RE: Vinyl as a covering??
The vinyl that is used for making signs is much heavier than Monokote/Ultracote. Also, the shrink covering of Monokote/Ultracoat actually adds to the strength of the airframe. The sticky backed vinyl used for making signs will not add that strength to the airframe.
However, vinyl for signs can be used for graphics on an already covered plane. These would be applied over the covering.
Ken