Wrapping a bus

[ilyafish]

Do any of you guys have any insight on how much roughly this will cost and what comapnies do this?  We are looking for sponsors for the band so im trying to figure out how much it will cost them to do so

[Tenor]

You could call Central Michigan Graphics Printing and Sign.  Kirk is the owner and they just expanded into this market.  (517) 332-2200.  I don't think that they are anywhere near you, but you could still call from a research point of view.

Don't forget what graphics do to your insurance!  You become a commercial vehicle as I understand.

good luck!

Glenn

[bobofthenorth]

I asked a local bus company that does a lot of this roughly what it was costing them.  I think it was in the order of $5k Canadian but that was a couple of years ago when I asked and the guy I asked is dead now.

[bigjohnkub]

I have looked into this for my bus. No advertising, just pretty. 2 to 5 thousand and guaranteed 5 years.
It is a local company with a good rep. Would cover from baggage doors to drip rail, including windows with see thru.  I'm not sure how this would hold up.
  Big John

[gus]

OK, I give up.

What is "wrapping a bus"??

[Dreamscape]

Here ya go!

[gmpd4104]

I am sort of in this bsiness......cost all depends on the substraight being used, crappy chinesse stuff is cheap  #M stuff is expensive and the stuff you can see out of even more so.

figure 7500 minimum for decent stuff that won;t be blowing off in the wind and rain.

Beware of "deals, usually low end materials or out of date adherasives

[JackConrad]

      When we were touring some of the NASCAR Race Shops last April, a couple shops said they were wrapping the cars. They said it was cheaper than painting and gave tham more options for sponsor artwork (of course, they know it probably ain't gonna last but 1 race).     Jack

[Kmon]

Wow, I had my whole bus painted for $7500 just a few years ago, and it will last more than 3 to 5 years.  Although you can get some stunning graphics with the wrap.  Just my .02 cents worth.

Keith

[flynbanjo]

I know the folks at Berube's Truck Accessories do that kind of work.  I have no idea what it would cost.  They are located in Bow New Hampshire.  You might check them out at www.berubes.com and look under BTA graphics. 

[buswarrior]

If you look closely at all the commercial stuff out there...

It's all vinyl stick on of one kind or another. Greyhound, Coach USA, Joe's Truck Lines, the grocery chains, there's no paint except the white.

There are two kinds of wrap, I can't remember the names, but one is short term, the other long term. I've seen the short term used for campaign buses, needs someone to worry over it all the time and won't last. Benefit is that it'll peel more easily, less risk to the underlying paint.

the longer lasting stuff is prone to lifting some paint when it gets peeled.

Here in big transit, where ad wraps are revenue, the company gets charged for the ad space as well as a calculation for repainting the bus....just use the same bus again for the next wrap....

Sorry, don't have costs, depends on the graphics, ink used, amount of material, complexity of the art work prep, the usual.

And, yes, you want to be thinking really hard about the implications of being identified as a commercial coach. The entertainer coaches already play fast and loose with these laws, as well as with the insurance people....  Who's name is on the title? There is a whack of liability involved, it might be good to find the sponsorship and run it above board and commercial?

Never heard a guy brag about getting caught...

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Hartley]

Guesstimate of cost..

Start at about $3.75 a square foot and go up from there.
Installation is usually added to the cost.

Graphics (Pigment/Inks) Life of 1 to 3 years providing that no
harsh chemicals are used to clean the exterior. Normal abrasive
wear is an issue.

There are vinyls that are rated for 5 to 7 years but they all need
a secondary overlaminate which costs almost as much as the base
vinyl.

Fade Problem, The sun is an excellent source of color bleaching, Most
colors will fade as they age. Most exterior signage inks/pigments will
fade long before the vinyl is dead, So that life term of the vinyl is not
the big issue.

I would not be surprised at prices ranging from $8,000 to $15,000 for a
complete wrap. The paint issue must be considered. If you plan on covering
a crappy paint job with expensive vinyl, The whole thing will look bad quickly.

Vinyl will also capture and hold moisture and aid in corrosion and rust.

Probably better to have sign inserts and a great paint job for the best $$$$...

Dave....

[Ednj]

Do any of you guys have any insight on how much roughly this will cost and what comapnies do this?  We are looking for sponsors for the band so im trying to figure out how much it will cost them to do so

>
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http://www.citytrafficads.com/

[Hartley]

I smelled a Pyramid scheme with thier website info...

They don't say anything about the possibility of the owner of the vehicle
being forced to buy commercial tags and Insurance either.

Here in Tennessee, If it has a sign of any kind, It's commercial and requires an "H" tag which is weight based. That means, Car, Truck, Bus or even Motorcycle.

Your insurance company will have a "clause" about commercial use and advertising on a vehicle with "personal" insurance.

My truck tags went from $24.00 /yr to $110.00 /yr because I asked about signs after a local got stopped for having lettering on his rear window. He had a personal tag and got fined and a whole bunch of trouble.

We learn as we go.....

[HighTechRedneck]

My truck tags went from $24.00 /yr to $110.00 /yr because I asked about signs after a local got stopped for having lettering on his rear window. He had a personal tag and got fined and a whole bunch of trouble.

We learn as we go.....

I don't know if County or Municipal local laws played into it or not, but if he was fined based on the enforcer's interpretation of the state law, he may have been able to beat it with the help of a lawyer (of course that costs money too).

I did a ton of research on Tennessee state law and Federal DOT regulations regarding advertising on otherwise private use vehicles.  I got different answers depending on who I talked to at the state and county offices.  So I researched the commercial vehicle laws/regulations and then got a lawyers oppinion on it.  The feeling was that the key words are in the DOT definition of "commercial vehicle" and that definition is carried over verbatim into the Tennessee Code:

"commercial motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle used in commerce to transport passengers or property ...  (followed by conditions that further narrowed the definition)

I'm not saying that a person wouldn't get cited and prosecuted, only that they could probably beat it if they chose to fight it with the help of a lawyer.  Also, this is a moot point for an entertainer coach transporting performers for paid gigs since that would likely be deemed commercial by those same regulations.