Mattress options for 3 seat Beach

[beachdrop]

Thanks so much Jeeves - you've convinced me. Just about to order the Vanessa mattress and the window bags. Quick question but why did you purchase the 189cm mattress over the 184cm one? Just wondering if there's something I'm missing? Thanks again.

 

[Jeeves]

Thanks so much Jeeves - you've convinced me. Just about to order the Vanessa mattress and the window bags. Quick question but why did you purchase the 189cm mattress over the 184cm one? Just wondering if there's something I'm missing? Thanks again.

Just checking the website "The mattress for the T6/5 Beach 184 x 143 cm is needed when you want to use an interior module (kitchen module, module tower).
So if no kitchen go for the longer one

 

[beachdrop]

Thanks Jeeves - now ordered. Just need campsites to reopen now.....

 

[Tim Robinson]

If anyone wants one for what I paid for it (425) I have a brand new 189cm VanEssa mattress just arrived from Germany that I’m taking back to Campervantastic as I was going to buy one beach and have bought another that comes with the mattress. I’m Bristol based but can deliver anywhere between here and Canterbury in about 10 days time

 

[44danno]

This any good?

Volkswagen T5/6 Caravelle comfort mattress Multiflex board | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Volkswagen T5/6 Caravelle comfort mattress Multiflex board at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[2haw]

This any good?

Volkswagen T5/6 Caravelle comfort mattress Multiflex board | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Volkswagen T5/6 Caravelle comfort mattress Multiflex board at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

Wow £575! Only £25 more for a new one. Looking at some of the prices and the amount of components on their eBay page, I wonder if there’s profit from buying a brand new California and breaking it for parts!

 

[Esandar#1]

I agree with all the other assessments of the VW Comfort mattress. It is firm, it is pricey but it does a pretty decent job of making the reclined 3 seat bench & flexiboard into a big & fairly comfy double bed. We have a picnic blanket (type thing) that sits folded in half on the rear bench as a seat cover and roll this up and put into the small ‘v’ that the reclined seat makes under the mattress at night. We sleep head to rear and have a pretty chunky double sleeping bag that helps soften things. For a 3 week tour of Europe (2018) we had two single inflatable mattresses that I tried underneath that also softened the sleep a bit! We had the VW mattress from day 1. The other product I looked at (to soften things a bit) was a SleepZone topper, but decided to stick with what we have.

slightly off topic, but as another little ‘accessory’ I crafted two rear thermal blinds that wedge into back window and stay in place when tailgate lifts. This helps keep Van cooler and means we don’t have to use the pull up rear blind... and we do now have a small shelf behind our heads for phone, bottle of water etc. The ‘thermal blinds’ were made from the underlay that goes under wooden floors (all made from a £20 pack from B&Q) You just have to remember to move your valuables in the morning as otherwise when you open the tailgate it all falls off (as ‘the self’ is part of the tailgate!)

Thanks all for your responses. I was about to call VW and pull the trigger on the VW comfort mattress but I think I might now get the Vanessa one after Jeeves's post - especially if it's discounted at the moment. Jeeves - does the Vanessa mattress take up any more space than the VW one and is the underside contoured like the VW one?

Am also thinking of getting the Vanessa window bags but it looks like there might not be enough room for the both these and the mattress when stored on the shelf?

Thanks everybody - this forum is so useful.

 

[dartmoorscott]

Apologies for a potentially stupid question but has anyone tried a double air bed with a 12v compressor? Seems like a much cheaper option with the back-up of regular tyre pressure checks away from the petrol station forecourt. Packs up small when deflated and inflates in 1-2 minutes.
Aside from the potential comfort issues any other downsides?

 

[An-j]

Apologies for a potentially stupid question but has anyone tried a double air bed with a 12v compressor? Seems like a much cheaper option with the back-up of regular tyre pressure checks away from the petrol station forecourt. Packs up small when deflated and inflates in 1-2 minutes.
Aside from the potential comfort issues any other downsides?

I’ve not tried, but I think you would have to be careful with the height of an air bed as they might reduce the space between the bed and ceiling too much?

 

[Neilos]

Apologies for a potentially stupid question but has anyone tried a double air bed with a 12v compressor? Seems like a much cheaper option with the back-up of regular tyre pressure checks away from the petrol station forecourt. Packs up small when deflated and inflates in 1-2 minutes.
Aside from the potential comfort issues any other downsides?

I just felt I bought a stupidly expensive van so I wouldn’t have to faff about with air beds. The comfort mattress is disappointing. How hard can it be to make something that big at least comfortable?! I could forgive it’s size if it was comfy! I can’t afford to but really I’d like to ditch it and try something else but I can’t see anything else would give you such a flat bed on a 3 seat bench.

Height it the other key issue if someone is using the top bed. It’s just enough to sit up as it is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[beachdrop]

We explored an air bed but I read a few reports that they can tend to leak and you end up in the morning on the floor! Our Vanessa mattress has just arrived - will report back when we've had a chance to use it.

 

[Guy Raymond]

If anyone wants one for what I paid for it (425) I have a brand new 189cm VanEssa mattress just arrived from Germany that I’m taking back to Campervantastic as I was going to buy one beach and have bought another that comes with the mattress. I’m Bristol based but can deliver anywhere between here and Canterbury in about 10 days time

I'm in Bristol and could be interested in this tim

 

[Guy Raymond]

I'm following this thread with interest as we are also considering which mattress to use with our 3 seat Beach.
We don't want any overhang when the bed is used in standard length (not going over the middle seat row). The Vanessa mattress is available in the correct shorter length (184cm).
Is the VW comfort mattress the same length?

I'm following this thread with interest as we are also considering which mattress to use with our 3 seat Beach.
We don't want any overhang when the bed is used in standard length (not going over the middle seat row). The Vanessa mattress is available in the correct shorter length (184cm).
Is the VW comfort mattress the same length?

what exactly do you mean when you say

"bed is used in standard length (not going over the middle seat row)." i was about to order the 189cm

 

[cosmiccampers]

We explored an air bed but I read a few reports that they can tend to leak and you end up in the morning on the floor! Our Vanessa mattress has just arrived - will report back when we've had a chance to use it.

Hi, just looking through the posts and are having a similar dilemma. Van came with vw comfort mattress but finding it v hard. How was the Vanessa in the end?

 

[Alied]

Hi, just looking through the posts and are having a similar dilemma. Van came with vw comfort mattress but finding it v hard. How was the Vanessa in the end?

I bought a Vanessa mattress after having the VW Comfort Mattress and in my opinion after using it for two weeks in France I had the best sleep ever since having my van. Thanks to @Jeeves for pointing out that you still need a single layer of mattress above the multiflex board to make the mattress flat otherwise there is a slight dip. This is his photo for reference.

 

[Jeeves]

I bought a Vanessa mattress after having the VW Comfort Mattress and in my opinion after using it for two weeks in France I had the best sleep ever since having my van. Thanks to @Jeeves for pointing out that you still need a single layer of mattress above the multiflex board to make the mattress flat otherwise there is a slight dip. This is his photo for reference.
View attachment 64553

Hope you got back ok...we just managed to escape quarantine after changing all our plans-thank goodness the california allows versatile travel

 

[jonddd]

We ended up buying the Vanessa mattress direct from Germany. This was fairly easy on the Vanessa website and was quite a bit cheaper as it was on offer. We ordered the slightly shorter 184cm version because we have a Vangear Kombi 3 removable kitchen pod. There is just enough room to squeeze between the two with the bed made up. The mattress is expensive but well made of two types of foam with a quality feel dark grey cover. It is not contoured to match the seat base but doesn't need to be as it is thick enough to not notice the undulations.
Being 10cm thick it makes a very comfortable bed, probably the best we've ever had in a camper. The only disadvantage is its obvious bulk and weight when stored (and slight loss of headroom when in use) but this is outweighed by the ability to lie in similar comfort to a proper bed.

 

[Alied]

Hope you got back ok...we just managed to escape quarantine after changing all our plans-thank goodness the california allows versatile travel

Hope you got back ok...we just managed to escape quarantine after changing all our plans-thank goodness the california allows versatile travel

Luckily we already had the tunnel booked for Friday afternoon. The Peagé was like a race track with the Brits rushing back.

 

[cosmiccampers]

I bought a Vanessa mattress after having the VW Comfort Mattress and in my opinion after using it for two weeks in France I had the best sleep ever since having my van. Thanks to @Jeeves for pointing out that you still need a single layer of mattress above the multiflex board to make the mattress flat otherwise there is a slight dip. This is his photo for reference.
View attachment 64553

Thank you. Do you know where you can get the multiflex mattress bit from - is it direct from vw? Sounds like a plan for next summer.

 

[Alied]

Thank you. Do you know where you can get the multiflex mattress bit from - is it direct from vw? Sounds like a plan for next summer.

If your van came with the comfort mattress just unzip the part that you need.

 

[beachdrop]

We got the Vanessa mattress in the end (184cm version) and definitely no regrets. Currently in France and have been for a couple of weeks and been managing to sleep comfortably! We don’t find the bulk an issue and it’s worth it for a good nights sleep. Next item on the list is going to be some sort of boot drawer for better storage. Lots of small stuff means a bit of a faff to find things and moving the seat to sleep causes everything to fall forward!

 

[rainking]

+1 for the VanEssa here... we got the 184cm which fits perfectly in our 3 seat Beach and is plenty comfortable enough

It lives on top of the multiflex board, and yeah it's quite bulky... but having slept in a van without a mattress topper, and having tried various 'home brew' mattress topper solutions in a previous van.... It could be twice the size and I'd still have it! haha

 

[Jeeves]

We got the Vanessa mattress in the end (184cm version) and definitely no regrets. Currently in France and have been for a couple of weeks and been managing to sleep comfortably! We don’t find the bulk an issue and it’s worth it for a good nights sleep. Next item on the list is going to be some sort of boot drawer for better storage. Lots of small stuff means a bit of a faff to find things and moving the seat to sleep causes everything to fall forward!

Ive just packed my van up and we also have Vanessa Mattress and Storage bags...Ive just posted how we have done it on a separate post "Beach Storage Solution" but ours looks like below and there is nothing rattling around and unpacking takes minutes and the boxes can be stacked and bed in place in no time

 

[beachdrop]

That looks great Jeeves. We’re still waiting for our Vanessa bags from Germany but now we have a couple of weeks in quarantine with time on our hands we can sort out the boot storage situation...

 

[Robert Pratt]

The mattress is discounted on the Vanessa website at €425 (£381 approx) plus shipping approx €25.

Is the Vanessa mattress contoured to take out the Beach 3 bench seat lumps and bumps (as I believe the VW one is)? Thanks