Mattress foam for the bed

[gnx547]

What brand mattress foam does everyone here use for the bed in the van?

 

[B and C]

I bought a latex foam mattress from mattress firm. Nice to be able to try before you buy. It does weigh a lot though.

 

[Tony's Dream]

I was looking a memory foam mattresses on amazon and trying to narrow down my search as well. I am thinking 6-10 inches think. I will look forward to reading everyone's responses to this one.

 

[B and C]

I did end up putting 2" of memory foam on the top of the 10 inch latex foam inside the cover. My memory foam squishes down to the mattress in the heavy areas. My dad did that with his adjustable bed in the '80's.

 

[MrNoodly]

I've done a similar thing. I got an 8" thick standard foam mattress from Mattress Firm then added a 4" memory foam topper. They're zipped up in a waterproof "bedwetter cover" to keep the foam from acting like a sponge.

 

[urbankid12]

I got a 8in thick twin foam mattress from ikea I did try cutting off a little bit but got a bit to cautious so not completely perfect as it’s a bit wide but I fit it into a minivan ? it can be done! I also Raised it 2 inches in the front so it helps increase storage underneath in front while not making me hit my head when sitting far back on the bed.

If I were to do it again I’d probably just buy 4inch foam and double up so I could have 4 more inches of storage. Having it a couch by flipping up 1 layer during day would give ya a back and decrease sleeping bed height when sitting but sleeping mode would be more comfortable with extra padding and not as more worried about being able to sit up. Plus it be cheaper that buying an actual mattress which is still just a foam pad wrapped in a fancy fabric bag that makes it look so much more than what it actually is! ? now I know .... unzip your foam mattress cover bag and welcome to knowledge ?

 

[user 423]

With a bad back and being pretty heavy, I had to try several different stacks. I now have 3" Dunlop latex over a 3" Lightspeed self-inflating camp pad. Under that is another 1" of latex and 2" of memory foam for 9" total.

 

[abnorm]

and another mattress resource often mentioned on this site is https://www.militarysupplyhouse.com/sleepus3.htm

We tried and failed to make those memory foam mattresses work in the van.....they just "dissolved" with repeated use.....

We recently purchased a "Full" sized Custom mattress shipped across the country for less than $400 in about 2 weeks

we called and talked with the owner......JIM.......Size.....Thickness...Firmness.......Finished in a tight sewn cover like a normal mattress

This has been the BEST choice for us................

 

[bullfrog]

I simply bought a 3” or 4” thick dual firmness memory foam queen size mattress and cut it in half as we needed 2 sleeping pads then bought two cheap sleeping bags to use as a pillow top cover/mattress cover and sewed up the open end once I had stuffed in the foam.

 

[desert_sailing]

  My memory foam squishes down to the mattress in the heavy areas. 

....

 

[Sofisintown]

What brand mattress foam does everyone here use for the bed in the van?

LUCID is the brand I got , from Amazon. Pretty good. 6" thick. I have had the same brand -only bigger- for my house bed for 5 years and I like it.
https://www.amazon.com/LUCID-Inch-Memory-Foam-Soft/dp/B0864LRK17/ref=sr_1_2?

 

[barleyguy]

If you camp in cold weather, normal memory foam will get very hard when it's cold. Gel memory foam seems to be a lot better for this, or an inflatable camp pad.

I'm using a Milemont brand gel memory foam topper, on top of a firm RV mattress, and I like it a lot. Very comfortable and seems to be fine in cold weather. (Though I keep my heat on at night at around 50ish F, so I haven't tried it actually frozen or anything like that.)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MNZHH95

 

[Malamute]

Im curious why most people use plain foam mattresses? Regular mattresses always seemed more comfortable to me than foam.

FYI, in case anyone wasnt up to date, the so-called box springs in most modern "mattress and box spring" sets are a box, no springs, just a spacer to make your bed way too high. I regularly pitch them and just put plywood on the cross slats. Not as annoyingly tall, easy on the dog and me to get in and out of bed.

Decent mattesses have springs and padding in them, the more it costs, the more springs and linger they will likely last. I sleep vastly better on good mattresses with pillow tops than plain foam ones. Someone gave me a memory foam mattress, I lasted only a handful of nights on it before taking it to the dump, it was nearly new, the guy that gave it to me bought it new and didnt like it either.

 

[B and C]

I have a high dollar pillowtop mattress in the house. The most expensive by several times of any mattress we have had. I toss and turn all night on it. Is it comfortable to lay on, yes. Don't know why I toss and turn.

In the van, I bought a dual density latex mattress (~$400) and put a 2" memory foam topper on it glued in place inside the mattress cover. When I sleep on it, I wake up in the morning in the position I went to sleep in and the covers aren't tousled.

YMMV

 

[highdesertranger]

the main reason(I believe) people go with a foam mattress is you can customize the size real easy. you don't have to stick with a King, Queen Full, Double, Twin, ETC. you can order them in any dimension you want. they are also very easy to cut to size on your own. highdesertranger

 

[VanFan]

Im curious why most people use plain foam mattresses?

In our case, three reasons:  1)  We are in a low top van, and height matters.   2)  Flexibility.  In our previous layout, we needed a tri-fold configuration.  Now the back of our bed frame can sit up, like a chaise lounge, and allows access to storage.  The mattress needs to bend.  3)  We are really picky, and I can add, subtract and change layers until we find the sweet spot.

There are disadvantages, too, and if we had more height and could test sleep a conventional mattress, that's probably what we'd do.

I strongly considered a custom mattress from Military Supply.  But what if we hated it?

It's hard to find a foam base layer that won't develop divets with regular use, but is not too hard.  Firmness and density are different things, and its tricky.  Thickness changes the feel as well.  Our current base layer could have a little more give, but should last very well.  Our previous base layer needed to be lighter to maneuver nightly, and broke down and had to be replaced frequently.

Our bed is great now.  I have a 3" HD HQ 36 base layer from Foam Factory (4" would be hard as a rock).  On top of that is a rug gripper.  Next up, three (!) layers of Walmart convoluted foam toppers.  (These run small.  Get the next size up and trim.)  I got tired of loosing brain cells to spray glue, and these are attached to one another, alternating face up and face down, with several double-sided duct tape strips.  On top of that is a 2" soft latex topper in a cotton cover from Sleep on Latex.  Ahh.  All of that is zipped into a cover I made from the shell of an old comforter.  I added a polyester upholstery zipper to the top edge so it can be unzipped on three sides, if needed.  On top of that is a Hospitology mattress pad.  (These are great--stay fluffy, machine washable, and last.)  Time for the fitted sheet.  On top of that is a cotton flannel comforter.  We like to sleep on top of this if it's chilly.  If not, a flat sheet on top of that is cooler.

I know, right?!  But it is one comfy rabbits' nest!  Pillows?  Two body pillows and two queen bed pillows.  Oh, and I recommend Monroe Sensatrac shocks.  Just sayin.

 

[jacqueg]

Im curious why most people use plain foam mattresses? Regular mattresses always seemed more comfortable to me than foam.....

Foam is lighter and easier to handle. Also, I know of no regular mattress than can be folded or rolled.

 

[PaBsTs]

I bought 2- 5" thick cushions from Joann's fabrics that are 30"x72". Then I bought a queen size 3" cooling gel memory foam topper off amazon. I cut them to make a mattress and the back for my couch/bed. Total price was $160 for all including the electric knife.