Creating the Comfy Bed in Your Pop Up Camper


Sometimes you just want to be in your own bed.  Other times, you want to be camping.  And many times, campers complain about the usually uncomfortable RV mattress.  Moving from tent camping to a camper doesn't necessarily mean great bedding.  How can you make your home on the road comfy like the bed you long for at home?

Three easy steps will take you from typical to terrific.  And, you don't have to do everything at once.  I'm a planner.  So, my advice to you is making a plan and make it happen!

Replace Your Mattress

First, get a new mattress.  I've heard lots of campers say that they wish they had gotten a new mattress a long time ago.  If you have been putting off a more comfortable mattress, go ahead and pull the trigger.  What are you waiting for?


I personally think that memory foam mattresses are excellent.  In our pop up camper, we have a Classic Brands Memory Foam Replacement Mattress.    It is about 4.5 inches thick.  I can still close my camper up with no issues.  The dense foam gives a great night's sleep and is not that expensive.  Also, you can order these in thicker sizes for a travel trailer. Classic Brands Cool Gel Ventilated Gel Memory Foam 10.5-Inch Mattress, Queen .

We love this brand, and I'm actually about to order one for our home from this brand.  And if you are still thinking, "I'll just buy a topper instead and save the money."  Don't.  Get the mattress.  2 and 3-inch toppers are over $100.  Our mattress is thicker than a topper and costs almost the same.

My cousin and his wife have a Zinus brand mattress that is also super comfy.  He and she both agree that their Zinus mattress is more comfortable than the bed they sleep on at home.  They have a thicker Zinus mattress because they are in a travel trailer.  However, if you are looking for a sofa replacement size that would fit better in a pop-up camper, try the Zinus Cool Gel Memory Foam 5 Inch Sleeper Sofa Mattress, Replacement Sofa Bed Mattress, Full  This brand also has RV mattresses if you need a special size. 

Padding Underneath

You don't have to be a princess to take note of a pea underneath a pile of bedding.  Pop up campers have beds that lay on top of wooden bunk ends.  On a traditional 10 or 12 inch mattress, you may never notice what your mattress is positioned over.  In a pop-up, your mattress thickness is limited to the number of inches your camper needs to close.  This can pose a challenge at times.

Thin mattresses can make you feel like you are sinking into a hard slab.  Dense memory foam cushions your body against that hard, board underneath.  But, anti-fatigue mats under your mattress can take your bedding to the next level.


I picked up 4 packs of these mats at Harbor Freight this month.  Each pack covers 17 square feet and costs $8.99 each.  There were four large squares per pack.  To fit under our full-size beds in Peggy Sue, each side took 6 mats.  I actually had a pack left over.  It cost less than $30 for this upgrade.



There are more expensive mats out there, but with our dense memory foam on top, I felt like this was a corner we could cut.  If you have thinner mattresses, you might want to opt for more expensive anti-fatigue mats under your beds.

My husband and I both noticed the difference as we are side sleepers.  We didn't have that middle of the night shoulder or hip ache from pressing into the bedding.  This was the real test for us.  My husband says that the bed no longer felt hard the longer he lay there.  He remarked that the bed felt firm and supported. 

Bedding

Get some soft sheets.  These don't have to be expensive.  Ours came from Wayfair.  They were surprisingly inexpensive.  These microfiber sheets have held up well and are so soft to sleep in.  I paid around $28 a sheet set for these.



Thow on a lightweight quit.  You can layer in the winter.  We also bought our bed quilts from Wayfair.  They are reversible.  And, these sets also came with 2 decorative pillows and matching shams.

The piles of pillows and soft bedding make each bunk end an inviting retreat at the end of a day.  No regrets here from this camper.  Plus, if you are going to take the time to update your bedding underneath, go all the way!

These three steps create the look and feel of home bedding on the road.  After all, it is your own bed.  It is your own camping bed.  And you shouldn't dread getting into it.

If you are looking for more gear ideas, check out my Camping Gear Page.  If you are in the middle of a camper remodel, I have the goods from my Pop Up Remodel listed on my blog as well.  I also love it when readers comment or drop me a line.  I'd love to hear from you!  Until next time...


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12 comments

  1. Thank you for the great info - how does the gel memory foam hold up in the heat of being left in the hot camper when not in use?

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    1. Ours has held up fine. We haven't had any issues, and ours is about 1 1/2 years old. I hope this helps!

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  2. What size memory foam/gel did you get? our openings are 77 x 70. Did you also customize the shower curtain?

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    1. We used a full size mattress in our camper. However, based on your dimensions this sounds like a 'queen'. I put that in quotes because it is slightly smaller than a traditional queen. The queen would be the closest size. Using a memory foam mattress is great in a camper because you can trim the size to fit your needs. My husband trimmed our mattress to fit using a bread knife.
      Regarding the curtains, I made those all to fit the camper. I do know that some people use shower curtains for their curtains in their RVs. Hope this helps!

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  3. We did buy a memory foam topper from Walmart. It is such a dream to sleep on.
    The issue we have is that, we have a king size popup bed, and we don't really know that the most comfortable direction to sleep on the bed. I see photos, like the one in your post, that have the head at the end. We tend to be too long when we stretch out. And how do you get under the covers easily? But sleeping with the head at the side, I sleep on the inside, and I have to crawl over.
    Please do a segment on sleeping in a popup.

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    1. Great feedback. I'm glad your topper is working. This is also an excellent idea. I'll be adding a post about sleeping in a pop up in late June! Thank you for the suggestion.

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  4. Do you know what the comforter set on Wayfair was called? I love it.

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    1. Hi! I ordered this set from Wayfair a few years ago. I was not able to find it online again. But, the name of the set is - Filigree Quilt Set By Home Fashion Designs. You could do an internet search and see if you can find it anywhere. It seemed to be out of stock where I looked. Happy Camping!

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  5. Hey I’m a new to me Popup owner to. Coleman Utah. I just want to say thanks for taking the time to share these awesome pics and ideas. You have totally sold me on the anti fatigue mats.

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    1. I'm so glad that you found this to be helpful! Feel free to drop a line and let me know if you ever have questions!

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  6. I had a pop up previously and always hated the “damp” feeling at night. We are purchasing a new pop up again and wondered if you had any ideas to combat that. Thank you so much..your camper looked fabulous!

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    1. I would encourage you to use a dehumidifier or a container of damp rid. The dehumidifier is the way to go in my opinion! Good luck with your new camper and thank you!

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