FWC mattress update

[The Next Adventures]

I am at 180 nights straight so far on the custom pads I had made by Jacks Plastic Welding. They are 4" thick so one of them has to come down and sit on the floor when we drive. Very easy to put back up when we stop and well worth it. Better than any bed I have ever slept on and my wife agrees as well.

 

[camper101]

I am at 180 nights straight so far on the custom pads I had made by Jacks Plastic Welding. They are 4" thick so one of them has to come down and sit on the floor when we drive. Very easy to put back up when we stop and well worth it. Better than any bed I have ever slept on and my wife agrees as well.

Looking back through the thread, I see you helped inspire me to get a Paco pad (my wife already had one) and we've been using them since November or so. Thank you!

We've both got Paco Grandes which are 3 inches thick. They go side-by-side and when we push the bed platform in (we have an Eagle shell) the pads just hang over the edge. They're pretty much out of the way, although recently I've been tempted to put webbing hooks or something on the front/rear walls so I can keep things contained along the side, but the pads are in the way currently.

Anyway, I'm very happy with the Paco pads, and can confirm that they're not freezing in the winter. But there are 3 layers of reflectix under the cab-over portion, mostly to level things out because the slide-out portion of the bed is about that thick.

If I had a complaint, I'd say it's that I sweat a little on the pad. I sleep warm, so it might not happen to everybody, and I just sleep on a sheet over the Paco pad (prefer not to get in a sleeping bag -- I have a camper!). If you sleep in a bag you'd be good, or maybe thicker sheets would do the trick. It's never been enough of a problem to do something about it so it's obviously not that big of a deal (I haven't had a lot of hot nights though)...

Another benefit is that we don't have to carry the 4 cushions around so there's more storage room inside and stealth mode is easier. Not sure how it'd be with a Fleet -- if you have extra cushions or not.

 

[BobM]

This it what I replaced my foam with and the original is still avail for cheap:
http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/8329-fwc-raven-queen-size-foam-for-sale/

 

[shear]

Cool. Only 2 cushions with the Fleet...less to deal with which is nice. I'm definitely going to replace the foam...I refuse to compromise on the current set up I have in my truck right now! Anyone with a Fleet know the dimensions of the bed itself as well as the cushions? And you say they are side by side...like this II ...not like his = ?

Hope that makes sense!

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Shear,
NoCalSteve said he believes FWC upgraded the mattress on the new models.

I advise you do your research .......and TRY out the mattress before replacing it,

Email Stan - stan@ fourwh.com to confirm

 

[buckland]

Well I chimed in some time ago having a 2011 Eagle. I ordered a foam mattress that is like but softer than the new FWC foam and am hoping for the best. Just the main piece as the small cushions only support the legs. It was my back that was hurting.




[SIZE=10pt] New England Foam.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]2635 = 2.6# w/ 35# ILD. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Here is the quote that you requested:[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Quantity: 1[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Foam: 2635 CM[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Size: 4“ x 48“ x 66“ [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10pt]Price-per-piece: $202.95[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt] [/SIZE]

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Thanks Buck,
Have you slept on it many nites?....or..did you just order it?

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Stan replied to my email.

" in 2013 FWC replaced the 4" thick firm with a 3" thick medium soft. They have had favorable feedback on the new mattress"

 

[MarkBC]

Stan replied to my email.

" in 2013 FWC replaced the 4" thick firm with a 3" thick medium soft. They have had favorable feedback on the new mattress"

I wonder what type of foam FWC used in 2005?
Just wondering if my perception of "too soft" is just "too soft for Mark"...or maybe it's just me?

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Mark, I assume " polystyrene" which is used to pack instruments and electronics.
Interesting to note - thickness is now .......3 inches not 4......to allow for bedding to be left on when top is closed - I suppose??
I asked Stan now awaiting his reply.

 

[MarkBC]

Mark, I assume " polystyrene" which is used to pack instruments and electronics.
Interesting to note - thickness is now .......3 inches not 4......to allow for bedding to be left on when top is closed - I suppose??
I asked Stan now awaiting his reply.

Hmmm....probably not polystyrene -- that's "styrofoam" -- rigid. More likely polyurethane, if I had to guess (but just guessing).

But my question was asking if the mattress foam used in 2005 was of the same type -- firmness-wise -- as was used up until this 2013 change referred to.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Polyurethane your right Mark....To know for sure ask Stan at Four Wheel.

Eagle original foam had no give. The Q41 is great sleeping.

 

[Spitfire]

Wonder when in 2013 they changed the mattress foam? I bought my Hawk last May and I can't imagine the mattress foam in my camper is the improved version. Hard as a rock.

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

Spitfire,
Stan said early 2013. To know for sure email stan@fourwh.com your serial number and date of purchase.

Mark,
Stan confirmed they decreased the mattress thickness to allow bedding to remain when top is lowered. That,s a temporary fix as they are researching other avenues.

 

[buckland]

I will pick up the new mattress next week. I really look forward to the first night out. I'll post the results when we return.

 

[The Next Adventures]

Looking back through the thread, I see you helped inspire me to get a Paco pad (my wife already had one) and we've been using them since November or so. Thank you!

We've both got Paco Grandes which are 3 inches thick. They go side-by-side and when we push the bed platform in (we have an Eagle shell) the pads just hang over the edge. They're pretty much out of the way, although recently I've been tempted to put webbing hooks or something on the front/rear walls so I can keep things contained along the side, but the pads are in the way currently.

Anyway, I'm very happy with the Paco pads, and can confirm that they're not freezing in the winter. But there are 3 layers of reflectix under the cab-over portion, mostly to level things out because the slide-out portion of the bed is about that thick.

If I had a complaint, I'd say it's that I sweat a little on the pad. I sleep warm, so it might not happen to everybody, and I just sleep on a sheet over the Paco pad (prefer not to get in a sleeping bag -- I have a camper!). If you sleep in a bag you'd be good, or maybe thicker sheets would do the trick. It's never been enough of a problem to do something about it so it's obviously not that big of a deal (I haven't had a lot of hot nights though)...

Another benefit is that we don't have to carry the 4 cushions around so there's more storage room inside and stealth mode is easier. Not sure how it'd be with a Fleet -- if you have extra cushions or not.

Nice! Camper101. The extra benifit I find with the Paco pad also is that they don't absorb the sweat or condensation when sleeping in cold weather. The stock pads stay soaked after a few nights of cold weather camping. The Paco pad just wipes dry with a towel or drys quickly on its own.

 

[buckland]

Well...I am a happy camper. I picked up the new mattress last week and have tried it out.... incredible. It is amazing how better one's day is after a sound night's sleep..no aches and pains... no tossing and turning. I am very glad I got this. I had contacted FWC and was sent the specs of the new 3" mattress material. I went with a tad softer (though I like a real firm mattress) and stayed at 4" as our cover is 4". I can't tell you how big an improvement this is. Now the Eagle is perfect. Here is a reprint of the mattress foam type:
This is what Terry sent me .... the new 3" foam:
"We were using a 4” foam with a 1.8# density and an ILD number of 48. We have gone to a 3” 2.5# density and an ILD number of 40. The higher the density the better the foam and the lower ILD number the softer the foam. We buy our foam from Keyston bros. Several people have purchased a memory foam topper and use it on top."

And this is what I bought (4"x 48" x 66"):

 

[Lighthawk]

Yet another idea.

We added a Amazon "all season down alternative mattress topper, 2" thick", on top of the stock 2008 Hawk mattress.
Previously, it was hard as a plank, now we have the 2" topper to fill in the gaps and soften the surface. It's heaven compared to what we had before.

Almost a year later, and we were just commenting how comfy the bed is since Susan added the topper to our stock 2008 FWC mattress. No need to buy new foam, etc. for us.

But with the Hawk, we keep a fully made bed (sheets, pillows, comforter). It works because we only use the 48" wide part of the bed. I removed the bed extender, which created a 1/2" step right under where you sleep . We just found we didn't need the extra width, or how it crowds the sink.

 

[ckent323]

We recently bought new foam to replace our over cab bed mattress.

We used Upholstery Decor, Inc in Goleta. The owner, David, is a character (dry wit) and knows his stuff. He took over the business from his Father and has about 50 years experience (he started working in the shop when he was just a kid) he also sells online. He has a website with a foam education video that is worth watching.

http://www.foamonline.com/types.php?cartID=36bd644f4ae8227b4b3600887f31db45

I am a big guy and the old mattress was too soft for us. We sampled some foam and found that Medium Firm was a bit too soft and Extra Firm was too hard. Also we liked the High Resilience foam better than the High Density foam so we went with 4" High Resilience (2.8 - 3 L foam in a "firm" ILD (around 50).

We have 4 nights on the new mattress. Much more comfortable than the old mattress. I think we may add a good quality 1" softer foam topper but it is satisfactory as is until then (we are presently camping our way to and from the Seattle area along the coast).

For High Resilience foam if you are under 200 - 225 pounds you will probably prefer medium (ILD around 30) to medium firm (ILD around 40). For folks over 225 lbs you will probably like a medium firm (ILD around 40) to Firm (ILD around 50). Best to try before buying.

Our new mattress including the two separate cushions in the slide out portions (we have a Queen size in total) was about $400 plus tax for foam cut to size and stuffed in our existing FWC mattress covers. High density foam would have been about $150 (or more) cheaper but we are happy with our selection and it is worth every penny to be able to sleep comfortably without bottoming out and having uncomfortable pressure points.

BTW: I brought along two ThermaRest 1.5 inch mattresses (from our backpacking) just in case the new mattress was not adequate and we have not needed to use them.

Watching the foam education Youtube video (at the link I pasted in above) was key to communicating with David in order to get the right mattress. However, I strongly recommend trying the various foams before buying - and I mean laying down on it on a hard surface like a floor (if you can find a supplier where you can do that). David insisted that we do that and that was key is deciding on the FIRM ILD 50 over the Medium Firm ILD 40.

David said he can make a custom foam mattress out of different density foams if we need it. He said he could modify the mattress we bought to do that if we needed him to.

I hope this info is useful to other folks.

Craig

 

[Vic Harder]

great info.... we are picking up our new mattresses today. Looking forward to sleeping on them soon!