Expandable travel trailer

• US 6,561,570 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Columbia Northwest, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fleetwood Folding Trailers, Inc.
• Inventors: Thompson, Robert H., Gehman, Dana K., Hall, James R., Turner, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARPENTER, SCOTT A
• Application Number:
  US10/033,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20020089213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 296/26.01, 296/26.08, 296/26.09, 296/171
• 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

Abstract

The travel trailer includes a chassis having wheels and a trailer hitch for towing the travel trailer. The travel trailer further includes a trailer body attached to the chassis defined by sidewalls, a front end wall, a rear end wall, a roof, and a floor. The sidewalls, end walls, roof, and floor form an internal space of the trailer body. A slide-out area is slidably extendable outward from the trailer body. The slide-out area is extendable from a retracted position received within the trailer body to an extended position extended outward from the trailer body. The slide-out area includes a peaked roof, sidewalls, a bottom wall, and a front end wall. The front end wall includes a flange extending around the perimeter thereof. A sealing gasket is attached to the flange to face the trailer body for sealing against the trailer body in the retracted position of the slide-out area.

Claims

1. A travel trailer, comprising:

a chassis having wheels and an extended portion with a trailer hitch for towing the travel trailer;

a trailer body attached to the chassis and having rigid sidewalls, a rigid front end wall, a rigid rear end wall, a rigid roof, and a floor, with the sidewalls, end walls, roof, and floor defining an internal space of the trailer body;

at least one slide-out area extendable outward from the trailer body, with the slide-out area extendable from a retracted position received within the trailer body to an extended position extended outward from the trailer body, and with the slide-out area further comprising;

a rigid peaked roof;

rigid sidewalls connected to the roof;

a rigid bottom wall connected to the sidewalls; and

a rigid front end wall connected to the roof, sidewalls, and bottom wall, with the front end wall having a flange extending around the perimeter of the front end wall, and with a sealing gasket attached to the flange to face the trailer body for sealing against the trailer body in the retracted position of the slide-out area; and

a removable external support for supporting the slide-out area in the extended position, the support comprising;

a support member configured for removable connection to a bracket attached to the front end wall of the trailer body; and

a leg member connected to the support member, with the leg member configured for connection to the extended portion of the chassis for supporting the slide-out area in the vertical direction when the slide-out area is in the extended position.

2. The travel trailer of claim 1, wherein the front end wall of the trailer body defines an opening for receiving the slide-out area into the trailer body in the retracted position, and wherein the travel trailer further comprises:

a pair of substantially horizontal guide rails attached, respectively, to internal surfaces of the sidewalls of the trailer body; and

a pair of rollers attached, respectively, to lateral sides of the bottom wall of the slide-out area and received, respectively, in the guide rails for providing slidable movement of the slide-out area relative to the trailer body.

3. The travel trailer of claim 1, wherein the leg member is pivotally connected to the support member.

4. The travel trailer of claim 1, further comprising an external roller attached to a bottom edge of the flange of the front end wall of the slide-out area, with the external roller positioned to coact with a top surface of the support member such that when the slide-out area is moved between the extended and retracted positions the external roller is guided along the top surface of the support member.

5. The travel trailer of claim 4, further comprising:

at least one clamping device attached to the bottom wall of the slide-out area, with the clamping device comprising a first member fixedly attached to the bottom wall and a second member rotatably connected to the first member, with the second member defining a threaded tube having a screw positioned therein, with the screw having an end configured to coact with the front end wall of the trailer body and a handle for rotating the screw within the tube,

wherein rotation of the screw in a clockwise direction extends the screw such that the end of the screw contacts the front end wall of the trailer body, and wherein further clockwise rotation of the screw applies longitudinally directed force to the slide-out area relative to the trailer body for substantially eliminating vibration of the slide-out area relative to the trailer body.

6. The travel trailer of claim 4, wherein the pair of rollers and external roller are nylon rollers.

7. The travel trailer of claim 4, wherein the external roller is housed rotatably within a protective cover formed integrally with the front end wall of the slide-out area.

8. The travel trailer of claim 1, further comprising internal structures located within the trailer body configured to fold down to a position below the bottom wall of the slide-out area such that the slide-out area may moved to the retracted position received within the trailer body.

9. The travel trailer of claim 1, further comprising a pair of latching devices attached to lateral sides of the front end wall of the slide-out area, with the latching devices each comprising:

a vertically positioned rod connected rotatably to the front end wall of the slide-out area and having a lever arm extending therefrom; and

a pair of cam action engagements located on the front end wall of the trailer body and positioned and configured to cooperate with opposite ends of the rod,

wherein rotational movement applied to the lever arm rotates the rod which transmits the rotational movement to the cam action engagements, and wherein the cam action engagements exert compressive pressure on the sealing gasket in the retracted position of the slide-out area.

10. The travel trailer of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of support legs pivotally attached to the bottom wall of the slide-out area and configured to connect removably to the extended portion of the chassis for supporting the slide-out area in the extended position.

11. The travel trailer of claim 1, wherein the front end wall of the trailer body defines an opening for receiving the slide-out area into the trailer body, and further comprising a sealing connection between the slide-out area and the trailer body in the extended and retracted positions of the slide-out area, with the sealing connection comprising:

a first flange plate connected to the front end wall of the trailer body and extending around the opening in the front end wall of the trailer body, with the first flange plate having a first sealing gasket facing an internal facing side of the front end wall of the slide-out area and a second sealing gasket attached to the opposite side of the first flange plate; and

a second flange plate attached to the roof, sidewalls, and bottom wall at a rear end of the slide-out area to form an outer perimeter of the rear end of the slide-out area,

wherein the second sealing gasket is attached to the opposite side of the first flange plate to face the second flange plate,

wherein when the slide-out area is in the extended position the second flange plate engages the second sealing gasket to provide a substantially weather tight seal between the slide-out area and trailer body, and

wherein when the slide-out area is in the retracted position the first sealing gasket engages the internal facing side of the front end wall of the slide-out area to provide a substantially weather tight seal between the slide-out area and trailer body.

12. The travel trailer of claim 11, wherein the first and second sealing gaskets each include wiper seals for wiping the surfaces of the roof, sidewalls, and bottom wall of the slide-out area as the slide-out area is moved between the extended and retracted positions.

13. The travel trailer of claim 1, wherein the sealing gasket includes a wiper seal configured to engage the trailer body in the retracted position of the slide-out area.

14. A method of using an expandable travel trailer having at least one slide-out area, with the travel trailer comprising:

a chassis having wheels and an extended portion with a trailer hitch for towing the travel trailer;

a trailer body having rigid sidewalls, a rigid front end wall, a rigid rear end wall, a rigid roof, and a floor, with the sidewalls, end walls, roof, and floor defining an internal space of the trailer body;

at least one slide-out area extendable outward from the internal space of the trailer body, with the slide-out having a roof, sidewalls, bottom wall, and a front end wall, with the front end wall having a flange extending around a perimeter thereof, and with an external roller attached to a bottom edge of the flange; and

a removable external support for supporting the slide-out area in an extended position, with the support comprising;

a support member configured for removable connection to the front end wall of the trailer body; and

a leg member pivotally connected to the support member and configured for connection to the extended portion of the chassis, wherein the external roller is positioned to coact with a top surface of the support member,

the method comprising the steps of;

connecting the support member to the front end wall of the trailer body;

pivoting the leg member downward and connecting the leg member to the extended portion of the chassis; and

moving the slide-out area from a retracted position located within the trailer body to the extended position extended outward from the trailer body, wherein as the slide-out is moved to the extended position the external roller is guided along the top surface of the support member.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the slide-out further includes at least one clamping device attached to the bottom wall of the slide-out area, and the method further comprises the step of exerting outward directed force on the slide-out area relative to the trailer body with the clamping device when the slide-out area is in the extended position to minimize vibration of the slide-out area relative to the trailer body.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the front end wall of the trailer body defines an opening for receiving the slide-out area into the trailer body, and wherein the travel trailer further comprises a sealing connection between the slide-out area and the trailer body, with the sealing connection comprising:

a first flange plate connected to the front end wall of the trailer body and extending around the opening in the front end wall of the trailer body, with the first flange plate having a first sealing gasket facing an internal facing side of the front end wall of the slide-out area and a second sealing gasket attached to the opposite side of the first flange plate; and

a second flange plate attached to the roof, sidewalls, and bottom wall at a rear end of the slide-out area to form an outer perimeter of the rear end of the slide-out area,

the method further comprising the step of compressing the second sealing gasket between the first and second flange plates when the slide-out area is in the extended position to provide a substantially weather tight seal between the slide-out area and the trailer body.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of compressing the first sealing gasket between the first flange plate and the internal facing side of the front end wall of the slide-out area when the slide-out area is in the retracted position to provide a substantially weather tight seal between the slide-out area and the trailer body.

18. A travel trailer, comprising:

a chassis having wheels and an extended portion with a trailer hitch for towing the travel trailer;

a trailer body attached to the chassis and having rigid sidewalls, a rigid front end wall, a rigid rear end wall, a rigid roof, and a floor, with the sidewalls, end walls, roof, and floor defining an internal space of the trailer body;

at least one slide-out area extendable outward from the trailer body, with the slide-out area extendable from a retracted position received within the trailer body to an extended position extended outward from the trailer body, with the front end wall of the trailer body defining an opening for receiving the slide-out area into the trailer body in the retracted position, and with the slide-out area further comprising;

a rigid roof;

rigid sidewalls connected to the roof;

a rigid bottom wall connected to the sidewalls; and

a rigid front end wall connected to the roof, sidewalls, and bottom wall;

a pair of substantially horizontal guide rails attached, respectively, to internal surfaces of the sidewalls of the trailer body;

a pair of rollers attached, respectively, to lateral sides of the bottom wall of the slide-out area and received, respectively, in the guide rails for providing slidable movement of the slide-out area relative to the trailer body; and

a removable external support for supporting the slide-out area in the extended position, the support comprising;

a support member configured for removable connection to a bracket attached to the front end wall of the trailer body; and

a leg member connected to the support member, with the leg member configured for connection to the extended portion of the chassis for supporting the slide-out area in the vertical direction when the slide-out area is in the extended position.

19. The travel trailer of claim 18, the support further comprising:

an external roller attached to a bottom edge of the front end wall of the slide-out area, with the external roller positioned to coact with a top surface of the support member such that when the slide-out area is moved between the extended and retracted positions the external roller is guided along the top surface of the support member.