21' LFG RAPTOR XPEL STEALTH

[RotorOver]

How long do you guys expect to get out of the PPF? My gen 2 is currently being PPF'ed with Xpel (not stealth). I dont offroad the truck very often, but its parked in the south Florida sunshine for long periods of time.

Xpel has a 10 year warranty. If you maintain it, I'd expect 10 years. Sold my last daily at 4.5 years and it was holding up well with a mix of Xpel and SunTek.

 

[Duck]

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Did the stealth the taillights or is that a different product?

 

[Duck]

Xpel has a 10 year warranty. If you maintain it, I'd expect 10 years. Sold my last daily at 4.5 years and it was holding up well with a mix of Xpel and SunTek.

Did you hand wash? I’ve had matte paint vehicles before and it was a nightmare. Love the satin look of the xpel but love car washes more I think

 

[RotorOver]

Did you hand wash? I’ve had matte paint vehicles before and it was a nightmare. Love the satin look of the xpel but love car washes more I think

Just to be clear, I'm talking about Xpel Ultimate on that car. I think they currently have multiple Ultimate products now. I've never used Stealth. Yes, always hand washed and on that car I resealed with sealant every year and wax on top usually quarterly. I've got another car I did ceramic coat on top and usually quarterly ceramic booster (topper) and use SIO2 infused washes and detailer to maintain. There is no free lunch, LoL!

 

[RCorsa]

That does look really good. Your installer did it the exact right way. Ive PPF about 15 cars and the installer is the most critical thing about the job honestly. Stealth XPEL is pretty durable and will allow you to wash easily but I dont think automated car washes are recommended (I did full XPEL on a black car once just so I could take to the car wash 2x week) as it can still scratch despite the “self healing“ they promote. One issue Im sure you know about is when you Stealth a shinny car and get a rock chip in the film (which happens-remember these films take The hit so your paint does not) you will get shinny dots in your car that are pretty noticeable. Sure you can replace the film section (at a modest cost) but you can get Another rock chip as soon as you drive off. If you are OCD like me these shinny spots can drive you crazy. Anyway, just some info for those considering it. For the OP you nailed it. Looks amazing and congrats

 

[RotorOver]

That does look really good. Your installer did it the exact right way. Ive PPF about 15 cars and the installer is the most critical thing about the job honestly. Stealth XPEL is pretty durable and will allow you to wash easily but I dont think automated car washes are recommended (I did full XPEL on a black car once just so I could take to the car wash 2x week) as it can still scratch despite the “self healing“ they promote. One issue Im sure you know about is when you Stealth a shinny car and get a rock chip in the film (which happens-remember these films take The hit so your paint does not) you will get shinny dots in your car that are pretty noticeable. Sure you can replace the film section (at a modest cost) but you can get Another rock chip as soon as you drive off. If you are OCD like me these shinny spots can drive you crazy. Anyway, just some info for those considering it. For the OP you nailed it. Looks amazing and congrats

To add to that, when you get those tiny abrasions in a white car with PPF they will sometimes fill with dirt particles and becomes visible where on a dark colored car you would not notice. Still better than damaging the paint IMO.

 

[Raptorial]

I'm normally not a fan of wraps, but this came out awesome.

How does this stuff hold up to pin striping ? I run into small trees and brush sometimes

 

[JAWSRaptor]

Xpel has a 10 year warranty. If you maintain it, I'd expect 10 years. Sold my last daily at 4.5 years and it was holding up well with a mix of Xpel and SunTek.

any soap recommendation, wax recommendations, or general recomendations to take best care of the Xpel wrap so it lasts as long as possible?

 

[wowanothertruck]

It looks amazing! What are the procedures for washing it? Are you able to run it through a wash or are there special requirements?

 

[RotorOver]

any soap recommendation, wax recommendations, or general recomendations to take best care of the Xpel wrap so it lasts as long as possible?

I'll give you a summary of my annual process. I start with stripping old sealant, wax, etc., off with Chemical Guys (CG) Clean Slate wash, but lots of stuff will work including Dawn dishwashing soap. Then I'd decon with iron remover- I like Gyeon Q2M Iron. I then clay the car. I like using a clay block since it's simple and fast to use and you can wash it off if you drop it on the ground. It can be used on the PPF as well to remove contaminants. That would be followed by a polish or paint correction, if needed. On the PPF, you don't want to use a cutting pad or compound. I typically use a white foam pad with polish, CG V38 Finishing Polish, typically. There are specific products for PPF maintenance, Gyeon makes one called QM2 PPF Renew, but I've never tried it. Once complete, wipe it down with a surface prep like Gyeon Q2M Prep or Adams Surface Prep. After that you've prepped the surface and are ready to lay down the protection.

Two routes here, the first is the sealant/wax route. I would start with Chemical Guys Jet Seal paint sealant putting down a couple of coats. Jet Seal last a good year for me. I'd layer that with a wax on top. The last wax I was using was Wolfgang Füzion Carnauba-Polymer Estate Wax. Some waxes work better than others- I would stay away from straight Carnauba. It would be best to ask for recommendations from the PPF manufacturer for a wax. I'd usually wax quarterly with the polymer wax and use a detailing spray after and between washes. I really like Kenotek Showroom Shine, but it's hard to find now.

The alternative and faster route is a ceramic coating. If you do it yourself you'll need to do the same steps for prep, but one or two coats of a good ceramic coating works great and should last you 2-9 years depending on which product and how well you maintain the coating. I've applied Adams Ceramic Coating and their Graphene Ceramic Coating. Just put the Graphene Ceramic on the Raptor (no PPF though) and that is a 9 year product. You still need to maintain with boosters and other SIO2 infused washes, detailing sprays, etc. I stick with the Adams stuff as the system works well together. If you go with a spray on ceramic the most you'll get is a year, but it is an option and it is pretty simple to apply.

I hope this helps!