38 replies to this topic

[Myfotos]

Like others, I replaced the foam after sleeping on it one night.  Went to a mattress store and bought a 3" pad which cost about $250.  Since I'm single, I had the pad made to fit without the bed extended.  Turned out that the mattress was still a little too hard, so topped with a cushy, flannel-lined sleeping bag which stays on all the time and doesn't interfere with closing the roof.  At night, it's easy to throw a sheet and blankets on top.

[GT-Jim]

Thought I would share what we just did.  We replaced our queen size 3" foam mattress with two Thermarest Mondoking 3D mattresses.  The Mondoking is a 4" self inflating air mattress with verical side walls and two together make a queen, the straight sides allow them to mate perfectly.  A side bonus is now my wife and I can adjust the firmness separately each to our own liking.  When we put the top down we just open the valves and let them compress and before we crawl in bed we close the valves.  It wasn't cheap but you can't put a price on quality sleep.

[Spitfire]

This is what we use.  Yes it is not cheap but works great. Open valves to self inflate when we set up camp, open deflate valves when we get up our last day of camp. Stays on bed all the time. From REI I had two of the large REI pads on my 2002 hawk with the short cabover. Had to roll up each night and was a PIA. Got the 2013 hawk and wanted something better.  Took the two REI pads back full refund and got the Exped dual pad.  I love REI. 

We use two of the narrow ones. They're 30 inches wide so two of them fit perfectly on the queen size bed in our Hawk. They're definitely very comfortable.

[Occidental]

For those using the exped, how durable do you think they are or will be?  They definitely look comfortable, I'm just trying to decide if they will last, or if a foam mattress will be a longer term choice.

[billharr]

For those using the exped, how durable do you think they are or will be?  They definitely look comfortable, I'm just trying to decide if they will last, or if a foam mattress will be a longer term choice.

Have used mine for 3 years and no problems. Pad stays on the bed with roof down.

[Vic Harder]

For those using the exped, how durable do you think they are or will be?  They definitely look comfortable, I'm just trying to decide if they will last, or if a foam mattress will be a longer term choice.

I have about 6 different thermarest mattresses.  The oldest is 25+ years old.  All used in tents on backpacking trips.  NO leaks, ever.

[jndeller]

We have a 2012 Fleet with the 4" concrete foam. Here are the numbers for the foam I got directly from FWC:

2012 Foam: Density=1.8. IDL=48

New foam 3" thick Density=2.5. IDL=35

I literally called today to order foam from "The Foam Factory", Foambymail.com. After talking with them today I am ordering their HD36 - High Quality foam which is Density=2.8 IDL=35. Also, asking them to wrap with Dacron.

It is going to cost about $250 to $300 for 5 pieces. I am waiting on the formal quote and can't wait to try it. I have decided to just use the cushion covers for the 4" thick original foam and not going going to worry about a little looseness. But I am hoping with the 3" foam we can leave the bedding on the bed when we pop down.

 

We have a 2012 Fleet with the 4" concrete foam. Here are the numbers for the foam I got directly from FWC:

2012 Foam: Density=1.8. IDL=48

New foam 3" thick Density=2.5. IDL=35

I literally called today to order foam from "The Foam Factory", Foambymail.com. After talking with them today I am ordering their HD36 - High Quality foam which is Density=2.8 IDL=35. Also, asking them to wrap with Dacron.

It is going to cost about $250 to $300 for 5 pieces. I am waiting on the formal quote and can't wait to try it. I have decided to just use the cushion covers for the 4" thick original foam and not going going to worry about a little looseness. But I am hoping with the 3" foam we can leave the bedding on the bed when we pop down.

 

I am looking at this exact same foam to replace the mattress in my 2009 Hawk.  So, exmx_racer (or anyone else who has ordered this same product), were you satisfied with this foam (and the extra Dacron wrap) as an upgraded replacement?  Thanks!

[ckent323]

Vic,

 

Have you checked the foam inside your old thermarest mattresses?  I have several thermarest mattresses that date to the early 1990's .  In at least one of them the foam is breaking down.  I also have foam mattresses from my boat and they started breaking down between 7 and 10 years (salt water environment),  In our home the foam in furniture cushions seems to start to break down somewhere around 12 - 15 years.  This is consistent with what the foam suppliers told me when I replaced the too hard mattress in our 2007 FWC Keystone.  They said foam lasts 10 years.

[Vic Harder]

Vic,
 
Have you checked the foam inside your old thermarest mattresses?  I have several thermarest mattresses that date to the early 1990's .  In at least one of them the foam is breaking down.  I also have foam mattresses from my boat and they started breaking down between 7 and 10 years (salt water environment),  In our home the foam in furniture cushions seems to start to break down somewhere around 12 - 15 years.  This is consistent with what the foam suppliers told me when I replaced the too hard mattress in our 2007 FWC Keystone.  They said foam lasts 10 years.

Hmmm, nope. Don‘t know if I will ever use those again either.