Jack knife covers and mattress pads?

[Bett]

REI is having its anniversary sale this week. I’ve read several threads here and in other places where folks recommend both the Thermarest and Exped pads.

I’m looking at an Exped MegaMat Duo 10 which is 72 x 41. Based on Blue-Go’s advice which says the 77 inch is too long, I’m not ordering those but it’s the width I’m worrying about This is what I hated when camping- kind of rolling off my mat. So I figured buying a duo at 41 inches wide would solve that problem.

However, is that size too large to store easily behind the cushions? Mine is in the shop this week, so I can’t play around with it to find out before the sale ends.

My other question is whether anyone here has ordered covers for the sofa? I found a few online sources but not sure if they will accommodate this bumpy backed jack knife sofa well.

Thanks!

[chin_k]

FIWIW, I have no problem buying things, and return it for full refund if I never open the box within reasonable time (2 weeks, 30 days, etc.). Think of it as "reverse rain check."

[ASaucyBurrito]

We purchased this memory foam mattress pad for the sofa:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MS ... UTF8&psc=1

We took the Chinook on a 4 night trip soon afterward. It is very comfortable, no issues sleeping when we were tossing and turning before. The length seems just about right at 73", and the width at 52" covers the whole sofa with just a bit of overhang which is fine for us.

For storage we folded it once and tucked it behind the movable part of the sofa. I wish I could tuck it down behind it but there isn't a large enough gap. Folded once, it sticks up past the top of the cushion and blocks a few inches of the window. This was the best place I could find for it but I did not really try hard. Perhaps a better technique is out there. We have a '93 as well which has different cushions (flatter) than later models so your mileage may vary.

In any case for us a good night's sleep was worth a little loss in aesthetics.

[deppstein]

As I've mentioned in other posts, my wife and I have been very happy using the REI self-inflating 2.5" pads laid on top of the jackknife sofa/dinette. The REI pads are wider than the thermarest--their valves are not as good, but doing the "rotating annual exchange thing" has worked out OK. The KEY is to use a sheet tightened over the two pads to keep them snug and not separating. The two pads, deflated and folded once lengthwise will both fit easily behind the sofa for daytime. We then sleep in a double sleeping bag...I suppose you could use a top sheet and blanket, but we have found that the sleeping bag works best and is easiest for the bed-making and unmaking process. All bedding, including extra blankets and pillows fits easily in the storage area above the cab (old tv and dvd removed ages ago). We travel regularly for 6-7 weeks at a time like this, with nary a back issue (no easy feat for a couple of 69 year-olds)! Final thought...whoever gets up to pee at night the most should sleep closest to the "head."
David

[Bett]

Thanks for the ideas and explanations. I am a little lazy and know that I won’t properly make a bed with two sheets every night in my Chinook . I do it at home and that’s plenty. Besides not wanting to tuck in sheets, I have never liked sleeping bags so always opened them up as a blanket. I can’t even tolerate tucked in top sheets- I find them too confining. I’d have to have a wide mat because rolling off of a narrow one when camping drove me batty. Yes, I am aware that this makes me sound like The Princess and The Pea. So my mat would need to be a wide Duo.

Today Icamethisclose to ordering the ExPed Duo (41 wide) but even with the REI sale 25% off it is $320! How did I miss THAT? I’m also not sure I could hide the pad all the way when not in use, although as Chin_K said, I could always return it if needed.

I saw a tip from a Chinook owner on another group today who wasn’t comfortable on his jack knife anymore (after 200,000 miles!). He ordered a product called Nufoam. He cut it, placed it between the springs and the existing foam and loves the results. It was less than $100. Hmmm.

My BB Sloth is still in the shop getting her ‘physical’ (no word yet). When she’s home, after a full detailing I think I might try this foam addition as my first project. I read bad things about rusty bolts though, and I hope she doesn’t have those to contend with.

[Bett]

...I suppose you could use a top sheet and blanket, but we have found that the sleeping bag works best and is easiest for the bed-making and unmaking process. All bedding, including extra blankets and pillows fits easily in the storage area above the cab (old tv and dvd removed ages ago).

I’m with you two on the simplest approach of making/packing the bed. In my 4 day journey home (only journey thus far) my ‘bedding’ -two serapes and travel pillow from Love’s Truck Stop - ended up above the cab too and it makes sense to keep it there. I was happily surprised at the amount of room in there.

[caconcourse]

We purchased this mattress topper from Amazon, and it seems almost perfect for the jackknife sofa for fit and extra padding (we have a club lounge layout, so the sofa is our only bed):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J0 ... UTF8&psc=1

We used it for the first time on a 7 week trip and were very pleased to have it. I tuck it behind the sofa back by inserting it unfolded and sliding it in bit by bit "accordian" style and it stuffs completely behind the sofa. It comes with a washable cover and straps on the corners that hold it to the corners of the sofa. It hangs over a couple of inches and is about the same size as our Coleman double sleeping bag:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HN ... UTF8&psc=1

We unzip the sides of the sleeping bag and spread out one side for the bottom padding, and turn down the other side to use as needed as a blanket, leaving the bottom zipped. The Coleman bag also features a sheet inside, tied at the bottom, which is usually enough warming in the spring/summer. For storage, we zip up the sleeping bag and stuff it lengthwise in the long storage under the sofa, so it just drops down and gets tucked in. Pillows go in the front overhead near where the TV used to be.

This pad is pretty much the same as the 2" topper mentioned above, so you might try stuffing it in without folding it to get it all the way hidden.

[VTSweetpea]

We've since replaced our jack knife sofa with covered cushions on a pull-out base, but we used to use a 2" foam mattress pad on top of the sofa and it was very comfortable. I purchased a decent-quality Full-size pad and then cut it to be slightly larger than the folded down sofa. I made a cover out of a cotton King-size sheet, basically by making a large envelope, and sewed Velcro strips across both sides of the open end.

The (unfolded) pad stuffed down behind the back of the sofa when not in use; it fit in all the way and didn't extend over the top or block the window. The cover could be removed very easily to wash and if the weather was too hot, we could just sleep on top of the pad - since the cover was a sheet.

We've always used some kind of sofa cover because we have a long-haired dog and even tho' he's not allowed on the furniture, his hair still gets on it. Used a cut-to-size old flannel sheet on the jack knife sofa but I actually bought some futon covers from Amazon for the new couch/bed.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BQ ... UTF8&psc=1
I was pleasantly surprised by the softness of the fabric and the overall quality of the covers, they look pretty nice and they wash like a dream.