The Graphics Shop, a division of Hackworth in Chesapeake, Virginia, didn’t need a crystal ball to know the outcome of three very different, yet complementary, vehicle wraps they were tasked to print and install. “There is nothing like it on the road today,” says Mark Rowan, marketing director, Hackworth. “The overwhelming reaction and questions that have come about after completion are a testament to its uniqueness.”
The “one-of-a-kind” project was to be completed for a private 2019 Grand Design Momentum 376 Coach RV, as well as a 2019 Volvo VNL 860 truck and a Smart EQ ForTwo car.
The custom design was a collaboration between Ken Collins, the owner of the RV named Crystal Ball Adventures, and John Moses, graphic designer of Moses Design. The wrap theme is inspired by the Styx song “Crystal Ball.” Collins is a big fan of the band, in particular the song’s lyrics: “I wonder what tomorrow has in mind for me or am I even in its mind at all? Perhaps I’ll get a chance to look ahead and see soon as I find myself a crystal ball.”
“John was able to take Ken’s passion for the open road and vision for the wrap design and make it a stunning representation of the owner’s next great adventure traveling throughout America,” says Rowan.
The shop used its HP Latex 360 to print onto 3M Controltac Graphic Film IJ180, and finished the wrap with its GFP 363TH Laminator and 3M Scotchcal Gloss Overlaminate 8518. The project included 16 hours of design time and eight days of installation by five installers. Square footage of printed graphics for each vehicle totaled 1285 square feet for the RV, 730 square feet for the truck, and 112 square feet for the smart car.
To top it off, a tight deadline was implemented because the rig was participating in a St. Patrick’s Day Parade. “Due to the customization of the vehicle, much of the graphic design had to be completed after it arrived on site,” says Rowan. The project was finished mere hours before the start of the parade.