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Downstairs bed very HARD (despite Brandrup iEXTEND topper

John Herbert

John Herbert

Once a camper ...
Messages
52
Vehicle
T6 Ocean 204
Hi All

Yes I have an old softy - at home a six foot bed with thousands of individual pocket springs to lull you into a good nights sleep. I find the Ocean bed just to hard to sleep in (just like Goldilocks) and cannot get comfortable and despite spending a small fortune on a Brandrup iEXTEND topper the bed is still to hard for my liking.

What is the solution would I have been better of selecting a Comfortz or Zonesleep topper? Are they any softer? How practical is it to put one of these on top of the Brandrup product (there is of course a limit to how much can be stuffed behind the back seat with bedding) or would I be better of just getting rid of the Brandrup and opting for one of the (hopefully softer) alternatives.

Anybody else had issues with the hard bed in the California.

Please tell me your experience.

Thanks
 
I have a comfortz in mine and find it more comfy than my bed at home. However I've not tried an iExtend so I cant compare.
 
The top of a zonesleep is very luxurious but they are still quite firm underneath. Just placing that on the downstairs bed is still hardish.
 
I have a Comfortz memory foam topper on mine and it's okay but slightly on the firm side.
 
Hi All

Yes I have an old softy - at home a six foot bed with thousands of individual pocket springs to lull you into a good nights sleep. I find the Ocean bed just to hard to sleep in (just like Goldilocks) and cannot get comfortable and despite spending a small fortune on a Brandrup iEXTEND topper the bed is still to hard for my liking.

What is the solution would I have been better of selecting a Comfortz or Zonesleep topper? Are they any softer? How practical is it to put one of these on top of the Brandrup product (there is of course a limit to how much can be stuffed behind the back seat with bedding) or would I be better of just getting rid of the Brandrup and opting for one of the (hopefully softer) alternatives.

Anybody else had issues with the hard bed in the California.

Please tell me your experience.

Thanks
Either get one of the Toppers you mentioned or visit Ikea. I would then try the new purchase with/without the iExtend just in case you need both.

Have you got the full length VW Comfort mattress or are you sleeping on the seat + the small boot shelf mattress?
 
The Ocean bed is as standard with the Brandrup on top. Looks good and is well made, as you would expect at their prices, but it has very little "give". Smooths out the normal seat and bed. Am thinking maybe a size double bed soft topper to go on top of the BRandrup (although they are 1.35 wide compared to the standard bed of 1.14 so that means a little extra each side "up the Wall" if you know what I mean. Anything to avoid "it is so hard, painful, that I cannot get to sleep" .
 
The first weekend we used our van, I suffered terribly with the hard surface of the standard bed. Then we purchased the Comfortz topper and never looked back. Now after purchasing a new bed for our house, we have added another mattress topper as well . We just roll it up along with the quilt we use. Fold up the Comfortz topper, reposition the seats and we are off.
 
Not sure where you are based but we have a hardly used Comfortz topper for sale, about half price, based in West Lancs.
 
Find the VW comfort mattress just about acceptable but better half complains about the wardrobe/fridge being cold.

I wonder if the solution could be a standard 1.35m wide double topper from ikea, folded up on the wardrobe side - should go up by around 20cm based on the 1.14m wide bed.

Has anyone done this?
 
our biggest complaint when we go to a holiday cottage is the bed was too soft. So with a topper find the van bed just right
unless I forget to push the seat belt buckles down.
 
The main issue is the hard ridge across the top of the back of the seat which hits my hip. Plus the bed board is a little too firm for our shoulders too.

The Comfortz Memory foam topper with a Zone Sleep topper on top as well, is the only way we made it comfortable.

Alan
 
I have the vw mattress.....still to hard, so add on top a thinish foam mattress ..that works for me...I defo need them both even though I try and pack minimally
 
I have a thin 'end' piece which fits over the shelf (VW provided?) and also a 5cm foam topper which is flat one side and 'egg box' the other. I cut it to shape and it fits into the shaped sheets that duvalay sells. Duvet on top and then folds together into three to fit on the back shelf. Very easy to set up and pack down.
The egg box side is on top and I find it cooler to sleep on than traditional memory foam. Not as comfortable as my bed at home but the best I can achieve I think...
 
OP ...

I fave a comfortz topper. If I knew your location and you were close I could suggest trying mine out :)
 
OP ...

I fave a comfortz topper. If I knew your location and you were close I could suggest trying mine out :)
I wasn't sure this was 'that' type of forum :)
 
Hi All

Yes I have an old softy - at home a six foot bed with thousands of individual pocket springs to lull you into a good nights sleep. I find the Ocean bed just to hard to sleep in (just like Goldilocks) and cannot get comfortable and despite spending a small fortune on a Brandrup iEXTEND topper the bed is still to hard for my liking.

What is the solution would I have been better of selecting a Comfortz or Zonesleep topper? Are they any softer? How practical is it to put one of these on top of the Brandrup product (there is of course a limit to how much can be stuffed behind the back seat with bedding) or would I be better of just getting rid of the Brandrup and opting for one of the (hopefully softer) alternatives.

Anybody else had issues with the hard bed in the California.

Please tell me your experience.

Thanks
I have the same problem in my old campa. I use a thermal rest a big one and a deep one, from any decent campa. You could use it alongside your other that you bought. They roll up too so easy to transport. You can get double or single xx
 
I have the same problem in my old campa. I use a thermal rest a big one and a deep one, from any decent campa. You could use it alongside your other that you bought. They roll up too so easy to transport. You can get double or single.
Should read any decent camping shop
 
I quite agree with AlanC. I don't mind the hardness of the bed so much but I really don't like the ridge of the top of the rear seat. It seems to jut out and make the bed not level. I've have not found a solution to The Ridge!!!
 
If we are talking SE / Ocean, I struggled with a ridge on the first night, but found I hadn't quite got the bed flat, with the seat belt shrouds not fully under the parcel shelf.
I still get it wrong occasionally. It SEEMS to vary with where I have my knees when I'm pulling the strap, but I'm sure that's not the cause.
 
Dunelm Mill £150 goose down topper.... my Mrs Is a bit Princess and the Pea and she likes it..... zonesleep is a bit firmer
 
We've tried different ways to make downstairs bed more comfortable and the best result so far is by pulling down the mattress from upstairs + zonesleep + random mattress topper = 5☆ comfort. Just returned from 4 nights at Tribfest and we made the bed up before we left home and we were incredibly comfortable for the 4 nights.
 
I quite agree with AlanC. I don't mind the hardness of the bed so much but I really don't like the ridge of the top of the rear seat. It seems to jut out and make the bed not level. I've have not found a solution to The Ridge!!!
VW Comfort Mattress?
 
Before update a thank you to Granny Jen for her generous and tempting offer to try out her Comfortz Topper (and as she asks am located in Southsea), but moving on - the latest is that have now discovered, and bought, a John Lewis SMALL double topper for £85 model 60701004 (which at 120cm wide fits the California 114cm bed far better than the standard double of 135cm). So its going to be a case of pile um high and hope that eliminates the hard bed problem, but it does create the that's even more stuff to take and pack away.
 
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