Clear Coat Options

[Sahara707]

Ok, 2016 Maroon 2500 4x4 Cummings. The clear coat is coming off both sides of the bed rail and portions of the roof.
What are my options now? Clear coat the whole truck? Looking for stickers, " Painted by RAM "

 

[Pull Ya]

The quality of factory paint jobs on Rams has been questionable for a number of years. Rumors of the factory curing the problem have also been around for years, yet problems still exist. Your truck is about 9 years old so I doubt you will get any satisfaction from a dealer. IMHO you need to take it to a quality body shop and have them give you an estimate. It ain't going to be cheap----
Jay

 

[mikeru]

Definitely get estimates from body shops. Stickers will be cheaper.

 

[xtryfun]

Ok, 2016 Maroon 2500 4x4 Cummings. The clear coat is coming off both sides of the bed rail and portions of the roof.
What are my options now? Clear coat the whole truck? Looking for stickers, " Painted by RAM "

Ah, that’s a bummer, but unfortunately it’s pretty common on older trucks with strong sun exposure. You’ve got a few options:

Full respray/clear coat: The safest and most long-term solution is to have the entire truck resprayed with a fresh clear coat. It’ll cost a bit, but it keeps the color uniform and protects the metal.

1. Spot clear coat: You can try just doing the affected areas, but matching the maroon and fading on the rest of the truck is tricky—you might still notice the difference.
2. Vinyl wrap/decals: Some people cover the rails or roof with vinyl or matte wraps. That also lets you add fun touches like “Painted by RAM” or other custom graphics.
3. Bed rail protectors: If it’s mostly the rails, some heavy-duty plastic or aluminum caps can cover the peeling areas without painting.

Honestly, for long-term durability and looks, a full clear coat redo is the cleanest, but if budget’s tight, decals or vinyl are a quick fix that looks sharp too.