My bed solution Interstate(ext)

[mrpdude]

When we first slept in our motorhome, I found it a bit lumpy and impossible to secure a top and bottom sheet. Since we travel full time, this had to get fixed. Here is my solution which we have slept on comfortably every night for almost a year. I first went to Bed Bath and Beyond and purchased a 2" thick king size foam pad. I found that with this pad I can now tuck the sheets under it to secure them. This worked pretty well but not perfect and of course the issue with what to do with the huge pad when not in use. So I got a set of flat sheets and wrapped them snugly around the pad and pinned it up with the top sheet pinned to the bottom sheet underneath as well. I took them to a seamstress and had her sew them up. It is a little bit tricky to install the sheets but after the third or fourth time it goes very quickly. This completely solves the sheet problem better than it ever was on my conventional bed at home. Now for the pad issue. I leave the two rear cushion flaps down all or the time and simply rollup the bed, sheets and blankets(2) all the way to the back on top of the 2 flaps and put a couple of straps around it and it secures the rollup bed. The roll up bed end up just behind the raised rear seat back and out of the way. I have since found that it will stay in position without the straps when rolled up.
Happy travelin'

[LizabethLane]

I too had a real problem with the bed. It was my very first post. I went to B.B.&B. And purchased a mattress topper. It's like a feather bed, but it seems more substantial. I purchased King size sheets. The bed measures 70" x 82", and a king is 76" x 80". The bottom sheet is fitted but I figured out how to get it to stay under the flaps, it takes some fiddling around but it works. The foot end of the bed is easier to attach, you can tuck it under pretty easily. Then I just lay the top sheet and the down comforter on top. The dogs sleep at our feet, we don't need to tuck in the top sheet, and comforter. In the morning I fold the whole thing up. I divide it in three equal parts, fold each side into the center, roll it up like a big sleeping bag, secured with bungee cords. I bought a large bag that is meant to hold outdoor cushions. It's made of Tyvek, maybe. So although it's big, it squishes down nicely. The space under the Grand Tour bed is all open, they have relocated everything, so there is lots of room to store the bed. This has worked very well for us. It must, my husband has been logging eight hours of sleep every time we go out. It's just what he needs.

[Boxster1971]

We use a 3" memory foam pad with a BB&B pillow topper. Using a fitted bottom sheet with elastic all around works well. During the day I roll it up with all the bedding and secure it with some 2" wide nylon straps I made for the purpose. I then push this large roll all the way back on lounge to allow sitting in U-shaped area near the rear TV. It is the most comfortable bed we have ever had and gives a very good nights sleep.

[migriffin]

I too struggled with the bed. I didn't find it overly bumpy, but did find it hard. I would toss and turn all night long. There is also a very hard piece that separates the lounge from the side chairs that was very uncomfortable. I'm pretty picky about my bed, but thought I'd share a few things I've tried.

The first thing I ordered after a ton of research was the Perfect Harmony Mattress Topper - Short Queen (Perfect Harmony Mattress Topper - Short Queen - Carpenter 31374538639 - Bed Pads & Mattresses - Camping World). I actually liked this one quite a bit, but found it too big to store. I don't have an EXT version.

I then tried an inflatable bed expecting that I can quickly deflate. The only one that I found that was thick and filled up the space nicely was the Exped Comfort MegaMat 10 Sleeping Pad (Exped Comfort MegaMat 10 Sleeping Pad). It was pricey and I wasn't wowed with it. We tried it one night and didn't find it as comfortable. It was also difficult to inflate and deflate. Back to the drawing board.

This time I decided to go after a custom mattress topper. I bought two 2" memory foam toppers (Their "Luxury Memory Foam Topper) from Mattress Insider with the following dimensions: 30x72x2. The reason I ordered two separate mattresses is that I was hoping that they would be easier to store if they were separate. I was right about that. I can easily store them above the bed in the back cabinet of my non-EXT and still store my blankets and sheets. To protect these, I ordered two Custom RV/Truck Mattress Encasement from Mattress Insider of the same dimensions. I called them and they did all of this over the phone easily. They'll make anything you want. The biggest downside was the price. All in the were $471 for both the mattresses and encasement. It would be a lot less with only one mattress and no encasement. The other downside for me is that the foam is very squishable and compressed down to almost nothing. It was a big improvement, but still not quite soft enough. My favorite thing was that it did indeed store away.

I've pretty much given up at this point and I'm going back to using the Perfect Harmony Mattress Topper even though I cannot store it away easily. I order Coghlan's 60-Inch Arno Straps from Amazon to tie it down. Then I store it under the back closet of my lounge model.

After spending over $1,000 trying various solutions, I think I'm done. In retrospect, I should have ordered the twin bed model. I could have made any custom mattress, kept it made up all of the time, and not worried about it so much. I love the look of the lounge model bed, but would rather not spend 10 minutes making up the bed each day and putting it away. I also find it somewhat difficult to get in and out of especially in the middle of the night if you're not wanting to wake up your partner. Since I never travel with more than 4 people, the twin model would have been a better fit for me.

I hope this is helpful. If you're in need of something that is very comfortable, not terribly expensive, and you're not too worried about storing it away, I think the Perfect Harmony mattress is a pretty good option.

[Lineolated]

We thought the bed needed a little bit of help. Tried a foam topper but storage was a pain. We settled on the thermarest z-lite backpacking pad:

http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-...z-lite/product

Three of them just about cover the bed, and they don't shift around. They fold up compactly.

We top with an RV superbag, which is great except in summer, when it's too warm.

The thermarest pads fit in our full height wardrobe (we've added shelving to it). You can just see them on the lower shelf in this picture:


We've stored the superbag in the cabinet above the lounge, but we prefer putting it in a blanket storage bag and stuffing it onto a shelf in the wardrobe.
DJ

[Protagonist]

These days, I use Cabelas Deluxe Cot Pads, size Large. Two of them side-by-side nicely fill the entire sleeping area. They roll up, and secure in the rolled position with attached buckled straps. The color is even relatively close to the color of the Interstate's upholstery.
Cabela's Deluxe Cot Pad : Cabela's

But for just me, I use one pad, size regular, and only fold down one of the side seats to make up half a bed. I still prefer it to a twin-bed layout because the sofa plus one side seat makes for a wider bed than a twin, more appropriate to my own wide girth.

[jerhofer]

We are still new at this but we soon gave up on sheets and blankets. Too hard to make the bed and everything takes up a lot of room. Fortunately we did not buy anything as we used some spare sheets and blankets.

We bought two of these sleeping bags in the "long" size and used them a couple weeks ago. And they had them on sale. They worked great and we were comfortable without any pads. In fact we slept late and had to hustle the dog outside as she had been patiently waiting for us to wake up!!

Switch Sleeping Bag, Rectangular 35/50F: Sleeping Bags | Free Shipping at L.L.Bean

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Lineolated

We thought the bed needed a little bit of help. Tried a foam topper but storage was a pain. We settled on the thermarest z-lite backpacking pad:

DJ

We used to go backcountry camping with Z-rests until Therm-a-rest's hybrid inflatable products came along and blew them out of the water. I still keep two Z-rests for emergencies, but I find the second generation products to be far better (unless you are sleeping on the ground in an area with a lot of cacti, says the voice of experience).

For folks still struggling with bed comfort, it might help to give some thought to your pillow. If you have a pretty good bed at home but a mediocre pillow, the net result might not bother you. But if you find the Interstate's bed to be mediocre AND you take your mediocre pillow into it, you might reach a tipping point of discomfort.

My husband and I are quite satisfied with the jack-knife beds in our 2007 Interstate (and my husband has had two spinal surgeries, so his needs are very specific). However, we each use a Tempur-Symphony pillow on those beds. If the Interstate is the Mercedes of RVs, then the Symphony is perhaps the Mercedes of pillows. The way I see it, if we keep the head, neck, and shoulders happy, the rest of the bod is less likely to complain.

The Symphony is a dense, heavy, large, inconvenient choice from a logistical standpoint. Each one will consume an entire overhead bin in an Interstate. But I would not travel without them.

The only complaint I have with the beds so far is that, for those of us who intend to use the Interstate as an oversized tent at least part of the time, the creased / hinged section where the jack-knife mechanism is located is a cold spot. Last night it got down to about 46 degrees where we were staying (ranch-squatting), and there was a very strong north wind as a front came through. We slept with all windows open and one back door left open (furnace off). The cold air penetrated the hinged section of the bed. I need to find a workaround for this, but it is not an issue that is likely to affect many owners.

[X New Yorker]

Originally Posted by migriffin

I too struggled with the bed. I didn't find it overly bumpy, but did find it hard. I would toss and turn all night long. There is also a very hard piece that separates the lounge from the side chairs that was very uncomfortable. I'm pretty picky about my bed, but thought I'd share a few things I've tried.

The first thing I ordered after a ton of research was the Perfect Harmony Mattress Topper - Short Queen (Perfect Harmony Mattress Topper - Short Queen - Carpenter 31374538639 - Bed Pads & Mattresses - Camping World). I actually liked this one quite a bit, but found it too big to store. I don't have an EXT version.

I then tried an inflatable bed expecting that I can quickly deflate. The only one that I found that was thick and filled up the space nicely was the Exped Comfort MegaMat 10 Sleeping Pad (Exped Comfort MegaMat 10 Sleeping Pad). It was pricey and I wasn't wowed with it. We tried it one night and didn't find it as comfortable. It was also difficult to inflate and deflate. Back to the drawing board.

This time I decided to go after a custom mattress topper. I bought two 2" memory foam toppers (Their "Luxury Memory Foam Topper) from Mattress Insider with the following dimensions: 30x72x2. The reason I ordered two separate mattresses is that I was hoping that they would be easier to store if they were separate. I was right about that. I can easily store them above the bed in the back cabinet of my non-EXT and still store my blankets and sheets. To protect these, I ordered two Custom RV/Truck Mattress Encasement from Mattress Insider of the same dimensions. I called them and they did all of this over the phone easily. They'll make anything you want. The biggest downside was the price. All in the were $471 for both the mattresses and encasement. It would be a lot less with only one mattress and no encasement. The other downside for me is that the foam is very squishable and compressed down to almost nothing. It was a big improvement, but still not quite soft enough. My favorite thing was that it did indeed store away.

I've pretty much given up at this point and I'm going back to using the Perfect Harmony Mattress Topper even though I cannot store it away easily. I order Coghlan's 60-Inch Arno Straps from Amazon to tie it down. Then I store it under the back closet of my lounge model.

After spending over $1,000 trying various solutions, I think I'm done. In retrospect, I should have ordered the twin bed model. I could have made any custom mattress, kept it made up all of the time, and not worried about it so much. I love the look of the lounge model bed, but would rather not spend 10 minutes making up the bed each day and putting it away. I also find it somewhat difficult to get in and out of especially in the middle of the night if you're not wanting to wake up your partner. Since I never travel with more than 4 people, the twin model would have been a better fit for me.

I hope this is helpful. If you're in need of something that is very comfortable, not terribly expensive, and you're not too worried about storing it away, I think the Perfect Harmony mattress is a pretty good option.

Thank you for saving me a lot of time, money & pain trying to solve my bed comfort issue.

So far the "bed" has been the only downside to the Interstate (non Ext). We picked it from the Colonial Airstream, left my car in their care and hit the road. After one night of pain I grabbed a Isotoner egg crate from BB&B & covered that with a quilt I had brought along as the temporary solution to sleep on. Bungee cords & stuffing it under the closet solved the storage solution for the egg crate with everything else stuffed into the bin over the lounge as I too want the lounge to be a lounge when not serving as the bedroom. I think this is going to be the permanent solution, it works. Sadly I admit I'll be overjoyed to see my bricks & mortar bed.

[k9jackie]

would love to see pictures of how you store your bedding, especially those with a foam topper.

[MILATV]

Mattress Topper old post

http://www.airforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108675


Mike

[InterBlog]

Postscript to the topic of Interstate bedding solutions and options --

There's a new sleeping bag on the market and it's potentially relevant to Interstate owners because of its size and configuration.

Up until recently, sleeping bags were largely stuck in a backpacking / mummy bag paradigm. The available throwback options (e.g., rectangular bags) were typically cheaply-made warm-weather bags.

I can certainly see why many people would dismiss out of hand the possibility of using a sleeping bag in an Interstate. Why subject yourself to that kind of movement restriction when it's not required, as it is for backpacking? Why have a queen-sized bed only to stick your feet into a toe box that's only about 18 inches wide? That makes no sense.

A small company called Nemo has now produced a spoon-shaped sleeping bag that has much more room. It was designed for side sleepers (mummy bags are designed for back sleepers). Given the sheer size of it, it would also be appropriate for larger-sized people irrespective of which way they sleep.

In my case, it also solves a problem that I initially thought would require me to buy pricey goose down pants (as fellow van-based computer worker Tim Lutz @vanlifetravelogue has done) - I can insert myself into this wider sleeping bag and "wear" it while sitting at my computer. The Interstate's couch is not like an office chair. In order to do computer work, I have to perch upright, with straight posture, on the edge of the couch with my feet spread, as if I were balancing on a Fit Ball. I can't insert myself into my existing North Face Cat's Meow mummy bag and do this because I'm restricted from spreading my feet. So this bag kills two birds with one stone and for one price for me - I can both sleep in it and "wear" it when I'm working in colder conditions in our Interstate.

This is the Disco 15 model which is described on some sites as a men's bag. I don't care - I just wanted the massive size of it, which you can see here:

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

.... (as fellow van-based computer worker Tim Lutz @vanlifetravelogue has done) ....

Aside:

Speak of the devil, two days after I mentioned this, Tim was featured in this Daily Mail article. The publicity couldn'ta happened to a nicer guy.

If you want an answer to the question that pops up here in this forum from time to time, the question of why InterBlog and LB_3 spend so much friggin' time, money, and effort on their Interstate "instead of just enjoying it", look no further than that Daily Mail piece. Look at those astonishing pictures, all sixteen of them. Tim's results speak for themselves. We do all that work because I want at least a small piece of that lifestyle. (So does LB_3, but one of us has to remain conventionally employed, at least for now). Tim is living THAT life while making six figures. What more needs to be explained?

[thiel]

So funny that this just popped up. I have been struggling to make beds easier in our 25 foot trailer. My two boys sleep on the sofa and dinette beds and it's been difficult to get them to make and clean up the bedding, and they really don't want to use sleeping bags – which are bulky anyway.

My solution was to buy some yoga mats and some sleeping bag liners. The yoga mats fit inside the liners and create a semi rigid sheet if you will that can be rolled up and stored in the closet or under the bench. Add to that a camp blanket like a Kelty Besty blanket or snugpak and I think it's a pretty good solution. Small to store, quick to roll out, easy to clean.

[Wireless]

I’ve read all the other posts and tried several Ned solutions, foam mattress toppers etc. we settled on using two self inflating mattresses that are typically used by hikers. There are many out there in varying sizes and thickness but we settled on LL Beans XL model. It is 30” wide and 78” long so two fit nicely in the space. They open and self inflate easily though you might want to add some air for a firmer mattress. They pack and store over head and out quickly out of the way. We decided to use two fleece sleeping bag liners for warmer weather and will switch to a thicker bag as required for the season. Don’t wast your time trying to use fitted sheets and blankets...it takes too much time and space over head. I wish we had done this months ago.

[InterBlog]

I don't think this is mentioned on this particular thread, but we use Rumpl trekking blankets extensively. We carry one synthetic and one goose down in our DIY cab gear loft, and the spare Rumpl gets wrapped around a sheet of coroplast and inserted in a slot to the left of the fridge (orange in the pic below).

The spare Rumpl came in handy this summer as I needed to have our travel guest at an airport in Nova Scotia at 3:45 a.m. for the day's first flight out in her return sequence to Houston. Needless to say, the only sane way to do that kind of thing is to boondock overnight in the airport pay lot. I was able to give her the clean Rumpl and also to use its mounting sheet of coroplast as a divider to insert between the couches for a little sleeping privacy.

[rowiebowie]

We take our pillows from home when we travel so that (as Interblog mentioned previously) we don't inadvertently introduce a secondary discomfort. We have found the somewhat thin, but memory foam covered lounge bed to be pretty comfortable. We use thick sleeping bags for sleeping on (or in depending on temperatures) which add an extra layer of comfort.

During the day, we roll our pillows into our sleeping bags and stuff them on the ottomans on each side secured by bungee cords to keep them in place. Then we raise the bed and we're ready to hit the road.