Making A Warmer Truck Camper Bed

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:

Reality Check wrote:
Interesting thread.

We camp alot in the winter. Just spent 4 days in 0-5F degree weather. Never really had an issue with the mattress or cold. Condensation, can be an issue, but it's a super easy solution. Got to have air movement. I usually just crack the kitchen window a bit and open the bathroom vent slightly (fan stays off). An example, two days into the camp, no condensation at all, windows being the best indicator. Cooked breakfast for three extra adults and two kids (squeeze them in..!) and after a bit over two hours, the windows were covered in condensation. It's our breath. Turned the fan on when they left and half hour later, camper was cleared up.

A suggestion for under the mattress. One needs air movement but most can't afford the height loss. Pick up a piece of Miradrain or equivalent. It's a composite drain product, and it will keep an open airway under the mattress. About 1/2" tall, plastic and fiber, water proof.



Last... skip the flannel sheets. They're only warm 'after' you get in and warm them up. Go fleece. Tell them I sent you...! There is no comparison.

The foundation dimpled sheet would work very well. I actually have a roll of it in my shop.
I talked with Joe Chi Ochi, Matt, who foil tape sealed a foam board down in his cabover and wrote a post about it back about 2007 with good results. I'll keep an eye on the current setup to see how it performs. Rather than the foil tape, there is a PVC tape which is stronger and more flexible than the aluminum tape. I'll keep you posted on results.

Work well for many years, never had any moisture issues.

We did however, also install carpet foam and full home carpet over that foil face polyisocyanurate foam and around the perimeter of where the mattress came in contact with the walls.

We also used a 10" thick Polyurethane foam mattress vs inner spring, which added another layer of insulation between the floor and the occupants.

With the Amerigo, we have 3" of R22 fiberglass insulation beneath the floor of the cabover and a 3/4" plywood deck on top of which our mattress rests, so I didn't need to do the same trick this go round.