road trip vehicle question

[sh47]

we have a large dodge van- with a built in loft that is basically a piece of plywood on stands- right now we sleep on it with our camping pads, but i am realizing it would be much more comfortable to have either foam or a mattress on top. anyone have experience either custom building or buying some sort of truck bed mattress or something like that? i don't have the dimensions with me- but it's the entire width of a ram van.

 

the cheaper the better!

thx

[Mountainstyle]

If you can find an inexpensive memory foam mattress topper and put it over your camping pads it works great. We have a Dodge Sprinter van, and that is the set up we use for our bed. Good luck and long live the dirt-bag, van living climbers!

[pink]

i bought a double foamton mattress for $100 about twelve years ago. it was very comfortable and easy to maintain. i guess a futon would work to but this mattress was much lighter and easier to bend in half.

[fern]

IKEA has some good cheap mattresses. When I was looking, it ended up better value than buying from a custom foam shop. Zip-off washable cover, variety of stiffnesses and thicknesses etc. Just buying straight raw foam was surprisingly expensive.

[thelawgoddess]

i'd go with foam if you can find some that's affordable. that stuff is so comfy!!!

[crmlla2007]

Back in the day...

 

I lived in a Ford E350. The bed was a double mattress given to us by a relative upgrading to a fancier mattress. Worked fine for a few years and felt a lot like "home" more so than foam pads. When it wore out we got one of those inflatable mattresses. Oddly enough it never punctured in spite of our desert-rat lifestyle. But it got cold at night - had to put a quilt under our sheet.

[sh47]

thanks for the info! all very helpful

[Bug]

I lived in my 1960 Ford Falcon van for several years of climbing and woods work. I put cheap closed cell foan on plywood and 2" open cell foam on top of that. After a few years, I put an air mattress lightly inflated under the open cell foam. It worked great. I may have invested $20 total.

I have a queen sive air mattress you can have but I am in Redmond WA.

[pink]

mattress in a van in the NW=mold, can you have it deliced bug?

[Bug]

Sure but you will just re-infest it.

I didn't get any mold btw. Try closing your windows.

 

I also used a propane radiant heater. It kept me dry and warm.

You DO have to open your window a little for that.

[pink]

is that why our brain doesn't work. what's wrong with lice, that's my family your talking about.

[jclark]

Hey Mountainstyle,

 

I have been checking out Dodge sprintewrs for just that purpose. Do you have an pics of how you have it rigged up inside? Anything fancy or just a mattress? Thanks in advance

[Bug]

is that why our brain doesn't work. what's wrong with lice, that's my family your talking about.

I once spent endless hours pulling head lice eggsacs off the long beautiful hairs of my girlfriend while we were ending our 6 month trip in Mexico.

If she would have been just a little less cute, she would still have them.

I did nnot have any problems with bug infestations nor mold in my van but then, I took a couple trips a year to the desert. They had to be ready for sub-zero (Montana), damp and wet (Seattle), and hot and dry (Moab).

[sexual_chocolate]

we have a large dodge van- with a built in loft that is basically a piece of plywood on stands- right now we sleep on it with our camping pads, but i am realizing it would be much more comfortable to have either foam or a mattress on top. anyone have experience either custom building or buying some sort of truck bed mattress or something like that? i don't have the dimensions with me- but it's the entire width of a ram van.

 

the cheaper the better!

thx

 

just pm tvashtarkenton, i'm sure he'd know.