Fleet wraps are an effective way to advertise your brand and show your company’s true colors. They work well on rentals and vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Since wraps come without the disadvantages of expensive paint jobs but look just as good, many companies elect to wrap fleet vehicles rather than paint them. Commercial fleet wraps are easy to design, print, and install, and RoadRunner offers coast-to-coast wrapping services. No matter your brand or location, if you need car, van, bus, boat, or fleet truck wraps, RoadRunner has you covered.
Hot weather can pose a problem for vinyl vehicle wraps. Understanding how the heat can potentially affect your fleet wraps will help you take steps to avoid unfortunate damage and keep your vehicles looking good. We know that it takes time and effort to maintain a commercial fleet. Wraps are our specialty, and we know exactly how you can keep them looking good in any weather. Wraps are an investment just like anything else in your business, and you want to protect them.
No matter how hot the weather gets, following some of these common tips will help ensure that your fleet wraps look good for years to come.
The Advantages of Vehicle Wraps
Why should you wrap fleet vehicles? The budget-friendly pricing and the versatility of wraps are good reasons. Full and partial wraps are easy to change out when your brand messaging or information changes, so we can always keep up with your business growth. Compared to the cost of a paint job renewal, wrap changes are simple, straightforward, and, most importantly, cost-effective.
Keep your wraps in good condition by washing them without harsh chemicals and keep them sheltered from the relentless intensity of the hotter months to keep your wraps eye-catching for a long time. Vehicle wraps turn your company vehicles into billboards on wheels. Protect your valuable advertising dollars from the heat, and you’ll reap the benefits month after month.
How the Heat Affects Your Wraps
Extreme heat can cause your wraps to wrinkle or warp by stretching or sinking. The heat can affect the adhesives, which contributes to the wrap warping. Extended UV exposure can also cause the graphics to fade, creating unsightly spots that ruin your critical brand imaging. Using high-quality vinyl can help mitigate these factors to a degree, but it’s up to you to take the additional steps necessary to protect your fleet wraps.
Hand Wash Your Vehicles On Cooler Days
With vinyl wraps, it’s important to hand wash your vehicles at least weekly. Regular washes help to remove and prevent the buildup of contaminants and pollutants that can sometimes compromise the integrity of your wrap and keep your vehicles looking great. With very large fleets this can be difficult, so it’s a good practice to rotate washing duties on a regular schedule.
Wait until the cool part of the day, rather than doing this in the hottest hours. Early morning or in the evening, once it starts to cool down, are ideal times to perform maintenance. Avoid washing in extreme heat, as the vinyl is more vulnerable to tearing and wrinkling during these times. Be sure to dry your vehicle gently afterward; if the vinyl remains wet, it will only attract the particles that you washed off in the first place.
If your vehicle does get warm, don’t wash it while it’s hot. Find somewhere to park it away from direct sunlight and allow it to cool down first, perhaps aided by a cool water rinse.
Rinse With Cold Water In Hot Weather
In addition to washing your vehicle, a good practice to maintain is rinsing your vehicle with cool water during the hottest parts of the day. This helps keep the vinyl from overheating and warping in the heat. You may need to rinse it several times if the weather is extremely hot, but this is an easy way to keep your wraps from losing their integrity during the worst heat waves. Gently dry the vehicle, as with washing it, so that you don’t leave it susceptible to accumulating dust or water spots again.
Avoid Direct Sunlight
Strive to keep your vehicles away from direct sunlight as much as possible. This is unavoidable when you’re driving, but your vehicle is in motion, which helps reduce the effect of the heat on your vinyl wrap. When your fleet vehicles sit for long periods of time in direct sunlight, they suffer increasing temperatures and damaging UV rays.
It’s important to store your vehicles in covered garages or shady spots to keep them out of the sun as much as possible. Make sure to watch out for windows where shafts of sunlight can get in and potentially damage your wrap over time.
High-Quality Vinyl and Protectants Help
Using high-quality vinyl wrap materials and adhesives is a great way to protect your vehicles from extreme heat. Along with following the steps outlined above, you should be able to mitigate or prevent heat damage to your vehicle wraps and keep your fleet looking sharp and your brand messaging on point all year long.
For All Your Vehicle Wrap Needs
RoadRunner has the most experience—with over 70,000 vehicles serviced in 20 years, there’s simply no competition. We can help design, print, and install your fleet truck wraps, keeping your vans and cars updated with attractive and effective brand advertising designs, ensuring your advertising budget is well-spent. Contact us today if you need to repair or replace a wrap damaged in the heat, or if you want to see what a difference vehicle wraps can make for your business.
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