I don’t know about you, but a comfortable bed – with comfortable bedding – was 99% of the reason I bought a camper in the first place! No more waking up on the ground, cold and with an achy back. Instead, I wake up in a cozy bed, warm and ready to take on the day! One caveat: a very comfortable bed makes getting out of bed on those cold, early mornings a little more difficult.
First, you buy the camper. Then, you stock the camper. Although this is the fun part, it can seem overwhelming at first. But fear not! We got you. This post is the second in a series about stocking your camper. With these posts, you can easily make your camper comfortable and functional. Check out our post about stocking the kitchen here.
The Mattress
Our travel trailer came with a very thin, uncomfortable mattress. The first thing we did was swap that mattress with one from my house. Ryan and I were in the process of moving in together at the time, so we happened to have an extra queen mattress laying around. While that option may not be available to everyone, there are a few things you can do to make your mattress more comfortable.
Buy a new mattress. This is, by far, the most expensive option available. Many campers – ours included – are not equipped with full size beds. Instead, our trailer has a “camper queen” or a “short queen,” which is five inches shorter than a traditional queen size bed. If you plan to buy a new mattress, make sure you know what will fit in your rig!
Although our trailer came with a short queen mattress, we have extra room at the foot of our bed and we were able to fit a full size queen mattress. We do, however, lose some storage space as a result.
If you want to buy a new mattress – be warned! – They can come with a hefty price tag.
Note: We haven’t tried to mattress linked above, but it will be our next large camper purchase. We will update this post with our review once we’ve slept on it a few times!
Buy a mattress topper. A mattress topper is an easy and inexpensive way to add comfort to your existing RV mattress. Just like with the mattress – make sure you know what size bed you have before you buy!
Buy a thick mattress pad. This is probably the cheapest option, although it will only add a minimal upgrade to your bed. A mattress pad, however, is very helpful to protect your mattress against unexpected camping messes! Our bed ends up being a staging area for our adventures, so a mattress pad is a must-have.
Bedding
The bedding in your RV can really showcase your style! It is also the best way to ensure that you’ll be comfortable all night long. Remember to layer your bedding so you are prepared for variable weather conditions. The bedding you need to remain comfortable in Utah in July (very hot) will be different from the bedding you need to remain comfortable in Summit County, Colorado in May (cold nights)!
Sheets and Pillow Cases. Although it is very difficult to make the bed in our camper, we use a fitted sheet. Overall, it just stays in place so much better than a flat sheet. However, if you don’t want to wrestle the bed every time you change the sheets (my LEAST favorite part of any trip), you may want to consider getting two flat sheets instead of a fitted sheet and a flat sheet.
Fleece Blanket. We have one fleece blanket on our bed and another one for lounging in the camper. The blanket adds an extra layer of warmth on those super cold nights. I also prefer to use the sheet and the blanket on nights that are too warm for the comforter.
Note: We have separate wool blankets for cold nights by the campfire. The blankets mentioned above are used inside the camper only.
Down comforter. We use a very thick down comforter on our bed. It keeps us warm on the coldest nights. When it is too warm for the comforter, we ditch it and use the blanket and sheet instead. If you want to use your comforter more often, you may want to opt for a lighter option.
Fluffy Pillows. Pillows are so important to a good night’s sleep. Make sure you get pillows that accommodate your sleep style and your preferences. Remember, being comfortable is the name of the game for your camper bedding!
If your dinette turns into a bed, you may want to grab an extra set of bedding. We very rarely have guests in our dinette. When we do, we have them use a sleeping bag. If you plan to use your dinette bed regularly, you may want to get a compression storage sack – so the extra bedding doesn’t take up too much room during the day.
