Craig Raber (from left) Sue Raber, Brandon Gooch, Melanie Gooch, Mason Hearn and Ashley Gooch sit on the Rabers’ invention, a Deck in a Drawer.
MANNINGTON, W.Va. — Craig and Sue Raber, longtime residents of Marion County, are avid campers who were looking for a camping solution.
“After camping since 1970 at Holly River, Amish country at Berlin, Ohio, and banks of the Ohio River, we decided there had to be something better than putting our lawn furniture on good outdoor carpet in wetness, gravel, rocks, stumps, holes, dirt, uneven surfaces and all the other uncertainties of camping grounds,” Craig Raber said.
The answer to their camping woe is their patented invention, Deck in a Drawer (patent 8,622,459B2).
This recreational vehicle deck is completely mobile, lightweight and self-contained in an aluminum drawer.
“It is easy to set up and doesn’t take any additional room in your truck or SUV when moving from home or to a new and exciting campsite,” Sue Raber said. “The framework for the deck conveniently slides under the RV into lightweight PVC tubing.”
After having a stroke in 1995 and open heart surgery in 1997, Craig Raber said they designed the deck so it could be set up or placed back in the drawer in a total of 30 minutes to be ready for the next adventure.
“If you have an electric or battery drill or even a simple hand wrench, you will be able to attach all thread bolts that are used for support,” he said. “No other tools, hammers, screws or bolts are needed to have the ease and comfort of this portable deck.”
The Rabers said with the four foot centers, the plastic posts, caps and linked chain, the deck has the appearance of a permanent deck.
“Thin deck boards align the perimeter of the deck,” Craig Raber said. “The sub floor is solid end to end with aluminum with only a mere gain of 90 pounds in flooring and the added strength of aluminum bleachers. The aluminum is covered with a thin lightweight mat for a smooth and durable surface that can be covered with your favorite carpet or flooring. A 3/4 inch recess in flooring helps prevent chairs, tables and other furniture from accidentally going over the edge of the deck.”
The awning over the porch can be affixed to the deck vertically, to the RV wall or retracted to enjoy as a sun deck.
“Absolutely nothing is welded to the RV,” he said. “The only attachment that connects the deck to the camper is a set of self threading bolts. The total weight of the Deck in a Drawer is under 400 pounds. Clean up is even easier. A leaf blower can be used to sweep the deck in about 20 seconds.”
Their invention can be set up on any RV, from a pop-up unit to an expensive RV.
“You can take it anywhere that you can sit out and enjoy a campfire and Mother Nature,” Sue Raber said. “It takes less time to set up the deck than it would even the most simple pop-up tent. It can be put away into its drawer in the same amount of time the RV is being prepared for travel inside.”
Craig Raber said the Deck in a Drawer is level no matter where it is set up.
“Rather than building an expensive treated and permanent deck that you may have to leave for some reason, you can invest in a portable deck that can be toted along wherever your travels may lead you,” he said.
They have three daughters — Brenda Freeland of North Carolina, Kathy Raber of Oklahoma and Angela Miller of Virginia. They have three grandchildren — Brandon Gooch of Four States, Ashley Gooch of Mannington and Caroline Miller of South Carolina. The have a great-grandson — Mason and his soon to be baby brother.
The Rabers would like to thank those who have helped in this process: Daniel Jones as the fabricator and his wife Christy who worked with the U.S. patent office; Mark Anderson, sales manager at Trailer City Inc. in Fairmont; Luke Thomas, patent lawyer in Bridgeport; and Dennis Toothman, their retired neighbor and president of West Virginia Electric and his personal draftsman Glen Mayhugh for their work and encouragement.
The Rabers said they get a lot of questions about their deck while camping.
“When we camp, people stop and look asking if we are staying all season because they think the deck is permanent,” Craig Raber said. “They ask about the weight (and) the set up time. They ask if they could have one made like it and comment that they have never seen anything like it in all their years of camping. Ultimately they wish us luck. We just hope to share the convenience of camping in an area without the added troubles that our deck helps us avoid.”
The Rabers said their next step is to have their lawyer present the invention to manufacturers for the possible sale of the patent.
Email Kelsie VanderWijst at [email protected].
