Making up your beds -non fixed bed

[Cyclewalkbob]

Could anyone help resolve a discussion that my wife ad I have had over the last two weeks in France.

We are new to caravanning and would like some advice.

When making up the double/single bed out of the seat cushions, do you turn over the seating and put sheets over the underside ( to protect the facing material or do you save time and just put the bedding straight onto the normal facing material side ?

Thanks in anticipation

Bobbo

 

[CarolineSimon]

I would say yes, turn them over then put a sheet on, we used to do this but I must say we ended up buying mattress toppers as we could never get comfy with the blooming knee rolls which ever way we turned the cushions.

Thankfully now we have a fixed bed so no more knee rolls - hateful things! lol.

Hope that helps settle the arguments!

 

[robin munro]

Hi,

We always turn our seating over, tends to be more comfortable that way.

Could even be better in case of spillages from red wine night caps!!!

We use sleeping bags directly on top.

Robin.

 

[Parksy]

We used to turn the cushions over and use a duvet underneath the bottom sheet when we made up the bed.

 

[MagsAlan]

We turn them over, big seat cushions on the outside with the knee rolls outermost (your head and feet dont feel the bumps as much as your back)and fill in the middle bit with the back rest cushions. Then we use a mattress protector under a fitted bottom sheet, then duvet and pillows. The scatter cushions and armrests then go into the one of the big bags that the bedding has come out of.

 

[Cyclewalkbob]

Thanks everyone for your advice, we currently do what Mags & Alan do ,as "the other half" thinks caravanning is not caravanning without making beds up!!!!

Cheers

Bobbo

 

[Gafferbill]

Try the Mags & Alan method ...........but put the two backrests at your feet end.

Try and level the caravan so that your head side are slightly higher than your feet side.

But it is Horses for Courses!

 

[TheSleuth]

Caroline and Simon are right.

What are you all doing horsing around arguing the toss about knee rolls and undersides, rolling out sleeping bags etc etc. trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

It's always going to be a compromise, and a pretty poor one at that.

If you want a double bed, surely the only sensible advice is buy a van with one - there are now loads of variants on the market.

You still get two bench seats to mess around with last thing at night trying to get sorted for a good night's sleep if you want to self flagellate!

And what do you do if one wishes to go by-byes and t'other don't?!!

Meantime the rest of us are tucked up comfortably on our memory foam toppers over quality sprung FLAT mattresses drinking our cocoa and reading a good book before lights out. Or perhaps already drifted off in the shere effortless luxury of it all (unless the banging around of neighbours single /double bed arranging contortions isn't keeping us awake of course!)

 

[Chris_374460038]

I have just posted comments about how we got over the problem - we got Tockfield to refill our cushions and take out the knee rolls. Why they are ever fitted is a complete mystery to us!!

The problem with the Bailey Pageant is that because of a cupboard, one base cushion is less wide than t'other so you don't have many options - but we tried them all and none really worked.

What we can now do is leave the two base cushions where they are the right way up, fit the two backrests in the middle (either way up) and over that goes a memory foam mattress topper, then a duvet.

You then get a bed thats as comfortable as at home and a lot less hassle than before

 

[Pat_374304630]

Hi,

Like most posters we turn over the cushions, backrests in the middle, however we no longer use sheets. We put a thinish duvet on the bottom and a thicker one on top. we find it much quicker and easier to make up and put away the bed.

 

[cobbers]

Mags & Alan method every time. However making up the bed is still a bind. Wife and I agreed to take it in turns. Last year was my turn!

This year we bought a brand new van with fixed bed. Only slept in one night so far but are out again this weekend at Chirk. Looking forward to falling into a proper bed and drifting off to sleep to the sound of the rain we have been guaranteed.

It's definitely the future.

 

[Parksy]

ETTO, many caravanners prefer layouts other than fixed bed models.

We're lucky enough to have a fixed bed these days so that I can enjoy a nice dram of single malt whilst Herself sometimes goes to sleep earlier.

We used to have fun making up the bed in earlier days.

I love my o/h dearly but I always had to bear in mind a couple of idiosyncrasies when making up the bed.

She hates being cold so we always had plenty of thick duvets, one underneath and a great big thick one on top and she hated any part of the bedding, pillows etc to touch any part of the floor, the kitchen area or in fact anywhere except the tiny side 'worktop' in our small 2 berth Lunar Meteorite which we had at the time.

This meant that after I had fished this vast amount of bedding from the plastic bags stored under the seats I had to pile it onto this worktop until it almost touched the roof panels to avoid the duvet touching 'forbidden' areas.

We developed a routine which went like clockwork eventually. She would pull out the bed slats while I held back this teetering pile of bedding then we'd swap places and I'd put the bottom duvet on with a sort of throw which I evolved so that it landed without creases or bumps. Herself is only about 4 feet 8 inches tall so she would temporarily disappear from view whilst clinging to the duvet mountain.

Then we'd swap over and she would do the sheets before changing places to hold the now diminishing heap of bedding.

Another flick of the wrists and I'd get the top duvet on and we'd swap over for her to straighten everything out to her satisfaction.

The highlight of the proceedings for me was whilst she was clambering about on top of this quilted ocean smoothing out any bumpy bits because I'd throw the pillows with unerring accuracy and hit her on the back of the head with these fluffy missiles.

If there had been an Olympic caravan bed making event we'd certainly have been in the medals and we always slept well.

 

[johnwendy]

I did have a chuckle at Parksys description of the bed making ritual! It reminded me of how John always used to disappear with the dog for her last walk and always managed to time coming back as I finished making the bed up (I'm sure he was outside listening and waiting).

The fixed bed option is definately easier and now I'm the one laughing when he comes in from walkies lol!

Wendy

 

[sheila_374397204]

We used the Mags and Alan method until we got the fixed bed last July.

 

[valeter]

Mags & Alan method every time. However making up the bed is still a bind. Wife and I agreed to take it in turns. Last year was my turn!

This year we bought a brand new van with fixed bed. Only slept in one night so far but are out again this weekend at Chirk. Looking forward to falling into a proper bed and drifting off to sleep to the sound of the rain we have been guaranteed.

It's definitely the future.

Just got back from chirk you are right about the rain hardly stopped for 2 days,great site through

 

[Chaps]

We don't get a totally fitted result but choose to arrange the seat base cushions to lie full length on turned over with the knee rolls on the outer sides of the bed so you don't feel the lumps when you cuddle up in the night! We then have a bit of a jigsaw puzzle at the bottom with the back cushions. They don't quite fit but they're by our feet so it doesn't matter much and makes for a much comfier bed. Our way means that you each benefit from lying on mainly a single cushion. We use an old double quilt as a mattress topper with a double sleeping bag and the bed is very comfortable.

Must say though, we often leave the front bed made up if we're holidaying without other families as it means less work. We're just waiting until our eldest 2 boys don't come with us anymore so we can get a fixed island bed although Rob does rather enjoy it when I have to climb over him to get in and out of bed!

 

[Chaps]

PS Loved Parksy's Post, it rang a few bells and made me chuckle!