Sleeping

[Beryl]

Has anyone got any recommendations for additional comfort to add to the T6 Cali bench and 'upstairs' matresses? We are still finding the sleeping a bit firm! Small double airbeds seem to be a bit too wide and a so-called 'self filling' air under sheet is useless! Tempura foam might be good but too big to carry!
Thanks

 

[pluc99]

Have you tried wine?

 

[Corradobrit]

For convenience and guaranteed positive sleep experience (esp for side sleepers) folding mattresses from Brandrup and Calibed are the way to go. They take only a little more space when folded compared to the VW uncomfort mattress and are just as quick to stow. Not cheap but secondhand ones can be had very reasonably. I paid 200 euro for the Calibed Prestige for the lower bed. For a good nights sleep and painfree morning, these mattresses are priceless.
As for the upper bed I find the Froli spring system and factory mattress perfectly comfortable.

 

[Beryl]

For convenience and guaranteed positive sleep experience (esp for side sleepers) folding mattresses from Brandrup and Calibed are the way to go. They take only a little more space when folded compared to the VW uncomfort mattress and are just as quick to stow. Not cheap but secondhand ones can be had very reasonably. I paid 200 euro for the Calibed Prestige for the lower bed. For a good nights sleep and painfree morning, these mattresses are priceless.
As for the upper bed I find the Froli spring system and factory mattress perfectly comfortable.

Thanks, I'll take a look. Just seen a video about duvalay from Freshtech so will look at this as well.

 

[dspuk]

Has anyone got any recommendations for additional comfort to add to the T6 Cali bench and 'upstairs' matresses? We are still finding the sleeping a bit firm! Small double airbeds seem to be a bit too wide and a so-called 'self filling' air under sheet is useless! Tempura foam might be good but too big to carry!
Thanks

Beyond dozens of threads on this, so search, top right is your friend. There are numerous third party mattress and/or SIM options.

 

[Kev56]

Have you tried wine?

Agree, also found beer works quite well.

 

[ThomasHJ]

I agree with @dspuk that this is a subject that has been discussed on here so many times that you should be able to find what you are looking for.

I'll add though that some people replace the slatted base by disc springs. I believe they were introduced in the T6.1 and not yet in the T6.

Also, many people use the Sea2Summit SIM with a mini-pump (like the Flextail one) to inflate and deflate.

 

[Beryl]

Beyond dozens of threads on this, so search, top right is your friend. There are numerous third party mattress and/or SIM options.

Thank you.

 

[erikp]

Thank you.

Second on the disc springs! We have them and it is a huge difference!

 

[Paul Burgess]

Panda mattress topper superb, small double fits perfect downstairs and annoyingly after I paid £109 for the cheapest I could find online Costco sell them for £99!

 

[BeagleMum]

Thanks, I'll take a look. Just seen a video about duvalay from Freshtech so will look at this as well.

We use Duvalay excellent products.

 

[Skootyalan]

sea to Summit do a memory foam/inflatable Matt which works extremely well. You can buy a battery pump off Amazon to help with inflation and deflation. It replaces the VE cardboard mattress!! I found the original mattress too thin. But the S2S is excellent

 

[Goldi]

Thanks, I'll take a look. Just seen a video about duvalay from Freshtech so will look at this as well.

I tried the Duvalay Freshtech & it didn't work for me, so I sold it & got the Calibed which is great, but expensive, & I had to get mine from a VW dealer in europe. If you do go this route, make sure you don't pay VAT twice.

 

[Skelly]

Agree, lots of threads on this topic, which we found very helpful we
got our T5.1 last year and quickly realised we needed to upgrade the sleeping option. We sleep in the pop top.
We went for the Outwell Dreamcatcher 5mm SIM which is a snug fit at 1.2m but still allows for a topper as well. Sleep really well and have got rolling up the SIM to a fine and quick art now.
At the end of the day it is a personal choice.

www.wowcamping.co.uk/productDetail/outwell-dreamcatcher-double-5-0cm-sim

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Thanks, I'll take a look. Just seen a video about duvalay from Freshtech so will look at this as well.

Hi - I went down this rabbit hole! I tried self inflating, VW ‘Comfort’ amongst others.

I settled on a Brandrup iXtend. Great quality, concertinas on the back shelf in seconds.

I am selling my van kit, if you are interested. It’s been used about 12 nights.

 

[acer]

Agree, lots of threads on this topic, which we found very helpful we
got our T5.1 last year and quickly realised we needed to upgrade the sleeping option. We sleep in the pop top.
We went for the Outwell Dreamcatcher 5mm SIM which is a snug fit at 1.2m but still allows for a topper as well. Sleep really well and have got rolling up the SIM to a fine and quick art now.
At the end of the day it is a personal choice.

www.wowcamping.co.uk/productDetail/outwell-dreamcatcher-double-5-0cm-sim

Thanks for posting - looks like it might be a useful website. Strange they don’t provide dimensions on their self inflating mattresses.

I also have had many different sleep set-ups and for me, the self inflating options covered by a zonesleep topper offer the best comfort. However, I am picking up a Calibed Prestige III soon. It has the benefit that it can’t hiss air!

 

[Corradobrit]

Thanks for posting - looks like it might be a useful website. Strange they don’t provide dimensions on their self inflating mattresses.

The outwell site has all the specs. Could be a nice option over the S2S, which I think is a compromised design due to microleaks at the single seam. A gusseted design would have been more durable.

 

[Corradobrit]

Outwell Dreamcatcher Double 5.0 cm - buy online direct from Outwell

Designed to fit neatly into Outwell® bedrooms, the Dreamcatcher range of single and double designs enjoys our FHF (Flat High-Flow) valve for easy inflation and rapid deflation. All features an ingenious wave-shaped foam core to ensure campers’ sleep comfort whilst reducing the SIMs’ volume when...

www.outwell.com

 

[capt kirk]

if you want a cheap fix the economy airbed from decathalon fits excactly at 1200 wide and 900 long and when deflated can stay upstairs with the roof closed

 

[PurpleLizC789]

First time we slept in a California, it was a rented one, so we didn't want to go out and buy something special. We just grabbed our mattress topper from the spare double bed at home and used that. It worked perfectly for us and when the bed wasn't out, we folded it into three (a bit like you do with the downstairs mattress) and put it on the bench seat and sat on it. This was initially just somewhere to put it away without taking up more space on the rear parcel shelf, but in fact, it makes the bench seat really comfy to sit on and more like a sofa - for me it makes the van more homely too and less car-like (it has an adapted duvet cover on it).

 

[Beryl]

Hi - I went down this rabbit hole! I tried self inflating, VW ‘Comfort’ amongst others.

I settled on a Brandrup iXtend. Great quality, concertinas on the back shelf in seconds.

I am selling my van kit, if you are interested. It’s been used about 12 nights.

Hi, thanks Juan. I've just bought a Duvalay freshtech which I'm trying this weekend. Fingers crossed! If this plus wine don't work, I might be interested.

 

[Beryl]

Panda mattress topper superb, small double fits perfect downstairs and annoyingly after I paid £109 for the cheapest I could find online Costco sell them for £99!

Crikey, should have tried this first!

 

[Stu@rt]

Hi, thanks Juan. I've just bought a Duvalay freshtech which I'm trying this weekend. Fingers crossed! If this plus wine don't work, I might be interested.

Oh @Beryl Please report back and tell me this is a game changer ! The prison mattress is really testing my patience. Side sleeper here that just cant get comfortable, awake with hip discomfort most Cali nights. I have come close to pulling the trigger on the Freshtec Duvalay a few times. Have experimented with a few cheaper toppers that don't seem to make any difference. Please tell me that its a miracle cure

 

[Joax]

Hi - I went down this rabbit hole! I tried self inflating, VW ‘Comfort’ amongst others.

I settled on a Brandrup iXtend. Great quality, concertinas on the back shelf in seconds.

I am selling my van kit, if you are interested. It’s been used about 12 nights.

Hi - interested to know what you have for sale for a t6.1 especially as ours 2nd hand came with no mattress for the pop-up roof.

 

[Beryl]

Oh @Beryl Please report back and tell me this is a game changer ! The prison mattress is really testing my patience. Side sleeper here that just cant get comfortable, awake with hip discomfort most Cali nights. I have come close to pulling the trigger on the Freshtec Duvalay a few times. Have experimented with a few cheaper toppers that don't seem to make any difference. Please tell me that its a miracle cure

Hi, just back from Norfolk and yes, the Duvalay did make a difference. 1st good night’s sleep but, qualified by addition of wine I have a shoulder injury that makes sleeping difficult but it was definitely easier to sleep this time.