Camper Mattress Upgrade (Only a Handful of People Are Doing This!)
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- Check out our camper mattress upgrade only a handful of people are doing this! In this episode we will be taking you into our teardrop trailer and walking you through how we upgraded our camper mattress to feel equivalent to our high end mattress at home! And best of all this is a low cost rv mattress hack that will help you sleep all through the night.
One of the first RV upgrades or van upgrades that most people tackle is researching what makes the best RV camp mattress. Luckily for you we have already done the research and are excited to share with you our simple camper mattress upgrade. Our goal was to find a camper bed situation that was low profile, light weight, affordable, and of utmost comfort. Well, we found it! Through trial and error we have discovered a combination of bedding materials that feel even better than an RV mattress topper. If you stick around we will also show you how to cut a memory foam mattress to fit perfectly on your rv bed. These tips work for teardrop trailers, van life, scamp trailers, and any other small rv. We aren't an official mattress insider, but we do have some good tricks up our sleeves.
Looking for a detailed list of all the camping gear we currently use? Link Below: www.amazon.com/shop/playingwithsticks
By purchasing items through these links there is no additional cost to you. Our family gets a small kickback from amazon for any purchases you make using these affiliate links.
*Just what the doctor ordered! It is heavy duty **MyseIf.Furniture** returns to form well, and stays put on my mattress. Great way to add some firmness with give too. Better sleep and less back pain. Best birthday gift in a long time.*
I went to the link: Myself.Furniture but it didn't take me to a specific item that you might be referring to. Could you direct me to the specific item you recommend? Thank you!
Great video, I have had my Casita for 5 years and have been through many iterations of bedding including the backpack inflatable camp pads along with a tri-fold mattress from Costco which really worked for awhile. Now I have a 3" Gel Memory Foam topper with a 2" portable foam bed, all from Costco and I am sleeping in luxury. Didn't even have to cut anything 👍🌞🌞🌞🌞
Thanks for commenting Christina. The 2" portable foam bed you are referring to, is that just the regular white foam?
@@PlayingwithSticks I'll have to check the packaging. I don't have access right now because I had a catastrophic axel failure last week so it's in the shop across town. But Costco has them in stock right now & it seems typically every Spring. You're supposed to be able to roll it back up & move it around say for sleepovers and such. Has a nice durable cover kind of like outdoor cushions.
@@PlayingwithSticks No, it is memory foam. Sorry for delay in answering 🌞
@@ChristinaColoradoan Thanks Christina for getting back to us. Much appreciated!
Do you leave the memory foam topper in your trailer for the winter? I got mine from Costco too trying to figure out how to safely store it for the winter when I can't use my trailer regularly
This is wonderfully edited! Great job bud. Loved every minute of your video and very handy tips too 😍🎨🍷
Thank you. What a nice comment. We are really glad you enjoyed the video.
Nice hacks you found there.
Personally, I can sleep on just about anything.
Still and all, we’ll probably upgrade the mattresses in our new Casita.
Happy Camping
The beauty of the Casita is that you have all that headroom. So you’re not concerned about mattress height like a teardrop. As long as you can find the correct mattress, size or be able to cut your mattress to size, it will work in a
Casita.
I already forgot Allen. When do you get to pick up your camper?
Pool noodle for the side of the bed. If they are too tall, cut them in half and place the cut side down.
Thank you! Perfect idea.
I have an old popup and the mattresses are so thin that I can feel the platform underneath. I cut eggshell foam to size, cover with a padded mattress cover and presto! I sleep much more comfortably. I still need to do the other end for my son...poor kid.
I love that sometimes it just takes a very simple fix. Thank you for sharing!
We're getting a used truck camper...and, of course, changing an existing mattress....thanks for ALL the information. Where in the world does your child sleep ?????
Glad the info helped. We will admit it is pretty tight. My wife is pretty pint sized and I am not too broad so it works for now. Add another kid to the mix and we would have to remove the cabinets to install 2 bunks or upgrade to a larger teardrop.
Memory Foam...having sold mattress for quite a while maybe I can pass on some information. First memory foam is temperature sensitive. As the temperature in your trailer gets lower, your mattress gets firmer. Summer vs. Winter provides a different comfort level. Memory Foam Topper vs a Memory Foam Mattress. A memory foam mattress is not. pure memory foam. It is composed of a supportive foam base with a memory foam top. A six inch memory mattress has on average one inch of memory foam, and five inches of a supportive foam base. Pore memory foam was not meant to sleep on. If you put a six inch piece of pure memory foam in your trailer you would slowly compress it almost down to the floor when sleeping on it. A piece of one to two inch of pure memory foam is meant to used as a "topper". The purpose is to go on top of a spring mattress, the spring mattress acts as a supportive base. That is why when using a memory foam mattress the comfort level is much different than just using a memory foam topper.
Best way to cut a piece of memory foam...you have the best enviroment for this task. Being that memory foam is temperature sensitive jus put your memory foam outside durring the Alaskan winter. In the morning it should be almost as stiff a Styrofoam when you cut it with your electric carving knife. I really enjoy your Utube Videos.. Thank you again.
Love this information Mark! Thank you for sharing this. Have you ever come across the memory foam that has blue dots in it? I think it may be called gel foam? That is what our foam is. Like you said it is meant to be a topper, not a mattress. What we like about this memory foam is in all temps it feels pretty much the same. In winter it does get a little more stiff, but not near as noticeable as regular memory foam. I don't know if this style of foam is still common or not. We got it from Costco about 10 years ago.
Patio furniture cushions work great and you don't have to worry about mold build up..just wipe them down every week
That is a great idea! Especially beings you can get them at such a great price in the fall when box stores are getting rid of their excess inventory.
I used these in my van camper bed and then transferred it to my new 2019 Runaway trailer.Also put a 2” memory foam pad on top..very comfortable for me
This will make a home pull out couch bed better too!
This is amazing, especially! The comment section, read half of the entire thing and then quqly scrolled down to the buttom when I found out exactly how an insane amount of replies you are doing to all your comments. Your replies are also well thought and often you research or look something that is mentioned. Truly appreciate it. I think you made many subscribers that will stay with you for a while thanks to that
Thank you Leo. I think on our end we are a bit selfish in that we love doing these videos because we learn so much from the comments. The videos are fun to make, but it is the comment section where our family really learns and grows. Thanks again Leo for the very positive comment. We don't get a whole lot of these :)
I'm a cheap kinda guy.. I bought pool noodles on sale (end-of-season) and cut them to size.. as an "underbed"
That is a great idea. You are the first person to mention pool noodles as an underbed. One of our fellow camper enthusiasts mentioned pool noodles, but that was for filling the gaps on the sides.
What is the benefit of pool noodles over a standard foam matress?
My guess is there wasn't a benefit, more of a cost savings for Mr Smith. But again, that's just a guess.
Inflatables are never permanent solutions for full time sleeping, though they are comfortable. My successful cheap solution has worked for the past three years (full time every night)- I sleep on 3 large dog pillows under a thrift store queen sized cotton quilt that was tripled up for extra padding. The dog beds are easy to shake out, portable, easy to conform to whatever narrow small environments you are in and can quite inexpensive compared to comparable human mattresses.They have the same thick cushioning as any camping mattresses. Very cost effective and they come in huge sizes.
@@occipitalneuralgia2339 Love the dog pillow/cotton quilt combo. The more we tinker with a perfect bedding situation the more we lean towards something like yours. Thank you M.A. Enriquez.
For a week now, as a trial, I've been sleeping on a Coleman Ridgeline 3 cot topped with the accompanying 2" pad and topped on that with the Klymit Static V, that you are using, but for one person. Without the Klymit, the cot was fairly comfortable, but just needed a tad more cushion. The Klymit solved the problem and I've been really comfortable and getting a good night's sleep. But, unlike your setup, I've got it on top of the pad. I believe I tried it under the pad but found it worked for me better on top. (I think the "V" keeps me more centered on the cot and away from the side rails.) I had already had the Klymit but didn't use it much because it did not provide sufficient cushion on a hard ground or bed of a van. The cot will be part of my temporary minivan conversion for road trips this summer, and I'm now looking forward to a better setup in the van because it will allow storage under the cot, thus more floor space and ability to move about more easily, as opposed to what I had been doing, which was using an airbed that took up most of the floor which made it necessary each night to move gear to the front seats and then to the back in the morning, a very great time-consumer and strain on my bad back. I'm now really looking forward to lots of road trips this summer and being a part-time nomad!
Awesome to hear you found a great setup and you are on your way to part-time nomad status! We are going to have to try putting the Klymit on top. If you saw in our video I love the setup, but it still needs just a little tweak, maybe flipping the mats around will be the ticket! Thank you for the great info.
Now pick up that paper threw over your shoulder! lol
Haha. Next time we use our script as a prop we are going to do it at the end of the filming day. After that shot, which took 3 shots of crumpling and throwing to get it right, Drew had to walk around trying to read a crumpled up script.
LOL!!
To be fair, paper is biodegradable...I aint mad at that. Lol
Hey guys great video, we use outdoor 5 inch furniture cushions for their durability and a memory foam pillow on top this way we get the dual functionality that we need out of it.
That is a great idea. I bet you can get those outdoor pillows at a pretty affordable cost in the fall. Glad to hear you enjoyed the video!
Playing with Sticks we did get a great price at $10 each at IKEA.
Reminds me of the 1960's when we all used "Carving Knives" to cut the foam underlay for the walls and floors ... over time what was old, becomes new again. :-)
That is funny to hear. Yep, we came a bit after the 60's so it is all new to us :)
brilliant. I am amazed I didn't think of that.
@@PlayingwithSticks I went into my art supply storage room and found my old electric knife in the box... sadly I bought it in the USA (110 volt) and now I live in Australia (240 volt) ... retired teacher.
Retired teacher, hopefully that will be us some day. Glad you made it over to that side of the world. Much of our past summers were spent on Java and Bali. We can smell the air now just thinking about it.
I've always used a serrated (full blade length) steak or bread knife. Works for me. Don't need electricity. Don't need to store an extra gadget in small places. Over the years I've made a number of cushions and mattresses for campers and/or tent cots.
Mem foam... too hot for me
Air bed... too cold for wife.
She has mem foam on top of air & I have visa versa.
Love it!
At home we have 6” foam (custom one side firm, other side medium firm) with 2” latex topper…best sleep ever! I no longer wake up with a sore back. And the chipped latex pillow fill means no more neck tension/spasms.
Our CTC has 5” firm foam - and because it’s trifold I’d love to put our topper in there.
I had the exact same issues with my memory foam mattress, shoulder hitting hard floor surface. I did the two Klymit 3/4 length and used larger diameter pool noodles for the edges. So far after two years, so good. I do have to re-inflate the Klymit mattresses whenever changing altitudes, not a big deal.
That is us too! In the end we just added foam insulation (pipe insulated sleeves) to the edges and this setup has been the best for us. Thanks for sharing!
I have the T@G. I see a some T@G owners reporting they are using 8 inch bed, but truth be told, your feet will not fit comfortably under the air conditioner with 8in. The AC is located in the the middle of the cabinets, drops a few inch's below the cabinets, and the toes will be touching the bottom of the AC with 8 inch bed. I'm 6'1", and have to sleep at angle with feet under AC in order to not reach the back of the camper. The 2015 model is 76 inch bed. So what I do is I'm using the original 4inch foam mattress that came with camper, then 2 inch memory foam over that. From my head down to knees is an additional 2 inch foam which I got at hobby lobby, then I tapper down foam to feet so under AC is only 6inches. So for about 2/3 of bed is 8in, then tapper to 6in at feet. I did this mod last summer, seems to be working in the last couple trips. I really like this video, as I can relate. I have tried some other experiments similar to you.
That is a great idea! We know having your feet touching the air conditioner or the cabinets doesn't sound like much, but it can be the difference between a decent night sleep and a great night's sleep!
How about pool noodles or foam pipe lagging for down the sides of the thin mattress. All the best - Rab from Scotland
You are the second person to mention that. It didn't even cross our mind. Definitely a great idea. Love the username. We have a volcano that goes off here quite often called "Mt. Redoubt."
I'm a huge proponent of foam mattresses...and I strongly suggest skipping the 'big box' store and instead google foam factories/suppliers near you. We have one about 40 minutes away and it's always worth the visit. For the same price as the big box stores you get better foam and selection. They can cut it to fit as well.
Thank you for this. Wonder if we have any up here?
The door stopper things -- such a great idea to fill in any gaps!
Our T@Gxl came with two 4-5" twins - side by side. Then we added a 4" memory foam mattress. It's very, very comfy - but it makes getting into our under bed storage really difficult. Someone did a special hydraulic lift hack that we might try someday. As always, thanks for the great videos! ~ Maria
Thanks Maria for the feedback on your bedding situation. Your bed mattress plus memory foam sounds very similar to our home bed setup. I bet you sleep real well in that T@G. I am gathering from most people that the have roughly 8" thick beds. When we took out the scamp we had the same issue as you with the memory foam. It makes a great night's sleep but it definitely makes it more difficult to move things around.
I like the draft dodger idea as well. As far as the air mat and memory foam combo-I've been doing that for years. works great in the short to mid term but found it needs periodic removal and rotating to maintain the desired support level. Also, the air mat conducts cold, so, brrr if not factored.
@@micahmitchell517 You are right on about the cold. We find the Klymit one we use has no insulation so it doesn't stop any of the cold. We think a thermarest style would probably be better, but the Klymit was the exact size of our floor.
@@PlayingwithSticks I use a carpet remnant under the air mat for its insulative quality plus it's a a padded floor when not being bedding.
@@micahmitchell517 Thank you for the carpet idea!
I used this trick to firm up a well loved sofa! Who says electric knives are just for meat, right?!
As for putting foam back into the case: put/squeeze the foam into a large large LARGE trash bag with the opening of the bag going into the case. Then just pull the trash bag out. Voila! No catching fabric on fabric to wrestle with. Then just squeeze the zipper shut.
P.S. I know I'm years late, but we're starting out on our camping journey (again) and reliving our Eagle & Cadette scout days. Saving for a camper, but until then, camping it is!
We're starting out w an air mattress that has the pump built in. Elevated on folding cots, popup stand up tent, sleeping mummy bags.
I'm so excited!
Love the Channel!
Fantastic! I was pre-thinking in pre-solving this potential problem in my mind - thank you so much!
I am preparing to go nomadic; it's going to be a while but I have decided, and am going to get my health together, downsize and go nomad before I die! Life IS too short !
Do it! We always say the same thing. What we have learned is you just have to do it. There never will be a perfect time to go nomadic!
I have the klymit system. Its amazing!!! If youre looking for a comfy sleep pad, that is definately it. Lifetime warranty as well!
Yep, and at times they are very affordable as well. Seems the price tends to bounce around a bit from month to month. We didn't realize they were lifetime warranties. Thanks for sharing Spencer.
I’m a tent-er and LOVE my Klymit pad so much I’ll keep it for my trailer when I (finally) choose one, along with my custom Enlightened Equipment down quilt. It took me a while to find the right stuff as an insomniac, so not going to give it up. 😆
I have an awesome REAL mattress in my teardrop. We have a mattress manufacturer in our city and made one the correct size.
That sounds great building a perfect mattress for your teardrop.
Jeez...how about that good ole water bed option???!!!! bahahah I'm laughing actually...I would get myself a fabulous REAL mattress...how much sitting in there are you doing? How much space do you need when all it is , is a BED??? TOY HAULER??? Strap that shit to the top!!
Someone just shared with us yesterday that they used a real mattress. What they did was opened it up and trimmed off the excess. Great idea!
Love the unique feel of this video! The way you did it I think adds a “storytelling” aspect, and I think it really adds a lot to it.
Thanks Jake much appreciated!
Hmmm...Well at least he chose to mix with an Asian instead of Homo erectus.
Initially the presentation of the video struck me as a rambling display of giddy neurosis. “Why doesn’t he speak like a self-respecting proud White man who knows himself, and knows what he wants to convey?” I asked myself. I detected man-child plasticized new-liberal mania vibes from this guy’s energy, and now I know why, another wayward (though-well meaning no doubt) dewy-eyed sentimentalist w/ glitter and kittens inside his cerebral cortex.
Your son will likely face cultural and existential uncertainties as a result of your choice to create him, but at least he can be proud to say he comes from the Cro-magnon\Neanderthal admixture someday when he’s a man full grown. And Asians do possess the highest test scores, and highly developed temporal lobes surpassing that of other groups. My best friend of 15years is half Cambodian Half Norwegian, whereby inevitable self-identity confusion arises. On the one hand there is distinctiveness and solidarity, on the other hand there is diluting and smearing. Metaphorically your son will have conflicting roots to the proverbial tree, conflicting roots of allegiance and belonging. I cannot foresee his life path, as it may fully manifest in coming years. And of course, you’ve already made your choice. If I’ve upset your feelings please know that is not my intention, and ultimately it does seem you’re a good man and a good father.
Nope, no upset feelings here. It is always interesting to hear other's perspectives who are far from our own.
(2) $15 self inflatable camp sleeping pads from ALDI , layed side by side, covered by about 5 synthetic rectangular sleeping bags. Incredibly comfortable and snuggy warm.
We have never heard of the ALDI pads. $15 you can't beat that! May loves sleeping bags as toppers. Unfortunately ours are all mummy bags so they get bunched up. Looks like it might be time to get rectangular bags.
Memory foam confuses me. When my mattress starts getting a memory I throw it out. Why pay for a mattress that won't hold you up? I dont get it.
We agree regular mattress with memory are no good. But we have found these memory foam mattresses are surprisingly supportive. They kind of cradle you firmly. Now, we haven't ever tried a regular memory foam mattress. Our is the gel memory foam. Not sure if the comfort level is different between gel and regular, but they work well for us.
bigmac memory foam comes in different support level depending on how to sleep. It is meant to support and primarily relieve pressure points. I have a sterns and foster reserve #2 and it is a hybrid bed is small micro coils and a foam topper. It’s amazing.
The memory is not about it forming to your body and then getting a memory. The memory is that is able to conform to your body at night then it springs back to shape in the morning.
"draft dodgers" door air draft inhibitors. 😉
Thank you for the term we were missing. Also love your play on words with the "draft dodgers"
Exped MegaMat Duo 10 Self-Inflating Sleeping Pad is very comfortable and might work for you.
Great suggestion. Originally the Exped Mats were what we wanted as well. You are absolutely right, they are so comfortable! When we looked up the dimensions they weren't going to fit our teardrop well. However, it has been three years now since we looked them up. They probably have different sizes now. Thanks again for the reminder to check them out.
I use the exped 10 in my cargo van with built in twin size wooden frame which has under bed storage. That mattress is so comfortable. I have not had to reinflate or adjust the air since I got it. That was about 4 or 5 years ago.
What are the chances, I tried almost the same things that you did, and today I received a piece of memory foam to put over a sleeping pad xD, it works great, plus I have a sierra design Front country double sleeping bag, which's really comfy.
I love random coincidences.
wild idea, super late, dunno if it's dumb
What about a thicker mattress that you cut just below where your knees press and then slope it down to like a thinner mattress where your calves and feet are? I feel like the height difference wouldn't be that much of an issue for the lower legs maybe.
I think you are onto something. And no, you aren't too late. Great idea Ann.
What I used is carpet padding material under my mattress. I have a 4 x 8 foot 2008 silver shadow teardrop.
The silver shadows are perfect little teardrops. We really love that style. Great suggestion on the carpet padding. We never would have thought about that.
MrDennisLB that’s a good idea too!
Please don't litter :) Even if you picked it up afterwards, you give idiots the wrong idea. Leave no trace is the only way to boondock/camp
Good advice. We often forget to hit record or hit record when we think we are turning the camera off. Even thought I didn't have the video of me picking it up, I at least should have wrote a disclaimer on the video that I did. Back in the day you could update videos on RUclips. Not anymore. What you post is what you get.
My favorite mattress of all time ever is the tempurpidic clowr. I want to put it in but it is 9 inches thick. I hay have to cut some thickness off. If you have never tried it well iits called the cloud for a reason. I got ot for free on Craigslist. People give them away all the time I have gotten all 4 of my tempurpidic mattresses for free. They sleep hot and that's why people give them away for free. In a tear drop trailer hot is good. Especially in the winter.
I installed "Anti Grav" plating in mine... Now I just float
Dave you are going to have to let us know where you purchased that product. Most of our products up here in Alaska only operate within the laws of physics. Your comment made our day!
@@PlayingwithSticks I collected it from the end of a Borg Trans-warp Conduit
What about pool noodles along the side? This is coming from a teardrop wannabe. Still looking.
Great suggestion. That is basically what we ended up doing. We used the largest diameter foam pipe insulation we could find. Issue solved! Because Alaska doesn't have a whole lot of swimming it was actually quite hard finding a pool noodle the time we went out searching.
Zinus Memory Foam 6 Inch Green Tea Mattress, Full
Fantastic
We have heard this from a few posters now. We have also heard that 6" is the way to go. Thank you Raf for letting everyone know!
@@PlayingwithSticks For you and your wife a 6" memory foam should do you fine. My wife and I are a little larger than y'all. We installed an 8" memory foam mattress in our Runaway Camper. We sleep like a baby. In fact, we liked it so much we installed one on our bed in the house. Like anything, nothing is perfect and sometimes you have to make a trade-off but, I would rather sacrifice a little headroom for a good night's sleep. If your sleeping in the fetal position your cabinets will not be an issue for your feets. Also, we store tables, chairs, 10x10 canopy, fishing rods, etc on the mattress during travel. Thanks, for doing the video and contributing.
We have a 17ft Casita SD and it had a custom made mattress and we put a 3" memory foam from Costco. It works great! We live in it and have for 18 months. We love having a toilet for the middle of the night. Our grand daughters go with us (9 & 11yo). One sleeps on the floor and the other the table/bed.
Sounds like a great setup. Our memory foam is from Costco as well, but about half the thickness of yours. Living in a Casita for 18 months sounds like a blast! I bet the granddaughters love hanging out in there.
If you're still tossing and turning with air mattress and memory foam mattress.. . try Tequila?
Sounds like a much cheaper solution than a new mattress :)
That made me laugh out loud , thanks for the giggle!
overstock .com. 4 in. Memory foam mattress topper that are not gel with a higher density foam love my topper.
Thanks Robin! We have forgot about this site. We just took a look and they have quite a few different models. Do you know what one you have?
I prefer an air mattress. Gives the trailer more space and configuration flexibility IMHO
We find air mattresses that have insulation in them can be very comfortable. The ones we used were the cheaper mattresses, so it wasn't really a fair testimony in comparison to higher end brands. Thanks for the feedback Tom.
Totally disagree. But nice that we are lucky enough to worry about these preferences.
Get a 2" dense firm foam cut to size at a furniture supply store and a wool blanket with memory foam on top.
So we would put the 2" dense foam on the bottom, then wool, then memory foam? We have had other people mention the wool. How does the wool help. We would love to try this out, but wanted to understand the principles behind it a bit before trying it.
@@PlayingwithSticks Playing with Sticks A wool blanket "breathes" and moderates the body heat that notoriously cause memory foam to break down. Like a heat sink. Antibacterial & water repellent properties of wool and cold water washable. The dense foam is going to last you ten years. Also bed bugs hate foam, btw.
@@rossclark9155 Oh that is really good to know. Thank you! We have a knock off pendleton blanket that will be perfect for this.
@@PlayingwithSticks Make sure it is 100% wool. Happy trails!
@@PlayingwithSticks Also check out military surplus but be sure to read the content label as US Army blankets are rarely all wool these days. (you can do a burn test to be sure) Anyway, I found a thick Italian military blanket years ago, never wash it, just hang it out in the sun a few times a year. It’ll last a lifetime!
It appears your child is frozen to a tree behind you through out this video. Hope he's alright.
:-)
When I first read this comment, I thought, was someone out in the woods with me, but I didn't realize they were there? Then I watched the video. How funny! That little tree/stump literally looked like our boy when he is in his snow gear.
The thing we found with inflatable mattresses, was that it was COLD! We actually purchased a heated mattress pad, and that did the trick!
8 inch foam mattress from Walmart. Fantastic bargain at $139 for a twin and about $169 for the queen in October of 2021. Cuts easy with a hot knife/electric knife if needed but I didn't need to cut mine. Easily the most comfortable mattress set up. I've slept on it for more than a year now living full time in a 17 foot Coleman Lantern travel trailer and I have zero complaints. I'll be using the same product for the teardrop I'm currently building.
Having built a couple campers, we're absolutely in love with the tri-fold mattress concept. You can get them in any standard mattress size including the peculiar RV "short queen" size. They can be found with dual layer construction, fairly high density on the bottom with gel memory on the top. The part we find fascinating is how when folded a particular way, they convert to a super comfortable couch . A folded 4 inch mattress will have an 8 inch thick seat cushion with a tall (24 inch) back cushion 4 inches thick. Lots of upper back support and a couch that can be unfolded back to a bed in about 10 seconds. Unfortunately, they aren't found thicker than 4 inches. We had a dual layer 5 inch mattress (non folding) in our previous truck camper and it was an absolute glorious experience. I never wanted to get out of bed. For our current truck camper we needed a folding mattress because of the slide out bed extension so we used a 4 inch and I added an additional 1.5 inch memory foam topper to the bottom after cutting it in into three sections for the tri-fold. I use a large pair of tin snips to cut thinner pieces of foam and a hand held hacksaw blade (blade only) to cut thicker pieces of foam. Not as nice as the electric carving knife but usually can be found on hand :-) I've also used a large bread knife before.
We always wondered if the couch position of the tri-folds were actually comfortable. Love your resourcefullness Travels with Yoly!
@@PlayingwithSticks We always have a rear panel that supports the back at a 20 degree angle so it's a natural sofa position. In our Runaway Range Runner we'd just lay the panel flat against the wall when deployed as a queen mattress. The one in our current truck camper is absolutely luxurious with an 8 inch thick seat (2 - 4 inch thick sections one on top of the other ) and the third section rising up as the backrest. Most expensive travel trailers have very inexpensive 3 inch foam cushions by comparison. We've found that of the 3 brands that we've used Milliard is the best quality. As I mentioned, the thickest tri-fold we found was 4 inches but a 1 inch topper above or below makes it very comfy.
I"m off to buy an electric knife. Thanks for the tip!
Glad you liked it. We are interested to see what else it will come in handy for in the future.
I tried this air & foam mattress tip, as well as, your winter camping trick of adding down and wool blankets. And you’re right,
GAME CHANGER, I slept so much better.
Thanks so much for the tips & tricks videos they have helped a lot!
I plan on having a camping gear yard sale in the spring for all the “stuff” I bought that just didn’t work out for us. It’s accumulated over the years.
I'm a bit late to the show, but we got a Exped MegaWatt Duo 10 sleeping pad for car/tent camping, but we also use it in our small slide in camper now because it's as comfortable (possibly more comfortable) than our at home bed. The other nice thing is it has an R value of 10, so you stay warm even on winter nights. 🤠
My dad did this.... but he cut holes... for our beers... for the coolers. So they wouldn’t get shaken up when off-roading 🤣♥️
Your dad sounds awesome!
Playing with Sticks Thanks. He is! ☺️
I reused a old leather couch,to line the side walls,foam naturally behind leather.I find the feeling and looks big improvement.
i used the cushions and foam to make mattress ,covered with thick blanket.must rise those cabinets .The back of couch leather was like new,no sun light i used for head board,
Leather sounds much better than our ugly carpet. Great idea John.
I’ve had my teardrop for 8 years and have used a cot for most of those years. I took the foam off the home bed and cut it to cot size. Works great for me. I’m a single camper, so I know it wouldn’t work for y’all, but I wanted to post in case there are other single campers looking for something. PS I’m 5 ft 3 in tall.
Thanks for sharing Sandee!
Try putting those foam, interlocking, pieces (like you find in kids play areas). They are not very thick, but cushioned, easy to cut to fit...
this is the ticket, double or tripple lair if wanted
Thank you for this info. You are the second person to mention this. We actually have some in the house, so we will be trying it out.
We used an 6" walmart memory foam mattress in our little guy teardrop for a few years. Best sleep I've had. I'm heavy and I never hit bottom. And, cold doesn't bother it. Also, the notices of it being hot in warm weather are overrated. It was great. I cut mine with a razor knife. Just put a heavy board or slice of plywood over it, sqeeze it to the ground and cut in layers. Saves the cost of a power carving knife.
The same mattress now resides in my cargo conversion. And, we have a 12" in the house.
That is nice to hear that a 6 inch mattress works well. We were shooting for 6, but a lot of comments on here state that they have 8".
You can find electric carving knives at goodwill, value village or most any used item thrift stores for under 10.00, most are around 2.99.
by the way, i have design my DIY camper with kitchen and shower with a porta potty, the one you showed. the height on the rear end has the 46" x 22" skylight that will prop up on one side and a split curtain around the opening for privacy. still got some refinement to do. will be using diamond plates to the top roof, front and rear area for added strength. I'm also using car sound/thermo adhesive blanket for inside insulation, just peel off the paperback and press it on the surface. i use it on inside my scout full cab. stays on very good.
Great design Robert. The sound insulation for the camper insulation is a great idea! A skylight would be a fun addition to a camper. After using the teardrop and the Scamp quite a bit we would definitely suggest one larger window that allows you to take in the beautiful views around you.
Thanks for figuring this out for us! I can't wait to try it!
anyway you could tell me where you filmed your video? It's beautiful!
You are most welcome. If you are referring to the snowy woods in the background. It is a random section of the Chugach National Forest.
I use a queen size high end futon mattress in my teardrop. Blowup mattresses will fail you at some point and memory foam is to hot in the summer.
Beings we are up here in Alaska I didn't even think about memory foam being hot. Thank you for that suggestion
What you may want to add is a full size cut to fit ; blotter , these are useful to draw moisture into them and out of your layers of foam, air mattress. Put it under all the items and closest to the floor. Installed these under mattress in my boat and they really help reduce moisture from respiration and humidity that invades the different layers. I purchased at a west marine store, available at hobby lobby type retailers. They are what used to go on desks when ink would spill, yeah long time ago. Should last quite a while depending on your camp climate and where you live . RLH
Great advice R Horn. We haven't heard this yet from anyone. A lot of folks have mentioned moisture issues. Thanks for posting!
Oh, great tip -- I've not heard of this blotter material! Another under-mattress product, which I didn't see mentioned yet in this forum, is Aire-Flow Hypervent [$10/lin. ft. x 39"W]. It is a sheet of looped plastic mesh, laid under mattresses for air flow. It can also be purchased as Enkadrain by Colbond [as a landscaping material for drainage -- possibly cheaper this way??]. Here is one link to start with: www.mattressinsider.com/mattress-condensation-prevention.html
In the van I took the foam mattress off our spare room bed along with the board (plywood). When the seats were folded down the board and mattress made a perfect bed. I was able to sleep well while my wife drove on I 4 and when we arrived in Daytona area I was rested up and took over driving my wife reclined on the front seat. 73
Heck yeah. Can confirm! Partner and I literally just did this in our tent and loved it
looks like a young child doing something by the tree behind your right shoulder ! (of course it's not, BUT-)
That is funny! You are the second person to have noticed that.
We got the Mega Mat Duo 10 by Exped to sleep in the tent up at Mt St Helen’s early this spring and it’s an amazing bed! Yes, it’s a bit spendy but it’s so comfortable, easy to inflate or adjust and has an R value of 9, so it never felt like the ground. I would definitely recommend this bed. There is the medium and double size but we got the medium so it will also fit perfect in the Honda Pilot. I don’t know what size your hauling car is but it may fit in that too.
Great suggestion Marlene. Quite a few years ago we tried out the Mega Mat Duo. It truly is probably the most comfortable mat out there. We weren't able to find one that fit our teardrop. But, I bet it will be a great fit for a lot of the others who watch this channel. Thanks again Marlene for reminding us about this great mattress.
Why not put that extra strip of Memory Foam on the edges instead of the Door thingy
That is funny that you thought of that right away. It took us about 6 months to come up with that idea and by that time May had thrown out all the leftover foam in a spring cleaning.
Yep that’s what I used to cut my foam a old electric knife it’s a good thing
They are pretty handy to have. And there has got to be some other great uses for them that we haven't discovered yet.
you point is well taken, better ventilation too. i love your ideas to improve my DIY half teardrop and a half ??? with toilet and shower for convenience. thanks, bob
Can't wait to see your finished trailer. For us these type of projects tend to take much longer than we anticipated. We will be sending you good vibes that doesn't happen for you.
I have a little off-road teardrop... first used an air mattress, it popped, but was ok besides crazy condensation. Yesterday, we built a platform and put an amazon mattress on it. I think it’ll be good and I start a new trial expedition tonight to test it.
Great idea with the platform. No more moisture issues for you. That is half the battle. Another neat setup we have seen is the Froli sleep system, just in case you are unfamiliar with it. Mostly known as a sailboat thing, but starting to pickup momentum in the camper world.
Playing with Sticks I do know of the system as I had been thinking about a Winnebago travato for a while before this. I didn’t know you could buy it. That’s interesting! Thanks so much for these videos... I’m new to teardrops yet also being forced upon it (happily tho) so I’m trying to learn all I can in a short amount of time.
I am using the bedding cushions that came with my nucamp tag xl. Not the best and they move around. I have a cot that I use when I tent camp and overnights. It will fit in there and sits up about 8 inches but like you said about feet space under the cabinets on the back side. Even tho they are about 24 inches high from floor and you take the 8 inches from it you still have 16 inches which may work but I also have a 4 inch memory tri fold mattress that I bought off of Amazon that can go on it then I’m down to 12 inches of feet space. But I am going to try that on my next camping trip. Will let you know how it was for me. I camp alone so I know it will be hard for 2 people or a family. Like 90% of things in this life, you do what’s best or works for you.
great vids! we are new to the teardrop world and just purchased a 2024 mod bug. he's quite a chunky little dude. We have noticed one rather painful situation which affects primarily my husband as he is a bigger guy (around 260). the metal lip around the doorframe is somewhat painful on his hamstrings and butt when he exits the camper as the camper itself sits higher off the ground. Anyone have a work-around to soften up that edge? thus preventing bruises.
I use a 3” tempurpedic topper on top of a 4” Thermarest Mondoking xxl with a 1” memory foam on top of everything. When it is cold I use a Biddeford Sherpa quilted ac power heated mattress cover. Spoiled😍
Spoiled is where we want to get to as well. Thanks for sharing your setup. It actually sounds quite perfect.
Thanks for showing your trial and errors....the main disadvantage of your final version ist, that it might leak some day on the trip. That could not happen to a normal matress...
True, very true. We do bring with us the patch kit that comes with the mattress. But, if that is a small hole that includes putting water and soap all over it to find the culprit. Lots of wasted time. Another bedding version we would like to try is the Froli Sleep System. Not sure if you have seen that yet. We would be interested to see if it works with just a memory foam mattress.
Have you tried the zempire monstermat or the exped megamat they are meant to be awesome and should fit in a tear drop
We have never even heard of the Zempire Monsamat. We will be looking more into that one. Thanks for sharing the Zempire with us Ross. As for the Exped mats we are huge fans. Unfortunately we couldn't find a size that properly fit our teardrop. Either too big or too small. We even struggled to find 2 Exped mats that could fit side by side to match the floor.
Look into the FROLI system
Luu I never even heard of the FROLI system before you. What a genius design. After searching around it looks like there is another company that makes a knockoff version at a lower cost. Oh by the way I had what I thought was a great idea to do a video about your family's trip to Alaska last summer and the pros and cons of your teardrop setup with such a large family. Let me know if that is something you would ever be interested in having posted on Playing with Sticks.
nüCamp will install a Froli system but the price on that is pretty steep. I’ve seen that you can buy the parts and install them yourself ...
We will definitely be looking into the do it yourself version.
@@PlayingwithSticks What terms did you search to find the alternaative to the froli system? Interested to research this. Thx.
@@patblack2291 Unfortunately we cannot remember. We found it in a forum. We are pretty close to making the decision to purchase a FROLI system. If we do we will get a review video up for you to check it out.
My four inch mattress was not comfy. I tried a couple things under it that didn't work, back when. I purchased a somewhat spendy, thin, self-inflating mattress for under my side because the dog's side didn't need it. But it moved some under there and left me feeling downhill. So I got the narrower, matching air mattress for the dog's side, and it stays in place. At first, it was too squishy, couldn't crawl around on it. Let out a bit of air, and it's just right. I figured this out before seeing the video, so I did good. I once tried the foam puzzle piece blocks under there, but for whatever reason, it sweat underneath those. I had looked at the Froli system, but I'm now happy with the air.
I just became the proud owner of my first teardrop (squaredrop) after 12 years of wanting one. One of the features that drew me to this particular model was the queen size inner spring pillow top mattress. Sooo cosy. Love the channel!
Welcome to the club! And congratulations. A comfy bed makes a huge difference in your overall camping experience. You are going to love it!
I'm thinking of lining the floor of my trailer build with Eva foam antifatigue mat from harbor freight, would that be a good pair with a mattress topper?
We use it on ours and it works great. However, it does introduce the chance of trapping humidity. The more air you can get under the mattress the better.
On a related issue, the bed in our T@G trailer isn't long enough for me. It has a storage compartment/shelf that spans the top of the bed. If it were removed, I'd have another 5" of headroom. I see that your tear drop doesn't have that shelf. Did you remove it? I'm wondering if I'd be opening a can of worms if I removed mine.
You can't beat a hammock for a good night's sleep and portability.
Very true on the portability. We are still working on the good night sleep even after being trained by many hammock aficionados. We are trying again this summer, they are just too cool to not use.
Not try to sound rude but why not put your 1 1/2IN memory foam from your house bed right on top of the 4in memory foam you already bought...if 4in was just about fine
Not rude at all. We wish we would have thought about it back then. We actually returned the mattress the day we got it. Getting the mattress to fit back in its original box was definitely a test of our patience. Sometimes we wonder if we should have stuck with the 4 inch and just stuck a couple of sleeping bags underneath for a little bit more padding.
I sleep on a Tempurpedic mattress at home and a memory foam topper for my T@B was the first accessory I bought. I had one made by a company in Colorado called Mattress Insider that fits it perfectly. It’s got non-slip material underneath, two inches of memory foam and an organic cotton top. It also has elastic straps at the corners and you just let them know how deep the mattress or cushions are that you will be placing it on and they make them to fit which keeps the topper in place and also helps keep the cushions together as a single unit. They offer it in a lot of sizes and will make a custom size or shape if you need a curved edge or something else to fit a specialty mattress. I think they also offer a thicker topper as well as every size and shape of custom mattress you can imagine. Mine was about $150, it arrived within two weeks of ordering and it had almost no smell - unlike the memory foam mattress I ordered from amazon that I thought would suffocate me from the upstairs bedroom. I also had a set of custom sheets made that fit the depth of the cushions plus topper. It is definitely a luxury but really nice to have and they are 100% cotton and very well made. I’m not affiliated with them in any way but I very highly recommend them.
That sounds great and affordable. We have been surprised how many custom mattress manufacturers there are out there. Before making this video we didn't even know that was an option. Thanks again for the suggestions.
Nice!! Nice!! Bro, love your show. Was just wondering if you can do a vid. While actually camping out during winter. Your camper looks nice and cozy love it
Thank you! Our goal this winter was to do a winter camping video. But we found it quite challenging. We got out there and wanted to just cuddle in the teardrop most of the time. We will try our hardest to get one shot this winter.
...I've read somewhere that natural latex rubber makes the best foamies...
We have heard that as well from a number of folks in this community.
Does this still apply? Back issues over here. Looking for the best mattress for camping . I wanna do this all the time! Camp I mean .
1 inch yoga matt (or whatever thickness you want). They cut like memory foam.
sounds like its a very comfortable solution. Don't you any problems with condensation?
Anyone seen a square drop or tear drop with cot for sleeping instead of a floor mattress?
I found a local place that makes mattresses like they used to back in the day. On top of that they made it to our specifications. Wasn't real expensive iether.
I used a feather tick mattress in my pop up 👍added it to the exhisting foam mattress.
We have heard from a few people now that feathers are the way to go. Thanks for this comment. We are going to have to look at a feather tick mattress.
Do you have any problems with mildew? I’m in the humid southeast and love down/feather bedding, but have to be careful in the summer since I rarely turn on the a/c.
Drew, Any changes (upgrade) to your bedding in 3 yrs? Love your videos! Thank you for doing them.
Why didnt you use the foam cut off pieces?
Right? We had someone else ask us the same thing. It took us a few weeks of sleeping on it to realize we didn't like the roll off. By then the foam was missing. Not sure if May used it for a project or it hit the trash. But, we did get a great suggestion on here to use a pool noodle.
I do the aerobed and a 1.5" memory foam topper for my tent. Looking into ordering a teardrop, I like the idea of the small inflatable, good to know. thanks!
You are most welcome! We used to do the aerobed for our tent as well. But unfortunately, ours finally gave out this summer on the seems of the air pump so it has been pretty tough keeping it sealed up. I think we used our 1 too many times.
Keith I forgot to ask. What teardrop are you looking into purchasing? We are always interested in knowing what others are using.
@@PlayingwithSticks We've narrowed it down between The "Classic" Bean and a Tag Boondock. I like the layout of the Tag a lot more, but like the 'seamless' roof concept on the bean for longevity.
The Bean is awesome. I reached out to them a few weeks ago to see if they planned on making a standup version. Unfortunately it is not in the plans for them at this point. We loved the video where they took the sledge hammer to the trailer. If they could use that design and make a standup version I think they wouldn't be competing with anyone. A light, but small standup trailer seems to be missing from the market. We agree that we like the T@g layout, but would like that layout with less weight and seamless construction.
Good grief! Just go to a serious fabric / upholstery store and they will cut a foam pad any size, any thickness, any firmness you want.
That sounds easy. Thanks for the simple solution Karen.
Since we won't be buying any kind of teardrop or Scamp until we finish paying for college chick's tuition...I told my husband that, along with our tent (we can stand up in it so it will be our changing room/rainy weather dining room/maybe bathroom) I am removing the back seats in my gen 2 Honda CRV and fitting a bed in there. I wanted to build a platform over the wheel wells so that a full sized mattress would fit in there easily. But husband was concerned about overhead height and so for now I have cut custom panels of 2 inch. foam wall insulation panels and then placed on top of it a simple full sized airbed (8 in.) that I only inflate enough to fit it snug around and over the wheel wells. Some of our storage bins fit into the foot rest area in the back to help bring the space level with the rest of the back. I am going to look into maybe using your bed suggestion as it might be comfortable without the thickness. I do have some arthritis in my knees and right hip so my only concern is whether your combo would work for someone like me. Thanks for the info. Like you, I will probably never be satisfied, ha. But great coffee and a great camping bed are two musts for me.
We used to use the same setup, meaning a combination of tent and bed in the back of the vehicle. We built our bed up to allow storage drawers below. Your husband is on to something, having the bed with drawers was nice but loosing that head room made it not the most enjoyable experience. Coffee and a good bed sounds like us as well. Thanks Robin for sharing your setup.
Has anyone tried Tochta mattresses?
We will be interested to see if anyone chimes in. We have not heard of the rv mattess manufacturer before.
@@PlayingwithSticks Neither have I but it was an ad that played when I watched this video...lol
Put a harder , firmer foam under the memory foam.....You also have to watch it if you go from a warm day to a cold front day, since the mattress will appear to have lost weight......Worse is a day that you go from a ultra cold light to a warm afternoon.....the mattress may firm up to the point of bursting
Great idea. I wonder where we would find these? I am assuming online. Seems like all the memory foam at box stores are on the soft end.
We loved it when we added the memory foam to our mattress. Perfect sleep!
We are so glad you commented about your Scamp. We were always wondering how it would work to throw a memory foam topper on the Scamp bed. Mainly we were wondering where do you put the memory foam topper when you convert the bed into the table?
You don't need so much thickness under your feet. Use less there. You need more under your torso because it weighs a lot. Use more there. Now you have more foot room and more padding under the heavier body.
Great advice David. It sounded like it wouldn't be comfortable with the slope at the feet. Tried it out. Feels great. And it feels even better to have more feet space!