AU2005202452B2 - A fitting for a vehicle body and a vehicle body - Google Patents

Description

00 A FITTING FOR A VEHICLE BODY AND A VEHICLE BODY SField of the Invention This invention relates to a fitting for a vehicle body and to a vehicle body. This N invention also extends to a bathroom installation for a vehicle body and to a vehicle.

This invention relates particularly but not exclusively to a short wheel base van motor home with a four wheel drive, having a vanity, and it will be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with reference to this example application.

However it is to be clearly understood that the invention is capable of broader application. For example the invention might equally be applied to long wheel base motor homes, and motor homes with slide outs. Further the invention might also be applied to caravans.

Definitions In the specification the term "comprising" shall be understood to have a broad meaning similar to the term "including" and will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. This definition also applies to variations on the term "comprising" such as "comprise" and "comprises".

In this application the term "motor home" shall be understood to cover a vehicle that has its own motive power and is capable of being driven and that has an area behind the driver's seat that is adapted to be lived in.

In this specification a "caravan" shall be understood to be a vehicle mounted on wheels that does not have its own motive power and is towed to where it is 00

O

0 required. A caravan may be towed by a car or by a truck and shall be defined to include a fifth wheeler. A fifth wheeler has an articulating truck and trailer.

CBackground to the Invention C The modification of vehicles to make them suitable for being lived in is known. For example a caravan comprises a passive vehicle for being towed that has an interior space that has been adapted to be lived in. For example the interior space might typically contain a kitchen and living area and optionally also a bathroom and toilet facility.

The caravan is towed by a car, typically the family car, 1to where it is required and it is then detached and set up as a place to live in. Caravans are a ubiquitous feature of Australian society. It offers flexibility in the sense that the caravan can be towed to wherever it is required and it is not fixed to a single destination.

Further it offers a living area with fairly comfortable amenities and is considerably cheaper than hotel or unit accommodation.

A development on the caravan has been the motor home. A motor home has traditionally been made from a van or a truck. The motor home has an area behind the front seat that has been adapted to form a living space having considerable amenities. For example it might contain a bed, a set of cupboards, a kitchen area, a storage area for clothes and the like, and a washing area often with a toilet and a basin. It thus provides a living area not unlike that of a caravan that is integral with the powered vehicle as distinct from being a separate vehicle.

Motor homes are often preferred by couples because they are more compact than caravans and do not need to be hitched and then unhitched. One can simply get in a motor home and drive off. With the change in lifestyles that is occurring, in particular with baby boomers starting to retire, the uptake and usage of motor homes has increased markedly. This increase is predicted to continue.

00 A constant challenge in designing motor homes is to utilize the limited space that Sis available in the best possible way to provide a comfortable and functional living environment. While some development and improvement has taken place in this area over the years there is a continuing need to come up with further improvements to further improve utilisation of the very limited space. This is C-i particularly so as more discerning customers start using motor homes.

SSummary of the Invention 0 10 According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a fitting for use in a vehicle body, including: a counter supported within an interior space o, a vehicle body, the counter being positioned intermediate a floor and a. ioof, and defining a working space above the counter, and a receiving space between the counter and the floor, wherein the counter and the working space form part of one area, and wherein the receiving space between the counter and the floor forms part of an adjacent area and provides space for use by an amenity located within said adjacent area.

The fitting may further include a support. The counter may be mounted in cantilever fashion on the support. The counter may define a horizontally extending upper working surface extending between a front and a rear. The counter may also have two sides extending between the front and the rear and a counter length that is the distance between the two sides.

The support may extend up from the floor to the counter, e.g. towards the front of the counter.

The fitting may further include an upper wall extending in an upwards direction from the counter, e.g. towards the rear thereof.

The support wall may extend substantially the full length of the counter, and the upper wall may extend from the counter up to the roof, e.g. along the full length of 00

O

0 the counter. In one form the support wall, the counter and the upper wall together may form a partition wall extending from the floor to the ceiling. Conveniently this may form a continuous internal partition wall.

The counter may be a vanity counter. The fitting may further include a water basin 1with at least one tap for supplying water mounted on the vanity counter. The fitting may further include a vanity mirror mounted on the upper wall.

The receiving space may form part of a bedroom space within the vehicle body. In particular the receiving space may be capable of receiving part of a bed therein with a utile clearance between the bed and the counter.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a bathroom installation for a vehicle body, including: a counter supported within an interior space of a vehicle body, the counter being positioned intermediate a floor and a roof, and defining a working space above the counter forming part of a bathroom space, and the counter defining a receiving space between the counter and the floor forming part of an adjacent area that can be used for another amenity located within said adjacent area.

The bathroom installation may further include a support and the counter may be mounted in cantilever fashion on the support.

The support may comprise a support wall extending from the floor up to the counter. The support may further include an upper wall extending in an upward direction from the counter up to the roof.

The counter may have any one or more of the features defined in the preceding aspect of the invention.

The support wall may extend substantially the full length of the counter towards the front of the counter. The upper wall may extend the full length of the counter 00 towards the rear of the counter. In one form the support wall, the counter and the upper wall together form a continuous wall extending from the floor to the ceiling e.g. that is capable of conferring privacy.

The bathroom installation may further include a toilet and/or a shower within the cl enclosed bathroom space. Further the counter may be a vanity counter having a water basin mounted thereon. The upper wall may have a vanity mirror mounted Sthereon.

The bathroom installation may include a plurality of further walls that together with said one wall enclose the bathroom space.

The vehicle body may include a plurality of sides of the body. One of the further walls, e.g. enclosing the bathroom space, may be formed by a side of the vehicle body.

The wall including the counter may be adjacent to the further wall formed by the side of the body and may extend orthogonally away there from.

The receiving space may form part of a bedroom space within the vehicle body and may be capable of receiving part of a bed therein. The counter may be spaced above the bed and may define a utile clearance between the bed and the counter.

According to yet another aspect of this invention there is provided a vehicle body including: a plurality of sides and a floor and a roof which together define an interior space; a counter supported within the interior space, the counter being positioned intermediate the floor and the roof, and defining a working space above the counter, and the counter defining a receiving space between the counter and the floor, wherein the counter and the working space form part of one area, and 00 O wherein the receiving space between the counter and the floor forms part of an adjacent area and provides space for another amenity located within said adjacent area.

The vehicle body may further include a support and the counter may be mounted C in cantilever fashion on the support. The counter may have a front and a rear and a front to rear axis extending from the front to the rear thereof.

The support may comprise a support wall that extends from the floor up to the counter towards the front of the counter. The body may include an upper wall extending from the counter up to the roof towards the rear of the counter.

The working space above the counter may form part of a bathroom space.

The vehicle body may include further walls that together with the counter and support and the upper wall close off the bathroom space from the remainder of the interior space, e.g. to confer privacy.

The vehicle body may have a front and a rear and two lateral sides extending between the front and the rear. The counter may be arranged against one of the lateral sides of the body with its front to rear axis extending parallel to the associated lateral side of the body.

The vehicle body may have a bedroom space containing a bed adjacent to the bathroom space in the direction of length of the vehicle body, and the receiving space may form part of the bedroom space within the vehicle body. Part of the bed may be received in the receiving space beneath the counter with a utile clearance between the bed and the counter. The bed may be a, double bed having a head region and a foot region and the bed may be arranged transverse to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Part of the fcoot region of the bed may be received within the receiving space.

00 SThe vehicle body may further include a kitchenette including a kitchen counter Slocated on the same lateral side of the vehicle body that the bathroom space and the bedroom space are located.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a motor home C including a vehicle body as defined in a preceding aspect of the invention.

The body of the motor home may include one or more of the optional features of V' the body defined in the preceding aspects of the invention.

According to another aspect of this inventirn there is provided a caravan including a vehicle body as defined in as defipRd in a preceding aspect of the invention.

The body of the caraJan may include one or more of the optional features of the body defined in a preceding aspect of the invention.

According to yet another aspect of this invention there is provided a motor home including: a motor home body having a front and a back and two lateral sides extending between the front and the back which together with a floor and a roof define an interior space, the vehicle body within its interior space including a bedroom space having a bed, and a bathroom space having a vanity unit including a vanity counter, and wherein the vanity counter extends over at least part of the bed spaced above the bed with a clearance defined between the bed and the counter.

The body of the motor home may include one or more of the optional features of the body defined in the preceding aspects of the invention.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a vehicle comprising: 00 a chassis, and a body mounted on the chassis defining a front and a back and a left side and a right side extending between the front and the back which collectively define an interior space, the interior space comprising a front seat Sregion and a living region rearward of the front seat region, the vehicle including a double bed having a head and a foot in the living region, and a bathroom also in C the living region located adjacent to the foot of the bed, the bathroom having a vanity that projects out over the bed at least to some extent spaced above the bed Stowards the foot of the bed.

Thus the vanity overhangs the foot of the bed spaced above the bed rather than being placed alongside the foot of the bed. This creates some notional additional length for the units that have to be positioned along the sides of the vehicle body such as a bed, bathroom, and a kitchenette. Applicant has appreciated that the space above the foot of a bed is unused space and by placing the vanity, which uses space at or above waist height, next to it better utilisation of the space can be accomplished.

The bed may be located towards the rear of the living region. The foot of the bed may be located against one of the left and the right sides of the body and the bathroom may be located forward of the bed on the same side of the body as the foot of the bed such that the vanity extends in a rearward direction over the bed.

Thus the bed is conveniently positioned at the rear of the body and the bathroom with vanity is positioned just forward of this.

The bathroom may include an internal wall closing it off from the remainder of the living region. The vanity may be formed by a section of the wall may extend parallel to and adjacent to a side of the bed.

Thus the interior of the bathroom is closed off from the Jiving region and affords privacy to a person using its amenity.

00 The section of the wall adjacent the side of the bed may include an upwardly extending lower wall portion, an outwardly projecting wall portion extending away Sfrom an upper edge of the lower wall portion over the foot of the bed, and an Supwardly extending upper wall portion extending from an outer edge of the projecting wall portion up to the roof of the body. The outward projecting wall Sportion may form a horizontally extending vanity support surface and the upper wall portion may form a vanity mirror support.

Thus the vanity is formed principally by the outwardly projecting wall portion which forms the vanity support surface and also the upper wall portion which forms the mirror support.

Substantially the entire outwardly projecting wall portion may project out over the bed and be positioned above the bed. That is substantially the entire vanity may extend above a foot region of the bed.

Each of the upper and lower wall portions may be substantially linear over a majority of its length.

The upper wall portion may have a wall mirror mounted there to and the outwardly projecting wall portion may have a wash basin with taps mounted thereon.

The vanity may include a vanity liner positioned spaced beneath the outwardly projecting wall portion to cover a lower region of the basin and also plumbing associated with the basin so that it is not visible from the living region. The vanity liner may extend from the lower wall portion to the outward projecting wall portion towards its outer edge or the upper wall portion. Further the vanity liner may have a curved surface and may curve upwardly to join the upper wall portion or outward wall portion as the case may be.

The lower wall portion may extend up about 700mm to 1200mm above the floor of the vehicle body, preferably 800 to 1000mm.

00 The depth of the outwardly projecting wall portion in a direction away from the rest Sof the bathroom may be 200mm to 800mm, preferably 250mm-600mm, and more 0 preferably 260mm-450mm.

N The outwardly projecting wall portion may be spaced 200-700mm above an upper Ssurface of the mattress of the bed, preferably 300-500mm above an upper surface of the mattress of the bed.

The vanity liner may be spaced 200mm-600mm above an upper surface of the mattress of the bed, preferably 250mm-500mm above the upper surface, more preferably 300mm-400mm.

The bathroom may further include a combination shower/toilet in addition to said vanity.

The vehicle may further include a kitchen on the samrne side of the body as the bathroom forward of the bathroom. The kitchen may include a cook top, an oven, eg a microwave oven, and a sink with taps.

The vehicle may further include at least one cupboard and a bench top on the other side of the vehicle forward of the head of the bed. The vehicle may also include a wardrobe on said other side of the body, eg adjacent to and rearward of said at least one cupboard, and a TV unit on top of the wardrobe. The vehicle may also include a bedside table on the other side rearward of the wardrobe.

The front seat region may include a driver's seat and a passenger seat and these seats can be swivelled around to face rearward into the living region. The vehicle may further include a table like support surface between the seats.

In another form the vehicle may further include a dining area with a support surface and seats on the other side of the vehicle body. The dining area may 00

O

O comprise a central table surface with chairs forward and rear of the table surface facing towards the table surface.

The foot of the bed and the bathroom may conveniently be located on the same side of the vehicle as the driver's seat. This is because a side door will be located N on the side opposite to the driver's seat and the foot of the bed and the bathroom are most conveniently placed on the other side to this side door.

It will readily be appreciated that some countries like Australia have the driver's 0 10 seat on the right side and others like the USA and Europe have the driver's seat on the left side. In these two scenarios the layout of the drivers seat and side door and therefore also the bed and the bathroom will be reversed or be a lateral inversion of the other.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a vehicle body comprising: a body shell mounted on the chassis defining a front and a back and a left side and a right side extending between the front and the back which collectively define an interior space, the interior space comprising a front seat region and a living region rearward of the front seat region, the vehicle body including a double bed having a head and a foot in the living region and a bathroom located adjacent to the foot of the bed also in the living region, the bathroom having a vanity that projects out over the bed at least to some extent spaced above the bed towards the foot of the bed.

The bed may be located towards the rear of the living region having its head and foot axis extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body, and the bathroom may be located forward of the bed such that the vanity extends in a rearward direction over the bed.

Thus the bed may have a head on one of the left and right sides of the body and a foot on the other of the left and right sides of the body.

00 The bathroom may have a shower. The bathroom may also have a toilet, eg Sbasically in the same room as the shower. This is known as a combination toilet O and shower. The bathroom may also have an internal wall and a door, eg a sliding door, which enables it to be closed off from the remainder of the interior space of c the vehicle body.

SThe vehicle body may further include a kitchenette, including cook top, on the v' same side of the body as the bathroom, being positioned forward of the bathroom.

According to yet another aspect of this invention there is provided a vehicle that is a short wheelbase motor home comprising: a chassis; a body mounted on the chassis defining a front and a back and a left side and a right side extending between the front and the back which collectively define an interior space, the interior space comprising a front seat region and a living region rearward of the front seat region, the vehicle including a double bed having a head and a foot, mounted on the right side of the body towards the rear of the living region, having its head and foot axis extending transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a bathroom located on the right side forward of and adjacent to the foot of the bed, the bathroom having a combination shower/toilet and a vanity that projects out over the bed towards the foot of the bed, and a kitchen area also on the right side forward of the bathroom.

The vehicle may be a four wheel drive motor home, e.g. suitable for off road use.

The bed may have a head on one of the left and right sides of the body and a foot on the other of the left and right sides of the body. The vanity may be positioned to extend over the foot of the bed.

The bathroom may have a shower. The bathroom may also have a toilet, eg basically in the same room as the shower. This is known as a combination toilet 00 and shower. The bathroom may also have a door, eg hinged door sliding which enables it to be closed off from the remainder of the interior space of the vehicle Sbody.

The vehicle body may further include a kitchenette, including cooktop and basin, Ci on the same side of the body as the bathroom, being positioned forward of the bathroom.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment A fitting for a vehicle body, a bathroom installation, a vehicle body and a vehicle in accordance with this invention may manifest itself in a variety of forms. It will be convenient to hereinafter provide a detailed description of one embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The purpose of providing this detailed description is to instruct persons having an interest in the subject matter of the invention how to put the invention into practice. It is to be clearly understood however that the specific nature of this detailed description does not supersede the generality of the preceding statements. In the drawings: Fig 1 is a plan view of a short wheel base motor home; Fig 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the vehicle of Fig 1; Fig 3 is a three dimensional view showing a bathroom installation in the vehicle of Fig 1; Fig 4 is a three dimensional view of the wall of the bathroom installation viewed from the rear thereof.

In Figs 1 to 4 reference numeral 1 refers generally to a vehicle that is a short wheel base motor home in accordance with the invention.

00 The illustrated vehicle 1 is a Mercedes TM Sprinter TM 313 CDI short wheel base four wheel drive van with off road capability that has been converted into a motor Shome. The vehicle 1 comprises a vehicle body 5 that is mounted on a chassis 7.

The chassis 7 has four wheels 10 mounted thereto in the usual way towards its corners. The vehicle 1 is driven by an engine (not shown) located under a bonnet c 12 towards the front of the vehicle 1 in the usual way.

SThe body 5 in turn comprises a plurality of sides that include a front side 15 and a rear side 17 and a left side 18 and a right side 19 inl:erconnecting the front and 0 10 rear sides 15 and 17. The front side 15 and rear side 17 and the lateral sides 18, 19 collectively define an interior space The interior space 20 in turn is broken up into a front seat region 24 and a living region 25 which is that portion of the interior space 20 that is rearward of the front seat region 24.

The front seat region 24 includes a driver's seat 30 with associated vehicle controls on the right side 19 and a passenger's seat :32 on the left side 18. The driver's seat 30 and the passenger's seat 32 may be swiveled around from a front facing position to a rear facing position. In the rear facing position the seats 30, 32 may face into and be accessible from the living region 25. They thus function as seats in the living region 25. The body 5 also has doors; 33, 34 on the left and right sides 18, 19 providing access to the front seat region 24. It also has a left side door 35 rearward of this providing access to the living region 25. The body typically has a number of windows 36 around its perimeter including of course a windscreen 37 through which a driver can view the road along which they travel.

The layout of the living region 25 will now be discussed.

The body 5 includes a double bed 40 located within a bedroom region towards the rear 17 of the interior space. The bed 40 has an east west orientation with a head 00 42 of the bed 40 on the left side 18 and a foot 44 of the bed 40 on the right side 19.

0 The body 5 includes a bathroom 50 that is positioned on the right side 19 forward of the bed 40. The bathroom 50 comprises an internal wall 51 which acts together cI with the shell or wall of the body 5 to close it off from the remainder of the interior space to provide privacy.

n The bathroom 50 also includes a combination toilet and shower 52. The toilet and shower 52 comprises a shower rose and taps on the wall 51 and a toilet that has a lid that can be used to close it off when it is being used as a shower. Such combination toilet and showers 52 are known in the motor home and caravan art and do not form part of the invention. They will therefore not be described in further detail in the specification.

The bathroom also has a vanity or vanity unit 55 positioned adjacent the foot 44 of the bed 40. The vanity unit 55 comprises a vanity counter 61 and a support extending up from the floor on which the vanity counter 61 is supported. The vanity unit 55 also includes a vanity wall 62 extendingcl up from the vanity counter 61.

The support 60 is in the form of a lower wall portion extending up from the floor to about waist height. The vanity counter 61 defines a horizontally extending upper working surface extending between a front and a rear. The counter 61 is mounted in cantilever fashion on the support and extends out away from the rest of the bathroom 50 over the foot 44 of the bed 40. The vanity wall 62 is in the form of an upper wall portion that extends upwardly from the rear of the vanity counter 61 or an outer end of the outwardly extending wall portion 61 up to the roof.

The vanity unit 55 also includes a wash basin 57 that is mounted on the vanity counter 61 or outwardly extending wall portion. The basin has taps for supplying water thereto associated therewith.

00 The vanity unit 55 also includes a vanity mirror 58 mounted on the vanity wall 62 or the upwardly extending wall portion. The vanity mirror 58 faces into the 0 bathroom 50 so as to be suitable for use by a person using the vanity counter 61.

In the illustrated embodiment the support for the vanity counter or wall section 56 also includes a vanity liner 63 positioned spaced beneath the vanity counter 61 or 0 outwardly projecting wall portion. The vanity liner 63 encloses and covers up the bowl of the wash basin 57 projecting out beneath the vanity counter or wall portion 61 and also the plumbing associated therewith. The basin 57 and plumbing is therefore concealed from a person in the living region :25 and also a person in the bathroom 50 to preserve a neat aesthetic appearance. In the illustrated embodiment the vanity liner 63 extends from the support for the vanity counter 56 to the trailing edge of the vanity counter 61 or directly across to the vanity wall 62.

In the illustrated embodiment the vanity liner 63 takes away from the support 56 in a horizontal direction and then curves up and merges gradually into the vanity wall 62.

The vanity unit 55 is positioned over the foot 44 of the bed 40, and in actual fact overhangs the bed 40 towards the foot thereof, as shown in Fig 2 and Fig 3. The vanity counter or outwardly extending wall portion 61 and also the vanity liner 63 is spaced a suitable distance above an upper surface of a mattress 64 on the bed to provide a utile clearance between the unit 55 and the bed 40 so that a user of the bed 40 can pass their legs comfortably through the vertical space 65 between the mattress 64 and the portion of the unit 55 above the bed. In the illustrated embodiment the vanity counter 61 is spaced about 300mm to 550mm above the upper surface of the mattress 64.

The depth of the vanity counter 61 that is the distance between its leading and trailing edges, in a direction away from the rest of the bathroom is 300-700 mm, e.g. 400mm-600mm.

00 0 The motor home 1 also includes a kitchenette 70 positioned on the right side 19 t forward of the bathroom 50. The kitchenette 70 comprises a counter 71 and a cook top 72 with a kitchen sink 73. The kitchenette 70 also includes cabinets and San oven, e.g. a microwave oven, received within the cabinets or on a shelf. A leading edge of the kitchenette 70 is hard up against the front seat region 24 of the interior space C) On the left side 18 of the body 5, forward of the head 42 of the bed 40, is firstly a bedside table 80 and then in front of that is a wardrobe 82 for storing clothes. A TV C 10 unit with DVD is mounted on top of the wardrobe 82. A set of cupboards 84 having a bench top or counter on top thereof is then positioned forward of the wardrobe 82 with TV. These cupboards 84 are used for storing iood, crockery and the like.

The side door 35 providing access to the living region 25 behind the front seat region 24 is located forward of the cupboards 84. The front seat region 24 described above is forward of the side door The front seat region 24 comprises the driver's seat 3D and the passenger's seat 32 and each of these seats 30, 32 can be swivelled around into a rear facing position as described above. In the rear facing position they face into and are integrated with the living region 25. A table like support surface 90 may be positioned in between the two seats 30, 32, e.g. in the rear facing position, to provide a dinette.

In addition other storage may be provided in the living region, e.g. drawers may be located under the mattress of the bed.

The vehicle body 5 has a wheel base of about 3.5m and a width of about 2.3m.

A key feature of the layout described above is having the vanity unit 55 and specifically the vanity counter 61 and vanity wall 62 extending over the foot 44 of the bed 40 in a longitudinal direction to create a noltional extra length to fit the amenities in along the length or side 19 of the vehicle body 5. In actual fact the 00 O vanity 50 is positioned above the foot of the bed so that both the bed and the F vanity can perform their utile function notwithstanding that they are longitudinally overlapped.

This feature of layout enables all the basic amenities that are desired in a motor home 1 to be fitted in along one side of a short wheelbase motor home. A door and cupboards/wardrobes can then be provided along Ihe other side.

In use the motor home 1 may be lived in by two people and contains all the C 10 essential amenities of life. Specifically it has a bed 40 for sleeping in. It has a bathroom 50 with a toilet/shower 52 and a vanity 55. It also has a kitchenette with cook top, oven, and sink. Further it has two seats 30, 32 and a support surface for eating off.

When a person needs a basin and vanity to clean their face, shave or brush their teeth they use the vanity 55 in the bathroom. This provides a horizontal support surface, a wash basin and a mirror on the wall. The fact that the foot 44 of the bed is positioned underneath the vanity 55 is irrelevant because it is outside of the enclosed bathroom 50 and the user would not even be. aware of its presence while they were using the vanity.

When a person is lying on the bed, their legs fit underneath the overhang formed by the vanity 55. The vanity is spaced a comfortable distance above the mattress of the bed and thus it does not interfere with the legs of a person sleeping on the bed. There is plenty of space for a sleeper to roll over and move underneath the overhanging vanity.

An advantage of the motor home described above with reference to the drawings is that it is able to be fitted with all the basic amenities that are desired for comfortable living in a motor home. These amenities include a kitchen with a cook top and a sink, an eating area with a small table, a bathroom with a toilet and shower and a vanity, and also a storage area including kitchen cupboards and 00 0 wardrobes. Further it is able to do this in the limited and confined space within a

(N

F short wheelbase motor home that is a van type motor home.

SA particular advantage of the motor home described above with reference to the drawings is that it enables a double bed, a bathroom with a vanity and a Skitchenette to be fitted in along one side of a short wheel base van. This made Spossible by the overlap of the vanity unit with the foot of the bed thereby enabling Smore fittings to be packed into a limited length.

N 10 A further advantage is that the invention can be incorporated into a motor home without unduly complicating the manufacturing process.

A further advantage is that the motor home described and illustrated above provides a four wheel drive vehicle suitable for off road operation that is comfortable to live in. It manages to pack all the amenities required for a comfortable motor home into a short wheelbase four wheel drive motor home. In essence it contains all the amenities one would normally only see in a much larger motor home.

It will of course be realised that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

Claims (24)

1. A fitting for use in a vehicle body, including: t' a counter supported within an interior space of a vehicle body, the counter being positioned intermediate a floor and a roof, and defining a working space Iabove the counter, and a receiving space between the counter and the floor, Swherein the counter and the working space form part ol1 one area, and wherein the Sreceiving space between the counter and the floor forms part of an adjacent area and provides space for use by an amenity located within said adjacent area. c

2. A fitting according to claim 1, further including a support, and wherein the counter is mounted in cantilever fashion on the support.

3. A fitting according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the counter defines a horizontally extending upper working surface extending between a front and a rear.

4. A fitting according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support extends up from the floor to the counter, towards the front of the counter. A fitting according to claim 4, further including an upper wall extending in an upwards direction from the counter towards the rear thereof.

6. A fitting according to claim 5, wherein the support wall extends substantially the full length of the counter, and the upper wall extends from the counter up to the roof along the full length of the counter, and wherein the support wall, the counter and the upper wall together form a partition wall extending from the floor to the ceiling.

7. A fitting according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the counter is a vanity counter and the fitting further includes a water basin with at least one tap for 00 supplying water mounted on the vanity counter, and a vanity mirror mounted on F the upper wall. Ct

8. A fitting according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the receiving space forms part of a bedroom space within the vehicle body and is capable of receiving C part of a bed therein with a utile clearance above the bed and below the counter.

9. A bathroom installation for a vehicle body, including: Sa counter supported within an interior space of a vehicle body, the counter being positioned intermediate a floor and a roof, and defining a working space above the counter forming part of a bathroom space, and the counter defining a receiving space between the counter and the floor forming part of an adjacent area that can be used for another amenity located within said adjacent area.

10. A bathroom installation according to claim 9, further including a support and wherein the counter is mounted in cantilever fashion on the support.

11. A bathroom installation according to claim 10, wherein the support comprises a support wall extending from the floor up to the counter, and further including an upper wall extending in an upward direction from the counter up to the roof.

12. A bathroom installation according to claim 11, wherein the counter has a front and a rear, and the support wall extends substantially the full length of the counter towards the front of the counter, and the upper wall extends the full length of the counter towards the rear of the counter, and wherein the support wall, the counter and the upper wall together form a wall extending from the floor to the ceiling.

13. A bathroom installation according to claim 11 or claim 12, further including a toilet and/or a shower within the enclosed bathroom space, and wherein the 00 O counter is a vanity counter having a water basin mounted thereon, and the upper F wall has a vanity mirror mounted thereon. t' 14. A bathroom installation according to claim 13, including a plurality of further walls that together with said one wall enclose the bathroom space. In A bathroom installation according to claim 14, wherein the vehicle body 0includes a plurality of sides, and wherein one of the further walls enclosing the bathroom space is formed by one of the sides of the vehicle body, and the wall c 10 including the counter is adjacent to the further wall formed by the side of the body and extends orthogonally away therefrom.

16. A bathroom installation according to claim 15, wherein the receiving space forms part of a bedroom space within the vehicle body and is capable of receiving part of a bed therein with a utile clearance above the bed and below the counter.

17. A vehicle body including: a plurality of sides and a floor and a roof which together define an interior space; a counter supported within the interior space, tlhe counter being positioned intermediate the floor and the roof, and defining a working space above the counter, and the counter defining a receiving space between the counter and the floor, wherein the counter and the working space form part of one area, and wherein the receiving space between the counter and the floor forms part of an adjacent area and provides space for another amenity located within said adjacent area.

18. A vehicle body according to claim 17, further including a support and wherein the counter is mounted in cantilever fashion on the support, and wherein the counter defines a horizontally extending upper working surface extending between a front and a rear, and the counter has a front to rear axis extending from the front to the rear thereof. 00

19. A vehicle body according to claim 18, wherein the support comprises a support wall that extends from the floor up to the counter towards the front of the 0 counter, and an upper wall extending from the counter up to the roof towards the rear of the counter. A vehicle body according to claim 19, wherein the working space above the 0 counter forms part of a bathroom space and including further walls that together with the counter and support and the upper wall close off the bathroom space from the remainder of the interior space to confer privacy.

21. A vehicle body according to claim 20, wherein the vehicle body has a front and a rear and two lateral sides extending between the front and the rear, and the counter is arranged against one of the lateral sides of the body with its front to rear axis extending parallel to the associated lateral side of l:he body.

22. A vehicle body according to claim 21, having a bedroom space containing a bed adjacent to the bathroom space in the direction of length of the vehicle body, and wherein the receiving space forms part of the bedroom space within the vehicle body.

23. A vehicle body according to claim 22, wherein part of the bed is received in the receiving space beneath the counter with a utile clearance between the bed and the counter.

24. A vehicle body according to claim 23, wherein the bed is a double bed having a head region and a foot region and which is arranged transverse to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and wherein part of the foot region is received within the receiving space. 00 0 A vehicle body according to claim 24, further including a kitchenette including a kitchen counter located on the same lateral side of the vehicle body Sthat the bathroom space and the bedroom space are located.

26. A motor home including a vehicle body as clairried in any one of claims 17 N1 to In

27. A caravan including a vehicle body as claimed in any one of claims 17 to

28. A motor home including: a motor home body having a front and a back and iwo lateral sides extending between the front and the back which together with a floor and a roof define an interior space, the vehicle body within its interior space including a bedroom space having a bed, and a bathroom space having a vanity unit including a vanity counter, and wherein the vanity counter extends over at least part of the bed spaced above the bed with a clearance defined between the bed and the counter.

29. A motor home substantially as herein described in the detailed description of the invention with reference to the drawings.