Mattress - How Comfortable and what did you do.

[Devoman]

Originally Posted by Bob Thompson

About memory foam.....because it wraps around you a bit more than some other foams, it tends to sleep "hot" for some people. The warmer memory foam gets, the softer it gets. Get it too warm, and the support will be diminished. This is more of a problem with the 3 and 4 pound density memory foam. It's less of a problem with 5 pound density.

Some people have a bit of a hard time adjusting to the "valley effect" of memory foam. They find it harder to roll over in the middle of the night from the "valley" body impression they've made.

Durability: 3 pound density has a life expectancy of about 2 years.
_________4 pound density has a life expectancy of about 5 years.
_________5 pound density has a life expectancy of about 10-12 years.

That is one thing I hate to do is feel like I am being trapped.I hate the valley effect.I do like the smoother bed though.So you are saying that the 5 pounder has more density and would keep me from sinking in and getting that hot feeling.Plus I am a very light sleeper and tend to roll around a couple times.I would want to roll instead of climbing out of a valley.

[JimGolden]

Are there different grades of foam mattresses then? I mean, aside from the different densities?

I recently stayed at a hotel that had the Tempurpedic mattresses. I hated it. I thought the thing was initially too hard and then you sunk down in it, like sleeping on a bag of frozen jello; hard when you first jump on it then you sink down. That's the only experience I have with Tempurpedic other than the little sample kit they sent me when I inquired. Do they make different levels of them?

My bed at home is a King Koil king size, inner spring, with pillow top on both sides. I like it a lot. I'd like to get something similar for the trailer. Just not sure where to look to find a guy who will make one with rounded corners. I saw from the one post above that a guy in Phoenix must do it. I'd like to find somebody closer to home as the shipping on a big mattress would probably be as much as the mattress.

All I know is, the mattresses in my trailer now are horrible!

[Airstream 22]

Originally Posted by cosmotini

The mattress in our '08 A/S is much more comfortable than the one that came in our '04 unit. I believe the new mattress is an innerspring where the old one was just foam over bags of cement.

When we had the old A/S, we bought a memory foam mattress topper from the A/S store that is fitted and stays in place pretty well.

We kept the topper when we got the new A/S and the bed in the new A/S is now very comfortable.

We found the same thing with our '08 Safari. In a previous life with SOB we used a Costco Foam Topper (similar to the Temperpedic - 4" Grade 5) and had the valley effect to the point of needing a crane to get out of bed. Fortunately our new bed sleeps wonderfully. Had it not, we would have considered having a camper queen made by Stearns and Foster out of their latex material but as someone has said, it would have added to the tongue weight (FB) fairly significantly.

[Alumatube]

I have a bad low back and there is no way I can sleep on memory foam (tried it--waking up crippled is not my cup of tea). I am wondering about the Sleep Number bed, but had an older one at home a while back and wasn't too pleased with it.

Those of you with foam (not memory) mattresses--are they heavy, dense foam where it doesn't give a lot, or do you sink in like memory foam?

Thanks!
Susan

[azflycaster]

Our 75 Trade Wind has (I think) the original foam cushions that make into the bed. They are slightly firmer then oak. With the memory topper we do sink a little, but we like it. At home we still sleep in a water bed...

[Phil/Edee]

Originally Posted by wheel interested

Would anyone happen to know if a heated mattress pad could be used on a memory foam topper?

We just put a heated mattress pad under our 1.5 inch memory foam and it's GREAT!!! I'm bad at getting to sleep and also waking up aching somewhere... so I'm pretty impressed with this set-up! (Especially last night at 36 degrees with rain in Asheboro, NC ^_^) I can't stand being COLD!! We do have a pretty sweet pillowtop that the PO had put in I'm sure... bless their hearts.

Toair... we have it on for a good while before bed and then turn it off so the "non-magical" beams leave us alone!

Hope you find your solution! I wouldn't go with the thicker memory foam but the slimmer one works great for us!

Hey!!!! Phil turns 65 today!! We now have another "old geezer" in the pack!

Phil & Edee

[87MH]

We have a Tempur-Pedic adjustable king at the house - sleeps terrible for me unless I raise the head a lot and and the knees a bit, then it turns into a really comfortable sleep. Mary likes her side flat.

We slept on water prior to the adjustable foam and she had reoccuring back problems.

The installation of the Sleep Comfort was one of the best things I did during the rebuild of the '78 Sovereign. As you increase the air pressure, all of a sudden you get to a point where everything relaxes. Her side is set on 60, mine is 85.

Check out this thread:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f219...ign-14737.html Post #61

[Ahab]

We use sleeping bags.

[uwe]

Originally Posted by Alumatube

I have a bad low back and there is no way I can sleep on memory foam (tried it--waking up crippled is not my cup of tea). I am wondering about the Sleep Number bed, but had an older one at home a while back and wasn't too pleased with it.

Those of you with foam (not memory) mattresses--are they heavy, dense foam where it doesn't give a lot, or do you sink in like memory foam?

Thanks!
Susan

Hi Susan,

A forum member recommended this combinatin for me, based on my body size and weight. Somehow it also works very well for Didi, with her being appr. 50% of my weight....

So, we used 3 inches of 1835 Polyurethane foam (1.8 pounds per cubic foot, 35 ILD) topped with 2" of 24 ILD Talalay Latex foam. We wrapped this in 1/2in batting, and upholstered it. It sleeps wonderfully. The bed in the trailer is absolutely comfortable for me, and reduced the amount of tossing and turning quite a bit, translating into deeper sleep. Didi is very comfortable on it as well.
Here is a picture of the foam, in place inside the trailer as the interior was being built.
Latex foam is not to be mistaken for memory foam. It does not form a negative image of your body imprint. It just feels very supportive, and reduces pressure points on a body.
Latex International >> Welcome to Latex International >> Home

[Bob Thompson]

In an above post, I mentioned the weight of a latex mattress, so I should explain. A good innerspring short queen mattress will weigh about 85 pounds. A good 6" urethane foam short queen mattress will weigh about 65 pounds. A good memory foam short queen mattress will weigh from 110 to 125 lbs, and a good latex foam short queen mattress will weigh about 130 lbs. If you like latex, the extra 45 pounds between an innerspring and latex isn't going to effect trailer weight all that much.

Memory foam (also called Temporpedic, viscous, and Nasa foam) puts the least pressure on your body. It conforms to you body shape and in doing so applies support to more square inches of your body, thereby reducing pressure. Memory Foam is a modified urethane foam.

Latex foam is only slightly higher in pressure than memory foam, but because it is a rubber product, it can sleep hot also, and it can be "springy". Some people are allergic to latex. Because it is rubber based, just like tires, it has a long life. You've seen latex cushions which have a crusty edges and surfaces, well, that's the "old" latex which was subject to breakdown by ozone and UV light. Modern latex, like Talalay, has UV inhibitors and is blended to be less susceptible to ozone damage.

Urethane foams are the colored foams most people are familiar with and are often seen in fabric stores. They tend to sleep stiffer than memory foam and latex foam, but some are surprisingly good. The top grades, called Reflex foam can have a luxury feel and rival Latex for sleeping comfort. In urethane foams, weight is quality. Lighter weight versions will not be as comfortable nor as durable. Heavier foams like Reflex Foam will be more comfortable and much more durable.

Most innerspring mattresses have a combination of urethane foams and fiberfill as support for the sleeping surface. The urethane foams are good and retain their loft for years. Fiberfill gives the surface a nice soft feel initially, but the fiberfill packs down quickly, becoming hard and leaving pronounced depressions in the bed surface within a few months. I recommend people avoid mattresses with fiberfill unless they are allergic to latex and/or don't like memory foam.

There's a lot of "bull" out their in mattresses. Sealy markets one of their mattress designs under 14 different names and 14 price levels from around $329 to about $1200. The only thing they change is the color and composition of the "ticking", the fabric on the outside of the mattress. To choose a good mattress, you need to educate yourself and determine what is inside a mattress before you buy it.

Uwe's mattress above sounds like an excellent solution. It has Latex foam at the top for support and comfort, but uses a less expensive and less heavy urethane foam below, and the support numbers sound right on the money. Good solution!

[wheel interested]

Originally Posted by Phil/Edee

Hey!!!! Phil turns 65 today!! We now have another "old geezer" in the pack!

Phil & Edee

HEY HEY PHIL!!!! That white stuff falling must be confetti in your honor.

[Minnie's Mate]

We had a Velo mattress made to replace our mattress. They have an RV division, but my wife picked out a more residential mattress and had it made in the short queen size with inner springs. It sleeps well. But the best mattress I've ever slept on was the Heavenly Beds at Starwood's luxury line of hotels. They are "heavenly beds". You can order them for the home at their website...pricey, but will be the next thing we buy when we replace our current king size in our bedroom at home.

[wasafari]

step 1, throw out queen AS "mattress.
step 2 remove old mattress platform plywood
step 3 cut pieces of 1'2 ply to fit a REAL queen size and install,
step 4 buy middle of the road queen mattress (not pillow top)
step 5 buy 2 inch memory foam for above,
step 6 sleep quite comfortably. Loss of "walkaround bed" well worth it.
step 7 try to keep dogs off bed........

[Sugarfoot]

Originally Posted by wheel interested

Would anyone happen to know if a heated mattress pad could be used on a memory foam topper?

Like 2air, I'm not a fan of sleeping with electricity coursing around my body. But like Phil and Edee we do have a heated mattress pad on each twin. We stacked our stuff like this from bottom to top:
Airstream type foam mattress
3" of 5 pound density memory foam
electric heated mattress pad
a thin sack-type mattress pad to hold it all together
sheets and comforter

The heated pad only gets turned on about 30 minutes before bedtime, then off before climbing in. Takes the chill off the sheets and the heat retention properties of the memory foam picks up where the electric leaves off.

[Crusty]

I put a Wal Mart 4" mattress topper (2½" of hi density foam with 1½" of memory foam laminated on top) on my bed and now I can sleep without getting out of bed crippled in the morning. The pad is easy to shape with an electric carving knife.

[salvarez]

We just got our AS 25 and I think the mattress is a real "thunker". My husband and I added a 3' memory foam topper with a good quality mattress pad. We have found this to be very comfortable.

[AIR-Quarius]

yes the foam is not the most comfortable...very flat so we went to looking at wallymart and stumbled on some uoholstered pads that came in different colors...they weren't quite as wide as our twin beds but were long enough and anything was better than what we were on...so now its a luxurious sleep each night...if you want to really get a bed mattress get a feather bed mattress made out of goose feathers, we used to sleep on these in Mississippi at our Grandmothers house...you could get lost in them after sinking in! Good luck!