Never an air mattress

[giulialatini]

I have experimented with various bed options: bottom line, the only way to go is a real mattress. My van is insulated, and yet I freeze from below if I'm on an air mattress. I had to give in and buy one, but my bed platform can be folded up and fixed to the side.

 

[Kisatchieman]

<P>Yeah, I tried an air mattress and didn't like it. My upper body being the heaviest would cause air in the mattress to move down to my feet and legs.&nbsp;The mattress would be thicker there and cause my feet to be higher than my head. I guess if I'd bought a better quality chambered air mattress this would not have been a problem.</P>

 

[Les H]

My difficulty was with leaks, and waking up with my entire body flat on the wooden subframe. It is also next to impossible to heat the air INSIDE the mattress, as the plastic acts as a barrier. I too, finally went with a standard twin bed mattress on my fold up and lockaway bed.

 

[VanTrekker]

<p style="margin: 0px;">I tried several air mattresses but went to an inner spring, twin mattress that was a spare from when I sold my mobile home.&nbsp; It's consistently provided the best comfort in all seasons.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">I liked the feeling of sleeping on air but the mattress went flat frequently, made pharting sounds when I would roll over, and like others pointed out, was extremely cold, resulting in severe aches and pains.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">The only way I would consider an air mattress is with a Select Comfort or something similar - it would have to be high quality... The twin bed takes up too much from in the Express van but it's so dang comfortable, I don't mind.&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><br>VT</p>

 

[giulialatini]

AND I bought a 3" foam mattress cover (it looks like those egg cartons) and have the best sleep ever. 100 % cotton sheets, and fuzzy blanket. If you're a Van Dweller a good sleep is #1 on my priority list.

 

[VanTrekker]

<p style="margin: 0px;">That sounds great.&nbsp; I'm going to have to give one of those cushions a try - the firm mattress can make the shoulders stiff and sore at times.&nbsp; That egg crate type cushion might really help.&nbsp; Where did you pick that up?</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p>

 

[giulialatini]

I just got tired of sore shoulders and started thinking of solutions. I remembered having slept somewhere where there was a "mattress cushion cover" and it was a dream.

 

[yesican]

<p style="margin: 0px;">You can get egg crate mattresses at walmart...Sweet dreams...</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Rae</p>

 

[giulialatini]

You can get egg crate mattresses at walmart...Sweet dreams...
Rae

One last thought on egg crate foam mattresses or any mattresses for that matter: unwrap it, unroll it and let it "gas out" in the outdoors for a couple of days at least, turning it a few times. These plastic materials are made with some nasty stuff and you don't want to breath that in your bed. Or in any confined space. I'm sure you probably already know this but ya never know!

 

[Vivid-Dawn]

Ohhh boy...<br>I currently have a Select Comfort (and love it!). However, since it needs electricity to inflate/deflate, I figured I would switch it for a regular camping air mattress with a portable pump, when I went mobile. After all, a SC is really just a glorified air mattress, right? But now I dunno if a regular air mattress would be good after all...<br><br>though I've heard to fix the thing about being cold at night, is to put a closed cell (I think that's the cell) foam mat under the mattress, and that keeps the heat from leaking out into the ground.<br>Last time I went camping I had (from bottom to top): foam pad, regular sleeping bag, hunting sleeping bag (that I slept in), wool blanket, fleece blanket. Despite there being frost on the ground in the morning, I actually had to take the blankets off in the middle of the night because I was so warm! (I also was wearing wool socks and a pilot hat with the ear flaps tied closed under my chin).<br>

 

[twokniveskatie]

I've been pretty lucky with my air mattresses, only had one leak on me. I have used air mattresses in cold weather and it's very doable, you just need some insulation between you and the mattress. Sheepskin and buffalo robes are the best, but a thick wool blanket will do.&nbsp;

 

[Nemo]

actually, you can disconnect the electric pump and just use a hand pump whenever you need it to be pumped up &lt;grin&gt;&nbsp; is what I do with mine.<br><br>

Ohhh boy...<br>I currently have a Select Comfort (and love it!). However, since it needs electricity to inflate/deflate, I figured I would switch it for a regular camping air mattress with a portable pump, when I went mobile. After all, a SC is really just a glorified air mattress, right? But now I dunno if a regular air mattress would be good after all...<br><br>though I've heard to fix the thing about being cold at night, is to put a closed cell (I think that's the cell) foam mat under the mattress, and that keeps the heat from leaking out into the ground.<br>Last time I went camping I had (from bottom to top): foam pad, regular sleeping bag, hunting sleeping bag (that I slept in), wool blanket, fleece blanket. Despite there being frost on the ground in the morning, I actually had to take the blankets off in the middle of the night because I was so warm! (I also was wearing wool socks and a pilot hat with the ear flaps tied closed under my chin).<br>

 

[Ricekila]

I "Tried" to sleep on one once -- didn't care for it --- now I have the hardest mattress on the market - no box spring - just plywood <IMG src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif" align=absMiddle border=0><br><br>I also eat nails for breakfast

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[giulialatini]

Well, I think we're talking about two different scenarios here: 1) a camper/van/rv and 2) camping in a tent, lying on the ground. Regarding 1): you can have something more permanent, such as a real mattress and regarding 2) you need something temporary that you can inflate, deflate, whatever to make it transportable. Two different realities. Both fabulous but with different criteria.

 

[twokniveskatie]

My air mattress setup in the rondyvan was cool. I could switch between a twin and a full sized mattress by rearranging the crates, and &nbsp;blowing up the size i needed &nbsp;I carried the spare in the kayak.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>An air mattress in a van also works well for those of us who need to switch to cargo status, making room for hauling stuff.&nbsp;</div>

 

[KalaniStorm]

My husband and I have slept on an air mattress for 7 months until just about 5 days ago we woke up on the boards our bed lays on! We looked and threw around ideas until we finally came up with a great idea, foam padding! We went to Jo-ann's first and tried out their foam pads, we laid on a few; one that was 3 inches and one that was 5 inches (I think), the 3 inches bottomed out (and we aren't big people), but the 5 inches is just a little too big for us due to the fact we have to roll our bed up every day. We drove past a home fabric store and went in and found 2 inch foam pads that did NOT bottom out and they were wider than the ones at Jo-anns so it fit perfectly in the area we needed. We are still able to roll them up, it doesn't condense like the air mattress but we have been sleeping on the pads now for 4 nights and we have not had a problem. OH, we also have a foam topper we bought at Wal-mart that we put on top (for a little extra cushion). Instead of us being blown up all the way to the ceiling we now have a couple of feet to move around while we sleep....it rocks!!! Hope this helps. Good sleepin' to ya!

 

[Guest]

Cheap walmart/coleman air mattress with that mattress topper eggshell thing. Stayed the right temp all night, and it was so comfortable.<br /><br />As an added benefit, when I was drunk I wasn't scared of falling out of bed, athough puking took some effort.