AU2010200655B2 - A motor home - Google Patents

Abstract

A motor-home 10 is disclosed which includes a motor home body 12 including a bedroom region 14 and a living region 16 and a doorway 20 for enabling a user to enter and exit the motor home body 12. The motor home body 12 includes a peripheral side wall arrangement defining the periphery thereof including a front wall 22 and a rear wall 24, and also a driver's side wall 26 on one side and a doorway side wall 28 on the other side. The living region 16 is at least largely positioned forward of the doorway 20, and the bedroom region 14 is at least largely positioned rearward of the doorway 20. This divides the motor home body 12 up into two basic regions that branch off and separate at the entrance to the motor home. The motor home may also have a slide out 81 for expanding the lateral width of the body 12 when it is in a camping mode. FGI 4 FOR PUBLICATION C-8 Overhead Cupboard 0t mk 0 a >T II c cffc

Description

I A MOTOR HOME FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 This invention relates to a motor home. It also extends to a motor home layout. This invention relates particularly but not exclusively to a compact motor home having a short wheel base and it will therefore be convenient to hereinafter describe the invention with reference to this example application. However it is to be clearly understood that the 10 invention is capable of broader application. For example the invention could equally be applied to a recreational vehicle that is a caravan or a fifth wheeler. DEFINITIONS 15 In this specification the term bedroom shall be construed broadly and shall be defined to include a space or zone within which certain bedroom amenities such as a bed and bed table could be contained. For example a bedroom may not necessarily be enclosed by walls. It could be a space or zone that is open to the remainder of the interior space of the body shell arrangement. 20 In this specification the term region shall refer to the most generic or broad subdivision of space within the motor home body. A region usually contains more than one areas within it. 25 In this specification the term area shall refer to the next level down below a region. An area usually forms a subset of a region and in turn an area contains a number of spaces within it usually. In this specification the term space shall refer to the most basic unit or zone into which the body of the motor home is divided. Typically there is a plurality of spaces in each area. 30 The space may usually be sized to receive a fitting such as a toilet for a vanity of a table or a bed. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 2 Powered recreational vehicles such as motor homes are widely used in many countries around the world. A motor home has its own engine and motive power and does not need to be towed. It typically comprises a commercial base vehicle such as a cab chassis truck or a van that is built up so that it is adapted to be lived in. The motor home defines an 5 interior space made up of a front seat space with a driver's seat and a passenger seat and a rear living region behind the front seat space. The rear living space of the motor home is fitted out with the usual living amenities that enable it to be lived in. It will readily be appreciated that space is at a premium in the interior space of a motor 10 home. This is particularly so in a motor home that has short body length and/or a short wheelbase. Each amenity or fitting such as a bed, a cupboard, a table, a kitchen appliance or a shower, is generally fitted or mounted against a wall extending along the sides of the 15 living space of the vehicle. The length of these two side walls is limited by the length of the vehicle.The width of a road going vehicle is limited to enable it to be safely received within a vehicle lane on a road. Effectively the road use regulations limit the total width of such vehicles to 2.5 m to enable the vehicle to travel within a single lane of a road. 20 Accordingly it is a constant challenge for designers of recreational vehicles to provide a comfortable home in the rear living region of a motor home with these length and width limitations. There is therefore an ongoing need for innovations that enable the interior space of a recreational vehicle to be increased or to be used more effectively or efficiently. 25 Clearly therefore there is an ongoing need for innovations that enable the interior space of a recreational vehicle to be increased or to be used more effectively or efficiently. In particular it would be advantageous if a more spacious bathroom could be provided in a motor home without appropriating space required for other amenities. 30 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a motor-home, which includes: 3 a motor home body including a bedroom region and a living region and a doorway for enabling a user to enter and exit the motor home body, wherein the living region is at least largely positioned on one side of the doorway, and the bedroom region is at least largely positioned on the other side of the doorway. 5 The motor home body may include a peripheral side wall arrangement defining the periphery of the motor home body and the doorway may be defined in the motor home body. 10 The peripheral side wall may include a front wall and a rear wall, and also a driver's side wall on one side of the side wall arrangement, and a doorway side wall on the other side of the side wall arrangement. For example the living region may be substantially fully positioned forward of the doorway 15 and the bedroom region may be substantially fully positioned rearward of the doorway By this is meant that at least the majority of the living region may be located forward of the doorway but not necessarily all the living region is forward of the doorway. Similarly at least the majority of the bedroom region may be located rearward of the doorway but not 20 necessarily all the bedroom region may be located rearward of the doorway. The bedroom region may be located towards the rear wall, and the living region may be positioned forward of or in front of the bedroom region. 25 The motor home body may have a door mounted in the doorway that can be selectively opened and closed by a user. The doorway may have a forward side edge that is closer to the front wall of the motor home body than the rear wall, and a rear side edge that is closer to the rear wall of the 30 motor home body than the front wall. The living region may be substantially positioned forward of the rear side edge of the doorway. Optionally the living region in its entirety may be positioned forward of the rear side edge of the doorway.

4 Similarly the bedroom region may be substantially positioned rearward of the forward side edge of the doorway. Optionally the bedroom region in its entirety may be positioned rearward of the forward side edge of the doorway. 5 Thus the portion of the body that is located in between the forward and rear side edges of the doorway across the width of the body may form part of the bedroom region or it may form part of the living region. This portion of the body may also form part of the bedroom region and also part of the living region. 10 The doorway may have a midpoint or midline that is midway between its two doorway sides or its two doorway ends. In some forms of the invention the bedroom region may be substantially positioned 15 rearward of the midpoint or midline of the doorway. Correspondingly the living region may be substantially positioned forward of the midpoint or midline of the doorway In other forms of the invention the bedroom region may be positioned fully behind the midline of the doorway and the living region may be positioned fully in front of the midline. 20 The body may further include a front seat region for occupation by a driver and a passenger when the motor home is in a travelling mode being driven along a road. The front seat region may be located towards the front wall, e.g. adjacent to the front wall. The living region may be positioned behind the front seat region. 25 The bedroom region may comprise a bedroom and bathroom. The bathroom may be located towards a rear wall of the motor home body, e.g. adjacent to the rear wall thereof. 30 The bathroom may include a shower and a toilet. Optionally the bathroom may also include a vanity.

5 The shower may be positioned towards one side wall of the motor home body and the vanity may be positioned towards the other side of the motor home body. The toilet may be positioned intermediate the shower and the vanity. 5 in one form the shower may be positioned adjacent to the driver's side wall and the vanity may be positioned adjacent to the doorway side wall. in this form the toilet may be positioned intermediate the shower and the vanity. The bathroom may also include a clothes storage device, e.g. a wardrobe, and the 10 clothes storage device may be positioned towards the doorway side wall. In this form the shower may be positioned adjacent to the driver's side wall and the clothes storage device may be positioned towards the doorway side wall, and the vanity and the toilet may be positioned intermediate the shower and the clothes storage device. 15 The bedroom may be positioned forward of the bathroom, e.g. forward of and adjacent to the bathroom. The bedroom region may include a partition wall in between the bedroom and the 20 bathroom. The partition wall may extend across a front edge of the bathroom substantially parallel to the rear wall of the body The partition wall may include a bathroom door opening for providing access to the bathroom from the bedroom and a door for extending across the bathroom door opening 25 whereby to selectively close off the bathroom from the bedroom. The bathroom door may be interchangeable between a closed position in which it extends across the door opening and an open position in which it opens up the door opening. In one form the bathroom door may be a sliding door. 30 The partition wall may be positioned towards the doorway side wall. The partition wall may extend continuously, and without interruption, away from the driver's side wall up to the bathroom door opening. .

6 The bedroom may include a bed having a head, a foot and two sides of the bed extending between the head and the foot. The head of the bed may be mounted against the driver's side wall. The bedroom may 5 be capable of producing a user walkway or passage that extends along the foot of the bed. The bedroom may also include a user walkway or passage that extends along at least part of each side of the bed. The user walkway or passage may extend along at least half 10 of the length of each side of the bed. In some forms of the invention the user walkway or passage may extend along a substantial portion of each side of the bed and may terminate short of the head of the bed. The bedroom may include bedside tables and the user walkway or passages extending 15 along the sides of the bed may terminate adjacent to the bedside tables. Thus the arrangement of the bed with the user walkway or passage along the foot of the bed and each side of the bed forms bed arrangement that is referred to as an island bed. An island bed having user access from each side of the bed and around the foot of the 20 bed has been found to be particularly appealing to mature and sophisticated users of motor homes. The bedroom may have a front edge that is adjacent to the living region and the bedroom may be open plan with the living region. 25 The bedroom region may include a further clothes storage device in the bedroom, e.g. in the form of a wardrobe. The clothes storage device may be positioned against the doorway side wall of the motor home. The further clothes storage device may be laterally aligned with the bed, e.g. so that it is in the same position along the length of the body as 30 the bed. The clothes storage device may be capable of being spaced away from the foot of the bed so as not to occupy the user walkway or passage along the foot of the bed.

7 The bedroom region, and specifically the bedroom, may .include a yet further clothes storage device in the bedroom in the form of an overhead cupboard extending along the doorway side wall intermediate the doorway and the bathroom. The overhead cupboard may have a length of at least one meter, e.g. 1.1.m to 1.3.m. 5 The living region may include a kitchen and a seating area. The kitchen may be positioned adjacent to the doorway side wall. In one form the kitchen may be positioned up against the doorway side wall and the kitchen may be positioned 10 forward of the doorway. The kitchen may include a kitchen cabinet having a kitchen counter and the kitchen cabinet may but up against the doorway side wall. The kitchen may further include a sink with taps, a cook top and also an oven. The sink and the cook top may be mounted on 15 the counter. The oven may be mounted on the cabinet beneath the counter. The seating area may include a table proximate to the driver's side wall of the motor home. The table may be a dining table that is used for dining. In one form the table may be spaced away from the driver's side wall. In another form the table may be positioned 20 against the driver's side wall. The table may be substantially transversely aligned with the kitchen, i.e. it may be broadly in the same longitudinal position along the length of the motor home. 25 The seating area may also include a table seat that is positioned adjacent to the table so that a person seated on the seat has access to the table. By this is meant that a person seated on the seat could use the table as an eating surface or as a working or reading table. 30 In one form the table seat may be positioned in a transverse direction relative to the table. In another form the table seat may be positioned in a longitudinal direction relative to the table.

8 The front seat region may comprise a driver's seat adjacent to the driver's side wall of the body, and a passenger's seat adjacent to the doorway side of the body, and the front row of seats may open into the kitchen region and be open plan therewith. 5 The doorway side wall and the driver's side wall may each be substantially linear and the doorway side wall and the driver's side wall may extend substantially parallel to each other. The doorway and drivers side walls may be spaced a distance of about 2.4 - 2.6 m apart from each other. 10 The driver's seat may be positioned adjacent to the table and forward of the table. The driver's seat may be a swivel seat so that it can be selectively interchanged between a forward facing driving position and a rearward facing living or recreational position in which it faces into the living region and is positioned in close proximity to the table. 15 The passenger's seat may also be a swivel seat so that it can be selectively interchanged between a forward facing driving position and a rearward facing living or recreational position in which it faces into the living region. 20 The living region may also include a refrigerator that is positioned against one of the doorway side wall and the driver's side wall. The refrigerator may be positioned against the driver's side wall adjacent to the table or the table seat, e.g. the refrigerator may be positioned adjacent to and rearward of the table seat. The refrigerator may be positioned forward of the front edge of the bedroom. 25 The living region may also include a television and the television may be mounted on the refrigerator. The living region may also include an overhead kitchen cupboard above the table and 30 table seat. The overhead kitchen cupboard may also extend above the refrigerator. The motor home body may have a slide out that can be moved from a contracted traveling position to an expanded camping position in which the slide out is displaced in 9 an outward direction to increase the lateral width of the interior space within the vehicle body along the length of the slide out. The slide out may be mounted on the driver's side wall and may be used to expand the 5 interior space along the driver's side wall. The slide out may have a guide arrangement for guiding the slide out between the contracted and expanded positions. The slide out may also have a drive arrangement for driving the slide out between the contracted and expanded positions. 10 The doorway may be positioned 30 to 70% of the distance along the length of the vehicle body when measured from the rear wall of the body and measuring the distance to the doorway by measuring up to a mid point of the doorway. The doorway may be positioned 40 to 50% of the distance along the length of the vehicle body when measured from the 15 rear wall of the body to the midpoint of the doorway. The motor home body may have an overall length of not more than 8.23 meters (27 foot). The motor home may have an overall vehicle body length ranging from 19 foot to 7.92 20 meters (26 foot) in length. In some forms of the invention the motor home body may have a length of 6. 40 meters (21 foot) to 7.01 meters (23 foot). The motor home may be a van type motor home. This sometimes referred to as a van conversion where the walls and roof of a donor van vehicle are used as the walls and roof 25 of the motor home, Instead the motor home may be a cab chassis conversion motor home. This is where the donor vehicle has a cab and a chassis and the motor home is built up completely from the chassis and the walls and roof are built up by the motor home conversion and are not part 30 of the donor vehicle. The donor vehicle can be any one of a variety of makes of vehicle. For example a Mercedes, an IVECA, a FIAT, and a PEUGEOT can be used as the donor vehicle.

10 According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a motor-home, e.g. a layout for a motor home, which includes: 5 a motor home body including a bedroom region and a living region and a doorway for enabling a user to enter and exit the motor home body, wherein the living region is at least largely positioned on one side of the doorway, and the bedroom region is at least largely positioned on the other side of the doorway, 10 The living region may be substantially fully positioned on one side of the doorway and the bedroom region may be substantially fully positioned on the other side of the doorway. The motor home body may include a peripheral side wall arrangement defining the periphery of the motor home body and the doorway may be defined in the motor home 15 body. The peripheral side wall may include a front wall and a rear wall, and also a driver's side wall on one side of the side wall arrangement, and a doorway side wall on the other side of the side wall arrangement. 20 The bedroom region may be located towards the rear wall, and the living region may be positioned in front of the bedroom region. The body may further include a front seat region for occupation by a driver and a 25 passenger when the motor home is in a travelling mode being driven along a road. The front seat region may be located towards the front wall, e.g. adjacent to the front wall. The living region may be positioned behind the front seat region. 30 The doorway may have a forward side edge that is closer to the front wall of the motor home body than the rear wall, and a rear side edge that is closer to the rear wall of the motor home body than the front wall.

11 The living region may be substantially positioned forward of the rear side edge of the doorway, and similarly the bedroom region may be substantially positioned rearward of the forward side edge of the doorway. 5 Thus the portion of the body that is located in between the forward and rear side edges of the doorway across the width of the body may form part of the bedroom region and/or it may form part of the living region. The bedroom region may comprise a bedroom area and a bathroom area. 10 The living region may comprise a kitchen area and a seating area. The front seat region may comprise a driver's seat space adjacent to the driver's side wall of the body, and a passenger's seat space adjacent to the doorway side of the body, and 15 the front row of seats may be open plan with the living region, e.g. the kitchen area and the seating area. The bathroom area may be located towards a rear wall of the motor home body, e.g. adjacent to the rear wall thereof. 20 The bathroom area may include a shower space and a toilet space. Optionally the bathroom area may also include a vanity space. The shower space may be positioned towards one side wall of the motor home body and 25 the vanity space may be positioned towards the other side of the motor home body. The toilet space may be positioned intermediate the shower space and the vanity space. In one form the shower space may be positioned adjacent to the drivers side wall, and the vanity space may be positioned adjacent to the doorway side wall. In this form the 30 toilet space may be positioned intermediate the shower space and the vanity space. The bathroom area may also include a clothes storage device space, e.g. a wardrobe space, and the clothes storage device space may be positioned towards the doorway side wall.

12 In this form the shower space may be positioned adjacent to the driver's side wall and the clothes storage device space may be positioned towards the doorway side wall, and the vanity space and the toilet space may be positioned intermediate the shower space and 5 the clothes storage device space. The bedroom area may be positioned forward of the bathroom area, e.g. forward of and adjacent to the bathroom area. 10 The bedroom region may include a partition wall in between the bedroom area and the bathroom area. The partition wall may extend across a front edge of the bathroom area substantially parallel to the rear wall of the body. 15 The partition wall may include a bathroom door opening for providing access to the bathroom area from the bedroom area, and a door for extending across the bathroom door opening whereby to selectively close off the bathroom area from the bedroom area. The bathroom door may be interchangeable between a closed position in which it extends 20 across the door opening and an open position in which it opens up the door opening. In one form the bathroom door may be a sliding door. The bathroom door opening in the partition wall may be positioned towards the doorway side wall. The partition wall may extend continuously, and without interruption, away from 25 the driver's side wall up to the bathroom door opening. The bedroom area may include a bed space for receiving a bed having a head, a foot and two sides of the bed extending between the head and the foot. 30 The bed space may be arranged so that the head of the bed may be mounted against the driver's side wall. The bedroom area may include a user walkway or passage space that extends along a side of the bed space that extends parallel to the driver's side wall.

13 The user walkway or passage space may also extend along at least part of each side of the bed space in a direction that is orthogonal to the driver's side wall (referred to as an orthogonal side of the bed space). 5 The user walkway or passage spaces may extend along at least half of the length of each said orthogonal side of the bed space. In some forms of the invention the user walkway or passage spaces may extend along a substantial portion of each said orthogonal side of the bed space. 10 The bedroom space may further include bedside table spaces on each side of the bed space. The bedside table spaces may be positioned adjacent to the driver's side wall. The user walkway or passage space may extend along said orthogonal sides of the bed space and may terminate adjacent to the bedside table spaces. 15 Thus the arrangement of the bed space with the user walkway or passage space along the open sides and free end of the bed space facilitates provision of a bed arrangement that is referred to as an island bed. An island bed having user access from each side of the bed and around the foot of the bed is particularly desirable. 20 The bedroom area may have a front edge that is adjacent to the living region and the bedroom area may be open plan with the living region. The bedroom area may include a further clothes storage device space, e.g. in the form of a wardrobe space. The further clothes storage device space may be positioned against 25 the doorway side wall of the motor home. The further clothes storage device space may be laterally aligned with the bed space, e.g. so that it is in the same position along the length of the body as the bed space. The clothes storage device space may be capable of being spaced away from the bed 30 space so as not to occupy the user walkway or passage along the foot of the bed, at least in a camping mode. This may be achieved by spacing the free end of the bed space away from the clothes storage device space or by displacing the bed space in a direction away from the clothes storage device space in a camping mode by means of a slide out.

14 The bedroom area may include a yet further clothes storage device space, e.g. in the form of an overhead cupboard space, extending along the doorway side wall intermediate the doorway and the partition wall. The overhead cupboard space may have a length of at least one meter, e.g. 1.1.m to 1.3.m. 5 An overhead cupboard space is spaced above a floor or support surface of the body of the motor home and thereby is different to the bed space or shower space which is positioned on the floor of the motor home body and extends up therefrom. 10 The kitchen area may be positioned adjacent to the doorway side wall. In one form the kitchen area may be positioned up against the doorway side wall. The kitchen area may be positioned adjacent to the doorway along the doorway side wall, and forward of the doorway. 15 The kitchen area may include a kitchen cabinet and counter space and the kitchen cabinet and counter space may but up against the doorway side wall. This space might typically receive a sink with taps, a cook top and also an oven. 20 The seating area may include a table space proximate to the driver's side wall of the motor home. The table space may be a dining table space that is used for dining. In one form the table space may be spaced away from the driver's side wall. In another form the table space may be positioned against the driver's side wall. 25 The table space may be substantially transversely aligned with the kitchen cabinet and counter space, i.e. it may be broadly in the same longitudinal position along the length of the motor home. The kitchen area may also include a table seat space that is positioned adjacent to the 30 table space so that a person seated on a seat in the seat space has access to a table in the table space.

15 In one form the table seat space may be positioned in a transverse direction relative to the table space. In another form the table seat space may be positioned in a longitudinal direction relative to the table space. 5 The driver's seat space may be positioned adjacent to the table space and forward of the table space. The living region may also include a refrigerator space that is positioned against one of the doorway side wall and the driver's side wall. The refrigerator space may be positioned 10 against the driver's side wall adjacent to the table space or the table seat space, e.g. the refrigerator space may be positioned adjacent to and rearward of the table seat space. The refrigerator space may be positioned forward of the front edge of the bedroom. The seating area may also include an overhead cupboard space above the table and 15 table seat space. The overhead cupboard space may also extend above the refrigerator space. The invention also extends to a motor home layout as described above in the preceding aspect of the invention. 20 The interior space of the slide out may have a width, extending orthogonally to the direction in which the slide out is moved between the retracted and extended conditions, of 2.Om to 3.0m, e.g. a width extending orthogonally to the direction in which the slide out is moved to the extended condition of 2.3m to 2.5m. 25 The interior space of the slide out may have a depth in the direction in which the slide out is moved to the extended position of 0.5m to 3.0m, e.g. 1.0m to 3.0m. The vehicle body may further include a water service connector extending from a water 30 service supply on the body shell arrangement to the shower and/or vanity on the slide out. The body may further include a waste water connector extending from the shower and/or vanity to a waste water disposal unit on the body shell arrangement.

16 Each slide out may be mounted on the body shell arrangement by means of complementary engagement formations that engage each other and are displaced relative to each other by means of a linear translational sliding movement. 5 The complementary engagement formations that slidably support each slide out on the body shell arrangement may comprise a female member on one of the body shell arrangement and the slide out, and a male member on the other of the body shell arrangement and the slide out. The male formation may be received within the female formation and may slide relative to the female formation to move the slide out between 10 the extended and retracted conditions. Conveniently the female member may be mounted on the body shell arrangement and the male member may be mounted on the slide out. 15 The male member may be snugly received within the female member with a small tolerance so that the only movement of the male member relative to the female member is an axial sliding movement. The male and female members may have low friction surfaces that enable smooth sliding of the male and female members relative to each other with little or no rattling and associated noise. A surface of the female member may 20 be metallic and the surface of the male member may be non metallic, e.g. plastic, so reduce rattling sounds in use. The slide out may further include a drive means for driving each rear slide out between the extended and retracted positions. The drive means may be in the form of a linear 25 actuator. The linear actuator may include limit switches for stopping movement of the slide out, e.g. precisely in each of the extended and retracted positions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 30 A motor home in accordance with this invention may manifest itself in a variety of forms. It will therefore be convenient to hereinafter provide a detailed description of the invention with reference to several example embodiments. 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 practical effect. It is to be clearly understood however that 17 the specific nature of this detailed description does not supersede the generality of the preceding broad description. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a three dimensional view of a motor home in accordance with one 5 embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view or layout of a motor home in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view or layout of a motor home in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; 10 Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view or layout of a motor home that is a variation on the embodiment shown in Fig 3; Fig 5 is a three dimensional perspective view of part of an interior space of a motor home in accordance with another embodiment of the invention looking into the bedroom region; 15 Fig 6 is a three dimensional perspective view from another direction of the interior space of the motor home of Fig 5 showing part of the living region and also part of the bedroom region; Fig 7 is a three dimensional perspective view of a part of the interior space of the motor home of Fig 5 showing part of the living region and also part of the front seat 20 region; Fig 8 is a plan view of a layout for a motor home in accordance with the invention showing the structure of the interior space and its breakdown into regions, areas and spaces. 25 In the drawings reference numeral 10 refers generally to a motor home in accordance with the invention. The motor home comprises broadly a motor home body 12 including a bedroom region 14 and a living region 16 and a front seat region 18 for occupation by a driver and a 30 passenger when the motor home is in a travelling mode being driven along a road. The body 12 also includes a doorway 20 for enabling a user to enter and exit the motor home body 12. The motor home body 12 has a door 21 mounted in the doorway 20 that can be selectively opened and closed by a user.

18 The motor home body 12 includes a peripheral side wall arrangement defining the periphery of the body 12 including a front wall 22 and a rear wall 24, and also a driver's side wall 26 on one side and a doorway side wall 28 on the other side within which the doorway 18 is defined. 5 The doorway 20 is arranged such that the living region 16 is substantially fully positioned on one side of the doorway, e.g. forward of the doorway 20, and the bedroom region 14 is substantially fully positioned on the other side of the doorway 20, e.g. rearward of the doorway 20. 10 The doorway 20 has a forward side edge 30 that is closer to the front wall 22 of the motor home body 12 than the rear wall 24, and a rear side edge 32 that is closer to the rear wall 24 of the motor home body 12 than the front wall 22. The doorway 20 also has a midpoint or midline that is indicated by reference numeral 34 that is midway between its 15 two sides or its two ends 30 and 32. In the illustrated embodiments the entire living region 16 is positioned forward of the rear side edge 32 of the doorway 20, and the entire bedroom region 14 is positioned rearward of the forward side edge 30 of the doorway 20. 20 The portion of the body 12 that is located in between the forward and rear side edges 30, 32 of the doorway 20 across the width of the body, and is indicated by reference numeral 34 may form part of the bedroom region 14 or it may form part of the living region 16 or it may form part of both. 25 The front seat region 18 is located just behind the front wall of the body 12. The living region 16 is sandwiched between the bedroom region and the front seat region 18. Broadly the bedroom region 14 comprises a bedroom that is indicated generally by 30 reference numeral 40 and a bathroom indicated generally by reference numeral 42. The bathroom 42 is located adjacent to the rear wall 24 of the motor home body 12 and will therefore be described first. In the illustrated embodiments the bathroom 42 includes a shower 44, a toilet 46, and also a vanity 48.

19 In the Fig 2 embodiment the bathroom 42 also includes a clothes storage device, in the form of a wardrobe 49. 5 In this embodiment the shower 44 is positioned adjacent to the driver's side wall 26, the wardrobe 49 is positioned towards the doorway side wall 28, and the vanity 48 and the toilet 46 are positioned intermediate the shower 44 and the wardrobe 49 as shown in the drawings. 10 The living region includes a partition wall 50 extending between the bedroom 40 and the bathroom 42 that extends across a front edge of the bathroom 42 substantially parallel to the rear wall 24 of the body 12. The partition wall 50 includes a bathroom door opening 52 for providing access to the 15 bathroom 42 from the bedroom 40. A door 54 extends across the bathroom door opening 52 whereby to selectively close off the bathroom 42 from the bedroom 40. The bathroom door 54 may be interchangeable between a closed position in which it extends across the door opening 52 and an open position in which it opens up the door opening 52. In the illustrated embodiment the bathroom door 54 is a sliding door. 20 The partition wall 50 may be positioned towards the doorway side wall 28 and the partition wall 50 extends continuously, and without interruption, away from the driver's side wall 26 up to the door opening 52. A mirror may be mounted on the surface of the partition wall that faces into the bedroom 40. 25 The bedroom 40 that is positioned forward of the bathroom 42 will now be described in some detail. The bedroom 40 includes a bed 56 having a head, a foot and two sides (of the bed) 30 extending between the head and the foot. The head of the bed 56 is mounted against the driver's side wall 26. The bedroom 40 defines a user walkway or passage 58 that extends along the foot of the bed 56. The user walkway or passage 58 also extends along a substantial portion of each side of the bed and terminates short of the head of the bed 56.

20 The bedroom 40 includes at least one bedside table 59 on a side of the bed 56 adjacent the head of the bed 56 and the portion of the user walkway or passage 58 extending along a side of the bed 56 terminates adjacent to the bedside table 57. 5 Thus the arrangement of the bed 56 with the user walkway or passage 58 along the foot of the bed and along each side of the bed provides a bed arrangement that is referred to as an island bed. As the term island bed would be well understood to persons skilled in the art of motor home construction it will not be described in further detail in the 10 specification. The bedroom region 14, and specifically the bedroom 40, includes a yet further clothes storage device in the form of an overhead cupboard 59 extending along the doorway side wall 28 intermediate the doorway 20 and the bathroom 42. In the illustrated embodiment 15 the overhead cupboard has length of at least one meter, e.g. 1.1.m to 1.3.m, and is spaced at least 1.5 m above the floor. The bedroom region 16, and specifically the bedroom 40, has a front edge that is adjacent to the rear edge of the living region 16 and the bedroom 40 opens up to the 20 living region 16 so that it can be described as being open plan therewith. We will now describe the living region 16 in more detail. At a broad level the living region comprises a kitchen 60 and a seating area or dining arrangement 62. 25 The kitchen 60 is positioned up against the doorway side wall 28 in a position that is forward of the doorway 20. The kitchen 60 includes a kitchen cabinet 64 having a kitchen In the illustrated embodiment the kitchen cabinet 64 in turn includes a sink with taps, a cook top and also an oven. The sink and the cook top are mounted on the counter and 30 the oven is mounted on the cabinet 64 beneath the counter. The seating area or dining arrangement 62 includes a dining table 66 proximate to the driver's side wall 28 of the motor home body 12. In the illustrated embodiment the table 21 has an end bearing against the driver's side wall 26 and the table 66 then extends away from the side wall 26 orthogonally thereto. The seating area or dining arrangement 62 also includes a table seat 68 that is positioned 5 adjacent to the table 66 so that a person seated on the seat 68 can make use of the table 66 for dining. In the illustrated embodiment the table seat 68 is positioned rearward of the dining arrangement 62. Broadly speaking the table 66 and seat 68 are in the same position along the length of the 10 body 12 but are positioned on opposite sides of the body 12. That is they are broadly in transverse alignment with each other. We turn now to describe the front seat region 18 that is forward of the living region 16 in some detail. 15 The front seat region 18 comprises a driver's seat 70 adjacent to the driver's side wall 26 of the body 12, and a passenger's seat 72 adjacent to the doorway side 28 of the body 12. The seats 70 and 72 open into the living region 16 and are open plan therewith. The driver's seat 70 and passenger's seat 72 are swivel seats that can be selectively 20 interchanged between a forward facing driving position and a rearward facing living or recreational position in which they face into the living region 16. In such a rearward facing position the driver's seat 70 is positioned in close proximity to the table 64 and a person in the driver's seat can dine off the dining table 64. The body further includes two front seat doors providing driver and passenger access to the front seat region of the body 12. 25 These front seat doors are quite different to the doorway 20 described in some detail above, In the Fig 2 embodiment the living region 16 also includes an overhead cupboard 76 that is mounted on the driver's side wall and extends along the wall the length of the table and 30 table seat 66 and 68 at a position spaced above the table and table seat 66 and 68. In the Fig 2 embodiment the living region 16 also includes a further overhead cupboard 78 that is mounted on the doorway side wall 28 wall and extends along the wall the length of the kitchen cabinet 64 at a position spaced above the kitchen cabinet 64.

22 The motor home body 12 also includes a refrigerator 80 that is positioned against the driver's side wall 26 adjacent to the table or the table seat 66 or 68, e.g. rearward of the table seat and in front of the front edge of the bedroom. The refrigerator 80 may be 5 contained in the living region 16 or in the bedroom region 14. The motor home 10 also includes a television 82 and the television 82 may optionally be mounted on the refrigerator 80. Thus the refrigerator 80 may be similarly contained in the living region 16 or in the bedroom region 14. 10 As shown in the drawings the doorway side wall 28 and the driver's side wall 26 are each substantially linear and extend substantially parallel to each other. The doorway and drivers side walls 28 and 26 are spaced a distance of about 2.4 - 2.6 m apart from each other consistent with a width of motor home 10 that needs to fit within a lane width on a 15 road. In the Fig 2 embodiment the doorway 20 is positioned 30 to 70%, e.g. 40 to 50 %, of the distance along the length of the vehicle body 12 when measured from the rear wall 24 of the body 12 and measuring the distance to the doorway 20 by measuring up to a mid 20 point 34 of the doorway 20. This distance is measured from the rear wall 24 of the body 12 to the midpoint 34 of the doorway 20. In the Fig 2 embodiment the motor home 10 is a van type motor home where the walls and roof of a donor van vehicle are used as the walls and roof of the motor home body 25 12. The motor home body 12 has an overall vehicle body length ranging from 19 foot to 7.92 meters (26 foot) in length. With a van conversion motor home the length of the body is the same as the length of the donor van. The donor van can be any one of a variety of makes of vehicle a Mercedes, an IVECA, a FIAT, and a PEUGEOT can be used as the donor vehicle. 30 When manufacturing the motor home 10 of Fig 2 it has been necessary for the application to cut a doorway 20 in the side of the van body 12 and to close up a door provided on the manufactured donor vehicle which is typically closer to the front wall of the van than the doorway 20.

23 In use the motor home 10 shown in Fig 2 can easily be driven on a road in a travelling mode. It is short and compact and can be manoeuvred easily and it can be driven on a standard car licence. Further the front seat region affords a comfortable ride for a driver 5 seated in the driver's seat and a passenger. When it is desired to use the motor home 10 for living accommodation then the motor home is parked and the bedroom region 14 and the living region 16 can be used as a dwelling. The users can access the living region 16 and bedroom region 14 through the 10 doorway 20. When one enters the body 12 through the doorway 20 the bedroom region 14 is on the right of the doorway 20 and the living region is basically on the left of the doorway 20. The bedroom region 14 has a bathroom 40 having a separate toilet and shower and 15 vanity and it can be closed off from the rest of the motor home for privacy. The bedroom 42 has an island double bed 56. This enables both user's to walk around to their own side of the bed 56 before getting into bed 56. Further there is a walkway space or passage 58 around the foot of the bed 56 to enable user's to walk around the bottom of 20 the bed 56. The living region 16 offers a compact living area which has a kitchen 60 as well as a dining arrangement 62. Further the driver's seat 70 can be swiveled around to face against the dining table 66 whereby to enable two people to eat their meals at the dining 25 table 66 together. The motor home 10 also includes storage areas such as wardrobes and kitchen cupboards whereby to enable users to store things and generally assist in keeping the motor home 10 neat and tidy. 30 Fig 3 illustrates a layout of a motor home in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. As this embodiment has many similarities with the Fig 2 embodiment the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components unless otherwise illustrated.

24 Further the following description is to be read together with the description for the Fig 2 embodiment and will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the Fig 2 embodiment. 5 The most significant difference between the Fig 2 and Fig 3 embodiments is that the Fig 3 embodiment has a transverse slide out indicated by reference numeral 81 that enables part of the driver's side wall 26 to be displaced outward, i.e. along at least part of its length, whereby to increase the interior space within the motor home body 12 and 10 particularly the lateral width thereof. The slide out 81 can be moved from a contracted travelling position to an expanded camping position in which the slide out 81 is displaced in an outward direction to increase the lateral width of the interior space within the vehicle body 12. The slide out 81 is 15 mounted on the driver's side wall 26 and includes a guide arrangement (not shown) for guiding the slide out between the contracted and expanded positions. The slide out 81 also includes a drive arrangement for driving the slide out 81 between the contracted and expanded positions. 20 As the slide out increases the interior space within the bedroom region 14 and living region 16 when it is in its expanded condition some features of the bedroom and living region to be altered or modified when compared with the Fig 2 embodiment to afford greater amenity. We will now describe these differences below. 25 In the Fig 3 embodiment the slide out enables a clothes storage device that is a wardrobe 84 to be positioned on the floor extending along the doorway side wall 28 from the bathroom 42 to the rear side edge of the doorway 20. When the slide out 81 is moved to its expanded condition the foot of the bed 56 is displaced in a direction away from the doorway side wall 28 thereby creating or opening up a walkway space or passage 58 30 between the wardrobe 84 and the foot of the bed 56. The clothes storage device may be laterally aligned with the bed, e.g. so that it is in the same position along the length of the body as the bed.

25 Further by placing a wardrobe 84 in the bedroom 40 instead of in the bathroom 42 as is the case in the Fig 2 embodiment the arrangement of the shower, toilet and the vanity within the bathroom 40 can be rearranged. The vanity 48 can be mounted up against the doorway side wall 28 within the bathroom 40 providing a more spacious bathroom 40. The 5 toilet 46 is positioned intermediate the shower 44 and the vanity 48 against the rear wall 24 of the body 12, e.g. broadly centrally across the width of the body 12. The bathroom 40 is of generous size that has quite separate spaces for the shower 44 and the toilet 46. Apart from conveying a feeling of spaciousness at a practical level this enables two people to use the bathroom 40 at the same time. 10 Further the slide out 80 enables a more spacious dining table 66 and table seat and 68 to be provided in the living region 16 than is the case in the Fig 2 embodiment. The seat 68 in the Fig 3 embodiment is in the form of an elongate sofa type seat and the dining table 66 is elongate as opposed to being square. The elongate table 66 has a greater table 15 surface and therefore is potentially more useful than the smaller table. Figure 4 is a variation on the embodiment shown in Fig 3. In particular it has a slide out extending along the driver's side wall 20. Accordingly unless otherwise indicated the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components. 20 The motor home body in Fig 4 has a shorter length than the body in Fig 3. Specifically the body has a total length of about 22 feet. Consequently the wardrobe in the bedroom 40 extending along the doorway side wall 28 is shorter than that in Fig 3. Further the dining arrangement and specifically the table 66 and seat 68 have a shorter length in the 25 longitudinal direction of the motor home 10. However aside from these differences the motor home on Fig 4 contains all the basic amenities of the motor homes in Figs 2 and 3. This is made possible because of the innovation that has gone into the basic layout of the body 12. 30 A motor home layout in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to a schematic drawing that is Fig 8 that illustrates the basic design architecture of the layout of the motor home in terms of different spatial or surface units or measures. The spatial or surface measures that are used are respectively a region of the body.

26 Thereafter each region of the body is broken down further into areas. Thereafter the different areas are broken down or subdivided into different spaces. With reference to Fig 8 the motor home body particularly when viewed in plan view is 5 divided into three main regions. These regions are the bedroom region 114, the living region 116 and the front seat region 118. The bedroom region 114 is then broken down into a bathroom area 142 and a bedroom area 140 (which is a subset of the bedroom region). 10 The bathroom area 142 is located towards the rear wall 124 of the body 112. The bathroom area 142 in turn is broken down into a number of different spaces within the bathroom area 142. These spaces are a shower space 144, a toilet space 146 and a vanity space 148. Typically the shower space 144 and the vanity space 148 are spaced 15 apart from each other and the toilet space 146 is positioned intermediate the shower and vanity spaces 144 and 148. The bathroom area 142 may also include a clothes storage device space, e.g. a wardrobe space 149. 20 The bedroom area 140 is positioned forward of the bathroom area 142 with a partition wall 150 extending along a line between the bathroom area 142 and the bedroom area 140. The bedroom area 140 includes a plurality of spaces therein. In particular the bedroom area 140 includes a bed space 156. The bed space 156 has an end that is 25 positioned up against the driver's side wall 126 of the body 12 and extends away from this wall 126 in the direction of width of the body 112. The bedroom area 140 also includes a user walkway or passage space 158 that extends along the free end of the bed space 156 and also extends along at least part of each side 30 of the bed space 156. The bedroom area 140 also includes a bedside table space 159 on one side of the bed space 156 up against the driver's side wall 126. Thus the arrangement of the bed space 156 and the user walkway or passage space 158 facilitates the provision of an island bed in the bedroom area 140.

27 The bedroom area 140 specifically has a front edge that is adjacent to the living region 116, e.g. a rear edge of the living region 116 and opens into the living region so that it can be described as being open plan with the living region 116. The front edge of the 5 bedroom region 114 is basically the same as the front edge of the bedroom area 140 (which forms part of the bedroom region 114). The living region 116 broadly includes a kitchen area 160 and a seating or dining area 162. 10 The kitchen area 160 in turn includes a kitchen cabinet and counter space 164 that is positioned against the doorway side wall. The seating or dining area 162 in turn comprises a table space 166 and a table seat 15 space 168 that is positioned adjacent to the table space 166. The front seat region 118 in turn comprises a driver's seat space 170 and a passenger's seat space 172. The driver's seat space 170 is positioned adjacent to the table space 166 and forward thereof. The passenger's seat space 172 is positioned forward of the kitchen 20 cabinet and counter space 164. An advantage of the motor home body described above with reference to Figs. 1 to 8 is that it has a doorway forming an access or entry point to the motor home body and the living region of the body is on one side of the door way and the living region is on the 25 other side of the doorway. This more closely resembles a residential dwelling such as a house where a bedroom region is contained in one area of the dwelling and a living region is contained in another area of the dwelling. The two regions are separate and branch off on separate directions at the entrance door rather than being mixed up. 30 Another advantage of the motor home body described above with reference to the drawings is that it is able to fit a wide and useful range of amenities within a short body motor home. Specifically it is able to do this in a motor home with a body length that is less than 27 feet long and in some forms can be as little as 19 to 22 feet long. Such a short motor home can be licensed to be driven on a car licence in Australia.

28 Another advantage of the motor home body described above with reference to the drawings is that it provides a van conversion with a wide complement of amenities that will be greatly appreciated by discerning users of motor homes. 5 For example it provides a short body length motor home having a separate bathroom that has a partition wall that can be closed off to provide privacy in the bathroom. The bathroom has a separate shower and toilet and vanity. It also provides a bedroom separate from the living region that has an island double bed with a walk around region along the foot of the bed and also along the sides of the bed. It also provides a living 10 region with a kitchen and a separate dining area with seating for two people. It will of course be realized 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 15 ambit of the invention as herein set forth.

Claims (17)

1. A motor-home, which Includes: a motor home body including a front wall, a rear wall, a driver's side wall and 5 a passenger side wall; a bedroom region including a bedroom having a bed with a head, a foot and two sides extending between the head and the foot and a bathroom; a living region including a kitchen area; a doorway in one of the passenger or driver's side walls for enabling a user to 0 enter and exit the motor home body, the doorway having a forward side edge that is closer to the front wall of the motorhome body than the rear wall, and a rear side edge that is closer to the real wall of the motorhome body than the front wall and the side wall in which the door is positioned does not have a slide out mounted thereon; wherein the motor home has an overall length of not more than 8.23m; the 15 living region is substantially positioned forward of the rear side edge of the doorway the bedroom region is substantially positioned rearward of the forward side of the doorway and one side or the head of the bed is proximate the other of the passenger or driver's side wall in which the doorway is positioned; with the bathroom located adjacent to the rear wall and a user walkway between the doorway and the bathroom. 20

2. The motorhome of claim 1, wherein the length is between 5.79m and 7.01m.

3. The motorhome of claim I or claim 2, wherein the motorhome Is a van conversion in which the walls and roof of the van are used as the walls and roof of the motorhome. 25

4. A motorhome according to any one of claims I to 3, wherein the living region in its entirety is positioned forward of the rear side edge of the doorway.

5. A motor home according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the doorway is on the 30 passenger side wall. 30

6. A motor home according to any one of claims I to 5, wherein the body has a portion that is located in between the forward and rear side edges of the doorway across the width of the body and the portion forms part of both of the bedroom region and the 5 living region.

7. A motor home according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the bathroom includes a shower, a toilet, and a vanity. 0 8. A motor home according to any one of claims I to 7, wherein the bedroom includes a partition wall in between the bedroom and the bathroom, and wherein the partition wall includes a bathroom door opening for providing access to the bathroom from the bedroom and a door for extending across the bathroom door opening whereby to selectively close off the bathroom from the bedroom. 5

9. A motor home according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the head of the bed is proximate to the driver's side wall.

10. A motor home according to claim 9, wherein the body has a slide out mounted on the io driver's side wall that can be moved from a contracted position to an expanded camping position in which the slide out is displaced in an outward direction and the head of the bed is located in the slide out.

11. A motor home according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the user walkway 25 extends along the foot of the bed and which also extends along at least part of each side of the bed whereby to create an island bed.

12. A motor home according to claim 11, wherein the bedroom has a front edge that is positioned adjacent to the living region, and wherein the bedroom is open plan with 30 the living region. 31

13. A motor home according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the kitchen area includes a dining arrangement.

14. A motor home according- to claim 13, wherein the dining arrangement Includes a 5 dining table proximate to the driver's side wall of the motor home that is spaced away from the driver's side wall or is positioned against the driver's side wall.

15. A motor home according to claim 14, wherein the dining arrangement includes a table seat that is positioned adjacent to the dining table so that a person seated on 0 the seat can use the dining table for dining.

16. A motor home according any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the body further includes a front seat region for occupation by a driver and a passenger when the motor home is in a travelling mode and which is located behind the front wall of the vehicle body. 5

17. A motor home according to claim 16, wherein the front seat region comprises a driver's seat adjacent to the driver's side wall of the body, and a passenger's seat adjacent to the doorway side of the body, and wherein the front seat region opens into the kitchen area. 0

19. A motor home according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the kitchen area includes a kitchen cabinet having a kitchen counter that is positioned up against forward side edge of the doorway. 25 20. A motorhome substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Figures.