Chassis for a fifth wheel travel trailer

• US 6,439,648 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfa Leisure Inc
• Original Assignee: Alfa Leisure Inc
• Inventors: Crean, Johnnie Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Application Number:
  US09/859,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 296/181, 296/182, 296/183, 296/204, 280/789
• US Class Current: 296/171
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/34 the living accommodation being expansible, collapsible or capable of rearrangement B60P3/38 takes precedence; tents supported at least partially by vehicles E04H15/06
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/06 Semi-trailers

Abstract

A fifth wheel travel trailer having an improved chassis, the chassis comprising a rear section, a mid-section, and a front section disposed in vertically offset horizontal planes. The trailer further comprises a carriage member having a plurality of rotatable wheels mounted underneath the rear section of the chassis and a housing member having an interior living space formed therein mounted above the chassis. The rear section of the chassis comprises a pair of main longitudinal members each having a pair of stacked I-beams such that upper surfaces of the main longitudinal members define a first horizontal mounting plane suitably elevated above the wheels of the carriage assembly so as to enable a rear section of a floor assembly to mount directly to the rear section of the chassis in the first mounting plane to thereby increase the rigidity of the rear section of the chassis. The rear section of the chassis further comprises a plurality of inner cross members that interconnect the main longitudinal members in a perpendicular manner such that upper surfaces of the inner cross members define a second horizontal mounting plane so as to enable a lower horizontal wall to mount to the chassis in the second mounting plane to thereby define a plurality of channels disposed between the rear section of the floor assembly, the lower horizontal mounting plane, and the main longitudinal members. The rear section of the chassis further comprises a plurality of inner longitudinal members disposed between the main longitudinal members and mounted to the chassis in the second mounting plane such that upper surfaces of the inner longitudinal members are disposed in the first mounting plane so as to enable the rear section of floor assembly to mount thereto and so as to longitudinally extend the channels.

Claims

1. A fifth wheel travel trailer comprising:

a floor assembly comprising a main section and at least one elevated section;

a carriage assembly comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted wheels so as to provide the trailer with mobility;

a chassis having a main section and at least one elevated section, wherein the main section of the chassis comprises a first and a second longitudinally extending main longitudinal member each having an upper and a lower mounting surface separated by a first height, a plurality of longitudinally extending inner longitudinal members each having an upper and a lower mounting surface, and a plurality of laterally extending inner cross members each having an upper mounting surface, wherein the plurality of inner cross members are laterally disposed between the main longitudinal members so as to interconnect the main longitudinal members such that the upper mounting surfaces of the main longitudinal members align with a first mounting plane and such that the upper mounting surfaces of the inner cross members align with a second mounting plane positioned beneath the first mounting plane, wherein the plurality of inner longitudinal members are disposed between the main longitudinal members such that the lower mounting surfaces of the inner longitudinal members are positioned adjacent the upper mounting surfaces of the inner cross members and such that the upper mounting surfaces of the inner longitudinal members are substantially aligned with the first mounting plane, wherein the main longitudinal members and the plurality of inner longitudinal members provide rigidity along the longitudinal direction and the plurality of inner cross members provide rigidity along the lateral direction, wherein the first height of the main longitudinal members is selected so as to permit direct mounting of the floor assembly on the first mounting plane and direct mounting of the carriage assembly to the lower mounting surfaces of the main longitudinal members, wherein the floor assembly mounted directly on the first mounting plane further rigidifies the main section of the chassis, wherein the space between main section of the floor assembly, the main longitudinal members, the inner longitudinal members, and the inner cross members defines a plurality of longitudinally extending channels; and

a housing member comprising a plurality of walls so as to define an interior living space therein, wherein the housing member upwardly extends from the chassis so as to receive support therefrom.

2. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the housing member further comprises a plurality of pop-out sections that extend from the housing member so as to enlarge the interior living space of the housing member.

3. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the chassis further comprises a plurality of outriggers that extend from the main longitudinal members in a lateral manner so as to extend the width of the main section of the chassis.

4. The trailer of claim 3, wherein the chassis further comprises a plurality of outer members that are disposed at the perimeter of the main section of the chassis.

5. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the first and second main longitudinal members each comprise a lower and upper I-beam positioned in a stacked formation.

6. The trailer of claim 5, wherein each of the lower and upper I-beams comprise a central wall and a lower and upper planar flange extending from the central wall in a substantially perpendicular manner.

7. The trailer of claim 6, wherein each of the lower and upper I-beams is formed of steel such that the central wall has an approximate height of 8 inches and an approximate thickness of {fraction (3/16)} inch and such that the lower and upper flanges each have an approximate thickness of {fraction (5/32)} inch and an approximate width of 3 inches.

8. The trailer of claim 6, wherein the central walls of the upper and lower I-beams are corrugated so as to increase the strength to weight ratio of the main longitudinal members.

9. The trailer of claim 6, wherein the carriage assembly having a plurality of mounting surface couples with the main longitudinal members such that the lower flanges of the lower I-beams overlay the plurality of mounting surfaces of the carriage assembly.

10. The trailer of claim 1, wherein each of the inner cross members comprises a central planar wall aligned in a vertical manner and an upper lip having an upper planar surface extending from the central wall in a substantially perpendicular manner, wherein the upper mounting surfaces of the inner cross members comprise the upper planar surfaces of the upper lips of the inner cross members.

11. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the chassis further comprises a first plurality of attachment members that are interposed between the main longitudinal members and the inner cross members in a flush manner.

12. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of inner cross members comprise seven spatially distributed inner cross members.

13. The trailer of claim 1, further comprising a central heating/ventilation/air conditioning system which comprises a central heating/ventilation/cooling unit having an input port and an output port, an air return conduit extending from the input port, and an output air duct extending from the output port.

14. The trailer of claim 13, wherein the chassis further comprises a first partition wall horizontally disposed between the first and second main longitudinal members in the second mounting plane so as to define a first longitudinally extending enclosed channel, wherein the first enclosed channel forms a portion of the return air conduit of the central HVAC system.

15. The trailer of claim 14, wherein the trailer further comprises an airflow elbow member having a first and second port such that an airflow that enters the first port exits the second port in a perpendicular manner, wherein the elbow member is positioned at a rear end of the chassis so as to communicate the interior living space of the trailer with the first enclosed channel, wherein the partition wall defines an opening which communicates the input port of the HVAC unit with the first enclosed channel, thereby defining the return air conduit of the HVAC system.

16. The trailer of claim 13, wherein the output air duct is longitudinally disposed within the plurality of channels.

17. The trailer of claim 16, wherein the output air duct defines a lower opening adapted to communicate the output air duct with the output port of the HVAC unit, wherein the main section of the floor assembly defines a plurality of openings, and wherein the output air duct further defines a plurality of upper openings that align with the plurality of opening of the main section of the floor assembly so as to communicate the output port of the HVAC unit with the interior living space of the trailer.

18. The trailer of claim 16, further comprising an electrical distribution system having at least one electrical cable, wherein the at least one electrical cable longitudinally extends along the plurality of channels.

19. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the first height between the upper and lower mounting surfaces of the main longitudinal members is approximately 16 inches.

20. A travel trailer comprising:

a chassis having a main section and at least one elevated section wherein the main section of the chassis is comprised of a plurality of lateral cross-members and a plurality of longitudinal members that are interconnected at a plurality of interconnection points so that upper surfaces of the plurality of longitudinal members are substantially co-planer at a first height, wherein the plurality of lateral cross-members are attached to the plurality of longitudinal members such that the plurality of interconnection points are located beneath the first height, wherein selected ones of the plurality of longitudinal members are vertically dimensioned so as to permit direct attachments of other components of the travel trailer to upper and lower surfaces of the selected ones of the plurality of longitudinal members;

a carriage assembly comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted wheels so as to provide the trailer with mobility, wherein the carriage assembly mounts directly to the lower surfaces of the selected ones of the plurality of the longitudinal members and downwardly extends from the main section of the chassis so as to support the chassis;

a floor comprised of at least one panel directly attached to the upper surfaces of the plurality of longitudinal members so that at least one longitudinal channel is defined by the floor, the plurality of longitudinal members and the lateral cross-members; and

a housing member defining an interior living space therein, wherein the housing member upwardly extends from the chassis so as to receive support therefrom.

21. The trailer of claim 20, wherein the plurality of longitudinal members comprise a first and second main longitudinal member.

22. The trailer of claim 21, wherein the first and second main longitudinal members each comprise a lower and upper I-beam positioned in a stacked formation.

23. The trailer of claim 22, wherein each of the lateral cross members comprises a central planar wall aligned in a vertical manner and an upper lip having an upper planar surface extending from the central wall in a substantially perpendicular manner, wherein the plurality of interconnection points are positioned on the upper planar surface of the central planar wall of the lateral cross members.

24. The trailer of claim 23, wherein the lateral cross members extend from the longitudinal members in a perpendicular manner.

25. The trailer of claim 24, wherein the main section of the chassis further comprises a plurality of outriggers that laterally extend from the first and second main longitudinal members so as to extend the width of the main section of the chassis.

26. The trailer of claim 25, wherein the main section of the chassis further comprises a plurality of longitudinal outer members disposed adjacent the plurality of outriggers so as to interconnect the plurality of outriggers.

27. The trailer of claim 26, wherein the main section of the chassis further comprises at least one lateral outer member disposed at a rear edge of the main section of the chassis so as to interconnect the main longitudinal members.

28. The trailer of claim 20, wherein the selected ones of the plurality of longitudinal members have vertical dimension of approximately 16 inches.