Will a 2" memory foam topper fit behind couch?

ChanW

I'm looking into getting a 2"-thick memory-foam topper, or actually a latex "organic" foam topper, for our Tab, both for comfort and for ease of 'stowage and deployment'.

Will a 2" foam topper compress enough to fit behind the couch-back when the back is up? Will there also be room for our lightweight down comforter?

lapowers57

We roll ours up and drop it in behind the the couch back.  We roll up our sheet and very light weight comforter with it.

rkhammond

Ours did, and I think it may even be a 3". Our pillows and down blanket (not a comforter) also fit behind it. We just rolled the sheets up with the topper. We did use a couple of straps, about 2"-3" inches wide to hold it in the roled up posistion. They were also very useful as 'handles' in pulling the works back out from behind the seat back (Alde radiant style heat).  It does become a bit of a chore to pull it up out from behind the seat back, as the clearence space is a bit limited.  I can understand why many end up just rolling it up and using the topper as a seat back, rather than stuffing and retrieving each day! Also, we found that it completely blocks the heat along that back area when in the 'stored' position with the seat back up. We have since switched over to a couple of self-inflating Thermarest pads (of the type Jenn Grover used). They are much lighter.  Not sure if this is of great help, since our memory foam was supposed to be a 3"; one less inch of thickness may or may not make a great difference? 

ChanW

Thanks to both of you, that's just what I needed to know.

I forgot about the idea of using it as a seat back. That might be an alternative, if squeezing it through that gap becomes a pain.

Thanks again.

Verna

@ChanW, I was unable to put a 3" memory foam behind the seat back. Even after using straps to roll it up, I just couldn't get the umph needed. I kept the bed (single size) made up for about 3 months and then opted for the Thermorest self inflating 3" mattress. It takes less than 5 minutes to deflate the Thermorest, fold up the sheets and blanket and stuff it behind the bed. So much easier.  

lapowers57

I like the strap idea, I can see where that would make it easier to move the topper around.  We also store our pillows behind the seat back with the topper.  I can confirm that it does block the heat and will require putting some vents in the top of the rear shelf.  

Ratkity

When the memory foam is cold, it is near impossible to do anything with it. I switched to a 3" thermarest like V. Never been happier!

ethelouise

We have a 2" foam mattress in a duvet cover that we roll up and put behind the seats.  Fits along with bedding and 4 pillows with no problem, although the roll is a bit awkward, so I will look for straps as suggested by others.

mash2

4 inch with straps and it works fine on my DM '06 (with pillows).  Bedding goes in left rear bench on mine (larger quilt).

ChanW

Has anyone here tried the "natural (Dunlop) latex foam" topper?

Is it difficult in the cold, as memory foam is? (I guess we'll find out this winter, I've just ordered one! - Amazon is too easy)

I'm hoping it's less hazardous w/ offgassing.

ericnliz

2" memory foam with a cover and straps.Rolls up really nice, and fits behind seat just fine.

Dalehelman

We tried everything to make the original cushions more comfortable for sleeping and sitting. Nothing worked very well and they all created bulky storage problems. While we were at Tearstock last month we replaced all of our cushions with the more dense foam they are now using. The difference is like night and day. Sorry to say it was not cheap $600 that also included new fabric but we would do it again in a minute. For bedding we use a Travasack ( know longer made). Since the cushions are only 4" thick a one size smaller fitted bottom sheet works pretty well. We sewed the top sheet across the foot section. I am sorry if I hijacked this thread from the OP. I hate it when that happens.

Photomom

What is a good source for memory foam mattress toppers? BBY has some nice ones by they are fantastically expensive, especially considering I will need to cut it to fit. 

dragonsdofly

We have a 3" memory foam mattress topper also. We roll it up using 3" wide straps which clip with plastic snap together buckles (I made). The key is wide straps as the narrower they are they tend to cut into the foam. My boys who are 10 & 11easily roll, unroll, buckle, unbuckle and lift over the folded sofa back. There are about six travel pillows and two king sized flat sheets stored behind the sofa back also with room to spare. King sized quilt will fit back there too. To make storage easier we cut two pieces of 1/4" underlayment and just laid them on the bench framework behind the sofa. The mattress doesn't fall into the far underneath storage area, making it much easier to put back and remove. It will survive an alde failure kept high and dry. I bought a king sized topper and trimmed to fit. We set up the bed and return to dinette status daily because there are 4 of us. It only takes a few minutes. We left home July 26th and are due for a September return so we are adapting well. So much to see in the American west and a good night's sleep helps us get the most out of our day. Hope this book length post helps.

Ramrod

I placed closet wire shelving at the bottom making it a lot easier to lift my 3" mattress topper. Keeps the Alde plumbing protected and it even seems to "increase" storage space under the rear bench in the passenger side. 

leroybort

We use a 2" foam topper that we cut in half and use 2 twin size duvets to cover them.  It's easier with the 2 pieces.  We are going to add straps like others have suggested.  I'm interested in the thermarest idea because I tend to get warm.  Too bad I gave mine away to my kids for tent camping!

Ratkity

Photomom said:

What is a good source for memory foam mattress toppers? BBY has some nice ones by they are fantastically expensive, especially considering I will need to cut it to fit. 

I bought mine at Walmart.

ChanW

I went with the Amazon...

The 'natural latex foam' is even more expensive, yikes.

We have 'miles' accumulated on our Amazon VISA card, so I could pretend I got it for free...

The selection at Amazon seems to be pretty broad, but I usually try to buy some sort of 'name brand' when I shop there, for whatever that's worth.

Verna

The 3" memory foam I bought from Walmart had too much memory and not enough foam

ethelouise

We have a max S.  I bought a 2" foam California King-sized topper from Kohls,  Sealy or Serta brand, as I remember.  About $60 with Kohls coupons.  I only had to trim one side.  It was surprisingly easy to cut with my Pampered Chef kitchen shears. 

ChrisK

I just refoamed the seat bottom (not the sides) cushions in my 2014. The old ones lost their "fluff". I used 3" regular cushion foam topped with 1" memory foam. Felt nice for sitting during the day. Still not quite comfy enough at night so we bought a 2" topper. We'll store it behind the rear seat when not in use.
Refoaming was not too difficult but it was not that much fun removing the staples in the rear 2 that go across the camper. The side ones zip out.

DeeDee

Can someone post a picture of the storage process. We have a 2" topper and I can't even begin to think of how I'd get it behind the rear seat. We end up leaving the rear seat down all the time and pushing the topper & other bedding against the back wall. I'd love to hide it all away.

lapowers57

No pictures but.....here is how we do it in our T@B Max S, with our sheet and comforter in place on the mattress we start at the foot end of the mattress and start rolling towards head of the mattress.  When we get to the head we pull up the seat back and pull it as far forward as it will go and then lift and drop the rolled up mattress behind it.  My wife does this alone sometimes but it is much easier with two of us.  I think if you uses straps to hold the mattress role together it would be very simple for one person to do.  

ethelouise

Our topper is in a duvet which serves as the bottom sheet.  To store, we remove the top sheet and blanket (and I anticipate the comforter when it gets cold) and fold them separately. Then we roll and drop the topper, the same as lapowers57.  

Based on comments above, I found some luggage straps and have used them on the roll which makes the roll less awkward and easier to drop behind seat back.  If the process still isn't clear, I will try to take some photos and post.

DeeDee

Doesn't it fall to the bottom and get dirty? Will have to try this.

lapowers57

Mine does not get dirty when I drop in behind the seat back because my trailer is still fairly new.  What it does do is make it harder to utilize the space for storage as it makes it harder to get things in and out.  I plan to look at a mod to install a grate or screen over the opening so that the topper can not fall to the bottom.

Photomom

At least a couple of us have created dividers to separate the space behind the sofa back from the space under the sofa seat. 

http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/3027/a-question-about-storage-under-the-rear-sofa-my-solution

DaisyM

We had a 2 inch foam topper that we couldn't roll up tightly enough to fit behind the seat, at least not without a lot of effort.  We replaced it with the 1inch "Pure Green 100% Natural Latex Mattress Topper" from Amazon.  It's soft, the cushions beneath it are firm, we're happy.  We ordered the queen size, which is only a few inches narrower than the bed, and we trimmed off about 4" from the bottom to eliminate overhang.  I stitched together two sheets to make a "pillowcase" for it, which serves as our bottom sheet.  Then we use a duvet for the top sheet/comforter.  It rolls up into a neat little log to toss behind the seat during the day, then comes together easily at bedtime.   

Smullis7

I just got a 3" memory foam topper.  It was vacuum sealed for shipping, so I was still waiting for it to poof up and hope that eliminates the bump from small section that never squished down.  There is no way it will fit behind the couch, but I can use it as a couch back when we put the table in.  I'm still not sure how it will impact my ability to get into storage behind and under the couch area though...