- Jun 27, 2021
- 52
- 21
- 85
So I joined this site a few weeks ago and asked for help / advice …I got loads , everyone will brilliant( I am discovering that seems to be the norm with Caravaners !) so thought I would share this incase it helps some one.
we decided that we are going to keep our “double” bed made up all the time ..it’s just easier for us etc.. I looked at getting a mattress made ..and it wasn’t cheap (although not a rip off .. just more than I wanted to spend) we also wanted a decent sprung mattress etc which made things more complicated.
so thought I would try to make my own.. and it worked out really well .. although it does take some work (4hours all in).
brought a second hand king mattress in good condition, measured and marked out shape. Cut stitching at edge, pealed back to reveal pocket springs … detached each spring from wire frame (cut the metal loops) then marked the springs to be removed that best met the shape I needed.
the next part is the tricky bit, the wire frame (that all springs are each individually connected to with a “wire twist” ) that goes around the top and bottom of the mattress are integral to the mattress keeping its shape .. especially as you get on and off at a small point (see images of mattress in my van) you can just cut these off and throw them away. I cut the wire (past the bend) and bout 4 inches down it’s length (I mean the length that runs across the width of the bed) this allowed me to slide it back and tie it , side by side to the wire frame that remained in place . I used several wire twists (twisted tightly to the existing wire frame) which worked really well. I then retwisted each spring, top and bottom back to the wire frame, which I had bent to the shape I needed it to be (both pieces of wire) to the secure the springs, then folded over the “flap “ of material I had and stitched the mattress back together … making sure the stitches also went round the bottom wire for strength / to make sure it didn’t tear the fabric I was stitching it to, due to strain from the stitching/ getting of / off bed etc.
I used builders string line as my preferred “thread “ as it’s strong and I had it lying round..and it just went through the big needle I had….. honestly it’s worked amazingly well!! It’s so comfortable!!
getting it into place was a bit tricky but didn’t it in my own so its doable!! I know foam would have been easier… but we find a good quality pocket spring mattress can’t be beat. All cost £25 .. £5 of that was the soft wire (decent quality garden wire) and a few hours work (sore hands lol)
sharing in case anyone was wondering if it could be done / in case it helps any one !!
we decided that we are going to keep our “double” bed made up all the time ..it’s just easier for us etc.. I looked at getting a mattress made ..and it wasn’t cheap (although not a rip off .. just more than I wanted to spend) we also wanted a decent sprung mattress etc which made things more complicated.
so thought I would try to make my own.. and it worked out really well .. although it does take some work (4hours all in).
brought a second hand king mattress in good condition, measured and marked out shape. Cut stitching at edge, pealed back to reveal pocket springs … detached each spring from wire frame (cut the metal loops) then marked the springs to be removed that best met the shape I needed.
the next part is the tricky bit, the wire frame (that all springs are each individually connected to with a “wire twist” ) that goes around the top and bottom of the mattress are integral to the mattress keeping its shape .. especially as you get on and off at a small point (see images of mattress in my van) you can just cut these off and throw them away. I cut the wire (past the bend) and bout 4 inches down it’s length (I mean the length that runs across the width of the bed) this allowed me to slide it back and tie it , side by side to the wire frame that remained in place . I used several wire twists (twisted tightly to the existing wire frame) which worked really well. I then retwisted each spring, top and bottom back to the wire frame, which I had bent to the shape I needed it to be (both pieces of wire) to the secure the springs, then folded over the “flap “ of material I had and stitched the mattress back together … making sure the stitches also went round the bottom wire for strength / to make sure it didn’t tear the fabric I was stitching it to, due to strain from the stitching/ getting of / off bed etc.
I used builders string line as my preferred “thread “ as it’s strong and I had it lying round..and it just went through the big needle I had….. honestly it’s worked amazingly well!! It’s so comfortable!!
getting it into place was a bit tricky but didn’t it in my own so its doable!! I know foam would have been easier… but we find a good quality pocket spring mattress can’t be beat. All cost £25 .. £5 of that was the soft wire (decent quality garden wire) and a few hours work (sore hands lol)
sharing in case anyone was wondering if it could be done / in case it helps any one !!