Forum Discussion

pickerel_cove's avatar
pickerel_cove
Explorer
Sep 03, 2013

Winnebago ERA Bedding Solutions?

Today I tried to imagine a solution to this ergonomic problem - In the 2010 Winnebago ERA (and I suspect later models as well), when the bed is down there are a few trouble spots for people with neck/back/spine concerns. There is a minor dip between the place that you'd put your head and your shoulders; another spot between the back and seat that is just at the right height to cause an elbow to get wedged into it when turning over; and then the spot where flexible seat meets rigid table section. We are both young and in good physical condition but need to watch out for back and neck issues especially if we intend to have prolonged trips.

We tried various items such as a queen-sized feather bed running across the bed starting where the back section meets the seat. It's an improvement but bulky for travel and doesn't address the seat back/head neck concerns. We tried a piece of twin-sized memory foam also running across the seat but still had the head/neck area to deal with.

We've considered a custom memory foam topper but tested the twin-sized piece running the length of the bed and it's easy to see that our body is still sinking into those low areas and then up again when it hits the table.

Are there others with these issues that have found comfortable solutions?
Class B
  • CASERTA's avatar
    CASERTA
    Explorer
    Sep 03, 2013
    I have a 2012 ERA and I had same problem. 4 Inch memory Foam (Queen size) solved the problem for us. We usually leave bed in place and, when necessary, store the Memory Foam in the bathroom. When tied up with buggie cables, it is not that hard to move around.
  • bobojay5's avatar
    bobojay5
    Explorer
    Sep 03, 2013
    We're going to come up with something better for ours this winter. I refuse to have to wrestle something out of the bathroom though to use it every time.
    We had that issue on our previous RV, and we just left it set up all the time...
  • Oilman's avatar
    Oilman
    Explorer
    Sep 03, 2013
    I have the 70x. I am currently using a 2" piece of memory foam. It is ok but in hindsight I wish I had bought a 4". I will most likely get a 4" before my next trip out.

    That still leaves the problem of where to store the thing. I currently have mine stored under the couch. I doubt I would be able to stuff a 4" thick one under there.

    I would also like to find a better solution to this problem.
  • Oilman's avatar
    Oilman
    Explorer
    Sep 03, 2013
    bobojay5 wrote:
    We're going to come up with something better for ours this winter. I refuse to have to wrestle something out of the bathroom though to use it every time.
    We had that issue on our previous RV, and we just left it set up all the time...


    On the 70a, Do you think you could put a piece of foam under the factory cushions? Just a thought...
  • RSchleder's avatar
    RSchleder
    Explorer
    Sep 04, 2013
    I've spent the past couple of days pulling the folding couch out of my 2012 ERA. I built wood free standing ( did not want to "scar" the wall, floor or cabinets) frame with metal legs. I placed nice plywood "beds" on the wood frame and screwed them down. We bought 4" foam, 1" dense backpack sleeping pads, and a 3" memory foam topper all of which we will cut to fit my beds. We layered them together and my wife will make a nice quilted cover (either with a zipper or velcro opening. I also filled a portion ( same amount of space as was there when the couch was down) of the center section with the same thickness plywood and my wife will make a matching cushion for this area. We have not slept on the beds yet as I am installing the stained cherry wood matching trim.
    We now have a "ton" of room under the beds/center section for storage, a nice flat bed with 7" of firm padding. We always use the front seats turned around when lounging/watching TV so the folding couch was always kept down in the bed configuration.
    By making the bed unit free standing, we can return the van to it's original configuration when we trade/sell it or offer it as is (couch goes with van) with the buyer having the option to convert it back to oem configuration at a later date.
  • pickerel_cove's avatar
    pickerel_cove
    Explorer
    Sep 04, 2013
    Great discussion. Thanks. I'm having trouble seeing how memory foam would help us unless it was in two pieces - One to bring the seat and table up 1" to the level of the back of the seat and then one to cover the whole thing. I had my husband lie on a 2" twin-sized piece placed head to foot and the heaviest part of his 185 lb. body (lower extremities) was still sinking lower than the upper part of his body. If I were a little shorter I think I would sleep upside down. :-)
  • pickerel_cove's avatar
    pickerel_cove
    Explorer
    Sep 04, 2013
    RSchleder wrote:
    I've spent the past couple of days pulling the folding couch out of my 2012 ERA. I built wood free standing ( did not want to "scar" the wall, floor or cabinets) frame with metal legs. I placed nice plywood "beds" on the wood frame and screwed them down. We bought 4" foam, 1" dense backpack sleeping pads, and a 3" memory foam topper all of which we will cut to fit my beds. We layered them together and my wife will make a nice quilted cover (either with a zipper or velcro opening. I also filled a portion ( same amount of space as was there when the couch was down) of the center section with the same thickness plywood and my wife will make a matching cushion for this area. We have not slept on the beds yet as I am installing the stained cherry wood matching trim.
    We now have a "ton" of room under the beds/center section for storage, a nice flat bed with 7" of firm padding. We always use the front seats turned around when lounging/watching TV so the folding couch was always kept down in the bed configuration.
    By making the bed unit free standing, we can return the van to it's original configuration when we trade/sell it or offer it as is (couch goes with van) with the buyer having the option to convert it back to oem configuration at a later date.


    I do have two 1" dense inflatable pads. I'm going to try putting them on the seat and table area and see if that fills the gap. I like your solution but I really like to use the table and couch when I use my laptop.
  • bobojay5's avatar
    bobojay5
    Explorer
    Sep 04, 2013
    Oilman wrote:
    bobojay5 wrote:
    We're going to come up with something better for ours this winter. I refuse to have to wrestle something out of the bathroom though to use it every time.
    We had that issue on our previous RV, and we just left it set up all the time...


    On the 70a, Do you think you could put a piece of foam under the factory cushions? Just a thought...


    Yes, very easily. Or on top, either one. My wife currently has a 3" memory foam topper under her Travasak. I like the firmer factory pad, but I may try the foam option next year
  • pickerel_cove's avatar
    pickerel_cove
    Explorer
    Apr 27, 2015
    We ended up deciding to leave it down all the time and buy a second small round table to install in the front between the four seats. It's not ideal but the setup of memory foam isn't something that we want to do as it didn't solve the leveling issue. We had to put folded blankets on the areas that were lower to build them up before putting the memory foam on top. It still wasn't ideal as the worst problem was in the head/neck area being too high and lower extremities sinking into the memory foam. We finally decided to sleep with our heads away from the back door. Snoring level is worse and I have to be sure to watch out for the protrusion where the radio is in the ERA but it's better. Did anyone else come up with something ideal for the Winnebago ERA that hadn't been mentioned previously?

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