2024 Tundra - Xpel Stealth?

I’ve got a new 1794 Limited Edition, Blueprint, on the way. I’m considering Xpel Stealth full body protection. I’m new to trucks, ppf, etc. so I wanted to ask for some advice, here….

1. Anybody have pics of the Stealth applied? I like the idea of a satin / matte finish in general, and the matte wrap on the Forged 4x4 Dracos build looks great, but I can’t visualize it for Blueprint. Opinions please!

2. Is ppf worthwhile (money aside)? My aim would be to protect and make cleaning easier. Driving long interstate roadtrips, trailering my boat, some gravel & dirt roads, some pollen & sap & bird poop & bugs, coastal salty air, sanded roads in winter, etc. I thought from my research that ppf is a clear “yes it helps”, but then I stumbled on this youtube video https://youtu.be/KO8S2oODSi0?si=ksZaNoR0KcxnH44m showing bug stains on ppf…. Any thoughts or experiences?

3. What should I expect to pay for a full body ppf? The first quote I got is $11,200. Seems high based on posts I’ve seen for regular xpel in the 6-7K range, but I have no idea.. I am shopping around for more quotes, but no additional data to share yet.

4. Can I wait 900 mi to get the ppf? I purchased out of state and I’m wondering if it’s ok to drive it back home before getting local ppf installed, or if I’m risking some minor but annoying rock chips or defects. Driving will be all interstate I81 & I85 corridors.

Thanks for the help! I’m super excited to get into my Tundra & personalize it .

 

For a tundra I wouldn't just because I can't justify the 7 or 8k it takes to do. It carries a finite lifespan shorter than your paint.

With that said, I've used xpel stealth on sports cars and I do really enjoy it. Very effective at what it proclaims to do but you will still get rock chips occasionally in the front clip.

As for driving it home before wrapping, no problem. You'd want a full paint correction prior to wrapping so just keep a good distance between the car in front and you'll be fine.

 

I’d pass on the PPF and just do a ceramic coating that offers a lifetime warranty. I did the front half of my wife’s 4runner when we got it and I don’t think it’s really worth the money. I’ve had a couple rocks hit and it will damage the PPF and could potentially still mess up the paint. Ceramic coating is real nice and if you do get a rock chip just get a paint pen with the correct Toyota color and fill it in. That’s what I did on my Tacoma and it worked very well. Down side to ceramic coating though is if you don’t like to hand wash probably not the best option for you. But I’d wash my Tacoma 4-5 times a year and it always looked really good and was super easy to clean. Plus you can do a full truck for around 1500-2000.

if you do decide to go full wrap, there is a place around me and they quoted my wife’s 4runner at 7000, so that’s when I stick with the front half and I think it was 2200. But like I said if I had to do it again I’d skip PPF for a truck or suv. Would only do it on a nice exotic that I was going to be driving all that much.

 

The sooner the better, I got the XPel PPF up front on our new car. Just do the front and part of hood. Really no need to do the whole truck. It works for the most part and helps keep the paint looking good.
We had a guy that we used when he first went into business now over seven years later this guy is amazing at his craft. Try to get someone that has been doing it a long time. Ours came with a ten year warranty too

 

Why would you spend so much money on paint protection? Are you planning to own it for the next 20 years??

Just do a regular ceramic coating on it at the very beginning and have it professionally removed and redone every year or two if you're very worried, and it'll be just fine. You'll probably trade in your truck far far before the paint will start giving you any issues.

 

PPF is a waste of money. I did it on 4 trucks and one came with it from the factory. Your truck will arrive with imperfections already so it’s a waste and the PPF will enhance the imperfections

 

And starts to peel after 11 months...

 

My factory one did. My xpel was done well. I only had one shop install it well but it was in the raptor that had prior imperfections and they stood out like a turd in a punch bowl.

I don’t have it on my Tesla and it doesn’t bother me.

BUT I just realized what OP is getting. And if you want to consider it an investment I would get the PPF but not stealth. It’ll look the blue look terrible

 

Is it worthwhile money aside? Is that an oxymoron? What value are you looking for to rationalize it if not a monetary benefit? PPF looks awesome, but for $11K on a Tundra it seems ludicrous. Save the PPF for a Porsche or exotic, and get a nice wax/maintenance kit and learn to take care of your paint unless you just want a wrap. Same goes for ceramic coating, there's a reason they offer a "lifetime" warranty included with the price...

 

I don’t think it’s a contradiction : the primary value for me would be appearance enhancement, and protection from light “damage” during my typical usage, like minimizing rock chips, scratches, etc. For example, ceramic coat doesn’t protect physically like film claims to. Not saying one or both or neither is right, btw.

Ultimately I guess you can tie everything to monetary benefit, eg, cheaper to do X vs spend time fixing vs using product Y vs repair cost Z…. but I think that’s a bit reductionist. “Money aside” means what I asked about - does it match its claims to work to protect and help reduce cleaning burden. I guess I could have phrased it more precisely like “… forget about the cost of the product and its value relative to competing brands and products, but does it actually improve protection and reduce cleaning burden in the contexts I described for my anticipated uses as it claims to do…”

 

I doubt I’ll own it for 20 years. Maybe more like 5-7 years.

The motivation for ppf film would be appearance protection, maybe changing the appearance if I go matte, and reduced cleaning burden.

From my research it looks like there is truth to the claims that ppf provides greater physical protection than ceramic coating. Which seems obvious since it is a sacrificial, thicker barrier vs ceramic coat.

Btw the funny footnote here is that most recommendations are to *still* put ceramic coat on the ppf, which is almost ironic… film the paint to protect it vs ceramic coat then ceramic coat the film to protect that…

 

Nice to know and thanks for the opinion on the blue.

Here is the first example I could find of Xpel Stealth in blue. It is applied to a Tesla. For reference I am also showing a profile view of the 1794 LE in Blueprint - it is much darker blue.

 

Some places offer ceramics coat on top of PPF as included. But it’s not something I personally would pay for. Cleaning a vehicle with PPF is easy, not sure how much easier one needs.

PPF is worth it if you’re someone who wants to wash the car or drive carefree without obsessing over swirls, scratches, etc. It is fantastic for piece of mind. Get behind a dump truck on the highway? No problem. Just went through a brush car wash? Damn right I did. I used to be that person and paid for it because I couldn’t stand swirls and scratches. But now I don’t drive much so I don’t do it.

my only advice is don’t do partial PPF. Not partial like front or back, but partial as in a seam running across the hood or halfway on the fender. It looks like shit.

 

Doesn’t look too bad. It may not look terrible but the blueprint 1794 is such a great color especially if it were enhanced by clear PPF. I just feel that pearl color would be under appreciated with stealth

 

Thanks for sharing your opinion!

I love the blueprint color, too, and wouldn’t want to lessen it. My motivation for matte was to reduce some of the gloss so I could see more of the color, but not sure that would be the outcome with Xpel Stealth.

The installers offered to do a free test spot for me when I get the truck, so that seems like a no-brainer. I’ll share a pic here so you can see.

 

… sharing an update. Seems like quotes for full body Xpel Stealth I am getting from multiple East Coast installers are 9-11K. I think “regular” clear ppf is cheaper.

Still not sure I want to spend the money on it. As many if you noted: that’s a lot of ceramic coats, washes, and waxes

 

How far out is your limited Ed 1794.i didn’t know allocations started

 

Ha! That is a story… I begged my local Southeast dealers (*all* , dozens) to get me on the list. They are clueless.

Allocations started (and maybe completed?) about 2 weeks ago. All production is being done now, through 1st /2nd week of March.

MSRP is 76,565 + 599 leather upgrade fee + 1850 delivery.

Many dealers active on FB are advertising their allocation. Most are MSRP. A few are trying to markup but with so much dead 1794 inventory out there that just seems dumb. There is one I know of that is $7k under MSRP, but it is Bronze color.

My delivery date is Mar 8 - 21z

 

So I would say just think long term right. So at the end of the day I know you want to keep the truck looking as good as possible. I was like that with my Tacoma when I first got it. I had it ceramic coated and would was it often to keep it super clean. When I got about 2 years in, I was still happy about the coating but was less cautious about stuff after a while. Plus have a toddler it was so hard to keep scratches down cause he would drive his hot wheels across the paint (would stop him at quick as a noticed it). But what I’m trying to say is soon the newness of the truck will wear off and while you know it’s will protected you might care less in a couple years and might wish you haven’t dropped all that cash. At the end of the day we drive trucks and trucks are used for all those various jobs that can be not pretty. So trying to keep it nice will be a chore. Especially on a daily driver.

But I will say it does make cleaning so much easier. I just picked my tundra up and still am debating on ceramic coating. I think the idea of keeping swirls to a minimum, but I can find such better use for the money and would be nice to take it through a car wash everyone once and a while when I’m feeling lazy

 

Great perspective, and reminder - thanks. I know I am overly excited by a new truck, my first truck ever, too. My wife reminded me tonight that I didn’t feel the need to ppf our SUV when we bought it new a couple of years ago …

 

Had PPF on truck partial hood/grill, headlights and bumper done in first week and well worth the piece of mind. Oh and some spots near the tailgate handle garnish.

 

I had the Xpel PPF installed on my Tundra TRD Sport last summer. It was completed by a factory trained franchise shop here in SC. I had the entire front clip, mirrors, a-pillars, 12" strip on front roof above windshield, and all the door cups. I cannot remember the cost of just the ppf, but my total of $2800 included the ppf and all the glass tinted with Xpel ceramic tint, windshield included. The ppf comes with a 10 year warranty for any peeling or material failure. I won't keep the truck longer than that. It looks invisible 10' away from the truck, but I do notice during washes there are very tiny imperfections in the film. Not a big deal to me.