bed problems

[bopeep]

I know this has been on before, but I just cannot get the bed arrangement that will suit my body. I have returned home early from the last five trips because of the bed, it has got to the stage I do not want to use it.
I have tried every combination of cushion arragements possible and also tried three different toppers some together some single. The two cushions that fit on the slats seem to sink in the night and I am left in a hole, I have tried the cushions from the dinette/bunk beds but they too seem to expel all the air in the night.
I am at my wits end, does anybody else have any good ideas that I might adapt or use, I have also tried putting boards on the slats, single beds, the lot. chucking a topper on with various thicknesses does not work for me.
Help

 

[Surfer]

I know this has been on before, but I just cannot get the bed arrangement that will suit my body. I have returned home early from the last five trips because of the bed, it has got to the stage I do not want to use it.
I have tried every combination of cushion arragements possible and also tried three different toppers some together some single. The two cushions that fit on the slats seem to sink in the night and I am left in a hole, I have tried the cushions from the dinette/bunk beds but they too seem to expel all the air in the night.
I am at my wits end, does anybody else have any good ideas that I might adapt or use, I have also tried putting boards on the slats, single beds, the lot. chucking a topper on with various thicknesses does not work for me.
Help

Not knowing the type of caravan it is difficult to answer. We found that it was better to turn the seats upside down for better comfort, but in the end we bought a fixed bed caravan, add a topper and never looked back.

 

[bopeep]

further to my last posting, has anybody tried and was successful with an air or blow up mattress, it seems a way out of my predicament. Either on the slats or on the cushions.

 

[Gagakev]

Bopeep try counting the sheep!!

Sorry could'nt resist.

On a serious note I see you mention that the centre keeps saging or the air goes out of the cushions. Is it actually the cushion's or have the slats weakend over time, Dont know how old your van is. If the slats are weak even putting a board on them they will still give. Just a thought, and hope it helps.

 

[bopeep]

Hi Gagakev,
I have tried two sets of cushions, the last foot of the slats is solid and if I roll of that I sink into a hole, the board on the slats do not seem to be making a difference. The caravan is a 2004 and its past life is unknown although well kept it could have had some serious heavy people on it in the past.
Incidentally I love the comment we are still chuckling over it. Bopeep was the first camp site we ever stopped on.

 

[Mel]

When you get up in the morning, are the slats still in place? If the slats are not moving, seperating or dipping, it suggests that it is the cushions that have lost their substance and support. You can get new cushions but it is expensive if you are wrong. Do you know anyone who has the same/similar van so that you could borrow a set of cushions for one night to use them in your van. This way you would know if is the slats or the cushions.
Your other option is to trade it in for a van with a fxed bed. The mattress on ours is bliss

mel

 

[terencem]

We have had a 2002 Bailey Pageant from new and for the first few times we had the same problem with the middle of the bed going flat through the night. We soon discovered that the seat cushions were sprung but the backrests were foam filled therefore giving different degrees of support. If we put the backrests to the centre of the bed they sank to a greater degree than the sprung cushions and made a hollow in the bed. The solution was to put the two seat bases (the sprung ones) together to make up the top 2/3rds of the bed and the two back rests go under our legs and feet to make the bottom 1/3rd. With ours it had nothing to do with the slats.
We both sleep better in the 'van than the bed at home.

 

[Gafferbill]

……I do the same as terencem.

Try sleeping across the caravan and level the whole caravan so that your head will be slightly higher than your feet.
Do this levelling when you first pitch the caravan.
Put the seat bases across the caravan with the knee padding to the outside and pattern side up.
Put the two backrests so that they are under you feet/shins.
Personally I then cover this base with an old duvet without a cover.
I then place a covered duvet over that and finally another one to cover up with.
However I do have a 4 berth rear dinette layout caravan which is used as a 2 berth.
This bedding can be easily stored in the rear corner out the way when not in use.