So I bought a 6-inch thick full-size mattress for my Sprinter conversion, thinking it would be fine. I measured the length and width, but completely ignored the thickness and how much room it eats up when you're actually inside. Now I have basically no floor space and I'm tripping over everything. Anyone else make this mistake? How did you deal with it? I'm 6'2" and 240 lbs, so I didn't want a thin pad, but this thing is a beast.
Van Life
I underestimated how much space a mattress takes up in a van
Dude, same. I went with a 6-inch memory foam in my Transit and it's like having a second passenger that never leaves. I ended up cutting it down to a twin width. Sacrificed some sleep comfort but gained my sanity back.
Why not just get a thinner mattress? They make 4-inch ones that are decent for bigger folks. Or are you dead set on the cloud life?
I thought about a 4-inch, but I've had cheap thin mattresses before and they bottom out. I'm a side sleeper, so my hip digs in. Maybe I need to look at a different foam density instead of thickness.
You could always go the hammock route. Takes up zero floor space. Just saying.
Hammock in a van sounds great until you wanna sit up or have a partner. Also, my back hurts just thinking about it.
We have a full-size mattress in our van and yeah, it's tight, but we built a platform with storage underneath so it feels less like a floor hog. The key is vertical space, not floor space. Maybe you can raise your bed and slide bins under?
Kombucha_Kate raises a good point. A high bed with storage can make the mattress footprint feel less oppressive. But if you're already tall, raising the bed might mean you can't sit up. Trade-offs everywhere.
Yeah, I have a high roof so sitting up isn't a huge issue. But my current setup is low. I might try a folding mattress or a custom foam cut. Hmm.
Just sleep on a pool float. Multitasking.