Poor Quality Stealth Satin PPF Clear Bra on Rivian R1T - Be Careful When Price Shopping

[Lizardo]

I put a small chunk of PPF on my spoiler to stop it from getting damage from my bike tires and it's about 70% bubbles so I don't envy people that do this for a living and do good work!

I had a portion done professionally, they fixed a few bubble areas that developed.

I did some rear segments myself with twraps. Thought about having it redone, but didn't think it was worth the expense. Its protecting the paint, but looks horrible up close

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[SeattleClearBra]

SO not sure if this was covered, but when I spoke to my local Xpel dealer they said the Rivian deal was with a PRE CUT PPF, that went around the letters, did not wrap around the doors etc... All the pieces were pre templated, and they peel and stick. Otherwise they offered the real deal for 7k or something, rather than Rivian's 5k. Kind of looks like what they used here, not that it was cut bad by the installers.

Yes, in the Xpel software we use there're specific Rivian patterns to use and cut on our plotter. From my understanding we dealers are not expected to remove the emblems for the OEM installation, but I've seen multiple answers on this. Maybe it depends on the market you're in. This installation isn't an OEM Rivian install but did use templates for it. Templated precut installations can look exceptional, if the time is taken to modify the stock patterns. Rivian OEM package is $4500.

 

[zefram47]

Looks like I did it... thats bad if it was a professional job

I mean hell, I did PPF on my previous Corvette and it looked a hell of a lot better than that. Considering all the compound curves on a C6, that's saying something considering it was the first time I'd attempted it too. And I was using a precut kit and had to stretch the material a lot to get it to fit well.

 

[SeattleClearBra]

I mean hell, I did PPF on my previous Corvette and it looked a hell of a lot better than that. Considering all the compound curves on a C6, that's saying something considering it was the first time I'd attempted it too. And I was using a precut kit and had to stretch the material a lot to get it to fit well.

Well, if you weren't a software engineer, I'd say you have a career in clear bra then. We desperately need more quality installers in the industry as a whole.

 

[doozenberg]

Mosty true, at times there can be some combined discounts or ways to save a bit if lessening the number of pieces done of course. We do wish society was such that we could do full coverage high quality installs for 4K but those days are gone by with inflationary pressures sadly. Our full fronts are 2100 though

Rivian offers front PPF from the factory for $1500 that can be added to a preorder. Seems to be substantially more competitive than many aftermarket options especially in SoCal. What are the downsides to this? Am I missing something here?

 

[SeattleClearBra]

Rivian offers front PPF from the factory for $1500 that can be added to a preorder. Seems to be substantially more competitive than many aftermarket options especially in SoCal. What are the downsides to this? Am I missing something here?

That would be for the Rivian package which only includes 5-year warranty vs 10 years, no lights and very limited wrapped edges. This is not to say many shops would still do it that way, but generally speaking shops that charge 2100-2500 will go much further on the wraps and warranty.

 

[twraps]

I had a portion done professionally, they fixed a few bubble areas that developed.

I did some rear segments myself with twraps. Thought about having it redone, but didn't think it was worth the expense. Its protecting the paint, but looks horrible up close

Why does it look terrible? If you need replacement so you can reinstall, just DM me

 

[Lizardo]

My skill with doing ppf is lacking. I have a lot of bubbles and dirt getting underneath the edges of the ppf I put myself. Not a problem with product, just my lack of skill.

Either way, I've left what I've done up. The sides are holding up better than rear tailgate.

 

[Rivianation]

Honest Question, not bs'ing:
Would you ever put more than $7000 damage on the paint (not the metal) during the ownership of the vehicle? And if that were even possible, wouldn't the $7000 ppf also get marred up over that period and look less than nice anyways?

And that doesn't even cover the fact that your chance of body damage over the life of the truck will require you replace PPF on the damaged panels, anyways, driving up the cost of accidents. Insurers will take notice eventually.

If its about bug gut acid eating the clear coat paint or someone who lives on a dirt road I suppose a case can be made for frontal coverage. Also, maybe trail scars (pinstripes). But other than, the cost doesn't add up for me. It just seems twice as expensive as it should be for viability.

I'm sure those who spent the dough can edumacate me. Flame on.

 

[madgrey]

Having PPF installed isn't a way to save money overall on paint damage. It's more about keeping the original paint as nice as possible for as long as possible. Also, PPF self-heals so it doesn't end up looking bad if taken care of. Of course, it only prevents scratches and chips so anything beyond this is going to require the damaged PPF to be removed.

I'm not an advocate, it depends on the vehicle. But I've had a few cars done. There are cases where the PPF can help reduce the damage. For example, I was hit on the highway by a metal bracket which would have cost me a bumper repaint, but I ended up only having to replace the bumper PPF. However, I can't say I saved money overall, but I did keep my original paint, which was important when I sold the vehicle.

 

[SeattleClearBra]

Here's an update with some pics of an R1S showing more of what an extended Xpel STELATH installation can look like. Unfortunately, the Rivian was still a bit wet although will still show the coverage that can be accomplished. We have about 5 Rivian full coverages at the Seattle ClearBra shop at present so will have man more pictures coming soon on our main posts.

 

[John G.]

I had my R1t PPF'd in XPEL Clear by "Ultimate Window Tinting" in Vancouver, and I'm very happy with the quality, service, price and warranty provided by this company.

 

[Gee Bee]

It’s the employee at the shop , it’s not always the shop .

I choose my wrench for my aircraft service , not the shop itself.

safety and quality is not expensive

As a die cutter of ppf film for composite aircraft, there are three ways to cut film.
Pre-cut
plotter , which can be modified and saved program.
Die cut using 25 ton clicker press, we can cut over 3k cuts per hour with our atom presses .

GB

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