece that fits this top section. Cut it to size, always leave extra material left or right. Release the entire liner because wrap material from Rvinyl has a low initial tack that is very easy to install. Then, once on those steep peaks in the recessed area, make relief cuts. This will allow the material to relax into the body line without overstretching. The cuts are a great way to keep the material under 10 percent stretch and also avoid having to use a heat gun, which can slow down the install. The goal is never bridge and jam the material, and once it's into the Knifeless tape, release it. Pull away the excess material and now you have a perfect cut right in the gap. And for the top section here along the rubber molding using a sharp blade. Get the right angle, cut away the excess film there because there's no cut directly on the paint and the top section is now complete.
The first step is to apply 3M Knifeless tape, one more time. Put the edge of the Knifeless tape on the edge of the piece that was just installed. This will help ensure a one eighth of an inch overlap.
Next, place masking tape on any areas that are raised objects and put 3M Knifeless tape on the outside portion of the bumper, in this case, on the back, fender.
Now place the panel in position on the back bumper and keep in mind that some color change from Rvinyl is directional, so make sure the logo on the liner matches the other sections on the vehicle. Now, release the liner roughly two to three feet. Tacking on one corner so it holds, then release the liner towards the middle, pick the material up and make sure it evenly stretches right at the center point. Lightly tack it in position. And once it's tacked at this, but now it's time to heat the film around the outside corner. Warm the film so it's just above 120 degrees, then stretch it around the corner and make sure the tension is even right in the middle. If it's even right in the middle, then the top and bottom sections can easily be picked up and the wrinkles disappear. So the goal is to create glass, no wrinkles on the film. So if done right, it should be very easy and straightforward. Repeat the process on the opposite side afterwards
Once the middle section has done if the material was glassed out it's simply just about squeegeeing. The material from Rvinyl has air-egress features and is repositionable. So this allows the air to escape during the squeegeeing process, so the material doesn't have to be held away from the surface the entire time.
Here, lightly cutting on the masking tape allows the film to be relaxed into the base. As it works around to the bottom here, more tension builds up. So another relief cut has made the material picked back up and tucked into the base. This is a great way to keep the film from overstretching and makes for high quality. Once at hte base, take the tucking tool in this case that Avery Dennison FlexTreme, tuck it deep into the base and then cut the excess film away right at the base. This is not cutting directly on the body of the bumper, but next to it. Remove the excess film and come back in with the tucking to a one more time to make sure the material is deep behind the vent. Once that section is done it's time to get the material to the outside edge so it can be cut away.
Now for this top section, where it's going to meet up with the first piece that was installed, heat the film and gently work it into those gaps. Once the film has reached the recessed area and where the Knifeless Tape was set up, then the film can be heated and warmed, so it's set in place.
And with that, the back bumper is wrapped. Now keep in mind, that it is always a good idea to wipe the wrap down with aftercare cleaners, and these can be purchased from Rvinyl. These aftercare cleaners are very effective at removing any handprints that got on the wrap during the install, and they also put a nice glossy topcoat on top of the wrap that helps it stay clean and shiny.