Finding a Pop-Up Camper Mattress Replacement (How To Change)
Soft or firm. How you like your mattress to be is totally up to you. Some like the mattress soft and others like them more firm. No matter what type of mattress you like to sleep on, everyone agrees that a used one is not the right mattress to use.
Finding a replacement mattress is very simple. Amazon will have a wide selection and there are plenty of foam-making businesses that can help you out. To replace your old mattress, simply do the Kleenex tissue box test. This test will tell you how much room you have to work with.
To learn more about replacing your old used mattress in your pop-up trailer, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can get a worry-free night sleep. When you buy a used trailer, who knows what took place on that old mattress.
Pop-Up Camper Mattress 101
Can You Put a Memory Foam Mattress In a Pop-up Camper?
This is not a problem. The two issues you will have is will it fit the clearance room you have when you close the camper up. Then, will it fit the design of your bed? Having a mattress that is too short may not be that comfortable and the same applies to one that is too narrow.
The amount of clearance you get will depend on the manufacturer, make, and model of the pop-up camper. Different models and makers will provide different amounts of clearance. The Kleenex box test will help get you the size of that space.
Some Colemans only have room for a 2-inch mattress, a two-inch topper, and no bedding. Each brand will be different so don't assume that your new pop-up has the same clearance as your previous one.
The thickness of the memory foam will play a role as well. You cannot go too thick or you may not be able to close the camper up. Some memory foam mattresses reach 4 1/2 inches thick or more and while it is a good idea, space will be limited.
What Kind Of Mattress Is In a Pop-up Camper?
No matter what type of RV, trailer, or camper you go with, the manufacturer always looks for the cheapest component to put inside. When it comes to pop-up campers, you are not going to get a luxurious mattress to sleep on.
Instead, you are probably getting a run-of-the-mill type mattress that is filled with foam and only reaches about 4 inches thick, if you are lucky. Some people do not get 4 inches. That is only if you buy new.
If you buy used, then the previous owner probably changed the standard mattress with one more to their liking. You may not get a factory mattress inside the camper. You may get a 2-inch foam mattress with a 2-inch memory foam topper and that will be it.
When you are buying used, you are taking a gamble at the type of mattress is inside. Some people have gone to air mattresses covered with a memory foam topper. It's a little more work but they can meet their clearance requirements by deflating the beds when they travel. Then inflating them when it is time to go to sleep.
What Size Bed Is In a Pop-up Camper?
This will depend on the size of the camper you purchase. larger models are going to have larger beds and sometimes more than one. Smaller models will have smaller beds and sometimes only one.
Since you are going to be sleeping in the beds, you really need to investigate the size and number of beds to see if they fit your needs. Some beds are king-size, others are queen and still, more will be an odd size that you may not find anywhere except at the manufacturers.
In that situation, many owners simply make their own mattresses to fit the odd size bed they own. The size of the bed, length, and width wise, will depend a lot on the design of the camper. A-frames don't grow in length so your bed size will have to fit the length and width of the camper.
Traditional pop-up campers often have one or two sides that extend out giving you extra room for the beds and living space. Those are the models where you will get a more regular-sized bed from full to king.
Pop-up Camper Mattress Replacement Options
There are lots of options you can choose from. The difficulty in choosing is not the large selection but the vast selection of mattress outlets. One example is Amazon. They have a large selection of pop-up camper mattresses you can choose from.
But they are not the only ones you can go to. There are businesses like foam factories that can make the foam fit the size of mattress you need. Not only do they have standard mattress sizes, but they seem to be able to customize some as well.
Some owners went cheap and went to Walmart to get a couple of air mattresses for their king-size pop-up bed. Then they placed a king-sized memory foam topper over the air mattresses and they have no complaints now.
Others used a company called foam by mail and got their bedding supplies from that company. Then they customized the mattress to fit their needs. It is not hard to make your own foam mattress when you have the right materials to work with.
Replacement options are many and you just have to decide what type of mattress you want to sleep on. The only real key you have to worry about is thickness. You cannot go too thick or you won’t close your camper.
Pop-up Mattress In a Box
Some companies offer this mattress option. One is Walmart and their selection is at this link. The other is Wayfair and you can see what they offer at this link. There are probably others but these are just examples.
There is a big drawback to using this mattress option. The thickness of the majority of mattresses is too big for most pop-up campers. There are some smaller 5 and 6-inch models but that may be pressing your luck.
Another option may be a trundle bed or a day bed mattress. This option comes with thinner models that fold up nice and small if you need them to. Also, they can be fairly comfortable when placed on a normal bed.
These mattresses are not too thick and should meet your clearance requirement with ease. If you have a membership, another retail option would be Costco. Their mattress selection is large and includes the mattress in a box format. Just click this link to see what they have on sale.
It just takes a little time to do a proper search and get the right mattress for your sleep habits.
Coleman Pop-up Camper Mattress Replacement
This company offers only 3 replacement sizes for your Coleman pop-up or another pop-up camper. Those sizes are double, queen, and king, and each one is priced a little differently. The double sells for $315 approx., the queen for $334 and the king is $350 approx.
Their web page states that your new replacement mattress will be made by the same company they have used for the past 25 years. That should give you a little confidence that you are getting a top-quality product for your money.
They have changed the core from straight foam to polyurethane foam which is about 1/2 pound heavier than the former foam core. Then each mattress sold meets all flammability regulations including the 2007 flammability law called CFR 1633.
They do offer custom thickness depending on the model of pop-up camper you have but their standard thickness size is 4”. To check out these replacement mattresses just click this link.
Jayco Pop-up Camper Replacement Mattress
There seem to be more independent companies offering replacement mattresses for Jayco pop-up campers than for the Coleman models. One option you can try will be at this link. It seems to cover the whole RV realm.
Then you can try to get a custom mattress made for your Jayco. The company at this link offers that service. You may pay more but you are getting the mattress that you want and will fit your bed perfectly.
The key to replacing any mattress will be to make accurate measurements. You should really take the time to do the Kleenex box test to make sure you know the exact thickness that will fit inside your camper.
Or you can contact Jayco and see what mattress options they have available. The cost may be a bit on the high side but at least you are getting the right mattress. Check the company out and see what they say. At worst, they just give you the contact number of some good mattress-making companies to try.
How Do You Change a Pop-up Camper Mattress?
After you receive delivery of your new mattress, you open the box and let the product expand. This will take several days to complete as mattresses will expand slowly. Don’t remove your old mattress until the new one has fully expanded.
If your old mattress is secured in any way, untie or undo any of those secure designs before trying to pull the mattress out. It should be very straightforward to remove the old mattress.
Just fold it up to a size it will make it through the doorway and place it to one side. Then do the same for the new mattress and slip it inside and onto your bed frame. That is all there is to it.
If you are making your own, you can place the new foam on the bed frame and if it is too large you can trim it down right then and there. Just discard the old mattress the proper way that is required by your city or Housing Association or RV park.
How Can I Make My Pop-up Camper Bed More Comfortable?
Most people go to a topper option. They place 2 inches of regular foam down as the first layer, then place 2 inches of memory foam on top of that. For many owners that seems to do the trick.
One owner made his own and he went with a 1-inch layer of firm foam, 2-inch layer of medium foam, 2-inch layer of latex, and a custom-made mattress cover. He seems to be happy with his design as he can keep his regular sheets and fitted sheet on the bed when he closes up.
Then a third owner went with inflatable air mattresses. He used 2 for his king-sized bed and seems happy with his decision. He made a point of buying the right air pump to inflate and deflate the mattresses.
For queen size and double beds, you can go with queen and double-sized air mattresses and have a very good fit. If you are lucky enough to have a camper that allows for extra thickness, one owner went with 3-inch factory foam and 3 inches of gel foam.
The number of comfort options seems to be unlimited so you can design your comfort any way you want as long as it fits inside when you close the camper.
Some Final Words
Replacing a used mattress in a pop-up camper is not going to be hard. The most difficult part is deciding which way you want to go. There are numerous comfort and thickness options available to you. Just get the right thickness and you should be good to go. It is okay to do some trimming if there is not an exact size match.
