Vixen Composites Introduces Lightweight Composite Panels for RVs

Updated on August 17, 2026 • 4 min read

Vixen Composites has introduced a new range of engineered composite panels for recreational vehicle manufacturing, targeting several persistent challenges for RV OEMs: vehicle weight, moisture exposure, durability and production efficiency.

The new products are being presented during Airxcel’s 2026 Product Showcase and cover several major areas of an RV structure, including roofs, floors, ramp doors, slide-out systems and exterior or specialty FRP applications.

The portfolio includes a fiberglass-reinforced PET-core sandwich panel as well as application-specific composite structures designed to replace or complement conventional RV construction materials.

PET-Core Composite Panel Targets Roof and Floor Structures

Among the new products is a 5/16-inch composite sandwich panel developed for RV roof and floor applications.

The panel uses a closed-cell PET core combined with fiberglass reinforcement, creating a lightweight sandwich structure designed to provide structural strength, moisture resistance and durability.

Vixen says the panel can also be incorporated into existing OEM manufacturing processes, potentially allowing manufacturers to adopt the material without substantially restructuring their current production systems.

Moisture resistance is particularly relevant for RV construction because roof and floor structures can experience water exposure during years of outdoor operation. Material systems that resist moisture can therefore help manufacturers address durability at the panel level.

One-Piece Composite Ramp Door Designed for Toy Haulers

Vixen has also developed a one-piece composite ramp door panel for toy haulers and trailers.

These doors must perform two functions: closing the vehicle during transportation and providing a loading surface for motorcycles, ATVs and other equipment.

As a result, manufacturers need sufficient structural capability without adding unnecessary weight to a large movable component.

Vixen says its composite construction combines lower weight with the strength required to support heavy equipment while also improving resistance to weather exposure.

Composite Slide-Out Floor Addresses Water and Delamination

The company’s new slide-out composite floor targets another area where environmental durability is important.

According to Vixen, the composite structure is resistant to water, insects and delamination while reducing weight.

Slide-out floors experience repeated movement as well as exposure to changing environmental conditions. Developing the floor as a composite system therefore provides manufacturers with another material option for addressing these service requirements.

FRP Range Supports RV Sidewalls and Specialty Vehicles

Vixen is also showcasing its fiberglass-reinforced plastic products for sidewall and specialty vehicle applications.

The FRP portfolio is available in different finishes and thicknesses and includes FibroGloss, FibroElite, FibroMax, FibroSupreme, FibroPlus, FibroFlex and FibroSharp.

The range gives manufacturers different options depending on surface appearance, thickness and application requirements.

Composites Target Multiple RV Manufacturing Challenges

The new portfolio demonstrates how composite materials are being increasingly tailored to individual structures within recreational vehicles rather than being treated as a single replacement material.

A roof panel, ramp door and slide-out floor face different mechanical and environmental requirements. Vixen’s approach consequently uses application-specific composite constructions to address each component.

Gordon Frost, business unit manager for Vixen Composites, said RV manufacturers are looking for materials capable of reducing weight without sacrificing strength, durability or manufacturability.

For OEMs, that balance is significant. Lightweighting can help control overall vehicle mass, but materials must also remain practical to manufacture and withstand moisture, weather and repeated use throughout the vehicle’s service life.

Vixen’s latest products position fiberglass reinforcement and composite sandwich construction as potential solutions to those competing requirements.

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