sleeping - where and how comfortable?

[777111]

I have so far spent just 3 nights in my Cali and as yet am rather disappointed with the comfort whilst sleeping. Early days, and am experimenting a little, but where and how do others get on?
We have only slept downstairs as weather not really good enough to consider the upper bed and have also added a topper - but not the rather pricey zone sleep item. The one we bought is still a little firm but helps. Having been used to a full width T5 bed it seems very cramped for two average adults and not as comfortable as I had hoped.
Where do other owners sleep, what on and head at front or rear on the lower bed?
Any advice would be welcome.
Thanks.

Simon

 

[Trotters]

exactly same story as us :crazy as mentioned before we changed to Zonesleep and never looked back. My opion was we spent £50k on a Cali so why scrimp on aaccessories ( the other half does not see things like that though ) :lol: You spend 8+ hours sleeping per day so the topper should be the most important aaccessory

 

[Andy]

I tend to sleep upstairs & find it fine without a topper.
Downstairs I have to use a topper, currently using the zonesleep one.

 

[BerndRos]

Up top all the time.....

While away for 15 months I slept every night up there with a Duvulay in all weather conditions......

Have just fitted the Confortz replacement mattress from nick and will try it out at Silverstone next week




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[GrannyJen]

I have only slept downstairs but so far only ever with just me in the vehicle.

I have a mattress topper and sleep like a log.

I am warm, ( heater on "1) and fell snug as a bug in a rug. No complaints.

Next month my two doggies are coming with me. I will sleep upstairs. See how we get on.

 

[Andy80F]

I sleep downstairs and wife upstairs. I think the upstairs is the more comfortable but with room to spread the downstairs is just fine. I do find that sleeping with head towards the front give better comfort with more padding about the shoulders. We have the VW mattress topper, as a part of an option pack, but might try out the Comfortz topper we got for free when buying the roof topper and which so far has spent its time in the garage.

Everything about the Cali is a compromise, it's the nature of the vehicle, but the sleeping comfort is one area where a little more work could be done.

 

[Alan]

When wild pitching I sleep downstairs and use a vw luxury materess which pulls across with one pull
I use upstairs when on site which makes for easy preparation .
No topper required either way,just sleeping bag and pillow
Everything just cooshty

 

[KernowLad]

The upstairs bed is definitely comfier without any topper but it's far easier for our kids to sleep up there so another Zonesleep user here; I think we were one of the first?

Five weeks in Europe on it - slept very well. A month from 28th July this year on it too.

 

[gatvol]

Buying a topper would likely dramatically improve your sleeping comfort. In an ideal world, one would not be required - but I think the practical move is to get one. The shame with the Cali is that everything is a compromise like this. The minimalist van you see in the showroom, rapidly gets filled with kit to make it more comfortable. And with the kit comes the packing, the storing, the move this to get to that etc. Literally every single item you put in the van detracts from the get up and go factor

I wish I had the discipline to just "get used" to the beds as they are, but I have a memory foam topper. I suspect that this would be possible and long term users may well have done this. This would be the best solution if your back is amenable to it.

Upstairs is more comfortable due to the slatted base but is noisier, draughtier, more light comes in and it is a hassle to get in and out of - especially if there are two of you up there. Upstairs also feels bigger as one of your heads is not inches away from the wardrobe unit. I actually like sleeping downstairs with the roof up but the upper mattress down, but this will doubtless be a minority view.

 

[DavidofHook]

We sleep downstairs with the upstairs bed pushed up. This makes it nice and airy and avoids assuming a crouched posture when getting up in the night to use the loo!
So far we have just used the mattress as supplied, no topper and we both seem to sleep well. It is not brilliantly comfortable but it is acceptable. We have just done 5 weeks in Spain so maybe it is something that you just get used to? We have considered a topper but, as gatvol said, because of the restricted space in the Cali,the more stuff you have the more you have to move it around to use it.

At bed time I go off to the camp loo for a final pee and Mrs Davidofhook just unrolls the sleeping bag from its place on the bed by the back door. All done by the time I return and manhandle the loo inside. If we have a topper I assume that she would have to get the topper rolled out first and then the sleeping bag, a double job so she may not be too keen!

We sleep with our heads at the back end so we can read leaning against the back door.
We vetoed sleeping round the other way because we would have nothing to lean against and, call me a sissy, but we did not fancy having our heads next to the loo when it was in use during the night

 

[GrannyJen]

I have a downstairs comfort mattress.

Dead easy. Pull bench seat foward, drop the back down, pull bottom edge of comfort mattess and it unfolds into place normally sending sleeping bag spinning towards me as well.

 

[DavidofHook]

I have a downstairs comfort mattress.

Dead easy. Pull bench seat foward, drop the back down, pull bottom edge of comfort mattess and it unfolds into place normally sending sleeping bag spinning towards me as well.

Thanks for that Grannyjen, maybe we will take another look at it

David

 

[777111]

Hi all and thanks for all the replies.
Very much an individual choice and undoubtedly some are more sensitive to a compromised mattress than others.
I still find the lack of space a disadvantage but would expect to get used to it soon enough. The bed upstairs needs to be tried out but limited to decent weather and quiet sites (light sleeper and that in itself why I have always been a van fan). But sounds like the external topper is probably necessary which is another hassle.
Sleeping with heads to tailgate felt more comfortable but banging my head on the albeit useful roof locker wasn't! The lower topper I have might be acceptable but I am kind of regretting not getting the zone sleep offering which seems to be well liked by many. Just an expensive addition.
Going to have another go soon and see how we get on.

 

[DavidofHook]

Ours was delivered yesterday and is in the van folded on the rear mattress for our next trip.
It is a Zonesleep, but Grannyjen convinced me that a mattress topper would be easy to fold and store on the back she is right so thank you Granny J!

 

[Andy]

my zonesleep rolls up fine on parcel shelf

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[DavidofHook]

my zonesleep rolls up fine on parcel shelf

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But Andy, you must be a Beach man! My Cali doesn't have a parcel shelf.

 

[GrannyJen]

Ours was delivered yesterday and is in the van folded on the rear mattress for our next trip.
It is a Zonesleep, but Grannyjen convinced me that a mattress topper would be easy to fold and store on the back she is right so thank you Granny J!

If only more people would listen to their grannies

I wish I had a topper now.

In hospital, acute medical unit, and the bed is driving me nuts.

 

[DavidofHook]

Ours was delivered yesterday and is in the van folded on the rear mattress for our next trip.
It is a Zonesleep, but Grannyjen convinced me that a mattress topper would be easy to fold and store on the back she is right so thank you Granny J!

If only more people would listen to their grannies

I wish I had a topper now.

In hospital, acute medical unit, and the bed is driving me nuts.

Grannyjen you're not really in hospital are you? Hopefully it was a joke??? What is wrong?

 

[GrannyJen]

Emergency admission yesterday, excruciating pain and fever, acute kidney infection.

Temperature is now falling and pain getting better, although as I was quite enjoying the whiffs of opiates I might not let on for a while

They will let me escape once the blood cultures suggest all is under control and the fever has gone.

Trouble is all pain is in my back and side so lying in bed is not helping.

 

[Linda]

Hope you feel better soon GrannyJen :-(

 

[calikev]

Yes get well soon jen

 

[DavidofHook]

sounds awful, get well soon Jen


David

 

[wyn]

Upstairs beats downstairs hands down for comfort
in fact upstairs without any sort of topper is as comfortable as sleeping at home
We use a double duvet and ordinary pillows from home which sit on the parcel shelf at the back
One big advantage of sleeping upstairs is that downstairs can be left as a living space in case one or other of us wants to stay up later or come down earlier than the other.
Up until our most recent trip we have always slept with our heads towards the hatch which necessitates a certain amount of shuffling around if somebody needs to get up during the night, however having been forced to sleep with our heads to the back after parking the wrong way round on a sloping pitch we have taken to sleeping with our heads to the back which we find just as comfortable and with easier access

 

[DavidofHook]

Upstairs beats downstairs hands down for comfort
in fact upstairs without any sort of topper is as comfortable as sleeping at home
We use a double duvet and ordinary pillows from home which sit on the parcel shelf at the back
One big advantage of sleeping upstairs is that downstairs can be left as a living space in case one or other of us wants to stay up later or come down earlier than the other.
Up until our most recent trip we have always slept with our heads towards the hatch which necessitates a certain amount of shuffling around if somebody needs to get up during the night, however having been forced to sleep with our heads to the back after parking the wrong way round on a sloping pitch we have taken to sleeping with our heads to the back which we find just as comfortable and with easier access

I am impressed.While i agree that upstairs is more comfortable but the athletics required to get in and out, especially 2 or 3 time during the night (don't tread on the arms!) is just too much. And, being downstairs with the upper bed down does mean walking around with a hump back! So we sleep down stairs with the upper bed pushed up and, for our next trip, we have just got a Zonesleep mattress, hooray.

 

[GrannyJen]

The athletics for getting in and out of the elevated nest box defeat me. I have bought a telescopic ladder but quite honestly it looks like a bit of scaffolding nicked off a building site and not the most aesthetic thing to be carting around in a camper.

Of course as this is quite a blokey forum things looking like bits of scaffolding is probably a desirable quality.

Sleeping downstairs, roof elevated, head to the rear so as to utilise the dinky reading light fitted to the underside of the rear fold-down unit, remote control handily placed at the bottom of the wardrobe, wine glass on a shelf of the rear wardrobe unit, I Pad lead plugged into 12v socket by the sliding door... perfection.

I also like the really neat way the Thetford 335 fits in between passenger seat and bed, quite cosy for those night-time excursions.