Gelcoat cracking under decals
I started replacing some decals on my new-2-me 2000 Itasca Suncruiser, because they were cracked. At first, I figured they just dried out and after 10 years that this was pretty normal. However, after I removed the decals, I found that the gelcoat is cracking, but only under the decals. The cracks in the decals align perfectly with the cracks in the gelcoat, and are numerous, like a bunch of spider webs. Does anyone know what would cause the gelcoat to crack like this?
I purchased the new decals before removing the old ones, but I don't want to re-apply them over the cracked gelcoat. I thought I would fill the cracks with a flexible auto body glaze, then sand and prime before applying the new ones. Had I known ahead of time that I would have to do this, I would have just airbrushed new graphics, rather than use the decals. However, I spent a lot of money for the decals, and don't want them to go to waste. Any ideas??
Thanks,
Bob
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