Our trailer has 2 sofa air beds.As a sofa, they are great. As beds they are terrible.We've tried putting a foam pad on the platform instead of the air mattress. That doesn't work well because the platform is uneven. There is a support right through the middle that digs into your lower back. Not only that, but then we have to store a full length foam mattress.Has anyone figured out a way to improve these things ?Thanks

What is it you don't like about the air bed? Too short, too tall, too lumpy, too bouncy?

fj12ryder wrote:What is it you don't like about the air bed? Too short, too tall, too lumpy, too bouncy?They are cold to sleep on, especially if the room is cold. You basically need 2 sets of blankets, one below you and one on top.When sleeping alone it is very hard to find the right pressure for a good sleep. They are either too hard and too soft. They have a built in air pump, so adjusting it isn't bad, but the pump only runs on AC, so the inverter has to be turned on and the pumps are very noisy. Ie, not something you can do in the middle of the night. And there is no gauge on them, so even if you do get the pressure right the one night, its almost impossible to duplicate it the next night. And if two people sleep on them, when one person moves, the other person really feels it. And if they sleep close together, they both sink really deeply into the mattress.And the bed isn't level. The top half of the bed (by the "headboard" is about 1.5" lower than the bottom half of the bed, because of the way the bottom folds out.Otherwise, the size of the bed is good. And they aren't terrible to set up and take down.I'm wondering if some of the problem is caused by the support under the air mattress being poor. The top half of the sofa has basically nothing under the air mattress.

FWIW, these sofa beds are in our Chaparral 355. It's made by Coachmen. We really love the trailer otherwise.

By golly, you've got 'em nailed. LOL I've never been a big fan of air beds, but I always figured they had to be better than the old "jack-knife sofas" that used to come in the trailers. Maybe I've been mistaken.

ours is an actual Aero bed on a frame. WE just put a mattress topper on it and it made all the difference in the world. The other problems you mention are just the nature of the beast in a cheap airbed. Not a ton you can do about that Chris

Improving awful sofa air beds ? | Good Sam Community

Bayley
Explorer
Aug 23, 2015
My only suggestion is to do what we did. Get rid of the air bed and get a tri-fold sofa.
We had so much trouble with the one we had and I complained enough to the manufacturer that they swapped it out for us. We couldn't be happier and our guests are much more comfortable too!!
neilnbe
Explorer
Aug 23, 2015
Ours is actually VERY comfortable...not sure the name brand though I'd have to look...slept on it a few times, I think it's actually more comfortable than the bed. My son sleeps on it every time he's with us and loves it. I have run across some real junk though.
me2
Explorer
Aug 22, 2015
old guy wrote:
my son and his wife slept on ours and he said they met in the bottom of the middle of the bed. they made a second bed in the middle of the night on the kitchen table. slept much better. I have wondered the same thing and my son said no matter what we put on it or try to do it will still be a blow up bed and you will meet in the middle.

This is our experience as well. Nice to hear someone confirm it.

We tried putting a 2 inch foam on top of the air mattress. It helped the heat issue, but not anything else.

We threw the same 2 inch foam on the floor and it made a very good bed. 2 problems with using a piece of 2 inch foam. 1) where to store it. 2) The sofas are the way of where we would like to use them.
old_guy
Explorer
Aug 22, 2015
my son and his wife slept on ours and he said they met in the bottom of the middle of the bed. they made a second bed in the middle of the night on the kitchen table. slept much better. I have wondered the same thing and my son said no matter what we put on it or try to do it will still be a blow up bed and you will meet in the middle.
Marine_By_Choic
Explorer
Aug 22, 2015
Bourbon works for me if taken an hour or so before bedtime;-)))
MFL
Nomad II
Aug 22, 2015
The air bed in mine is actually quite comfortable. It is more hassle than the old jack knife, but much better to sleep on.

Just to try it, I pulled the cushions off the dinette, put them on the air bed, without the mattress. Worked pretty well too, I fell asleep, taking an afternoon nap.

Jerry
newman_fulltime
Explorer II
Aug 22, 2015
toss a sleeping bag over it

look at academy get the serta air mattress
csamayfield55x
Explorer
Aug 22, 2015
ours is an actual Aero bed on a frame. WE just put a mattress topper on it and it made all the difference in the world. The other problems you mention are just the nature of the beast in a cheap airbed. Not a ton you can do about that

Chris
fj12ryder
Explorer III
Aug 22, 2015
By golly, you've got 'em nailed. LOL

I've never been a big fan of air beds, but I always figured they had to be better than the old "jack-knife sofas" that used to come in the trailers. Maybe I've been mistaken.
me2
Explorer
Aug 22, 2015
FWIW, these sofa beds are in our Chaparral 355. It's made by Coachmen. We really love the trailer otherwise.

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