RV & Van Conversion
Custom Metal Hardware for RV OEM Manufacturers and Van Conversion Programs
Any fabricator can claim OEM-grade quality. Not many can prove it in an environment where every shortcut shows up within a season. PW Marine OEM has spent 15+ years supplying custom stainless and aluminum hardware to production boat builders operating in saltwater — the most unforgiving corrosion environment production metal hardware encounters. PMI-verified material grades. Qualified TIG weld procedures. ASTM B117-tested corrosion protection. Complete quality documentation on every program. We didn't build these processes to win certifications. We built them because the marine environment demands them.
Your RV or van conversion program operates in a less demanding environment than saltwater. That's exactly what makes a marine OEM supplier your best option. UV exposure, road chemicals, thermal cycling, and structural loads — these are all subsets of what we already deliver to. The fabrication standard, quality processes, and material verification systems that meet marine OEM requirements don't get adjusted for RV and van programs. You get everything that standard demands — because it's the only standard we run.
Weight matters in RV and van programs. Every pound of hardware consumes payload budget, affects fuel economy, and in van conversions contributes to GVWR calculations. Marine hardware was engineered with weight budget as a hard constraint — T-top systems must be light enough not to affect vessel stability, strong enough to carry load, and corrosion-resistant enough for years of outdoor exposure. That engineering discipline — weight, strength, and corrosion resistance optimized simultaneously — is exactly what RV and van hardware programs require. We've been solving that problem for boat builders. We apply the same solution to your program.
What We Build for RV OEM and Van Conversion Programs
We supply fabricated stainless and aluminum components across all metal hardware categories that production RV and van programs require. Programs typically start with one category and expand as quality and delivery reliability are established.
Component Categories
Weight Optimization Across Your Hardware BOM
Weight optimization is a design discipline, not a parts substitution exercise. PW Marine OEM applies DFM review to hardware programs to identify alloy substitution opportunities, geometry optimizations, and finish specification calibrations across the full hardware BOM — before tooling investment.
A full-BOM weight optimization analysis on a typical van conversion hardware package identifies 20–35% total weight reduction opportunity versus catalog-default hardware selections. At 30 lbs total hardware weight, that's 6–10 lbs of available payload currently consumed by overspecified hardware. For programs with tight GVWR budgets, that margin matters. For RV OEM manufacturers managing weight specifications across a model line, it accumulates quickly.
Alloy Selection by Application
OEM Fabrication Process — From Drawing to Production Release
Our manufacturing process is built for OEM production programs. Process controls are documented, tooling is qualified, and quality records follow every component from incoming material verification to finished deliverable.
Quality Documentation — Standard on Every Program
Every RV OEM and van conversion program ships with the complete documentation stack that production programs require for warranty defense and incoming inspection efficiency.
Finishing Options
We apply the same finishing processes to RV and van conversion hardware that we run for marine OEM programs — with ASTM B117 corrosion testing available to verify performance before production release. Finish specification is matched to the application environment, not applied from a catalog default.
- Anodizing — Type II and Type III hardcoat for aluminum exterior and structural components
- Powder coating (PPG) — specified to application environment with documented surface prep and conversion coat protocol
- Passivation — ASTM A967 for stainless exterior and structural hardware
- Electropolishing — maximum corrosion resistance for high-cycle stainless applications
- Brushed, polished, and bead blast mechanical finishes for aesthetic hardware
Start an RV or Van Conversion Hardware Program
Send us a drawing, a BOM, or a description of what you're building. We'll do a DFM pass — including a weight optimization review if relevant — and come back with a quote, lead time, and any specification tradeoffs worth knowing before you commit.