Variety of decals

[Jim-Bev-2363]

When looking at Sunline models it seems the decals change even for the same year. What was the rhyme or reason for the decal designs? If there was plan behind them. It looks more like they simply used what was in stock more than any certain yearly design.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by Jim-Bev-2363

When looking at Sunline models it seems the decals change even for the same year. What was the rhyme or reason for the decal designs? If there was plan behind them. It looks more like they simply used what was in stock more than any certain yearly design.

That is for sure a Sunline Fan question. I know that different series campers had different decals.

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by JohnB

That is for sure a Sunline Fan question. I know that different series campers had different decals.

Lol, that is true though.

Some years they did carry the decals over to a new year, but only twice did they switch mid-year. Those were 1980 and 2007. In 1980, they changed the colors of the main Sunline logo mid-year. In 2007, they added a white border to the 2006 Sunline logo mid-year, though it was actually quite early in the model year (so most 2007s are built with the white border logo).

Traditionally, the decals have varied between the different series. In the '80s, the Saturn, Satellite, and Solaris models used the same decals along with the truck campers and fifth wheels, but the Seville series used a darker, less contrasting version, though the patterns were usually the same.

In 1990/1991, the TT (1990) and Solaris (1991) used different and more elaborate decals than the StarRay models. The StarRay and Sunray models also differed in 1989 too. The Solaris/TT decals featured a different striping pattern as well as a very delicate series of thin line stripes along the bottom foot or so of the trailer along the sides.

In the 1992-1994, the Solaris and Saturn models used identical decals. The only exterior differences are some of the plastic components and the windows- Saturns used the square corner Hehr windows while the Solaris' used the radius corner Hehr windows.

Starting in 1996, the revamped Saturn line did feature similar decals, but up close they are larger even though they use the same colors. The Saturns also used painted (non-white) aluminum accent pieces on the front rear in lieu of striping.

When the SR series branched off in 1998 and the Saturns became a new product again, they went separate ways. The SRs kept more of the old Saturn look while the new Saturn non-slides took a new color scheme and very different graphic design.

When the SE package came out in 1999, the trailer had the same decals as an aluminum sided one would have. This only remained this way through 2002.

In 2000, the SRs and the Solaris non-slides looked identical except for the addition of the SR decal on the SRs.

The 2000-02 Advancers looked very different with large wavy graphics, but it was a meant to be a "different" product at the time.

In 2003, the Solaris non-slides and the SRs continued to look the same, but the SE package units of either had special graphics. These were much more wavy and much larger than the stock graphics. I'm not sure if there was the option to keep the stock graphics or not, but I sure hope so. The fifth wheels took on these wavy designs in 2002 as well when they were introduced.

The Solaris had a very baseline design for the rest of the time. The striping did change every couple years, as did the Sunline logos. The addition of the Tran-sport, Sole, and FEMA units all brought new designs that looked different from the rest, but the basic stick and tin Solaris graphic style hasn't changed since the late '70s. The style remained almost identical until 1994, then 1995 was a bit of a transition year, and 1996 was the beginning of the design that we all know best.

In other words, the '70s through 1994 style used striping all the way around with a rise in the center on each side, a stripe on the sides up toward the top, striping on the rock guard, a Sunline logo on the rear, front above rock guard, and one on each side. 1995 evened the striping all the way around but kept everything else pretty much the same. Then 1996 brought the Sunline logo on the rock guard (deleted from on top of it).

Jon

[Jim-Bev-2363]

Thanks Jon,

My unit is titled as a 1991 Slaris but the stripping looks to be of the SR line. Looking online I've seen 91s with the Sunline sun and mountains logo but with atleast three different color schemes. There is one with same color red, another with same clor green, another with split colors of green mountains with red sun. Possibly others are shown as well.

On the front window cover the PO had painted over the decal, I can see the logo outline behind/under the paint, and extended two color painted lines. On the sides the lines are straight without the logo line flip that seemed to be standard for the SR line in the 1991 broshure.

Now that I have seen so many varieties of 'decorations' on the same unit it boggles my mind as to how many color schemes there would be through all the years.

When trying to make this unit look like the broshure I'll have to repaint the entire unit. A big task I think. Perhaps I could choose a sun logo that I like, then place them where they need to be and only have to relocate one line. Maybe I'll need to do more planning until the task is forgotten completely, LOL!

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by Jim-Bev-2363

Thanks Jon,

My unit is titled as a 1991 Slaris but the stripping looks to be of the SR line. Looking online I've seen 91s with the Sunline sun and mountains logo but with atleast three different color schemes. There is one with same color red, another with same clor green, another with split colors of green mountains with red sun. Possibly others are shown as well.

On the front window cover the PO had painted over the decal, I can see the logo outline behind/under the paint, and extended two color painted lines. On the sides the lines are straight without the logo line flip that seemed to be standard for the SR line in the 1991 broshure.

Now that I have seen so many varieties of 'decorations' on the same unit it boggles my mind as to how many color schemes there would be through all the years.

When trying to make this unit look like the broshure I'll have to repaint the entire unit. A big task I think. Perhaps I could choose a sun logo that I like, then place them where they need to be and only have to relocate one line. Maybe I'll need to do more planning until the task is forgotten completely, LOL!

??? Do you mean SR as in StarRay? SR was used to advertise the Slide Room series, which didn't come around until 1996.

The striping that you have on there now is not Sunline striping. I've heard of people going to auto parts stores and buying automotive pin striping, or they could just have gone to a sign shop to have custom made striping. Color wise, the custom striping looks close to original, but flipped on the trailer. The curves on the front aren't original. The height of the rear part of the striping looks in the original place, but the front is higher since there is no step down. It is for sure a Solaris because it has the radius windows...the StarRays all had square corners.

Your coach also looks very bright white on the outside. 1991 was the last year for the gray exterior. So if you can't find remains of striping on the siding, it was probably peeled off with a heat gun. Not a fun job at all, and very time consuming, but doable. Then they probably painted the entire trailer and put on new graphics. I have to say though, it looks like they did a good job at it.

You're right, Sunline did use varying sun silhouette colors in 1991 and 1992. I'm not sure what the reasoning was behind this, because I've never found any particular patterns in it. I've seen gray mountains with a red sun and I've seen red mountains with a red sun, but never all gray. The grays also changed shades too, they were a lighter gray in early 1991, probably done to match the older light gray striping. Then they turned darker, and later to a dark metallic with dark red sun for 1993. The dark gray metallic continued on to 1994 with the sun actually looking like a setting sun (though many have faded and look just yellow now).

I don't have a good example of an original '91 2363, but I have a couple nice original looking (but do have some weather) 1550s. Keep in mind that the smaller trailers like the 1550 got square corner windows and weren't StarRays:













Another 1550:




















Here's some good pictures of a 2251 to give you a better perspective on a larger unit:











Here's the best I can find in your configuration. It's a 2361, so the coach looks basically the same on the outside here, but the bed is a rear corner bed instead of an island. Here's some of the (faded) outside:





For some detail of the rear striping:



Jon

[Jim-Bev-2363]

Jon,

Thanks for the pics. If I can't locate the decals now it is my own fault, LOL! The original owner did paint stripes on here but I don't think the paint is matched very good. As for the white, if he did repaint the entire camper they did a great job of coloring the old 'off-white'.

I think the light gray is the color to go with for me but I would like to know if there is a certain name for the red? The gray stripes are darker that the gray used on the tongue.

The original owner painted the tongue light gray but the wheelwell trim is a darker gray so I'll go with the light gray and repaint the wheel trim. The rear on my unit looks to be some kind of candy apple red or some other similar color. Maybe even on the pink side if that seems right.

I do need to redo the stripes. Just don't like them now that I know how good this camper can look.

jim