Expandable travel trailer

Abstract

The travel trailer includes a chassis having wheels and a trailer body attached to the chassis. The trailer body includes sidewalls, a front end wall, a rear end wall, a roof, and a floor. The sidewalls, end walls, roof, and floor form an internal living space of the trailer body. A slide-out area is slidably extendable outward from the trailer body. The slide-out area is extendable from a retracted position received substantially within the trailer body to an extended position extended outward from the trailer body. The slide-out area has a roof, sidewalls, a bottom wall, and a front end wall. The front end wall of the slide-out areas is adapted to seal against the trailer body in the retracted position.

1 . A travel trailer, comprising: 
 a chassis having wheels;    a trailer body attached to the chassis and comprising rigid sidewalls, a rigid front end wall, a rigid rear end wall, a rigid roof, and a floor, the sidewalls, end walls, roof, and floor defining an internal space of the trailer body;    a slide-out area extendable outward from the trailer body, the slide-out area extendable from a retracted position received substantially within the trailer body to an extended position extended outward from the trailer body, the slide-out area comprising: 
 a rigid roof;  
 rigid sidewalls connected to the roof;  
 a rigid bottom wall connected to the sidewalls; and  
 a rigid front end wall connected to the roof, sidewalls, and bottom wall, the slide-out area front end wall comprising a perimetrically extending flange for seating against the trailer body in the retracted position.  
   
   
   
       2 . The travel trailer of  claim 1 , wherein the slide-out area is supported in the extended position by at least one external support comprising a support member extending from the trailer body and a leg member connected to the support member.  
   
   
       3 . The travel trailer of  claim 2 , wherein the support member is adapted for removable connection to the trailer body.  
   
   
       4 . The travel trailer of  claim 2 , wherein the leg member is connected pivotally to the support member.  
   
   
       5 . The travel trailer of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one external roller attached to the slide-out area front end wall, the external roller positioned to coact with the support member such that when the slide-out area is moved between the extended and retracted positions the external roller rolls along the support member.  
   
   
       6 . The travel trailer of  claim 5 , wherein the external roller is disposed at least partially within a protective housing.  
   
   
       7 . The travel trailer of  claim 1 , wherein the slide-out area front end wall comprises a sealing gasket on the flange for sealing against the trailer body in the retracted position of the slide-out area.  
   
   
       8 . The travel trailer of  claim 1 , wherein a slidable connection between the slide-out area and the trailer body comprises: 
 a pair of substantially horizontal guide rails; and    a pair of rollers received in the guide rails for providing slidable movement of the slide-out area relative to the trailer body.    
   
   
       9 . The travel trailer of  claim 1 , comprising a latching device associated with the trailer body and the slide-out area front end wall for securing the slide-out area in the retracted position.  
   
   
       10 . The travel trailer of  claim 9 , wherein the latching device comprises a rod operatively associated with at least one cam action engagement, such that rotational movement of the rod causes the at least one cam action engagement to exert compressive pressure on the slide-out area front end wall relative to the trailer body.  
   
   
       11 . The travel trailer of  claim 10 , wherein the latching device comprises a lever arm associated with the rod for imparting rotational movement to the rod.  
   
   
       12 . The travel trailer of  claim 1 , wherein the slide-out area comprising at least one window.  
   
   
       13 . The travel trailer of  claim 12 , wherein the window is provided in the slide-out area front end wall.