Custom Mattresses for Caravans, Motorhomes, and Campervans: Beyond One Size Fits All

The Replacement Mattress Challenge in Caravans, Motorhomes, and Campervans.

Anyone who's travelled in a caravan, motorhome, or campervan knows that every inch of space counts. These types of holidays are fun. However, if you get a bad night's sleep, that will have a negative impact on your holiday.

A poor night's sleep can take the shine off your holidays. Until recently, it was not straightforward to replace the mattress, let alone have a good amount of choice to find the most comfortable one. Caravans, motorhomes, and campervans have incredibly innovative designs when it comes to their layout. As a result, the bed frame might need to have curved edges or be tapered, getting narrower towards one end. Some bed frames, particularly in motorhomes, have to fit snugly around 90-degree corners (such as built-in cabinets or bathroom walls).

Given these unique design challenges, what's needed isn't just a normal mattress, but a shaped mattress. In this article, we'll explore why the one-size-fits-all approach to mattresses doesn't quite work for caravans and campervans, and how custom mattress makers can provide you with the service you might just be looking for.

The Unique Challenges of Finding Comfort for Your Holiday Home on Wheels

Travelling in a caravan, motorhome, or campervan isn't just about the journey – it's about getting a good night's sleep too. But anyone who's thought to replace their mattress knows that it's absolutely impossible to use a standard size mattress. It would be like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

These homes on wheels come with beds that defy the norms of standard bed shapes – think curved foot-ends, cut-off corners, and all sorts of other unconventional shapes.

While most recreational vehicles offer a good sized sleeping area, the non-standard shape means finding a mattress that fits perfectly is nearly impossible unless you use a custom mattress making service since you need a mattress that's cut to match the unique angle and dimensions of the bed base.

The challenge is to find a mattress that fits perfectly - while still having the choice and selection to satisfy your unique sleeping requirements such as the mattress type and firmness.

Let's dive into the wonderful world of custom mattresses and talk about some mattress shapes most commonly found in caravans, motorhomes, and campervans.

All of the mattress types we'll discuss will not be found in your local bed shop and will need to be supplied by a bespoke mattress maker. This is because there are hundreds of caravan designs with many uniquely shaped sized bed frames. And each bed frame is unique to a particular caravan model.

French Bed Mattress

One of the most popular mattress shapes is the French bed found in many caravans such as Swift, Bailey, and Eldiss. French beds are known for having an angled cut, either on the left or the right side and are also commonly referred to as a nearside or offside mattress.

The cut tapers the mattress, gradually narrowing in width toward the bottom. This clever design allows for more room in the bedroom section of the caravan whilst still giving plenty of sleeping surface area for two adults.

Then there are the corner beds, another space-efficient design often seen in compact mobile homes. These beds are tucked into a corner, with one or two sides bordered by the walls of the vehicle. In fact, those walls may have extrusions, and the mattress must be contoured to accommodate these, requiring cut-outs or notches.

Many motorhomes have over cab beds.  This is a space given above the driver and passenger area of the vehicle and made to hold a mattress.  This type of area will be a unique size to the vehicle and will also have height and possibly weight restrictions.

The task at hand is not only finding a mattress that fits into the space, but also one that accommodates the unique shape requirements. Then, to further complicate the matter, you need to find one that you find comfortable! After all, great days start the night before.

You might now be thinking this is an impossible task. And until recently, you would be right. Shopping for a mattress that would cater to all of the aforementioned requirements would be impossible, forcing vehicle owners to look for DIY solutions to make their sleep more comfortable.

Island Beds: The Game-Changer in Mobile Sleeping Comfort

Let's talk about a real game-changer in caravan design – the transverse island bed - a favourite in models like the Swift Challenger. Picture a bed that's accessible from both sides, standing proudly in the middle of your caravan. Like an island, you can walk right round it – hence the name. It's a slice of home comfort on the road. 

And transverse? This is a name associated with the positioning of the bed frame and is possible with caravans that are slightly wider than a standard caravan.  This allows for the island bed to run across the width of your caravan, hence the term ‘transverse’.

Like all caravan mattresses, the island bed is a unique shape, having rounded edges at the foot-end. This shape is not to be found in your local bed shop. Until recently, caravans came with a bare-bones mattress supplied by the manufacturer, usually just a hard lump of foam. When you're looking for home-from-home comfort, these pre-supplied mattresses are often inadequate.

Some island beds are very short by design. This saves space during the daytime, creating more room in the bedroom. However, they have a clever feature: come nighttime, these beds extend to the size of a standard double (190 cm) or in some cases to the length of a standard king (200 cm).

As the bed frame extends, a void is created between the mattress and the wall. This is where another design innovation takes place: the island mattress with bolster! The bolster, an elongated cushion, ingeniously fills the void created by the extended bed frame.

In the morning, once you've had a wonderful night's rest, you can retract the bed to its shorter resting position. The bolster will simply rest on top of the mattress like a long pillow. Just like that – your living space is restored.

Tailored Solutions: Crafting Mattresses that Fit like a Glove

When it comes to mattresses for caravans, motorhomes, and campervans, it really is all about the custom size. It's like taking a trip to Savile Row for a tailored suit, but for mattresses. Take the image above, this mattress had to meet the customer's exact requirements. His Swift campervan has weight and height restrictions, so the mattress had to be lightweight, thin, and comfortable. To further complicate the customisation, the design had to fit around curves and contours.

When you buy a custom mattress, you are buying a mattress that perfectly fits the specific space created for the sleeping portion of the vehicle. With a custom mattress maker, not only do you get the shape you need, but you also get to pick materials and firmness that suit your sleep style, making your mobile home feel even more like home.

Costs: Understanding the Price Difference Between Bespoke vs. Regular Mattresses

When you begin to shop for a custom mattress you must be prepared to accept the fact these types of mattresses tend to be a little more expensive, usually up-to 25% more than a standard mattress. But it's important to understand why you are paying more.

The Craftsmanship Behind Bespoke Mattresses

All bespoke custom made mattresses are made by hand. Each mattress is a unique shape and size. Therefore there is no set template that will allow for the mattress components to be mass produced like you would see in a factory that manufactures mattresses for your home, such as Silentnight mattresses. Making a custom mattress is incredibly labour intensive. Each mattress is made by hand and there is a need for a higher level of skill and attention to detail.

All parts of a bespoke mattress are made to order. Therefore, everything is made to measure, from the fabric cover right down to the innerspring or memory foam fillings. If a customer requires pocket springs, these spring units have to be cut to shape and placed in a specialised foam case. If a customer requires a certain type of foam such as cool gel or memory foam, the foam has to be cut from a much larger block.

The depth of the foam is undetermined until the order arrives, as each customer's requirements are unique. Because of this, it's impossible to precut materials and stock them to speed up the manufacturing process. Every aspect of a bespoke mattress is custom made at the point of order.

But the result is a perfectly crafted mattress that is designed just for you, giving you that home-like sleep when you're away from home.

Alternative Ideas to Improve Your Sleep While on Holiday

It's a fact that replacing your caravan mattress will be an expense. But there are alternatives. Just like with custom mattresses, there are also custom mattress toppers. Less material means less cost. Toppers can, in some cases, offer an instant boost to the comfort of your existing mattress and may provide that extra layer of comfort you may be needing to get some quality sleep.

Custom Mattress Toppers to Fit Any Mattress

Mattress toppers can be customised to suit your requirements. Bespoke mattress makers will offer a choice of materials, and of course, offer those materials in any depth and any shape you require. A certain amount of time and effort will go into producing a custom-sized topper, and this will be reflected in the final price.

By commissioning a custom-made mattress topper, you will typically have a less expensive alternative to replacing the whole mattress. Mattress toppers are an economical way to achieve that home-from-home comfort you crave in your caravan.

Cost-Effective Comfort

There is another solution that is even more cost-friendly: the DIY route. If you're looking to save even more, then you have the option to buy an off-the-shelf mattress topper from an online bed retailer such as us here at Mattress Online. Once you have the mattress topper, you can cut it down to the shape and size of your caravan mattress. It's what we refer to as a hack, and it won't look pretty, but it will certainly do the job. Naturally though, doing this will void any warranty.

Custom Comfort with All the Perks of Quality and Choice

A Range of Specialised Mattresses

Just like the choices offered with regular mattresses, these same choices are now offered by bespoke mattress makers. If you need a particular foam type such as high density, lightweight but durable foam then you will have that option. If you are not restricted by the weight of the mattress and want something luxurious that keeps you cool on those hot summer nights you can opt for cool gel memory foam. The choices are limitless and you will only be confined by your budget. You really can achieve home-from-home comfort and get the same great sleep you get at home.

Comparable Quality to Leading Brands

With a reputable custom mattress maker such as MyBespokeMattress.com, you can expect the same high quality fabrics, foams, springs and fillings you would expect to find in any reputable mattress brand such as Sealy, Hypnos, and Simba with the advantage that the mattress is made exclusively for you and your vehicle.

In conclusion, choosing a custom mattress for your caravan, motorhome, or campervan no longer means having to compromise on quality or choice. It doesn't mean you have to make sacrifices in the latest next gen foams or fillings. With the right bespoke mattress maker you can order all of the same high spec indulgences of a premium mattress tailored to fit you and your caravan.

Happy Travels & Happy Holidays!