RV mattress got you down? Here’s how I sleep like a king

Mark Allen shares his experience of going from d’oh to woohoo when it comes to uncomfortable RV mattresses.

There we were, finalising our internal fit-out in our 4×4 convert HiAce campervan, and we had to choose a mattress for our permanent setup bed. I note the “permanent setup” because that does, to a degree, limit the choices of mattresses that can be used.

Yes, we (my partner Sharyn and I) did our research on all the various types of foams. There’s regular foam in varying densities, memory foam, gel-infused foams, as well as flat and convoluted top surfaces. Plus, we looked into standard innerspring mattresses like what is found in most homes and some caravans or larger motorhomes. Overall thickness and an odd-sized bed base in our campervan meant we couldn’t buy an off-the-shelf-innerspring jobbie, so we went down the route of foams, which could be cut to our required size and shape.

We chose a combination of one eight-cm thick layer of memory foam with a second seven-cm layer of gel foam slightly larger than our bed base. Armed with a tape measure, straight edge and knife, the width, length and a few corners were cut to provide a perfect fit.

After a few minutes of jumping, bouncing, frolicking and laying in all positions to test our mattress choice and admiring our handy work, we figured we’d made the correct choice.

Little did we know how wrong we were!

Tough as rusty nails

Well, I used to be when it came to camping. I grew up on a diet of roughing it, sleeping on a tarp in a sleeping bag and camping with the basics. This progressed into swags and camper trailers, and I have never been bothered with hard or uneven ground to sleep on. Then, in the blink of an eye, I got a little older and felt the need for a few little comforts in life. 

I still use a swag regularly but have noted the ground seems a little harder than it used to be. It must be to do with global warming – or cooling!

Big mistake

Off we tootled on our maiden campervan voyage into the blue yonder without a care in the world. Night one was great – the excitement of being on the road, our first campfire and a few celebratory drinks were enough to see us snoozing the whole night through. 

Night two, three and…ummm…maybe a couple more were similar, except for my slow realisation that my back was a little sore, as were my hips and shoulder. I somehow, suddenly, became aware I was also tired and, after comparing notes with Sharyn, found she was suffering the same ailments.

Hmm, surely it couldn’t be the fault of our expensive foam mattresses?

Given we were a couple of weeks into our nine-week trip, there wasn’t much we could do. So we battled on until we got to a decent-sized town where we could look for options. Initially, we opted to buy four yoga mats and tried them both on top, in between and under both foam mattresses. While the in-between option worked a little, it was a waste of time and money.

At the next major town, we scored a seven cm thick double foam mattress with a convoluted top. While this made a difference, with a few different positions of the yoga mats, it still needed improvement. Plus, the overall thickness was now up to 25cm, bordering too tall for our internal campervan setup.

But, in true fashion, showing plenty of grit and not wanting to let our $600 foam mistake get in the way of our trip, we both persisted with the bedding until we finished that first mammoth inland trip.

Second choice

After more research, we both figured we’d ditch all the foam and cut our financial losses. After all, a good night’s sleep is crucial to a good day of painless exploring and fun.

We stopped into the Beds Direct Mattress Factory in downtown Melbourne to discuss and try all our options for making a custom Re-Creation zoned pocket spring mattress for us. Their beds consist of a box foam outer edge, which holds the pocket springs in place and provides a firm mattress edging and a quilted cover. The pocket springs are small coils engulfed in a light material wrap to help keep them in shape and position. The comfort and softness are then altered via the mattress topper if selected. 

I had used the standard pocket spring with no topper in a rooftop tent many years ago, and it was fantastic compared with a foam option. The options, pros and cons of each standard polyurethane foam, latex and memory foam pillow top were explained to us. We decided on the latex pillow top, which results in a 190mm thick mattress overall, with a soft plush and cooling top layer, combined with the pocket spring and foam construction below. At $840.00, it is a costly option, but one we wished we had chosen from day one.

The pocket spring pricing options we were offered for our size and shape mattress ranged from $525 to $940, covering varying thickness and pillow top offerings.

Coils ain’t coils

I’ve slept on a few camper trailers and caravan standard innerspring coil mattresses; some are as hard as a rock and weigh half a tonne. I’ve felt the individual springs pushing into my back; they’ve lacked decent support and were surprisingly weighty when trying to lift them to make up the bed with sheets.

There is a considerable difference between cheap and nasty products compared to quality, well-manufactured products. 

Weights, mould, ventilation and health

Surprisingly, the foam combination we initially had weighed in at 31kg, while the new innerspring is just 22kg. That’s a sizeable weight saving.

Another point worth mentioning, which I see in the latest trend of hard-lid rooftop tents, is mould and mildew build-up under the mattress and in any associated tent canvas. Essentially, it’s mostly from lack of ventilation and the retaining of moisture within the sleeping area and under the mattress.

No, you don’t have to wet the bed to have moisture build-up within or under the mattress. It’s simply from your body sweating and your breathing, which creates moisture in the air and the moisture content of the area you are camping in. Whether camping in a swag, camper trailer or camper van, having ventilation above, within and below where you are sleeping will help rid or reduce the chances of mould growing, which is highly detrimental to your health.

My bed base had a few holes cut into the ply as a good start, but I’ll get stuck into it with a hole saw to provide more under-mattress ventilation or even replace it with a timber slate base. While we had no moisture problem with the foam, that was partially because we were camping inland, in the deserts away from high-humidity areas. I checked regularly under our foam mattress just to be sure.

If you are still leaning towards regular foam, one specification I’d look out for is the manufacturing inclusion of antimicrobial protection, which will help inhibit mould growth plus help control dust mites and other bacteria. Better to be safe than sorry!

How’s the comfort?

Since purchasing our new mattress, we’ve only spent a few nights camping in the camper compared to the nine-week test our initial foam setup had. Chalk and cheese, night and day, heaven and hell. Whatever type of major difference saying you can think of, that’s what our new mattress is compared to the initial foam selection.

Just like choosing a decent mattress at home, a camper or caravan mattress should take into consideration if your spine is aligned, side or back sleeper, correct firmness for the weight of your body, whether you’re a hot or cool sleeper, and even the external material texture comes into play. The internal pocket spring must be high quality and standard to last many years without sagging to enable correct support. 

Our new mattress fits like a glove in the space our bed base takes up. It’s had the two rear-most corners shaped, and for us, it was worth every cent to help us enjoy our night times and our day activities free from aches and pains.

Thanks to www.bedsdirect.com.au, who custom make almost any size and shape mattress you need.