Upper Bunk Mattress Alternative

[GollyOlly]

I bought the cali bed and replaced the vw one. It’s a lot better, I can at least sleep on it. It is limited as are all mattresses up top by the available depth, claimed is 1cm thicker than VW. For me something else on top would be beneficial if I were to be sleeping up top for more than a night or two at a time. All depends how hard a bed you like and can feel the springs/slats through the mattress when you sleep. Everyone has different requirements and levels of acceptance I expect.

Thanks Betsy. That was extremely helpful. I was looking for a mattress where I could not feel the slats and while I was leaning toward the Calibed, it may not be exactly what I'm looking for and there may not be a product out there that would satisfy everything I was hoping for. Thanks.

 

[GollyOlly]

Just to clarify. We don’t leave the duvalay in Poptop with roof lowered, pretty sure it would not do roof or duvalay much good.

Yeah, I agree. I's not worth the risk for such an expensive repair.

 

[GollyOlly]

I got mixed up, we don't have a inflatable mattress, we have a self inflating mattress (Outdoor Revolution). Its actually more comfortable if it's not pumped up and just left for maybe 5 minutes to do is thing. Around 10 seconds deflate with the dyson.

I should have just said...a mattress that doesn't need a pump." The S2S is self-inflating but you still need to deflate it mechanically. I'm after something that doesn't need inflating or deflating like memory foam.

 

[GollyOlly]

Thanks, Alied. That sounds like a great option and just what I'm looking for. I'll try to check it out next time we go over the stream to the continent!

I bought this one three weeks ago and after spending two weeks sleeping on it in my opinion it's a massive improvement in my sleep comfort https://calicap.de/schlafkomfort/545/calibed-roof-iv-t5.1/t5.2/t6.0?c=16. Unfortunately Calicap.de will not send to the UK but this company will https://www.volkswagenshop.be/en/2-products/detail/305-calibed-roof-iv-t5t6. I didn’t have mine sent to the UK but instead I made a slight detour to collect from their shop when I went to France three weeks ago. Please note the links are for the T5/6 not the 6.1 and you will also need the footbed to go with it.

Where is the footbed advertised? Doesn't seem to be on the site with the VW.be link.

 

[Alied]

Where is the footbed advertised? Doesn't seem to be on the site with the VW.be link.

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[GollyOlly]

Products | Volkswagenshop.be | Garage Van hoe

Accessoires, kampeerartikelen, toebehoren en originele onderdelen voor de Volkswagen California, Merken : VW, Maxxcamp, Brandrup, Thule, Brunner, Gimeg, Thetford, Waeco, Dometic, Calicap, Uebler, All Ride, Bo-camp, Carpoint, Rosti Mepal, Campervan, VaNessa mobil camping, Volkswagen Grand...

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Thanks so much for your help!!!

 

[CaliforniaPhil]

I should have just said...a mattress that doesn't need a pump." The S2S is self-inflating but you still need to deflate it mechanically. I'm after something that doesn't need inflating or deflating like memory foam.

Not sure what you want is achievable, there would probably be some compromise. Did you look into what the cost of the plastic froli springs would be. There are lots of information on YouTube about them. Sure I saw one converting a vw.

 

[KevH]

The point in my initial posting was that I wanted to move from the inflatable S2S mattress to a memory foam-type mattress more comfortable than the VW original mattress and that can be left in the pop-top roof. I've used the standard Cali Ocean mattress and the S2S for a while and found there are compromises with both. The original mattress is uncomfortable and the S2S (very comfortable) requires inflating/deflating/inflating etc. when moving the van. Although I can leave the deflated S2S mattress in the roof, it's a hassle to go through the inflation/deflation saga...and I don't necessarily want to carry more gear to inflate/deflate more quickly. So, I was looking for a comfortable mattress that could be left up in the roof while the roof was lowered. Like you, I don't leave much up there when closing the roof other than for storing the Isolite window blinds. I'm not looking for a topper that I can roll up and store. I use sleeping bags and they take up the space behind my bench seat. I am not trying to personalise a mattress but rather looking for a mattress replacement to minimise faff in the pop-top. I just want to be able to stop the Cali, pop the top, roll out my bag and go to sleep, and in the morning - roll up my bag, stow it behind the bench, lower the roof and drive away.

I absolutely agree with you when you say "I just want to be able to stop the Cali, pop the top, roll out my bag and go to sleep, and in the morning - roll up my bag, stow it behind the bench, lower the roof and drive away".
That would indeed be heaven.
I am not at all convinced however that exceeding the depth of the existing mattress, whether with a topper or with a full deeper replacement, is doable, given the very tight space when the roof is lowered. My fears seem to be borne out by other posts in this thread and elsewhere. As somebody has said previously somewhere on the forum, if you push your fingers between the bed board and the roof after dropping the roof down, there is just no space there.
Maybe there is a straight replacement that is both the same depth AND much more comfy than the stock mattress? Is such a beast available, or are they all either thicker or not as comfy? If there is, it probably needs to be inflated, which is where we came in.

 

[GollyOlly]

I absolutely agree with you when you say "I just want to be able to stop the Cali, pop the top, roll out my bag and go to sleep, and in the morning - roll up my bag, stow it behind the bench, lower the roof and drive away".
That would indeed be heaven.
I am not at all convinced however that exceeding the depth of the existing mattress, whether with a topper or with a full deeper replacement, is doable, given the very tight space when the roof is lowered. My fears seem to be borne out by other posts in this thread and elsewhere. As somebody has said previously somewhere on the forum, if you push your fingers between the bed board and the roof after dropping the roof down, there is just no space there.
Maybe there is a straight replacement that is both the same depth AND much more comfy than the stock mattress? Is such a beast available, or are they all either thicker or not as comfy? If there is, it probably needs to be inflated, which is where we came in.

Yes, you have made good points. It’s a costly repair if the roof is buckled and, equally, the cost of the Calibed is not cheap.

 

[GollyOlly]

Not sure what you want is achievable, there would probably be some compromise. Did you look into what the cost of the plastic froli springs would be. There are lots of information on YouTube about them. Sure I saw one converting a vw.

I haven’t been able to find anyone who actually does the conversion in the UK.

 

[CaliforniaPhil]

I haven’t been able to find anyone who actually does the conversion in the UK.

Have a look through this thread, there are other similar at the bottom as well. It looks like it's a DIY job. I scanned through it quickly, it might give you some pointers.

Thread 'T6 upgrade of upper bed from wooden slats to OEM 6.1 Froli bed system' https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/thread...oden-slats-to-oem-6-1-froli-bed-system.41506/