AU2011244960A1 - Trailer for Recreational Vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A camper unit has a trailer body with a cover hinged to the body and the cover is adapted to support bicycles and motorcycles. A rack is mountable above the cover to enable a boat or jet ski to be carried instead. The cover hinges to allow the cover to be inverted and furnish two end to end bed spaces. The trailer accommodates three folding frames which support an awning over the end to end bed spaces. The frames are extendable horizontally to provide extra awning area. 2011-1-03,H\Specifications\nomad.cap2.wpd,7

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION Trailer for Recreational Vehicle TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] This invention concerns camper trailers. BACKGROUND [0002] Such units are popular because they are erectable and stowable with only modest effort over a short period of time. The unit embodies a trailer which is of appreciable mass thereby affording anchorage in squally weather. Australian Patent No. 609328 describes such units. A shallow box houses three inverted U-shaped frames which when raised form a tent frame. Extra posts placed upright in the ground support an awning extending from the tent frame to the upright posts. This affords a welcome increase in the covered area around the tent but it is not suitable for accommodating any recreational equipment for the campers pleasure once the destination has been reached. SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem [0003] Known trailers do not have the facility to transport a recreational vehicle. [0004] The apparatus aspect of the invention provides a camper unit with a body capable of accommodating bedding for one or two persons and a body cover adapted to support a recreational vehicle or vehicles. [0005] The cover may be separable from the body. Alternatively it is pivoted to one end of the body so that it can rotate to lie inverted at one end of the body. 2011-11-03,H:\Specifications\nomad.cap2.wpd, I 2 [0006] The body of the unit may be the trailer body itself and the cover may lie at the same height as the top of the trailer so that body and cover lie in a common plane. [0007] Alternatively the cover may be a box of comparable depth to the trailer to afford extra sleeping space, but this increases the height to which the recreational vehicles must be raised during loading. [0008] The topside of the cover may have brackets or eyes for the attachment of tie lines to whatever the equipment is in order to meet road regulations. Alternatively the brackets or eyes may be provided on the trailer body. [0009] The recreational vehicle may be one or more motorcycles such as a trail bike. Instead the recreational vehicle may be a jet ski or dinghy. For assisting the carriage of motorcycles the cover may have two or three mutually parallel upstanding metal channels in which the wheels are a running fit. No such locators are required for transport of a dinghy which may be inverted and placed directly on the top face of the cover. Similarly, ribs may protrude from the top face of the cover for assisting the carriage of ajet ski. [0010] When a kayak or dinghy is to be transported a rack raised above the cover may span the body providing a shelf spaced from the channels. The rack may comprise a pair of transverse bars spanning the width of the body and being removably carried by vertical supports fixed to the sides of the body. [0011] The cover may have attachable legs or hinged legs which support the cover at working height. [0012] The body may have two captive, U-shaped radial awning support frames, pivoted to opposite sides of the body capable of deployment on and above the trailer and a further like frame may be attached to the cover which is of similar width in order to deploy an awning over the cover when the latter has doubled the length of the trailer. The awning may be erected to give access to the bedding. 2011-11-03, H Specifiadons\nomad.cap2wpd,2 3 Advantageous Effects of Invention [0013] 1. Above ground support for two mattresses beneath an awning. [00141 2. Transport for bicycles, motorcycles, kayaks, tinny or jet ski. [0015] 3. Extra covered area adjacent the trailer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [0016] One embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0017] Figure 1 is a perspective showing carriage of a motorcycle and part of the boat rack ready to be fitted. [0018] Figure 2 is an end sectional view showing carriage of a dinghy or kayak on the rack. [0019] Figure 3 is a plan. [0020] Figure 4 is a side view of the trailer with the recreational vehicle removed and the awning deployed. [0021] Figure 5 is a perspective of the trailer in tent mode with the awning posts and arms in support positions. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS [0022] Referring now to the drawings, the trailer body 2 is conventional with a draw bar 4 and a locker 6 on the draw bar containing kitchen items or camping equipment. U-shaped awning support frames 8, 10 are pivoted to the rear of the body 2 in order to afford camping facilities. A 2011-11-03,11Specifications\nomadcap2 wpd,3 4 bedding box 12 lies between the support arms and contains mattresses 14. The box cover 16 is hinged to the rear end of the box in order to pivot through 180' and lie in the inverted position shown in Figure 3. The body has about 400mm ground clearance. The height of the box cover is about 700mm. [0023] In the motorcycle version shown here, the cover 16 supports the mass of three trail bikes 18 which are mounted on three parallel bike channels 20 mutually connected by cross ties 22. Upstands 24 assist in keeping the bikes in position in the travel mode. The bikes are secured by ties (not shown) which stretch between conventional edge anchors 26 on the trailer sides. The cover accommodates an extra awning frame 28 which permit a near symmetrical spread of awning 30 over the cover 16 (see Figure 4). The rear part of the box 12 has fold down legs 32. The trailer itself has extendable legs 34. A ramp is used to wheel the bikes on to the cover 16. [0024] When the box lid is required to carry a kayak, jet ski or dinghy 36 or kayak 38 as shown in Figure 2, use is made of four, vertical tubular supports 40 fixed to the trailer sides. A pair of bars 42 with legs 44 which are inserted into supports 40 form a rack above the channels. The load is carried by the bars and load ties are lashed to anchors 26. [0025] Referring now to Figure 5, all three U-shaped frames 8, 10, 28 are modified by the addition of a horizontal telescopic arm 46, 48, 50 to the top of each frame. The arms are welded in position and allow extension arms 52, 54, 56 to project away from the trailer to meet telescopic steel posts 58, 60, 62 for the purpose of supporting an extra awning 64 at one side of the trailer. Zip-on sides attach to the awning edges to close in the space in inclement weather. The metal parts are powder coated steel. [0026] In use the frames 8, 10 overlie the mattresses and frame 28 and cover 16 both overlie frames 8, 10 in travel mode. The associated awning lies in folds between the frame. The extra awning 64 and side pieces if required are also stowed in the trailer body, together with collapsed posts 48-52. 2011-11-03,H:\Specifications\nomad vap2.wpd,4

Claims (13)

1. A mobile camper unit with a body capable of accommodating bedding for a person or persons and a body cover adapted to support a recreational vehicle or vehicles.

2. A mobile camper unit as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the cover is pivoted to one end of the body so that rotation allows the cover to lie inverted at one end of the body.

3. A mobile camper unit as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the body of the unit is a trailer and the cover lies at the same height as the top of the trailer so that body and cover lie end to end at comparable height.

4. A mobile camper unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1-3, wherein the cover is a box of similar depth to the trailer to afford extra sleeping space.

5. A mobile camper unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1-4, wherein the cover has attachable or hinged legs which support the cover at working height.

6. A mobile camper unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1-5, wherein the top face of the cover has attachment sites for ties.

7. A mobile camper unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1-6, wherein the body has pairs of supports for transverse rack members which lie above the surface of the cover for supporting a kayak, dinghy or jet ski.

8. A mobile camper unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1-7, wherein the body has two captive, U-shaped radial awning support frames pivoted to opposite sides of the body operable for deployment above the trailer and a further like frame of like width is pivoted to the cover in order to extend the awning over the cover when the latter is rotated and inverted.

9. A mobile camper unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1-7, wherein the cover has two

2011-11-03,H\Specilcationsnomad cap2.wpd,5 6 captive, U-shaped radial awning support frames pivoted to opposite sides of the cover operable for deployment above the cover and a further like frame of like width is pivoted to the body in order to extend the awning over the body when the cover is rotated and inverted.

10. A mobile camper unit as claimed in Claim 8 or 9, wherein the horizontal part of one or more of the U-frames carries a horizontal telescopic bearer from which an awning bearer extends.

11. A mobile camper unit as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the separate upright posts support the awning bearers when the awning bearers are extended.

12. A mobile camper unit as claimed in any one of Claims 1-11, wherein one or more metal channels fixed to the top of the cover have a forked upstand at one end for supporting the front wheel of a motorcycle.

13. A mobile camper unit substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 2011-11-03,H \Specifications\nomad.cap2.wpd,6