Posted 2008-04-22 11:02 AM (#82413) Subject: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Charter Member
Posts: 251 Location: Holland, Tx
I am planning to use a futon mattress in the LQ of the trailer I'm converting. Because of some cabinets I added, the width I have available for a mattress is 48".
A full size mattress is 54".
Do you think it would be possible to fit that mattress into a 48" opening since futon mattresses are (at least I think they are) more forgiving/flexible?? (I obviously mean fitting it into the space without it looking retarded)
Posted 2008-04-22 7:23 PM (#82432 - in reply to #82413) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Veteran
Posts: 235 Location: Keymar,Maryland
We went the futon way at first. May as well have slept on balled up clothes. I could not wait for the first night to be over! The dogs sleep on it now at home.
Posted 2008-04-23 12:13 AM (#82435 - in reply to #82413) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Regular
Posts: 64 Location: Paulding Ohio
For my trailer I bought regular foam that is used in trailers for couches beds( from the surplus places) , ect, cut to size; I sleep opposite of a lot of people, window to window instead of head at nose, and then found a one of those mattress toppers with memory foam on sale. Most comfortable bed Ive ever slept in
wendy
Posted 2008-04-23 6:43 AM (#82437 - in reply to #82432) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Elite Veteran
Posts: 662 Location: Vanzant, Missouri
Originally written by Rich M. on 2008-04-22 7:23 PM We went the futon way at first. May as well have slept on balled up clothes. I could not wait for the first night to be over! The dogs sleep on it now at home.
I agree with ya on that. I had one in my first gn and yes it was very lumpy....
Posted 2008-04-23 6:50 AM (#82438 - in reply to #82437) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Member
Posts: 14
Location: Columbia SC
I also just purchased a used lq and don't want to use the foam mattress in it. But I have one of thoses cutout spaces and cannot get a regular matress in it. What is comfortable and I can fit through the cutout has to be felxible of course.
Posted 2008-04-23 11:04 AM (#82479 - in reply to #82413) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1160 Location: Denver Colorado
Good idea greyhorse, I just had JAG conversions do a mini bedroom in the nose of our tour trailer and with all the cabinets for display, I needed a smaller mattress. Never thought about truck sleepers until your post. They have just the right size for me. Kent
Posted 2008-04-24 8:10 AM (#82543 - in reply to #82413) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Veteran
Posts: 151 Location: Manitoba, Canada
As with any normal mattress on your bed, all futons are not created equal. Some are great, some are pure torture.
That said, I have a futon in my trailer, I love it, it's really comfortable. Adding a foam topper makes it even better. The mattress will fold nearly in half, so moving it into a small space is easy, but it's still a 2 person job since it's large, somewhat floppy, and heavy.
Posted 2008-04-24 8:24 AM (#82544 - in reply to #82413) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Veteran
Posts: 104
I asked this same question here 3yrs ago and someone put me on to daysend matress co. You give them the dimensions and they make it to fit. My wife said she thinks it is more comfortable than our bed in the house. They even make them to fit odd shapes.
Posted 2008-04-24 8:44 AM (#82546 - in reply to #82413) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Member
Posts: 40
I suspect not many people hear will want to make their own mattress, but I will share how I did it. I definitely have more time than money!
I got some foam carpet pad (1/2 inch thick) leftover from a construction project I had friends working on. I taped together a couple of big pieces of paper from a roll of newsprint and made a pattern of what the mattress could be. I ended up with a queen width, but a slightly odd shape to fit into the angled nose of the gooseneck.
I cut 4 pieces of the foam pad and laid them on top of each other (now 2 inches thick.) I used string and a 3 inch carpet needle to tie the pieces together in about a dozen places around the edge. I then purchased a memory foam mattress topper and also cut that to fit. Then I sewed two old sheets together in the right size and shape and with a lot of help from my husband stuffed all the foam in the sheets. I sewed the end together by hand. I now have a custom mattress that is darn comfortable. I am surprised. I sleep on a waterbed at home, and find most matresses uncomfortable. But my homemade gooseneck mattress is wonderful!
Posted 2008-11-23 4:24 PM (#95261 - in reply to #82413) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Charter Member
Posts: 34 Location: Holland, Tx
I ended up ordering a large piece of foam like what cushions are made of and cut it to fit into the strangely shaped area I ended up having for bed-space and then bought a 2" thick memory foam topper and cut it to fit as well. Works perfect.
I bought those elastic straps that you use to keep your sheets on a regular bed and I use them to keep the sheets on the homemade mattress. Works better and since I haul alone, sleep alone and sleep kinda crazy at times (don't always wake up with my head facing the same direction) I now have more space than if I would have bought a mattress that just fit through the most narrow section of the nose (since I have cabinets on either side of the entrance to the nose, I made the mattress fit between those (even when I need to open the doors to the cabinets) and then it widens once it opens up in the window area...if that makes sense.
Posted 2008-11-24 8:06 AM (#95285 - in reply to #82413) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 317 Location: Barnesville, Ga.
You can also check with a local mattress maker if you have one in your area. We had a mattress made to fit in the nose of our 1st LQ trailer we bought since the thin foam matress was so uncomfortable. The mattress guy was very knowledgeable about building mattresses for trailers and already knew the standard measurements for RV units. We just measured our space and he made one to fit. We were even able to add some springs in the thick foam mattress to make it hold it's shape and remain comfortable. All we did was walk it thru the horse compartment and thru the walk-thru door and into the nose. It was pretty easy to put in and way more comfortable than what we had.
Posted 2008-11-24 8:22 PM (#95310 - in reply to #82413) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
New User
Posts: 1
Location: Williamsburg, VA
The futon deal i don't know about....but I'll warn you ahead of time about those 'wonderful' memory foam beds...they do not do well with cold weather! After a sleepless weekend away we purchased a rather expensive memory foam mattress for our camper thinking our next trip in the spring would be terrific.. It wasn't until spring of course that we discovered those mattresses do not handle cold weather. We winterized, parked the camper in the shelter for the winter and come spring we were out of the $ we spent and unable to return the solid block of foam!! Justa heads up!
Posted 2008-11-24 9:25 PM (#95313 - in reply to #82413) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Elite Veteran
Posts: 792 Location: East Tennessee, USA, Planet Earth
One word on the futon....NO! Don't invest your cash in a futon, they are hard and very uncomfortable for sleeping. I would recommend you look into a Memory Foam mattress, they are comfy and not too much $$.
Posted 2008-11-24 11:15 PM (#95317 - in reply to #95313) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385 Location: washington
I have to jump in here because my previous trailer had a futon mattress in the gooseneck and it was great to sleep on. I actually slept better in the trailer on that mattress than at home. I didn't find ti lumpy or anything. I have a foam mattress in the new trailer, with the egg crate mattress cover and I do not sleep as well on that setup. Just my 2 cents.
Posted 2008-11-25 10:24 AM (#95335 - in reply to #82413) Subject: RE: Futon Mattress for LQ Area
Charter Member
Posts: 251 Location: Holland, Tx
I did NOT go with the futon route...it wouldn't work for the area I had to work with. I posted this above.
I was very selective regarding which foam I chose (there's a variety of soft/hard versions) and the thickness of my memory foam topper. There are times when I sleep better on it than on the mattress in my house. Maybe I need to get a memoryfoam topper for it?
Futon Mattress for LQ Area
It wasn't until spring of course that we discovered those mattresses do not handle cold weather. We winterized, parked the camper in the shelter for the winter and come spring we were out of the $ we spent and unable to return the solid block of foam!! 
Justa heads up!