Sleeping in Airstream Interstate EXT

[LizabethLane]

We haven't taken delivery yet, and the salesman seemed confused about how you make the bed in the interstateEXT. Does it take regulate sheets, fitted, is it a full king size? Can you get speciality sheets? Mr. Salesman said we could get a big sleeping bag. That's not going to happen. What has been your experience in sleeping in this bed? Is it comfortable? Do you need a mattress pad? We are new to all this, can you tell? Thanks for any help you can provide.

[Protagonist]

Most people prefer to use a mattress pad. The seats make for kind of an irregular bed, and the pad evens out the peaks and valleys. On the EXT, the bed is a queen size. On the non-extended (or an extended without using the fold-down bed extensions at the rear) it's a "short queen."

You won't really be able to put sheets directly on the bed. Not fitted sheets, certainly. You might get by with a "bed sack" like the ones they sell for travelers afraid of bedbugs, but that's really just a sleeping bag made of sheets instead of quilts, and I don't recommend that option.

I used a double-bed-sided sleeping bag for the first two years, and it wasn't bad at all. But my height just happens to be exactly right so that my body's pressure points while sleeping happened to fall where the bed had the most padding. Taller or shorter people would be much less comfortable.

About a year ago, I replaced my sleeping bag with a mattress pad. For me it's six of one, half-a-dozen of the other with regard to sleeping comfort. But it's infinitely easier to put sheets on a mattress pad and launder the sheets when the trip is over than it is to haul a sleeping bad to the dry-cleaners.

[bugsbunny]

Some people use the RV Superbag. It is like a sleeping bag but the sheets velcro inside of it.

[LizabethLane]

I like the idea of the mattress pad with sheets. Easy care, no dry cleaning, machine wash. Works for me. Can't wait to try it. OBTW, I just bought a mattress pad for it. It's more like a feather bed, but it has allergy free filling. Thanks for the reply.

[UKDUDE]

Take a look at this video demonstrating the RV Superbag:
The most important part of an RV | The small motorhome lifestyle

[Ron_CA]

We use a queen size memory foam mattress pad. Wife then bought either a full or twin size duvet cover (fits perfect). Slide the foam in, button up the duvet and that is what we sleep on. Then have another larger queen duvet with down comforter that we sleep under.

[weirdstuff]

We bought two separate memory foam pads that combine to fill the whole area. Did it this way because it's easier to remove or roll up the two smaller sections than to wrestle with one big one. Cover them with queen fitted sheet. And use queen lite weight down comforter on top. Works perfectly for us.