# Motor Home Bedding



## brendan (May 9, 2005)

We have tried many variations of bedding over the past few tears; Sleeping on Winter duvet while using summer duvet as top cover and visa versa, conventional bottom sheets and duvets at the moment we are using Raskelf mattress toppers and duvets. The Raskelf toppers are fine but take up rather a lot of space ( we have used both 2 " and 1" toppers).

We are considering trying just sleeping bags and liners with a sheet to protect the Camper seating ( we dont have a fixed bed, its an IH TIO RL )
Any thoughts or suggestions? Does any one just use sleeping bags?
We go away for a anything from a few days to a few months at a time, off to France for 4 weeks in June. Storage space is a major consideration - and comfort of course.


----------



## MrsW (Feb 8, 2009)

Bottom sheet and then a duvet for us. In winter a thicker duvet, thinner in summer and an empty case if it gets unbelievably hot at night (if only!) I'd hate a sleeping bag - not enough room to move about at night and why should i be less comfortable in my MH than I am in my home?

I hope you find what works for you - this works for us and we store the bedding on top of the fold-up cab bed during the day.


----------



## Hezbez (Feb 7, 2009)

Cannot be bothered faffing about putting on bottom sheets each night, so we use two Raskelf Duvalays - unroll them and jump in!
A sleeping bag, quilt, mattress topper and bottom sheet all in one unit- love em! Plus they don't take up too much storage space.


----------



## Carl_n_Flo (May 10, 2005)

Bottom sheet and duvet for us...........although with the size of the fixed bed in our 'van, fitting the bottom sheet is a task we toss a coin for to AVOID!!!! It dont fit!!!

Thinking of investing in a pair of Duvalys............hopefully will avoid the bottom sheet fiasco.

Are they any good?????

As we full time, will Raskelf sell us a second set of covers without all the 'innards'?

Carl (who lost the toss last time and pulled a muscle in his shoulder trying to force the bottom sheet onto the matress....)


----------



## Hezbez (Feb 7, 2009)

I get a better sleep in my Duvalay than I do at home.

It is only a 4 tog quilt I believe, which I thought would be way too cold in the winter, but it's fine, even in the north of Scotland in January (just needed an extra throw on top of it when it got down to around minus 10 outside).
Also comfy and not too hot in France last summer.

I'm sure you can buy spare/extra covers for them.


----------



## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

We used sleeping bags when we had our Auto-Sleeper. Instead of liners we used a double duvet cover inside one of them, and a double sheet folded in half inside the other. This gave us the option of putting the sleeping bags together to make a double, or putting them inside the duvet cover to create a duvet. We stored all this in the overcab area during the day. We didn't know about duvalays when we bought the sleeping bags, otherwise we might have bought them instead. We were quite happy with the sleeping bags though and always slept well.

But......

Since we've had the Hymer, with a good size over cab bed, we use the 'one duvet underneath and another on top arrangement.

You don't say why you are wondering about changing your bedding.


Chris


----------



## MEES (Apr 20, 2006)

We have two duvalays. I bought winter and summer duvets for them but can never envisage using the winter ones. We used the summer ones in -18 last year -no problems.

It is quite a struggle changing the sheet/covers when u have washed them unless im being thick  

They are very comfortable though they do take up a loy of room if you are not leaving them on a bed all the time.

We carry far too much bedding 'just in case' two double sleeping bags,a spare duvet and sheets 8O 

it all came in when we had to accomodate 6 adults four kids and two dogs overnight in Carnac :lol:


----------



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Bed*

Hi

When sleeping on a non fixed bed, ie made up from the lounge etc, do you turn the cushions over or leave them face up?

Russell


----------



## aivlys (May 1, 2005)

We used to use two single duvets zipped together to make a top and bottom equating to a double sized bed. We placed sheets inside the sleeping bags. If you have two different tog ratings you can alternate the top to be a lesser or higher tog. Carry an extra throw over just in case (Think we only ever used the throw over once when it was bitterly bitterly cold and icy outside. In the morning we simply rolled up the double sleeping bag, tied it with a sash and then stored it. No making up of beds, only had to roll it out again at night time before getting into it. Easy pizzy. Now have a fixed bed so doesn't apply.


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

We always use sleeping bags unzipped as a bottom cover.

Takes no time to covert the rear lounge to a massive bed then throw on the unzipped bag, tuck it in at the sides, chuck either a heavy duty king size goose feather duvet which would keep you warm in the arctic for the winter or in the summer I just use another unzipped bag as a cover or if its hot a thin top sheet.

The whole lot just gets dragged off and bundelled up in the over cab during the day or when driving unless its a lazy day then we just leave the rear bed down.


----------



## lins (Sep 29, 2008)

Hi carl an flo,i used a king size bottom sheet for our fixed bed ,only double duvet on top.Found the larger size much better to fight with.lin


----------



## bozzer (Jul 22, 2009)

Hi

We have a mattress topper on our fixed bed and just put a fitted sheet on that - no messing tucking over mattress. Put the sheet over bottom corners of topper then I pull the topper over towards me from head of bed, put 2 corners of sheet on and then let it roll back in position it pulls the sheet flat. We then have a double duvet of the tog necessary for the season or the direction we travel!!! 

Jan


----------



## randonneur (Jan 25, 2007)

Friends of ours who have a caravan without a fixed bed use sleeping bags inside double duvet covers and have no problems.

When we had a fixed bed motorhome we used a double stretch jersey bottom sheet and it was so successful we now use single stretch jersey ones in our twin bed motorhome.


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

If you've not used a sleeping bag before then I'd suggest you try one at home first.

I hate them; feel claustrophobic and can't stretch out if I get too hot.

We have 2 Fogarty ( from Argos) mattress toppers ( feather and down) each of which is in a removable cotton sheet sleeping bag. At night these are unrolled on our bench seats and we have a duvet each on top. In the daytime each mattress topper is rolled lengthways and fitted in a long cushion cover that I've made and it then fits along the back of the bench seat, making them more comfortable.

The duvets ( both down: thick in winter and thin in summer) are folded small and put in cushion covers to be used as scatter cushions during the day.

G


----------



## suedew (May 10, 2005)

We use mattress toppers inside a duvet cover, just roll out no need to faf with a sheet then :lol: 
It can be a bit awkward getting them in the duvet cover at first though, gets easier the oftener you do it .
We initially used opened out sleeping bags, then when we took family hadn't enough so took a duvet as well. John uses a *2 *tog quilt summer and winter, sometimes adds a throw. Until last week I had continued to use my old (at least 20 years  )sleeping bag, but it is bulky.
Went off with 3 friends, one used my sleeping bag other 2 brought there own I used Johns duvet, what a revelation. light, much warmer than sleeping bag, takes up less space guess what is top of my 'to get' list.
Appreciate that OP has a PVC and less storage space, duvets could be folded and put into cushion covers for daytime use.

Russell we don't turn over our cushions, they have the fixings underneath for the 'buttons' on top, not really buttons more indentations, and can be felt through the memory foam topper.

Sue


----------



## Kipper (May 1, 2005)

I too have an IH Tio R. I've tried various combinations. Lying on top of one duvet with another on top, mattress toppers, memory foam. Absolutely loathe sleeping bags since i hate that enclosed feeling and like to stick my feet out the bottom every now and again, so don't think the Raskelf system would help. Found the memory foam was comfy but tended to ruck up - but maybe mine was too cheap and thin (just 1") - however if I'd gone for a thicker bit it would be difficult to store.

Have gone back to mattress topper covered with a super king fitted sheet as the easiest and by far the most comfortable. I like a smooth bottom layer to don't like the way that a duvet will slide about and ruck up - plus the duvet cover is bigger and bulkier to wash whilst away. I quite often leave the bed made up for days at a time (being thoroughly lazy!) but when I have visitors round for drinks I find there's enough space under the rear seat to bung all the bedding.

ps: for anyone else with an IH panel van (or any other PVC with a big side sliding door) the best mod I've had done was to get IH to weld on (and colour match spray it) a drip strip above the door. I now get no drips or splashes at all when opening and shutting the door in the rain and the strip is almost invisible to the eye. So much so that I thought they hadn't fitted it when I went to pick the van up!


----------



## aguilas389 (May 18, 2008)

When we had an IH we used lightweight quilty things that zipped into cushions for daytime. Although the material used seems very lightweight it is amazingly warm. We still have them and have used them on occasions in the Hymer above cab bed (once when I was ill as we don't carry bedding for that one normally) We purchased them a couple of years ago at the NEC show and they had 3 or 4 different colours. If you go to ebay and type in item number: 150310138836 you will see some for sale.
Marion & Mike


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

aguilas389 said:


> When we had an IH we used lightweight quilty things that zipped into cushions for daytime.
> Marion & Mike


These are quillows and are dead easy to make. We've got two patchwork ones that I made and they are very useful in summer or as an extra in winter but it's just as easy to make them from a thicker blanket, a a duvet or an old sleeping bag. They don't need a zip as they fold neatly into the inbuilt pocket and become a pillow.

Basically you sew a pocket in the middle of the lower end of whatever you're making the quillow from and then fold your quilt into it- as per this diagram:

http://www.grammysworld.com/images/quilts/quillow_instr(3).JPG

G


----------



## aguilas389 (May 18, 2008)

Must admit Grizzys home made ones look "Heath Robinson" efforts would much rather pay the few pounds for professional looking ones and spend my time doing something more entertaining than sewing.
Marion & Mike


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

aguilas389 said:


> Must admit Grizzys home made ones look "Heath Robinson" efforts would much rather pay the few pounds for professional looking ones and spend my time doing something more entertaining than sewing.
> Marion & Mike


Gosh, you sure know how to flatter ! I can't recall that you've actually _ seen _ my "homemade efforts" frankly ! Given that patchwork quilts sell for many hundreds of pound I must be doing something right !

Talking about quillows; have you ever come across Project Linus ? Google it; it's a lifesaver and an interesting project.

G


----------



## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Fixed bed with traditional A/S mattress but then pure luxury with a silk filled duvet (autumn) in the winter. Direct from China via a friend, it is never hot and never cold; luxury. The pillows too are silk filled with a bag of silk worm sh*t in one side (really) that smells a bit like tea. Supposed to be good for your health :wink: .
Alan


----------



## dovtrams (Aug 18, 2009)

I tgried a sleeping bag at first and woke up during the night thinking the wife was trying to strangle me. Made my own version of the Dlays, I call it a Davealay. Very easy to make and at very little cost. Two single covers sown together, memory foam in bottom and any quilt you want on top. Apart from the memory foam we had all the bits in the house. Great nights sleep and you select your own quilt tog according to your preferences.

Dave


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

dovtrams said:


> Made my own version of the Dlays, I call it a Davealay. Very easy to make and at very little cost.
> 
> Dave


Ah Dave ! I sincerely hope it didn't look Heath Robinson....!

(see earlier post in this thread)

G :wink:


----------



## dovtrams (Aug 18, 2009)

Ah Dave ! I sincerely hope it didn't look Heath Robinson....!

whose he? fantastic bit of bedding and rolls up just the same as any other bedding roll. I even sewed it myself as the wife thought I was putting together one of my great inventions which very rarely work. This one does.

Dave


----------



## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

dovtrams said:


> whose he?


I was quoting, tongue-possibly-in-cheek, a remark passed earlier in this thread about my quillows:



aguilas389 said:


> Must admit Grizzys home made ones look "Heath Robinson" efforts would much rather pay the few pounds for professional looking ones and spend my time doing something more entertaining than sewing.
> Marion & Mike


I enjoy making things for the van, using my ingenuity. Sometimes, not always, it save money for more interesting things. I encourage " homemade" items rather than mass-produced ones possibly made by under-paid, exploited foreign workers but having no character.

Heath Robinson ? see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Heath_Robinson

G


----------

