This article is a follow up of our popular blog talking through tips we picked up buying the van and I’m writing this as questions about what matress to use is a common question on the caddy campers facebook forum. But of course, the ideas could be used for any van conversion. The process we followed meant this was mostly easy and we are extremely happy with the comfort of the mattress. I really hope you find this useful, if you liked this blog or our previous blog, please do let me know.
First things first, obviously the dimensions, fit, size of mattress is hugely dependant on your self conversion so far and what you want your van for. We wanted a double mattress for two of us, to fit snuggly in the back of the van, that would close up length wise to make a day bed for normal use but lie down for sleeping. We measured up once we had built our necessary cupboard over the wheel arch, and figured we had slightly less that double size. This was no problem in our eyes and we guessed we’d simply cut the foam mattress down a little further to fit and be extra snug together at night.
Where we purchased the mattress from was painstakingly researched. Ideally, I had wanted an ‘eco’ option where possible. However we couldn’t find a suitable new eco option within budget or requirements. It had to also be really comfortable for us to enjoy our holidays but also to ensure it’s a long term use of resources. I researched caravan foam, which can be bought by size requirements. We tested out some caravan foam and personally I was not a fan. It can be extremely soft, and actually, it was not cheap. Around this time I stayed at my best friends house and her mattress was super comfy so we had a look and it was 100% foam from Ikea. On visit to Ikea we both loved the feel of the mattress, and the price, which we paid £90 for the double at the time (they’ve gone up now). The name of the mattress has also changed, so it’s best to look for the 100% foam option. Since writing this blog, the name of the specific mattress has changed twice, so I won't provide names to avoid confusion. I checked secondhand for the mattress we needed over a few weeks, but unfortunately we couldn’t get one close enough.
Once we rolled out the mattress and let it ‘air’ for a few days, we tried it on our homemade bed in the van. Due to the nature of the foam- flexible, we didn’t actually need to cut anything off, as it’s bends and grooves into the spaces of the van. In hindsight and after sleeping in the van, this is such a stroke of luck, as I think the nature of the space utilisation and not having gaps, adds to making the bed wonderfully comfortable. Additionally, the squashed in nature of the foam means the gap between side of the bed and van is squashed and totally unnoticeable.
In terms of the cut, we decided we wanted one bigger half to fit the bottom of the bed nicely full time and a smaller bit that would fold up against the side of the van. This also means the base of the bed is a single size and we can sleep on it when alone on trips. We measured many times before we cut, I do recommend double checking those measurements as you can’t uncut the foam once it’s done!
Cutting through was quite tough, but we used sharp dressing making scissors and a sharp kitchen knife too.
Obviously the thick zippable cover that came with the mattress was no longer usable on our new design and so we needed something to protect the mattress. My Mum and I are dab hands with the sewing machine, so we decided to make the covers for the mattress ourselves. This is of course very lucky, as made to order covers for the mattresses would be pricey- because as we found out- it’s a lot of work.
We decided on a fold in design, like a pillow case, on the long edge. This was so that the mattress could be folded in and folded out of the foam, and didn’t have any fittings like buttons or a zip that may damage the wood or be felt through. This also means both sides of the mattress can be slept on. I dyed an old bed sheet navy blue (just my choice to have some fun with some dye and use fabric we already had) and got to work creating a pattern from old paper.
This process can be quite tricky, if you are a beginner on the sewing machine I strongly recommend getting some help. Testing out your fabric creation on your foam mattress is also not straight forward, as getting fabric over the foam was quite tricky… We can laugh about it now but at the time there was a few expletives. Once on, the fit was great and I am really pleased with the finished look. It can be taken off and washed if needed.
Overall, we are extremely happy with the Ikea mattress as our bed. This option means we have a very comfortable bed that we look forward to sleeping on, not a camping bed that we put up with. I would have loved to use an ‘eco’ option, but this way we have a mattress we know we love, suits our needs and hopefully won’t need replacing in the lifetime of the van.
My overall top tips would be
Don’t cut off foam unless you HAVE TO. Squashing the mattress in means it’s comfier and you have less gaps, meaning its warmer too.
Double check if you can buy it secondhand if thats your thing. There are secondhand Ikea mattresses for sale on Facebook marketplace for example at a fraction of the cost. You will be only using the inside so you can discard the shell anyway.
Make sure the option you choose is super comfortable! It will completely change your experience of your van.
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