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Improving awful sofa air beds ?

me2
Explorer
Explorer
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
22 REPLIES 22

Onespeed405
Explorer
Explorer
Just a very small suggestion...if the foot of the bed is a little higher than the head, just switch the pillows around. Sleep with your head at the foot, the incline would be much more comfortable.
2005 Chev 3500 Duramax/Allison Ext Cab SRW 4x4 Long Box
Blue Ox Bedsaver, Hawkshead TPMS, Rear View Camera System
2007 Citation Supreme 31CKDS
220 W solar, 2800 W Magnasine pure sinewave inverter/charger/battery monitor, 4x6 volt deep cycle, Rotochoks

me2
Explorer
Explorer
FlatBroke wrote:
Got rid of the silly sleeper couch in this trailer. It was built into the slide out, heavy and ugly. Pulled it out and put in an Ashley regular couch. Someone wants to spent the night they can throw an air mattress on the the floor providing they supply one.


There have been several suggestions of this ilk.

We have 3 children and other family and friends regularly travel or stay with us. Putting sleeping pads on the floor or asking them to supply their own alternative gear was not an option.

FlatBroke
Explorer II
Explorer II
Got rid of the silly sleeper couch in this trailer. It was built into the slide out, heavy and ugly. Pulled it out and put in an Ashley regular couch. Someone wants to spent the night they can throw an air mattress on the the floor providing they supply one.

Hitch Hiker
"08" 29.5 FKTG LS

me2
Explorer
Explorer
So I found a solution to the problem.

We slept on the 2" foam on the floor and found it pretty comfortable.

We laid on the floor on the air mattress that came with the sofa beds and it wasn't too bad. A bit of falling together if you ran it with lower air pressure, but not bad. If you crank up the pressure there is no falling together, but then its a bit hard. And if you sleep further apart with lower pressure its not bad.

So the problem wasn't the foam or the air mattress itself. The problem is that the base the sofa beds create for them isn't firm enough.

So I cut 2 pieces of 7/16" OSB. One piece is 52 x 33". The other piece is 52 x 31, with the rounded corners.



The OSB pieces fit nicely under or behind the sofa beds. Total cost is 2 sheets of OSB per bed, about $15, plus the time to cut them.

Problem solved ! Now the sofa beds sleep really well with the 2" foam mattress and quite good with the air mattress. We now have 2 good sofa beds for our guests. This has been a problem since we purchased the trailer 5 years ago. We are very happy to have this resolved.

I hope this helps someone.

blacktop
Explorer
Explorer
We just bought a used Cougar three days ago. I hate those blow-ups also, so we bargained with the dealer to allow us to keep the flexsteel sofa and swap it to our new/used trailer.

Jack_Diane_Free
Explorer
Explorer
We put a mattress memory foam topper on ours and it is then quite comfortable.

zb39
Explorer
Explorer
Both of my adult kids love ours. Evaen my wife liked it.
2017 Host mammoth, sold
49 states, 41 National Parks, 7 Provinces
2019 2 door Rubicon 6 spd.
2019 Berkshire XLT 45B
2022 Host Cascade
2021 Ram 5500 Air ride

JW_of_Opechee_S
Explorer
Explorer
We don't open ours so I don't even know what it feels like. If company comes it is easy for me to just say "Get a Hotel Room", they will sleep better and so will I.
Have Fiver will travel with little or no notice at all. I do need to stop at rest areas now and then:)

me2
Explorer
Explorer
Bayley wrote:
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!!


Which trifold did you get ?

laknox
Nomad
Nomad
Marine By Choice wrote:
Bourbon works for me if taken an hour or so before bedtime;-)))


I'll second that drink, er, notion. 🙂

Lyle
2022 GMC Sierra 3500 HD Denali Crew Cab 4x4 Duramax
B&W OEM Companion & Gooseneck Kit
2017 KZ Durango 1500 D277RLT
1936 John Deere Model A
International Flying Farmers 64 Year Member

Bayley
Explorer
Explorer
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!!
Semper Fi

Tony, Darlene & the boss Bentley!
2013 Ram CTD, Ride-Rite Air Bags, B&W Turnover Ball and Andersen "Ultimate 5th Wheel Connection".
2014 Arctic Fox 29-5K 5th wheel with Reese Airborne Pin Box.

neilnbe
Explorer
Explorer
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.
Neil, Deb
2 Kids 1 Dog
'05 Newmar Mountain Aire
'11 Ford Edge
Mountain Master Towbrake
Blue Ox Adventa II

me2
Explorer
Explorer
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
Explorer
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.