CA1200262A - Van layout - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A motor van has an interior convertible to either a sightseeing mode or a mobile home mode, the conversion being by means of foldable partitions. Unique types of stowable beds and a convertible shower stall-closet are also disclosed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a motor van, and more particularly, to a motor van having separable comparbments creating inte~rated mohile living quarters.
Although large motor homes and trailers have been in use for a number of years, recent increases in fuel costs have created a need for more compact motor homes capable of providing all of the amenities of the larger motor homes but at a saving in fuel cost and space. Other considerations axe greater 10 flexibility and greater ease of handling. The ideal motor home would represent a compromise of these features and contain an interior allowing for both a single living space during the major part of the travelling day and division of that living space during the remainder of the day into separated compartments 15 for specialized activities such as sleeping, cooking and personal hygiene.
Certain features are essential in a motor van being utilized as a motor home. It must contain comfortable seating for travelling, suitable kitchen facilities such as a stove and 20 fridge, a toilet, a shower or similar wash facility, and sleeping ~uarters. Depending upon the space available in the motor van, one or more of these features may be placed in the same section of the van.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention is a motor van having an interior arranged to form a motor home that takes optimum advantage of the available space. Such vans may be provided in various lengths~ their in-terior being separable into either two or three compartments depending upon availahle space. The Eorward compartment would generally contain a seating arrangement optionally convextible into several beds. In that same compartment, a stowable, overhead bed may be provided, that bed in its extended position resting on support means above the seating arrangement. If the length of the van allows, a fixed bed may also be installed in the separahle rear compartment.
In the longest version of the motor van of the 10 subject invention, both central and rear separable compartments are provided. In the shortest version of the motor van only forward and rear separable compartments are provided. Intermediate size versions of the motor van are also available~ A kitchen facility, toilet, and shower stall occupy the central separable 15 compartment in the longest version of the motor home, such facilities being in the rear comparbment in the shortest version of the motor v~n. The kitchen facility has a balanced weight distribution and a preferr~d embodiment of the invention comprises a sink, a grill area, a fridge, kitchen cabinets 20 and overhead cupboards. The toilet is preferably of the conventional type for motor homes and connects to a waste storage tank mounted under the floor of the van. The shower stall is of a unique construction and has a fold-out coat rack assembly pivotally connected to its frame so as to double as 25 a storage closet. The toilet and shower stall are located in what is broadly termed a toilet region and are associated with attractive cabinet coverings which double as foldable partitions to isolate those facilities in use from the remaining space in the van. The creation of privacy areas by the use of these dual functlon partitions is an important aspect of the invention~
The longest version of the motor van has a third separable compartment at the rear~ the compartment housing a fixed bed or a dinette arrangement convertible into a bed. The hed formed in this compartment may be either additional to or in replacement of the bed ormed by the convertible seating arrange-ment or the stowable, overhead bed. In this reyard, it should be mentioned that in the shortest version of the van there is 10 no room for a rear bed facility, the forward separable compartment of the van having both the convertible seating arrangement and the stowable, overhead bed.
Accordingly, the invention in one aspect provides a mobile van having a van body comprising:(A) a plurality of main sections serially arranged in the lengthwise direction of the van body and in close relation to one another; (B) one of said sections having at least a substantial portion of a kitchen facility mounted adjacent one side wall of the van body, a toilet region being defined adjacent the opposing side wall of the van body witnin said one section and a passageway aligned with the lengthwise dimension of the van body and defined between the toilet region and kitchen facility, said passageway providing for communication between said one section and each other main section which is adjacent thereto;
(C) movable partition means associated with said one section and movable between (a) a first position clear of said passageway providing open communication between said one section and at least .3'-~ ~ ` ' >

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one other main section adjacent thereto and (b) a second extended position across said passageway and separating said one section from said at least one other main section thereby forming separated compartments to enable said toilet region to be used in privacy, and (D) said partition means being adapted to at least partially cover and conceal said toilet region from view when in said first position, and to expose said toilet region for use when in said second extended position.
In a further aspect the invention provides a 10 mobile van having a van body comprising: (A) a rear section, a central section, and a forward section; said sections being serially arranged in the lengthwise di~ection of the van body in juxtaposition to one another; (B) said central sec-tion having at least a substantial portion of a kitchen facility mounted adjacent 15 one side wall of the van body, a toilet region being defined adjacent the opposing side wall of the van body within said central section and a passageway aligned with the lengthwise dimension of the van and defined between the toilet region and kitchen facility, said passageway providing communication between said rear, central 20 and forward sections; (C) movable partition means operatively associated with said central section and movable between (a) a first retracted posi-tion clear of said passageway wherein free communication is provided between said central section and at least one of the other said sections whereby the combined spaces 25 defined by said passageway, kitchen facility and said at least one other secti.on are available for communal use while at the .L;(d~
- 3b -same time said movable partition means at least partly conceals said toilet region from view and blocks the use thereof, and (b) a second extended position wherein said partition means extends generally laterally of the van body so as to form a temporary wall portlon closing said passageway and temporarily separating said central section from at least one of the other two sections and thus converting such central section to a privacy compartment with at least a portion of said toilet region being at the same time open and accessible for use within said central section so that a substantial portion of the space defined by said central section, including the space defined by said passageway, is made available for use by a person occupying the converted privacy compartment.
Further aspects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The subject invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example. In the drawings:
Figure l is a perspective cutaway view of the right side of the longest version of the mo-tor van;
Figure 2 is a cutawav perspective view of the left side of the motor van of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the motor van interior illustrating a seating arrangement convertible to a pair of beds and also illustratlng the toilet and shower stall covering pivoted to form a privacy compartment;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a motor van interior as in Figure 3, and additionally illustrating a rear dining compartment which is convertible to a double bed as shown in Figure 5;
Figure 5 is a plan view of the motor van interior of Figure 4 illustrating a pair of beds formed by the convertible 3 i ~ p ~, seating arrang ~ nt in the front area and ei~ler a fixed double k~d.in the rear area or a ked which is c~lv~ ~ble to a dinette as sho~n in Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a cutaway view through the right side of the motor van illustrating the convertible seating arrangement and also illustrating the stowab:Le, overhead bed;
Figure 7 is a perspective forward view of the forward compartment illustrating the stowable, overhead bed ln the retracted position;
Figure 8 is a perspective forward view of -the forward compartment illustrating the stowable, overhead bed in the 10 extended position;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the covered toilet and shower stall facility of the motor van, illustrating in outline a partial fold-out position for the covering;
Figure 10 is a perspective view of the toilet and 15 shower stall facility after movement of the covering to a position to form a separated privacy compartment~
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A preferred embodiment of the motor van of the subject invention will next be described utilizing the accompany-20 ing drawings.
Motor van 11 has the chassis and body of one ofthe vans commercially available in the marketplace. The van interior fixtures of the subject invention are adopted to be placed in a Dodge "Ram Series 250" van, although other vans 25 available in the marketplace could be utilized to house the same or similar ~ixtures. Preferably, the chosen van will have an .~tiJ~ J~

engine economic on gas, power steering, power brakes, and other features that contribute to a smoo-th comfortable ride, such as cruise con-trol, steel belted tires, and a stabilizer bar.
The van of the preferred embodiment has side doors 12 and a rear door 13 to allow passengers rapid access to the van interior. Three separable sections or compartments are created in the motor van of Figures 1 and 2: a forward compartment 14, a central compartment 15, and a rear compar-tment 16, such sections or compartments being serially a.rranged in the lengthwise 10 direction of the van body and being in close juxtaposition to one another. In a shorter version of the motor van of the subject invention -there are only two compartments: a forward seating compartment and a rear compartment, the rear compartment containing fixtures similar to those that will subsequen-tly be described in 15 central compartment 15.
Forward compartment 14 represents approximately half of the interior space of the van and has side windows 17 and 18 in addition to the standard windows to allow passengers seated in the forward compartment a panoramic view outside.
Figures 1 and 2 illustrate four swivel seats 19 mounted i.n the forward compartment; however, as illustrated in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive, the two rear swivel seats may each be replaced by a fixed seat 20 which, in conjunction with the swivel seat forward thereof, may be converted into a bed as will subsequently be more fully explained. A table 25 is removably mounted in the forward compartment 14 such that it is central to either of the four swivel seats 19 or of the pair of front swivel seats 19 and the pair of fixed rear seats 20. The table may be eccentrically mounted to its support post and off centered r l' ~ P
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relative to the floor to provide extra room when rotated ou-t of its normal position. For driving all swivel seats are in the forward position and table 25 could be detached from the floor and stored if desired.
Figures 3 to 6 illustrate a seati.ng arrangement convertible to a pair oE beds. Each becl 19' is formed by a forward swivel seat 19 and the associated fixed seat 20 located at the rear thereof. To form a bed, the swivel seat is rotated such that its back portion is proximate of the other swivel seat 10 and its arms, which are pivotally connected to the back portion, are i.n the raised position (see Figure 6)o The fixed seat 20 which is behind the particular swivel seat 19 is modified to form an extended hori~ontal platform for the bed, as shown in outline in Figure 6. Seat 20 has a seating portion 23 to which 15 is rigidly secured at the forward end a vertical front plat.e 24.
The side edges of seating portion 23 rest on a pair of forwardly extending vertical frame walls 31~ A back rest 27 is provided with loops on its upper edge which fasten to hooks mounted on partition 26. Back rest 27 slopes downwardly 20 away from partition 26, its lower portion being spaced from partition 26 by a cushion 28. As shown in Figure 6, seating portion 23 of each rear seat 20 may be moved forward such that its front edge is adjacent to a side edge of the rotated swivel seat forwardly thereof. The rear edge of seating portion 23 in

2~, such forward position is supported by vertical frame support 30, that support sitting proximate of vertical front plate 24 when seating portion 23 is in the retracted position. With seating portion 23 in the forward position, back rest 27 is dislodged P~ r~.v ~V ~ P h~

from the hooks -that hold it to partit:ion 26 and laid on a horizontal strip 25 rigidly secured to the partition 26 which separates the forward compartment from the adjoining compartment.
The -top edges of the pair of forwardly extended vertical frame walls 31 are covered by seating por-tion 23 and support the latter when in the retracted position. On the driver's side of the van, the two cushions 28 are placed on a support bridging the span between side walls 31 between seating por-tion 23 in its forward position and back rest 27 to form the bed; the driver's swivel seat is positioned slightly forwardly of -the other swivel seat and the other bed does not require similar cushions. Figure 6 illustrates in outline the bed formed on the driver's side by the rear seat in the extended position and by the rotated swivel seat forward thereof, that swivel seat having been rotated counterclockwise one-quarter turn and its arms pivoted to the raised position. Figure 5 illustrates the two beds 19' that are thus formed in the forward compartment, the bed on the driver's side being of slightly greater length. The relatively wide seating portion 23 which forms the central portion of the bed provides extra room for the sleeper where it is most needed. Suitable means, not shown, are provided to lock the swivel sea-ts 19 in their forward, driving positions whereby to prevent unwanted turning of same about their vertical swivel axes. The space between vertical walls 31 under seating portion 23 in the retracted position is normally used to store bedding and similar items.
An alternate bed arrangement for the forward compartment of the van is illustrated in Figures 6, 7, and 8.

The al-terna-te arrangement, which finds greater application to a van housing four swivel seats in the forward compartmen-t, is a stowable overhead bed comprising three boards 35, 36, and 37, each of similar length but of diEferent width, board 37 being wider than board 36 which is wider than board 35. The three boards together form the base of the stowable bed, the boards being supported by three fold-down support members, two of which are each pivotally secured to a respective side of the van above the windows and the third of which is pivotally secured to 10 a horizontal shelf at the forward end of the van~ The support members pivotally secured to the side walls of the van are boards 41 and 42 which are hinged to boards 43 and 44, respectively, the latter pair of boards being permanently mounted to a respective one of the side walls of the van. The support member at the 15 forward end of the van is pivotably mounted to the rearward edge of horizontal shelf member 45 which extends laterally across the van proximate of the top of the windshield. The forward support member consists of two boards hinged together such that in their retracted position a first one of the boards 47 extends 20 generally vertically and the other board 48 extends generally horizontally. The hinges on boards 47 and 48 are positioned such that with boards 35, 36, and 37 unstowed, boards 47 and 48 may be pivoted as a unit on the hinge connecting board 47 to the rearward edge of horizontal ledge 45~ That hinge, which in 25 the stowed bed position is on the lower edge of board 47, is on the upper edge of board 47 after such rotation. Board 47 is then rotated relative to board 48 until the two boards hanq _ ~ ~3~ 3~

in vertical planar alignment (as .shown in dashed lines in Fig. 6). Boards 41 and 42 may assume ei-ther a raised position, as shown in Figure 7, or a lowered position, as shown in Figure 8; -the two boards have angle iron members 51 and 52, respectively, secured to -their lower edges as those edges are defined in the lowered position. This arrangement is illustrated in E'igures 7 and 8. Board 48 also has a length of angle iron 48a extending along its lower edge and best seen in the lowered position (shown in dashed lines in Fig.6). The boards 35, 36 10 and 37 rest upon the three sections of angle iron 48a, 51 and 52, as illustrated in outline in Figure 6. Of boards 35, 36 and 37, the board placed in the forward position has holes extending through its thickness on one of its longer edges and on the two corners facing that edge. Pins 39 located to correspond to the 15 holes in the forwardly positioned board extend from the three sections of angle iron such that placement of the pins 39 into the holes on the forwardly positioned board locks the forward and side support members in a defined spatial relationship. Boards 41 and 42 are thus prevented from moving laterally outward and 20 board 48 is prevented from moving forwardly. The position of pins 39 and the corresponding holes in the forwardly positioned board are illustrated in Figure 6. Stops 55 and 56 are each fastened to partitions 29 and 26 respectively at the rear edges of boards 41 and 42, respectively, to further prevent those 25 boards from moving outwardly.
Boards 41 and 42 serve a double purpose for the storable bed. Not only do they support boards 35, 36 and 37 when those three boards are in their lowered posi-tion, but they also prevent those three boards Erom sliding back when in their raised position. As shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8, boards 41 and 42 are cut such that their forward ends are of decreased depth to match with a ledge defined by s-trips 38;
boards 35, 36 and 37 rest upon these strips 38 which are permanently mounted to the forward ends of permanently mounted boards 43 and 44. All of the hinges used in the stowable bed assembly are preferably of the piano hinge variety and extend the length of the hinged surfaces thus providing ample support 10 when the bed is in use.
The separable privacy compartment behind the forward compartment, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 9 and 10, will now be described in detail. For better clarification, the separable privacy compartment is designated as region 15 of the 15 van of Figure 1. That compartment defines on one side a toilet region which contains a flush toilet and an adjoining shower stall and coat rack facility, as well as an oppositely disposed kitchen facility all of which are mounted either to or alongside the side walls of the van body. A longitudinally extending passageway 15a(Fig.5) extends through such compartrnent and provides communication between the main compartments or sections 14, 15 and 16 of the van. The toilet region may be considered as extending the full length of the central compartment 15 adjacent an associated sidewall of the van. The folding doors whlch define partitions movable from positions covering and concealing this toilet region (and the facilities therein) from view, to other positions wherein such toilet region, and b i-ts facilities, are opened and exposed for use, will now be described. I`he upper por-tion of -the toilet is covered by a folcling door 60 having a pair of panels of substantially similar size hinged together along their long edges by hinge 60a and 5 which can be unfolded, as shown in Figures 3 and 10 to extend from partition 26 (to which door 60 is hinged as seen in Figs.

3, 9 and 10) by hinge 60b to partition 29 which abuts -the forward end oL -the kitchen facility. Wi-th foldin(J cloor 60 ir, the folded condition its two panels overlie one another 10 in a plane recessed from -the front of the toilet, and blockinq use of -the toilet, with the hinges which support the two panels being loca-ted at opposite sides ot the toilet region as seen in Figs. 3 and 9. With folding door 60 in the extended position, front cabinet panel 61 may be 15 pivoted on the hinge extending vertically on its edge to assume a position in coplanar alignment wi-th the extended folding door 60. This is illustrated in Figure 10. A sliding panel (not shown) can be slidably secured to -the fron-t cabinet panel 61 such that extended folding door 60 and front cabinet panel 61 20 essentially presen-t a uniform wall to the forward compartment of the van. As men-tioned, this wall ex-tends la-terally in -the van such that its outer edge is proximate the edge of the fixed parti-tion 29 (see Fig.3). Flush toilet 62 is of a conven-tional design for rnotor homes and is connec-ted to a was-te storage tank 25 located under the floor of the motor van. 'I'op cabinet panel 63 of the -toilet is rigidly secured to the toilet sea-t and can be pivoted -to an open posi-tion when folding door 60 is in the extended position. As shown in Figure 10, -the toilet has shelves 1 ~ ~ b ~

64 moun-ted -thereabove, those shelves being u-tilized for s-toring toiletries and similar materials.
When the folding dooxs 60, 67, are in their extended positions to foxm the central privacy compar-tment, the space in front of -the toilet region, including the passageway 15a and -the ki-tchen facility, is effectively converted into useable space, providing extra room for person(s) using the privacy compartrnent.

The central compartmen-t 15 is also separable fron~
the rear compar-tment 16 of the van by means of a foldable door 67 as shown in Figures 3, 9 and 10 and comprising a large door panel 66 and a small panel or leaf 73. Foldable door 67 is pivota]ly connected to fold-out coat rack assembly 68 by vertically extending piano hinge 69 which extends parallel to the hinge 60b of folding door 60. Coat rack assembly 68 is in turn pivotally connected to the frame of shower stall 70 by vertically extending piano hinge 71 which extends parallel to and slightly rearwardly on the van from hinge 69. Foldable door panel 66 has the leaf 73 pivotally connected thereto by a piano hinge 73a, leaf 73 extending vertically along the outer edge of foldable door panel 66 and a wedge shaped panel 73b is fixed to the same edge as hinge 73a is fixed but i-t is on -the outside. Panel 66 is sufficiently wide as to cover -the en-tire front face of -the shower stall. Leaf 74 extends horizontally along the upper edge of the foldab]e base portion 78 of the shower stall and is connected -thel-e-to by a piano-type hinge. When foldable door 67 - 1.3 -I '~ l` :i ' ~` C-'O', `d p~ t 10, it:~ le~.~, ) fclds is heh ~d the door panel 66,as shown in Figure 9, and wedge-shaped panel 73b butts up to the slopi.ng partition 75 which separates the toilet from the shower stall. A deep tray 76 is secured -to the back surface of folding door 67.
Fold-out coat rack assembly 68 consis-ts of a shelf surroundecl by a pair of side panels 68a, 68b and a rear panel 68c, as shown in Figure 10. The side panel 68b to whi.ch piano hinge 69 is fastened extends approximately -two--thirds the heigh-t of the shower stall, the o-ther si.de panel 68a ex-tending only up-wardly from the shel.f to the top of -the shower stall. The back panel extends downwardly behind the shelf at an ang]e, as shown in Figure 10, all of the panels of the coat rack assembly beiny so positioned to fit into the shower stall, which is shaped to conform to the side of the van. A coat rack 68d (shown in dashed lines in Fig.10) is secured -to the underside of the shelf of the coa-t rack assembly.
Shower stall 70, as shown in Figure lO,may be of a moulded rigid plastic construction or of a plastic-ply-wood laminate. The shower stall has an integral foldable base portion 78 connected to its main portion by a flexible piece of vinyl 79.
The flexible vinyl piece extends across a V-shaped cut in each side of the lower part of the shower stall. The front base portion of the shower stall is rotatable between an upper retracted position (wherein it is located generally below the foldable door 67 to form a lower cover for the shower stall) r~J~ s) ~3~

along a .t`olcl line co.nnectin~ the apices of the ~-shapecl cuts, to an extended horizontal position for use closely dd jacen-t to or on the :Eloor of the motor van. The fold line is define~ by a hinge and the vinyl 7~ is of one piece and extends complete~y across the assembly ~o cover the hin~e and prevent leakage of water. The lower main portion of -the shower s-tall has a seat 81 intec3rally formed t.herein, shower head ~2 bein~ mounted on a flexible shower hose for ease oE hanclling by a person sec,-ted on seat 81. A shower curtain (not shown) is detachably secured to a plurality of cl.ips (which may be Velcro-covexed knobs) on the ceiling of the van and hangs such that its lower end is inside of the base portion of the shower stall. When the shower stall is no longer required, coat rack assembly 68 is rotated back into its position in the shower stall and the shower curtain (not shown) rests against the back panel of the coat rack assembly.
Fasteners are employed to hold folding door 60, foldable door 67 and fold-out coat rack assembly 68 in either their closed or extended positions.
The rear compartment of the van may be utilized for several different functions. Firstly, it may house a fixed bed as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Alternatively, it may house a bed convertible lnto a central table with a bench along each side of the van (see Figs. 5 and 4). It is also possible to have a permanent dinette arrangement in the rear portion of the van.
In that compartment, overhead cabinets are provided for storing bedding, table linen and similax items.

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The foregoing description has related to the longest version of the van to which the features of the subject invention are applicable. However, it should be obvious that the features of the invention could also be repositioned so as to be accommodated in a van of shorter length. For instance, a shorter van might have only the contents of the forward and central compartments of the described embodiment. Or a shor-ter version of the van might not have a shower stall in -the -toilet re~ion, instead havlng a regular clothes closet or other feature. I-t should be noted that when no shower is installed, door 67 and leaf 73 extend all the way to the floor. In that situation, door 60 is brought forward several inches into line with door 67 and wedge panel on ]eaf 73 omitted as -the sloping par-tition 73 is not there. The toilet is then moved back the same distance the shelves behind it and the partition separating the toilet and shower stall are eliminated and door 60 brought down to the floor all the way as well so that lower door 61 can be eliminated also. In other words, the -toilet and clothes close-t are both placed in the same enclosure or toilet region with the two sets of folding doors being used -to create -the partitions. It is also possible for a dinette -to be placed along one of the side walls of the van, replacing one of the rear seats in the forward compartment and also a portion of -the central compartment.
In summary, there has been described a motor van having an in-terior space which can be quickly converted from wha-t is effec-tively a single room into two and/or three private L~S3~j~

compar-trnen-ts wi-th li-ttle or no effort. A center compartrnent which can be quickly created by means of movable partitions (in turn automatically crea-ting two more compartments, one in the front and one in the rear) has a number of facili-ties. On one side adjacen-t the van wall there is provided a kitchen facili-ty and on the other side there is provided toilet and shower stc facilities, the shower stall doubling as a coa-t closet without sacrificing valuable space. This center utility compartment is always available for active use in that i-t is never occupied by seats, table or beds. The movable partitions perform a unique dual function in that when in their ex-tended positions to create the center privacy compartment, the fix-tures in such compartment are effec-tively uncovered and ready for use while in the retracted conditions, at least portions of such facilities are effectively concealed or hidden from view. The quickly creatable front compartment may contain four wide comfortable passenger seats which are convertable in a unique way to two rela-tively wide single beds having sufficient space between them for moving about and providing quick access to the central utility-privacy compartment. These seats and beds are rapidly in-terchangeable one to the other. This front compartment also con-tains a stowable overhead double adult size bed which can also be extended or stored away very quickly. When in use, the mattress support base is suspended in mid-air via flanges fastened to the bottom edges of elongated horizontal members when they are in the downwardly pivoted positions. These ~ ~h' ~ J ~l~g jl~r elongcLteLL membel--s present a necit and a~tractive appearcLr,ce when in the up position wi-th the mat-tress support means being stored closely adjacent the front end of the front compartmen-t so as not to lose any of the ceiling height available -thus enabling adults to stand upright wi-thin the van. The instantly createable rear compartment may contain a standard adult size clouble bed or a ches-terfield in a transverse clirection or a dinette capab]e of seating several people. Both chesterfield ancl dinette are convertable to the same sized bed.

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Claims (27)

CLAIMS:

1. A mobile van having a van body comprising:
(A) a plurality of main sections serially arranged in the lengthwise direction of the van body and in close relation to one another;

(B) one of said main sections having at least a sub-stantial portion of a kitchen facility mounted adjacent one side wall of the van body, a toilet region being defined adjacent the opposing side wall of the van body within said one main section and a passageway aligned with the lengthwise dimension of the van body and defined between the toilet region and kitchen facility, said passageway providing for communication between said one main section and each other main section which is adjacent thereto;
(C) movable partition means associated with said one main section and movable between (a) a first position clear of said passageway providing open communication between said one main section and at least one said other main section adjacent thereto and (b) a second ex-tended position across said passageway and separating said one main section from said at least one other main section thereby forming separated compartments to enable said toilet region to be used in privacy, and (D) said partition means being adapted to at least partially cover and conceal said toilet region from view when in said first position, and to expose said toilet region for use when in said second extended position.

2. The mobile van of claim 1 wherein said main sections comprise a central main section by flanked by a forward main section and a rear main section, and wherein said movable partition means includes a pair of movable partitions spaced apart in the lengthwise direction of the van body such that in their first positions, free communication between all said main sections is provided, while in their second extended positions they isolate said central main section from the other two main sections thereby to define three separated compartments and enabling a person in the thus-defined central compartment to use the toilet region therein in privacy.

3. The mobile van of claim 1 wherein a flush toilet is located in said toilet region. .

4. The mobile van of claim 2 wherein said toilet region has flush toilet and shower stall facilities adjacent the associated sidewall portion of the van.

5. The mobile van of claim 2 wherein at least one of said forward and rear main sections have means therein convertible to sleeping facilities and said passageway providing ready and direct access from said sleeping facilities to said central main section in said first position of said partition means.

6. The mobile van of claim 5 wherein said forward main section has said means convertible to sleeping facilities and which are capable of defining a pair of beds spaced apart laterally of the van body to define a walkway therebetween aligned with the passageway defined by said central main section to facilitate passage between said beds and said central main section.

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7. A mobile van having a van body comprising:
(A) a plurality of main sections serially arranged in the lengthwise direction of the body and in close relation to one another;
(B) one of said main sections having at least a sub-stantial portion of a kitchen facility mounted adjacent one side wall of the van body, a toilet region being defined adjacent the opposing side wall of the van body within said one main section and a passageway aligned with the lengthwise dimension of the van and defined between the toilet region and kitchen facility, said passageway providing for communication between said one main section and each other main section which is adjacent thereto;
(C) partition means associated with said one main section and movable between (a) a first position clear of said passageway providing open communication between said one main section and at least one other main section adjacent thereto whereby the combined spaces defined by said passageway, kitchen facility and said at least one other main section are available for communal use and (b) a second extended position across said passageway and separating said one main section from said at least one other main section thereby forming separated compartments and converting said one main section into a segregated compartment to enable said toilet region to be used in privacy, and (D) said partition means being adapted to at least partially cover and conceal said toilet region from view and block the use thereof when in said first position to enable the kitchen facility to be used while the toilet facility is at least partly concealed, and said partition means further adapted to expose said toilet region for use within the thus converted compartment when in said second extended position so that a free open space defined at least in part by said toilet region and said passageway becomes accessible for use within the thus converted and segregated privacy compartment.

8. The mobile van of claim 7 wherein said main sections comprise a central section flanked by a forward section and a rear section, and wherein said partition means includes a pair of movable partitions spaced apart in the length-wise direction of the van body such that in their first positions,free communication between all said main sections is provided, while in their second extended positions they isolate said central section from the other two main sections thereby to define three separated compart-ments and enabling a person in the thus-defined central compartment to use the toilet region therein in privacy, and said forward and rear main sections having means therein convertible to sleeping facilities and said passageway providing ready and direct access from said sleeping facilities to said central section in said first position of said partition means.

9. The mobile van of claim 7 wherein a flush toilet is located in said toilet region.

10. A mobile van having a van body comprising:
(A) a rear section, a central section, and a forward section; said section, being serially arranged in the lengthwise direction of the van body in juxtaposition to one another;
(B) said central section having at least a sub-stantial portion of a kitchen facility mounted adjacent one side wall of the van body, a toilet region being defined adjacent the opposing side wall of the van body within said central section and a passageway aligned with the lengthwise dimension of the van and defined between the toilet region and kitchen facility, said passageway providing communication between said rear, central and forward sections;
(C) movable partition means operatively associated with said central section and movable between (a) a first retracted position clear of said passageway wherein free communication is provided between said central section and at least one of the other two sections whereby the combined sections are available for use, and (b) a second extended position wherein said partition means extends generally laterally of the van body so as to form a temporary wall portion closing said passageway and temporarily separating said central section from at least one of the other two sections with at least a portion of said toilet region being at the same time open and accessible for use within said central section.

11. The mobile van of claim 10 wherein said movable partition means includes a pair of movable partitions spaced apart in the lengthwise direction of the van body such that in their second extended positions they isolate said central section from the other two sections thereby to define three separated compartments within said van body and enabling persons in the thus-defined central compartment to use said toilet region therein in privacy.

12. The mobile van of claim 11 wherein said movable partition means comprise first and second doors, each hinged to a respective portion fixed to the van body and pivotable from retracted positions overlying and concealing at least a sub-stantial portion of said toilet region,to said extended positions wherein they serve to isolate said central section from the other sections.

13. The mobile van of claim 11 wherein at least one of said rear and forward sections therein includes means convertable into sleeping accommodations whereby persons using such sleeping accommodations have ready access to the toilet region in said central section.

14. The mobile van of claim 13 wherein said forward section includes said means convertable into sleeping accommodations and capable of defining a pair of beds spaced apart laterally of the van body to define a walkway therebetween aligned with the passageway defined through said central section thus facilitating passage between said beds and said central section.

15. The mobile van of claim 14 wherein said rear-ward section includes means convertable to a sleeping accommodation.

16. The mobile van of claim 12 wherein said first and second doors each comprise a pair of panels hinged together to provide a folding section.

17. A mobile van having a van body comprising:
(A) a rear section, a central section, and a forward section; said sections being serially arranged in the lengthwise direction of the van body in juxtaposition to one another;
(B) said central section having at least a sub-stantial portion of a kitchen facility mounted adjacent one side wall of the van body, a toilet region being defined adjacent the opposing side wall of the van body within said central section and a passageway aligned with the lengthwise dimension of the van and defined between the toilet region and kitchen facility, said passageway providing communication between said rear, central and forward sections;
(c) movable partition means operatively associated with said central section and movable between (a) a first retracted position clear of said passageway wherein free communication is provided between said central section and at least one of the other two sections whereby the combined spaces defined by said passageway, kitchen facility and said at least one other section are available for communal use while at the same time said movable partition means at least partly conceals said toilet region from view and blocks the use thereof, and (b) a second extended position wherein said partition means extends generally laterally of the van body so as to form a temporary wall portion closing said passageway and temporarily separating said central section from at least one of the other two sections and thus converting such central section to a privacy compartment with at least a portion of said toilet region being at the same time open and accessible for use within said central section so that a substantial portion of the space defined by said central section, including the space defined by said passageway, is made available for use by a person occupying the converted privacy compartment.

18. The mobile van of claim 17 wherein a flush toilet is located in said toilet region, and said movable partition means are arranged to conceal said flush toilet in the retracted position thereof.

19. The mobile van of claim 18 wherein a shower stall is also located in said toilet region alongside the flush toilet so that said passageway is defined between said kitchen facility on the one side and the toilet and shower stall facilities on the other side.

20. The mobile van of claim 19 wherein said movable partitions comprise first and second doors, each hinged to a respective portion fixed to the van body and pivotable from the first retracted positions wherein they overlie and conceal at least substantial portions of the toilet and shower stall respectively, to their second extended positions wherein they separate said central section from the other sections whereby to allow use of the toilet and/or shower stall in privacy.

21. The mobile van of claim 20 wherein there is provided a swingable coat rack assembly mounted to pivot into and out of said shower stall and to be concealed by the door when the latter is in the retracted position.

22. The mobile van of claim 21 wherein said first and second doors and said coat rack assembly are all pivotable about mutually parallel axes.

23. The mobile van of claim 18 wherein said shower stall includes a frame and a fold-out base portion pivotally mounted to said frame to alternately assume either:
(a) a first retracted position during non-use of the shower in which such base extends below the movable partition associated with the shower stall to form a lower covering for same or (b) a second extended position during use of the shower in which the fold-out base extends generally horizontally on the floor of the van.

24. The mobile van of claim 1, 3 or 4 wherein said partition means comprise pairs of doors hinged to pivot about axes which are parallel to one another.

25. The mobile van of claim 1, 3 or 4 wherein said movable partition means includes a pair of movable partitions spaced apart in the lengthwise direction of the van body such that in their first positions said open communication is provided while in the second extended position said one main section is separated from said at least one other main section adjacent thereto.

26. The mobile van of claim 1, 3 or 4 wherein said at least one other main section includes means convertible to sleeping facilities and said passageway providing ready and direct access from said sleeping facilities to said one main section in said first position of said partition means.

27. The mobile van of claim 1, 3 or 4 wherein said at least one other main section includes means convertible to sleeping facilities and said passageway providing ready and direct access from said sleeping facilities to said one main section in said first position of said partition means, said means convertible to sleeping facilities being capable of defining a pair of beds spaced apart laterally of the van body to define a walkway there-between aligned with the passageway defined by said one main section to facilitate passage between said beds and said one main section.