Articulated pickup truck camper/trailer

Abstract

A recreational vehicle is made up of a pickup truck, a camper which is releasably mounted on the pickup truck and includes an accessway between the cab of the pickup truck and the camper, and a trailer which communicates with the camper through an articulated passage or walkway to permit movement of occupants between the camper and trailer while the vehicle is in motion.

1 . In a vehicle having spaced front and rear enclosures, an articulated tunnel interconnecting said front and rear enclosures in end-to-end relation to one another, said tunnel having a walkway therein, a coupling between said front and rear enclosures, said front and rear enclosures being releasably connected to said vehicle.  
   
   
       2 . In a vehicle according to  claim 1  wherein said tunnel is free to undergo articulation about multiple axes, and a plurality of spacers are interposed between said coupling and said tunnel to undergo articulation with said tunnel in a horizontal direction.  
   
   
       3 . In a vehicle according to  claim 1  wherein said passage comprises a bellows-shaped membrane and a plurality of support members mounted at axially spaced intervals at least along a lower portion of said bellows so as to define a walkway surface between said camper and said trailer, and wherein said support members are in the form of overlapping plates slidable in response to axial expansion and contraction of said tunnel.  
   
   
       4 . In a vehicle according to  claim 3  wherein clamping rings are provided for clamping each of said plates to said bellows, and wherein said plates and said bellows are generally ring-like members, said plates extending internally of said bellows and said clamping rings extending externally of said bellows, and wherein at least one spacer extends between said coupling and said tunnel.  
   
   
       5 . In a vehicle according to  claim 3  wherein there are a plurality of axially spaced spacers, each spacer defined by an elongated narrow plate extending transversely of the length of said vehicle, said spacers disposed on edge between said coupling and said tunnel and being connected to said tunnel.  
   
   
       6 . In a vehicle having a motive power source, a camper, a wheeled trailer including an articulated tunnel interconnecting said camper and said trailer in end-to-end relation to one another, and means for limiting the degree of articulation of said tunnel between said camper and said trailer.  
   
   
       7 . In a vehicle according to  claim 6  wherein said means includes a ball joint coupling extending beneath said tunnel to interconnect said camper and trailer to absorb the loads and stress therebetween.  
   
   
       8 . In a vehicle according to  claim 7  wherein a plurality of spacers are interposed between said coupling and said tunnel to undergo articulation with said tunnel in a horizontal direction.  
   
   
       9 . In a vehicle according to  claim 6  wherein said tunnel comprises a bellows-shaped membrane, a plurality of support members in the form of concentric and sliding plates mounted at axially spaced intervals at least along a lower portion of said membrane to define a walkway between said camper and said trailer, said membrane being free to undergo axial expansion and contraction, and said overlapping plates being slidable in response to expansion and contraction of said bellows.  
   
   
       10 . In a vehicle according to  claim 9  wherein clamping rings fasten each of said plates to said bellows at axially spaced intervals.  
   
   
       11 . In a vehicle according to  claim 7  wherein said coupling includes a ball housing and a socket housing, and stabilizer members are interposed between said camper and said trailer on opposite sides of said coupling to maintain an imaginary center line extending horizontally through a center of said tunnel at an angle bisecting said ball housing and said socket housing.  
   
   
       12 . In a vehicle according to  claim 11  wherein said tunnel includes a ring-like center support member, and each of said stabilizer members includes a slide member on said center support member, fixed connecting members on each of said ball and socket housings, and stabilizer rods extending between said slide member and each of said connection members.  
   
   
       13 . In a vehicle according to  claim 12  wherein opposite ends of said stabilizer rods are universally connected to said slide member and said connection members.  
   
   
       14 . A motorized vehicle comprising: 
 a wheeled vehicle having a cargo bed;    a camper releasably mounted on said cargo bed;    a wheeled trailer including an articulated passage extending between a rear end of said camper and a forward end of said trailer; and    a coupling interconnecting said rear end of said camper and said forward end of said trailer in end-to-end relation to one another.    
   
   
       15 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 14  wherein said articulated passage defines a walkway for a passenger to move between said camper and said trailer when said motorized vehicle is in motion.  
   
   
       16 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 14  wherein said wheeled vehicle is a pickup truck having a truck bed.  
   
   
       17 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 16  wherein said truck bed includes a front gate, rear gate and side panels.  
   
   
       18 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 14  wherein said camper includes front and rear pairs of camper jacks on opposite sides of said camper movable into ground-engaging relation when said camper is at rest, and lift means operative to move said camper jacks into ground-engaging relation for lifting and lowering said camper with respect to said wheeled vehicle.  
   
   
       19 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 14  wherein said coupling is defined by a universal coupling extending beneath said passage.  
   
   
       20 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 19  wherein said coupling is defined by a ball extending from one of said camper and said trailer and a socket extending from the other of said camper and said trailer.  
   
   
       21 . A motorized vehicle comprising: 
 a wheeled vehicle having a cargo bed;    a camper releasably mounted on said cargo bed;    a wheeled trailer including an articulated passage between a rear end of said camper and a forward end of said trailer; and    means interconnecting said rear end of said camper and said forward end of said trailer in end-to-end relation to one another and wherein said means extends beneath said passage for controlling articulation of said passage between said camper and said trailer.    
   
   
       22 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 21  wherein said means is defined by a universal coupling extending between said camper and said trailer.  
   
   
       23 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 21  wherein said coupling is defined by a ball extending from one of said camper and said trailer and a socket extending from the other of said camper and said trailer.  
   
   
       24 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 21  wherein said passage comprises a bellows-shaped membrane and a plurality of support members mounted at axially spaced intervals at least along a lower portion of said bellows so as to define said walkway between said camper and said trailer.  
   
   
       25 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 21  wherein said support members are in the form of overlapping concentric rings slidable in response to axial expansion and contraction of said passage.  
   
   
       26 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 25  wherein clamping members are provided for clamping each of said rings to said bellows.  
   
   
       27 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 26  wherein said rings and said bellows are generally ring-like members, said rings extending internally of said bellows and said clamping members extending externally of said bellows.  
   
   
       28 . A motorized vehicle according to  claim 27  wherein a plurality of spacers extend between said coupling and said support members.