If you’re a full-timer or even a seasonal RVer, you understand how important it is to have a comfortable bed to sleep on come nightfall. This is your home, or your home away from home, for many weeks or months at a time, and the days just aren’t the same if you wake up sore, or tired from waking frequently during the night… all because of your mattress.
Standard RV mattresses that come with your rig have come a long way, but they are still limited compared to the plethora of options for residential home mattresses. The padding in RV mattresses is usually thin, the materials on the low-end. This depends on the type of RV you choose to buy, however: Occasionally used travel trailers typically have thinner, lower quality mattresses than Class A motorhomes designed for extended living.
But with more and more folks hitting the road or deciding to live in an RV full-time, there are options available to help you get a better night’s rest, and add a little more spring in your step.
Purchase a Mattress Topper
A step up from a standard mattress pad, mattress toppers offer extra cushion and cloud-like luxury to your RV mattress. Pillow tops filled with hypo-allergenic fibers similar to goose down or even traditional goose down, and three- to four-inch thick memory foam that melds to your body, can provide the extra comfort you need. This is the most economic option and probably the best for occasional or seasonal RVers. For expandable travel trailers and folding trailers, it might be necessary to remove the topper prior to buttoning up the RV as the pad would add extra bulk.
Replace the Mattress
Well-known brands such as Sleep Number and Tempur-Pedic now have RV lines of mattresses available, since many RV mattresses are shorter than household mattresses or have trimmed corners. If you are considering purchasing a new mattress, measure your mattress space ahead of time:
Width – Inside of one of the mattress to the inside of the other side
Length – Top to bottom of the inside space
Height – From the resting area of the mattress to the highest point vertically you want the mattress to reach
Thankfully, there are RV mattresses of all sizes, from bunks to king size. And there are other brands available other than Sleep Number and Tempur-Pedic; you just need to shop around to see what fits in your price range. You can also consider ordering a custom mattress. When choosing or creating a mattress, think about weight as well. Some mattresses may be heavy to move so that you can’t access storage space underneath.
There are many choices on the market to make your sleeping space more comfortable and more like, well, home.