Abstract:
A recreational vehicle having an expandable room, wherein the expandable room may be positioned in either a retracted or deployed configuration. In the deployed configuration, the room expands outwardly from the main housing of the vehicle so as to enlarge the overall living space area of the main housing. In the retracted configuration, the room slides inwardly into the main housing of the vehicle so as to reduce the width of the vehicle. The expandable room is equipped with at least one additional door on an outer wall in a manner so as to allow access to other rooms when expandable room is in the retracted configuration. The room may be extended in conjunction with an exterior slide-out assembly, wherein the deployed slide-out assembly produces a larger inner living space so as to accommodate the expanded room.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to recreational vehicles and, in particular, relates to motorhomes and travel trailers that are adapted to expand in size so as to increase the effective interior living space of the vehicle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Recreational vehicles are becoming increasingly popular with people who wish to retain the comforts and conveniences of home while spending extended periods of time away from home at remote locations. In more elaborate configurations, the recreational vehicle typically includes amenities such as a bedroom, a bathroom with a sink and a flushing toilet, a kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, and sink, and a generously sized living area with reclining chairs and an entertainment center. Furthermore, a recreational vehicle may be easily parked at a wide variety of locations so that users may enjoy the amenities of the vehicle at their favorite destination. Consequently, people who use recreational vehicles may usually be assured of a comfortable living environment at their preferred remote destination without having to rely on the availability of suitable hotels. 
     In response to consumer demand, manufacturers have developed increasingly larger recreational vehicles. However, a large recreational vehicle is often difficult to maneuver while driving or towing. For example, an oversized trailer is difficult to back into the bay or parking slot of a campsite. In addition, tall recreational vehicles may have a high center of gravity, which creates unstable maneuverability around turns and in poor weather conditions. A recreational vehicle that maximizes the interior living space when parked and minimizes exterior dimensions when in a traveling motion is preferred. As a result of decreased maneuverability, state and federal laws have limited exterior dimensions of recreational vehicles that may be transported on public roads, thereby seemingly limiting the living space within the recreational vehicle. 
     In particular, current regulations specify a maximum length, otherwise known as the maximum allowed length, of highway bound travel trailers to be no greater than 40 feet. Furthermore, current regulations specify a maximum width, otherwise known as the maximum allowed width, of highway bound travel trailers to be no greater than 8.5 feet. Thus, the recreational vehicle industry has devoted considerable resources to develop improved motorhomes and travel trailers that increase the effective interior living space of the recreational vehicle while maintaining the exterior dimensions in a manner that is consistent with the transportational size restrictions. 
     Consequently, manufacturers have developed recreational vehicles with one or more extendable structures, commonly referred to as slide-outs, that provide the user with a supplemental living space when the vehicle is parked in a suitable location. In particular, the extendable structure is adapted to extend into a deployed configuration during the time that the vehicle is parked so that the interior living space within the recreational vehicle is increased by an amount which is substantially equal to the supplemental living space of the extendable structure. Furthermore, the extendable structure is adapted to retract into a retracted configuration during the time that the vehicle is in motion or towed so that the traveling dimensions of the recreational vehicle are within the maximum allowed length and width. 
     The typical extendable structure or slide-out is positioned within an opening of the housing of the recreational vehicle and is comprised of a plurality of walls that form the supplemental living space therein and an opening that provides access to the supplemental living space. In particular, the walls of the typical slide-out are comprised of a lower horizontal wall that forms a single level planar floor, which substantially aligns with an adjacent floor of the vehicle housing. In addition, the walls of the slide-out may further comprise an upper horizontal wall that forms either a single level planar ceiling, which may substantially align with an adjacent ceiling of the vehicle, or a step configuration, wherein the ceiling of the slide-out is dimensionally lower than the ceiling of the adjacent ceiling of the vehicle. Furthermore, the extendable structure or slide-out may also comprise an outer vertical wall that is adapted to align with an outer wall of the motorhome or travel trailer, when the slide-out is placed in the retracted configuration. In addition, a pair of horizontal side walls may be utilized to join the upper and lower horizontal walls and the outer vertical wall together. 
     Such an extendable structure, when in the retracted configuration, is positioned so that the outer vertical wall aligns with the side wall of the recreational vehicle and so that the remaining walls, including the lower horizontal wall, of the extendable structure are positioned within the interior living space of the recreational vehicle. Consequently, in the retracted configuration, the housing of the vehicle forms a more aerodynamic shape having a width and length that are within the maximum allowed width and length for road travel. 
     In a deployed configuration, the extendable structure extends from the vehicle so that the walls of the extendable structure extend from the opening of the housing of the vehicle so as to align the opening of the extendable structure with the opening of the side wall of the vehicle. Consequently, the floor of the extendable structure extends through the opening of the housing so that the effective living area of the recreational vehicle is increased. Furthermore, the walls of the extendable structure effectively become exterior walls of the recreational vehicle so that the interior living space of the recreational vehicle is enlarged. In some circumstances, it is desirable for recreational vehicle manufacturers to further increase the living space of recreational vehicles to further meet the demands of consumers. 
     While extendable housings, such as slide outs, increase the livable space in the deployed configuration, other factors have limited the size of these extendable housings. In particular, the side walls of the extendable housing are typically positioned within the main housing when the extendable housing is in the retracted configuration. However, even when the recreational vehicle is travelling, users may wish to have access to different parts of the recreational vehicle. 
     For example, in motorhomes, it is generally desirable for the drivers and passengers to be able to access the facilities at the back of the motorhome while the motorhome is in the retracted configuration. The occupants may wish to use the bathroom or access the kitchen facilities even when the extendable housing is retracted. Generally, the main housing of the recreational vehicle defines a central passageway which in prior art recreational vehicles is unobstructed by the retractable housing to permit access to different areas of the recreational vehicle when the recreational vehicle is in the retracted configuration. 
     However, providing this unobstructed central passageways usually results in the side walls of the extendable housing being limited in length as the side walls of the extendable housing usually extend normally to the central passageway. Consequently, the total livable space of the recreational vehicle when the extendable housing is in the deployed configuration is being limited by the desire to allow for unobstructed access between the various areas of the recreational vehicle when the housing is in the retracted configuration. Hence, there is a need for a recreational vehicle that allows for larger extendable housing while, at the same time, still permits relatively unobstructed access between various regions of the recreational vehicle when the extendable housing is in the retracted configuration. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the recreational vehicle of the present invention comprising a carriage assembly having a plurality of wheels and a plurality of outer walls mounted on the carriage assembly, wherein the plurality of outer walls define a main living space having a floor. Additionally, a plurality of inner walls may define at least one slide-out assembly having an inner living space, wherein the at least one slide-out assembly is deployed in a manner so as to increase the main living space by an amount at least as much as the area of the inner living space and retracted in a manner so as to reduce the main living space. Furthermore, at least one opening may be formed in at least one inner wall, wherein the at least one opening allows passage between the inner living space and the main living space when the at least one slide-out assembly is retracted. In one aspect, the recreational vehicle comprises a motorhome. In another aspect, the recreational vehicle comprises a trailer. 
     In one embodiment, the at least one opening is at least one doorway, wherein at least one door is mounted in the at least one doorway, and wherein the recreational vehicle further comprises a stair assembly, which is positioned adjacent to the at least one opening. In addition, the at least one opening may be formed in the at least one inner wall such that, when the at least one slide-out assembly is deployed, the at least one opening provides access between an exterior of the recreational vehicle and the inner living space. 
     In another embodiment, the plurality of outer walls may further define at least one area selected from the group consisting of a living area, a bedroom area, a bathroom area, a hallway area, a kitchen area, and a dining area. Moreover, the plurality of outer walls may also further define a central passageway that extends in a first direction interconnecting one or more areas, wherein the first direction comprises a horizontal axis that is parallel to the floor and extends from a front portion of the recreational vehicle to a rear portion of the recreational vehicle by an amount at least as much as the length of the recreational vehicle. 
     In still another embodiment, the at least one opening allows passage between the inner living space and the main living space via the central passageway when the at least one slide-out assembly is retracted. The slide-out assembly may include a first side wall that is dimensioned such that when the slide-out assembly is retracted, the first side wall is positioned across the central passageway such that the depth of the slide-out assembly is increased by an amount at least as much as the width of the central passageway. In one aspect, the slide-out assembly may include a first side wall and a second sidewall that are dimensioned such that when the slide-out assembly is retracted, the first and second side wall are positioned across the central passageway such that the depth of the slide-out assembly is increased by an amount at least as much as the width of the central passageway. In addition, the first opening may be formed in the first side wall and a second opening may be formed in the second side wall such that the first and second openings allow passage through the inner living space of the slide-out assembly from the main living space via the central passageway when the at least one slide-out assembly is retracted. 
     The aforementioned needs may also be satisfied by the recreational vehicle of the present invention comprising a carriage assembly having a plurality of wheels and a plurality of exterior walls mounted on the carriage assembly, wherein the plurality of exterior walls define an interior living space having a floor. In addition, a plurality of movable walls may be mounted within the carriage assembly so as to enclose a slide-out section, wherein the interior living space may be enlarged by sliding the plurality of movable walls from a retracted configuration into a deployed configuration. Moreover, at least one opening may be formed in at least one of the plurality of movable walls, wherein the one or more openings allow access to the slide-out section when the slide-out section is positioned in the retracted configuration, and wherein the one or more openings allow access to an exterior of the recreational vehicle when the slide-out section is positioned in the deployed configuration. 
     Furthermore, the aforementioned needs may also be satisfied by the recreational vehicle of the present invention comprising a carriage assembly having a plurality of wheels and a main housing which includes a plurality of main housing walls defining a main living space having a floor and a plurality of living space locations with a central passageway that extends in a first direction interconnecting the plurality of living spaces and wherein an opening is formed in one of the plurality of main housing walls. 
     Additionally, an extendable housing may be mounted within the opening in one of the plurality of main housing walls, wherein the extendable housing is movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction between an extended and a retracted position, wherein a doorway is formed in the extendable housing such that, when the extendable housing in the retracted position, the doorway is positioned adjacent the central passageway so as to permit user access between the plurality of living spaces via the central passageway and when the extendable housing is in the extended configuration, the doorway permits access to the exterior of the recreational vehicle. In one aspect, the extendable housing may include a first side wall that is dimensioned such that when the extendable housing is in the retracted configuration, the first side wall is positioned across the central passageway such that the depth of the extendable housing is increased by an amount at least as much as the width of the central passageway. 
    
    
     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the recreational vehicle with inner movable walls greatly increases the space within the otherwise fixed space rooms within the vehicle when the vehicle is in the deployed configuration. This greatly improves the livability of the recreational vehicle in that otherwise cramped spaces may be increased in size. The addition of a doorway to the movable walls of the deployed section improves access to the increased spaces when the movable walls are retracted. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a recreational vehicle comprising a motorhome with an exterior slide-out assembly in a deployed configuration; 
     FIG. 2A illustrates an overhead plan view of the motorhome of FIG. 1 showing the exterior slide-out assembly in the deployed configuration; 
     FIG. 2B illustrates an overhead plan view of the motorhome of FIG. 1 showing the exterior slide-out assembly in a retracted configuration; 
     FIG. 2C illustrates a cross-sectional view of the motorhome of FIG. 1 showing the exterior slide-out assembly in the deployed configuration; 
     FIG. 2D illustrates a cross-sectional view of the motorhome of FIG. 1 showing the exterior slide-out assembly in a retracted configuration; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view a recreational vehicle comprising a trailer with an exterior slide-out assembly in a deployed configuration; 
     FIG. 4A illustrates an overhead plan view of the trailer of FIG. 3 showing the exterior slide-out assembly in a deployed configuration; 
     FIG. 4B illustrates an overhead plan view of the trailer of FIG. 3 showing the exterior slide-out assembly in a retracted configuration; 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     References will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a recreational vehicle (RV)  100  comprising a motorhome having a generally rectangular carriage assembly  102  attached to a plurality of wheels  104  so as to permit rolling movement of the motorhome  100  over the ground. FIG. 1 further illustrates a main housing  106  that is mounted above the carriage assembly  102  and is essentially formed of a plurality of planar walls that are joined together and mounted to the carriage assembly  102  in a generally known manner so as to define an inner living space  110  having a floor. A horizontal axis, which is parallel to the floor, extends in a first direction from the front portion of the RV  100  to the rear portion of the RV  100 . One of the plurality of planar walls is a first fixed side wall  107  (shown in FIG. 2A,  2 B) having a main entry door  108  (shown in FIG. 2A,  2 B), which provides an RV user with a first point of entry into the RV  100 . Furthermore, an exterior slide-out assembly  112 , having at least One door  128   a  and at least one set of stairs  138   a , is shown attached to another planar wall, which is a second fixed side wall  114  of the main housing  106 . Additionally, the exterior slide-out assembly  112  extends outwardly from an exterior opening  116  of the main housing  106  in a deployed configuration. 
     The exterior slide-out assembly  112  may either be placed in the deployed configuration so as to effectively increase the inner living space  110  of the RV  100  or be placed in a retracted configuration so as to provide the RV  100  with a more suitable size and shape for traveling on a road. In particular, the exterior slide-out assembly  112  is formed of a plurality of walls that join together to form a supplemental living space therein as described in the Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,612 entitled “RECREATIONAL VEHICLES WITH EXPANDABLE. ROOM” (Inventor: Johnnie. R. Crean), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The plurality of walls include an outer vertical wall  120 , a front lateral vertical wall  122 , a rear lateral vertical wall  124 , an overhead horizontal wall  126 , and a lower horizontal wall  130  all of which are interconnected in a manner so as to form the slide-out assembly  112 . Moreover, when joined together in a manner to form the slide-out assembly  112 , the plurality of walls, as a collective, are movable so as to slide in and out of the main housing  106 . When deployed, the slide-out assembly  112  increases the inner living space  110  by an amount at least as much as the effective area comprised by the slide-out assembly  112 . In addition, the slide-out assembly  112  may be retracted in a manner so as to reduce the effective area of the inner living space  110 . 
     In one embodiment, the exterior slide-out assembly  112  is coupled to an actuator assembly that moves the slide-out  112  between the deployed configuration and the retracted configuration in a generally known manner. In one aspect, the slide-out assembly  112  may be moved between the deployed configuration and the retracted configuration in a direction substantially perpendicular to the horizontal axis. Although this particular embodiment of FIG. 1 illustrates the exterior slide-out assembly  112  extending from the left side of the RV  100 , it can be appreciated that the exterior slide-out assembly  112  may be adapted by one skilled in the art to extend from the right side of the RV  100  without departing from the scope of the present invention. Advantageously, the function of the slide-out assembly  112  may be utilized for increasing the living space within the recreational vehicle when the recreational vehicle is in a stationary position. Moreover, when the RV  100  is in a traveling motion, the slide-out  112  may be retracted to allow for a compact, retractable configuration of the RV  100  during travel. 
     A first opening may be formed in the front lateral vertical wall  122  in a manner generally known in the art, and a first door  128   a  may be mounted to the front lateral vertical wall  122  in a manner so as to swing outward and/or inward on a hinge assembly. In addition, a second opening may be formed in the rear lateral vertical wall  124 , and a second door  128   b  (shown in FIG. 2A,  2 B) may be mounted to the rear lateral vertical wall  124  in a similar manner. It should be appreciated that the slide-out assembly  112  may be equipped with one or more doors  128   a ,  128   b  having stairs  138   a ,  138   b  without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the doors  128   a ,  128   b  are large enough to allow an average person to enter and/or exit the slide-out assembly  112  via doorways that surround the doors  128   a ,  128   b.    
     Additionally, the stairs  138   a ,  138   b  may be positioned significantly adjacent a threshold of the at least one door  128   a , which is located towards the lower section of the corresponding doorway. In one embodiment, the stairs  138   a ,  138   b  are equipped with the ability to retract in a folding manner so as to be hidden in a manner that allows the slide-out assembly  112  to safely retract into the retractable configuration as illustrated in FIG.  2 B. In another embodiment, the stairs  138   a ,  138   b  are detachable in a manner so as to allow the slide-out assembly  112  to safely retract into the retractable configuration as illustrated in FIG.  2 B. 
     One advantage to having the at least one door  128   a  positioned on the front and/or rear lateral vertical wall  122 ,  124  of the slide-out  112  is the addition of another point of entry into the RV  100 . Advantageously, multiple points of entry increase convenience and flexibility of an RV. Due to limited interior wall space within an RV, a typical RV may often comprise only one point of entry. For that reason, the addition of another point of entry allows the RV user to enter or exit the RV on either side of the vehicle depending on a particular need. Further advantages to having the one or more doors  128   a ,  128   b  mounted on the slide-out assembly  112  will be discussed in greater detail herein below. 
     Reference will now be made to FIGS. 2A and 2B, which provide a detailed plan view of the interior living space  110  within the motorhome  100  of FIG.  1 . In particular, FIG. 2A illustrates the motorhome  100  of FIG. 1 with the exterior slide-out assembly  112  in the deployed configuration and FIG. 2B illustrates the motorhome  100  in FIG. 1 with the exterior slide-out assembly  112  in the retracted configuration. It will be appreciated that the layout of the interior living space  110  as illustrated herein is simply one illustrative embodiment and that a number of variations to this layout may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     As shown in FIG. 2A, the exterior slide-out assembly  112  is positioned in the deployed configuration and extends out of the exterior opening  116  of the first fixed side wall  114  of the main housing  106  so that an opening  132  of the slide-out assembly  112  aligns with the exterior opening  116  of the main housing  106 . Thus, the supplemental living space  134  provided by the deployed exterior slide-out assembly  112  combines with the living space  110  of the main housing  106  to form an expanded living space of the motorhome  100 . FIG. 2A further illustrates the addition of doors  128   a ,  128   b  and stairs  138   a ,  138   b  to the front and rear lateral vertical walls  122 ,  124  of the deployed slide-out assembly  112 . Advantages to having the doors  128   a ,  128   b  mounted on the slide-out assembly  112  will be discussed in greater detail herein below. Furthermore, although the illustrated embodiment shows the exterior slide-out assembly  112  spanning a portion of the length of the main housing  106 , it should be appreciated that the slide-out assembly  112  may be a variety of other suitable lengths depending on the particular application. 
     As shown in FIG. 2B, the exterior slide-out assembly  112  is positioned in the retracted configuration and retracts into the main housing  106  so that the slide-out assembly  112  is substantially positioned within the living space  110  of the motorhome  100 . Consequently, the outer vertical wall  120  of the exterior slide-out assembly  112  is aligned with the exterior opening  116  of the main housing  106  so as to form the motorhome  100  with a more aerodynamic shape and so as to reduce the effective width of the motorhome  100  while the vehicle is in a traveling motion. FIG. 2B further illustrates the doors  128   a ,  128   b  to the front and rear lateral vertical walls  122 ,  124  of the retracted slide-out assembly  112 . When the slide-out  112  is retracted, the stairs  138   a ,  138   b  are also retracted or detached in a manner so as to not restrict the sliding movement of the slide-out  112  during the physical actuation of the deployment and retraction configuration. 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B further illustrate a first lip  140  that is formed along a first edge  142  of the rear lateral vertical wall  124 , wherein the first lip  140  extends orthogonally from the outer surface of a rear lateral vertical wall  124 . Similarly, a second lip  144  is formed along a first edge  146  of the front lateral vertical wall  122 , wherein the second lip  144  extends orthogonally from an outer surface of the front lateral vertical wall  122 . Additionally, a stop edge  136  is formed on the second fixed wall  114  of the main housing  106 , wherein the stop edge  136  is positioned around the perimeter of the exterior opening  116 . As illustrated in FIG. 2A, the stop edge  136  on the second fixed wall  114  forms a stop against which the first and second lips  140 ,  144  on the front and rear lateral vertical walls  122 ,  124  engage when the walls  122 ,  124  are slidably moved into the deployed configuration shown in FIG.  2 A. As, illustrated in FIG. 2B, the slide-out assembly  112  retracts in a significantly flush manner so as to form a environmental seal at the point where the outer vertical wall  120  is significantly adjacent to the stop edge  136 , which is positioned around the perimeter of the exterior opening  1116  formed on the first fixed side wall  114  of the main housing  106 . Moreover, the retracted configuration of the slide-out  112  allows for a Compact, retractable configuration of the RV during travel. 
     Additionally, the living space  110  of the motorhome  100 , as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, may be sub-divided into living spaces including a living room space  150 , a kitchen space  152 , a bathroom space  154 , a bedroom space  156 , a wardrobe space  158 , and a central passageway  160  as described in the Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,612 entitled “RECREATIONAL VEHICLES WITH EXPANDABLE ROOM” (Inventor: Johnnie R. Crean). As is generally known in the art, the front portion of the RV  100  also serves as a riding and/or driving area for the driver and passengers when the motorhome is in a travelling motion. In one embodiment, the wardrobe space  158  may be configured to deploy and retract in a similar manner as the slide-out assembly  112  when the RV  100  is in a stationary position. In addition the central passageway  160  may be positioned parallel to the horizontal axis and extend the length of the RV  100  from the front portion of the RV  100  to the rear portion of the RV  100  so as to allow an RV user unrestricted access to the various living spaces  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158  within the RV  100  when the slide-out assembly  112  is in the deployed configuration. In one aspect, the central passageway  160  interconnects the interior living spaces  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158 . 
     Moreover, generally known furniture, fixtures, and appliances relative to particular living spaces  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158  are typically positioned against either the outer vertical walls of the exterior slide-out assembly  112  and/or the outer vertical walls of the main housing  106  so that a sufficiently wide central passageway  160  may be created between the various furniture, fixtures, and appliances occupying the living space  110 . Preferably, the central passageway  160  extends generally along the longitudinal axis of the main housing  106  and may be widened when the exterior slide-out assembly  112  is in a deployed configuration as shown in FIG.  2 A. Advantageously, a wider central passageway  160  may be created when the exterior slide-out assembly  112  extends in the deployed configuration from the main housing  106  so that the furniture, fixtures, and appliances placed against the outer vertical walls of the slide-out assembly  112  move outwardly away from the central passageway  160  so as to widen the central passageway  160  when the slide-out  112  is in the deployed configuration. 
     FIG. 2C illustrates a cross-sectional view of the motorhome  100  of FIG. 1 showing the exterior slide-out assembly  112  in the deployed configuration, and FIG. 2D illustrates a cross-sectional view of the motorhome of FIG. 1 showing the exterior slide-out assembly  112  in a retracted configuration. In one aspect, to meet the demand of consumers for more interior living space within RVs, the RV  100  may be equipped with a larger slide-out assembly  112 . A width  170  of the slide-out assembly  112  may be enlarged to increase the amount of effective living space within the RV  100 , when the slide-out assembly  112  is in the deployed configuration as illustrated in FIG.  2 C. In addition, the larger slide-out assembly  112  may require longer front and rear lateral vertical walls  122 ,  124  to support the increased depth of the slide-out assembly  112 . In one embodiment, the slide-out assembly  112  is positioned across the central passageway  160  such that the depth of the slide-out assembly  112  is increased by an amount at least as much as the width of the central passageway  160 . Unfortunately, when the larger slide-out assembly  112  is in the retracted configuration as illustrated in FIG. 2D, the longer front and rear lateral vertical walls  122 ,  124  may block the central passageway  160  and restrict access to the various living spaces  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158  within the living space  110  of the RV  100 . 
     In other words, the longer walls  122 ,  124  of the larger slide-out assembly  112  may obstruct the path between the front portion and the rear portion of the recreational vehicle as illustrated in FIGS. 2B,  2 D. Longer walls  122 ,  124  may restrict access for an RV user to conveniently move between various points of the interior living space  110  located within the recreational vehicle  100  due to the obstructive walls  122 ,  124  of the larger retracted slide-out assembly  112 . With the addition of doors  128   a ,  128   b  to the longer walls  122 ,  124  of the larger slide-out assembly  112 , the longer walls  122 ,  124  no longer block or restrict access to the various living spaces  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158  when the larger slide-out assembly  112  is in the retracted configuration. 
     Advantageously, an RV user may easily, conveniently, and safely pass through the doorways of the doors  128   a ,  128   b  to access the various living spaces  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158  when the RV  100  is in a traveling motion. In addition, it may also be advantageous under certain circumstances for an RV user to have access to the various living spaces  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158  within the RV  100  when the vehicle  100  is in a parked or stationary position. As a result, the addition of the doors  128   a ,  128   b  also adds convenience and flexibility in this respect. For example, when the RV  100  is in a travelling motion, the slide-out assembly  112  is retracted to provide a more aerodynamic shape and better maneuverability during travel. In most traveling situations, an RV occupant or passenger is free to move about the living space  110  during travel. By expanding the slide-out assembly  112  to a larger format, the walls  122 ,  124  of the retracted slide-out assembly  112  may enclose or cut-off the front and/or back portion of the RV  100  from access and inhibit entry into the various living spaces  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158  within the RV  100 . Therefore, it would be advantageous to add doors  128   a ,  128   b  to the walls  122 ,  124  of the larger slide-out assembly  112 , which allows access to the various living spaces  150 ,  152 ,  154 ,  156 ,  158  within the RV  100  when the vehicle  100  is in a traveling motion or parked in a stationary position. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of a recreational vehicle (RV)  300  comprising a travel trailer having a multiple level, generally rectangular carriage assembly  302  attached to a plurality of wheels  304  so as to permit rolling movement of the trailer  300  over the ground. FIG. 3 further illustrates a male hitch assembly  303 , which is shown at the front portion of the trailer  300  and is designed to couple with a known female hitch assembly of a towing vehicle so that the trailer  300  may be towed by a towing vehicle. Additionally, a main housing  306  is mounted above the carriage assembly  302  and is formed by interconnecting a plurality of planar walls that are joined together and mounted to the carriage assembly  302  in a generally known manner so as to define an inner living space  310  (shown in FIGS. 4A,  4 B) having, in one embodiment, multiple level floors. One of the plurality of planar walls is a first fixed side wall  307  (shown in FIGS. 4A,  4 B) having a main entry door  308  (shown in FIGS. 4A,  4 B), which provides an RV user a first point of entry into the RV  300 . 
     Similar to the RV  100  illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 further illustrates the RV  300  comprising a slide-out assembly  312  having a plurality of walls. The plurality of walls include an outer vertical wall  320 , a front lateral vertical wall  322 , and rear lateral vertical wall  324 , an overhead horizontal wall  326 , and a lower horizontal wall  330  all of which are interconnected in a manner so as to form the slide-out assembly  312 . Furthermore, when joined together in a manner to form the slide-out assembly  312 , the plurality of walls, as a collective, are movable so as to slide in and out of the main housing  106 . Furthermore, the slide-out assembly  312  is shown attached to another planar wall, which is a second fixed side wall  314  of the main housing  306 . The slide-out assembly  312  comprises at least one door  328  and at least one set of stairs  338 , wherein the least one door  328  is mounted to the front lateral vertical wall  122  in a manner so as to swing outward and/or inward on a hinge assembly. In addition, the slide-out assembly  312  extends outwardly from an opening  316  of the main housing  306  in a deployed configuration. It should be appreciated that the functionality of the slide-out assembly  312 , the door  328 , and the stairs  338  in FIG. 3 is similar in scope to the corresponding components of the RV  100  as illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     Corresponding to the FIGS. 2A,  2 B, the FIGS. 4A,  4 B illustrate a similar detailed floor plan of the living space  310  within the trailer  300  of FIG.  3 . In particular, FIG. 4A illustrates the trailer  300  with the exterior slide-out assembly  312  in the deployed configuration and FIG. 4B illustrates the trailer  300  with the exterior slide-out assembly  312  in the retracted configuration. In one aspect, the living space layout  110 ,  310  of the motorhome  100  and the trailer  300  will be assumed to be generally the same except for the orientation of the layout. Specifically, in this particular embodiment, the front portion of the motorhome layout  110  is the rear portion of the trailer layout  310  and vice versa. Moreover, it should be appreciated that the exact layout of recreational vehicle floor plans may vary from the illustrated floor plans of FIGS. 2A,  2 B,  4 A, and  4 B without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     Similar to the illustrated living space  110  of RV  100 , the living space  310  of the trailer RV  300 , as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, may be sub-divided into living spaces including a living room space  350 , a kitchen space  352 , a bathroom space  354 , a bedroom space  356 , a wardrobe space  358 , and a central passageway  360  as described in the Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,612 “RECREATIONAL VEHICLES WITH EXPANDABLE ROOM” (Inventor: Johnnie R. Crean). Additionally, in one embodiment, the front slide-out  312  may include a two level extendable housing as described in the Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,612 entitled “TRAVEL TRAILER WITH EXTENDABLE TWO LEVEL BATHROOM AND BEDROOM” (Inventor: Johnnie R. Crean), which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     The advantages achieved with the addition of one or more doors  328  having stairs  338  to the slide-out assembly  312  of the trailer RV  300  is similar in scope to the advantages gained with the corresponding components of the motorhome RV  100 . When the slide-out assembly  312  is in the deployed position the addition of one or more doors  328  add another point of entry into and out of the RV  300 . Furthermore, when the slide-out assembly  312  is in the retracted position, the added one or more doors  328  allow access to various living spaces within the trailer RV  300 . 
     Although the above-disclosed embodiments of the present invention have shown, described, and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the above-disclosed embodiments, it should be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the detail of the device illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Consequently, the scope of the invention should not be limited to the foregoing description, but should be defined by the appended claims.