Who's got an air mattress in their RTT? (1 Viewer)

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JCruse

JCruse

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I'm thinking of getting one for my RTT but I don't recall hearing much about them, especially in relation to a regular folding type RTT. I've got the stock mattress plus a foam topper now and it's a PITA to push it all down to compress the foam and get the cover to fit. I figure it would be real easy to pump up with a tire compressor but I don't really know for sure. It would be great to hear experiences, ups/downs, and even recommendations. Thanks.
 
JCruse said:
I'm thinking of getting one for my RTT but I don't recall hearing much about them, especially in relation to a regular folding type RTT. I've got the stock mattress plus a foam topper now and it's a PITA to push it all down to compress the foam and get the cover to fit. I figure it would be real easy to pump up with a tire compressor but I don't really know for sure. It would be great to hear experiences, ups/downs, and even recommendations. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Or can you replace the entire RTT pad along with the add on for a single (better) pad that's more comfortable? Sucks to defeat half the purpose of easy setup of RTT only to have to blow up (and put away which is the worst part IMO) multiple air mattresses just to get a good night sleep!
 
Tire compressor will take awhile. Air mattress pumps are high volume low pressure. I have a Puma, and i'd go for a regular mattress pump before using it.
 
No rtt, but I use an exped duo mat in the back of my 80. Not a traditional air mattress that would need an electric pump. Easy enough to blow up with lung power. Super comfortable.
 
I'm right there with you wanting a better mattress option for my RTT. I've had it for a year and have done probably 35 nights in it so far and the last few trips have been rough. I did add a tight foam backpackers pad (.66" thick) under the main pad for the last trip which made things a bit more bearable but it still wasn't great. A big reason I went with an RTT was because I hated to pump up my ExPed MegaMat, seriously the most comfortable pad out there. I usually give it a few blasts from my CO2 tank to inflate it but I don't want to deploy the RTT then inflate the pad.

I got home after the last RTT outing and did some searching and found this write up on getting a new pad setup. I priced it out and I think it was going to cost about $160 for the pads which qualified for free shipping. The only thing that I was disappointed about was that the pads wouldn't cover the whole floor and would stop about a foot short lengthwise. I didn't spend a ton of time checking it out though so there might be an easy solution that I just missed. The Tepui "deluxe" mattress is $200 + shipping so I think this piecing together a set might be a good alternative.

Sorry to not be much help with your question other than being able to say that I've inflated a camp mattress with my CO2 tank a bunch and wouldn't have any issue using a compressor if I had that instead. (Why buy and carry a second pump if you already have one, its not like an extra minute or two of the pump doing its thing will be that big of a deal.)
 
We spent a few nights (over a 2 week period) in a RTT that we borrowed from a friend. At first the foam mattress seemed like it would be alright, if a bit firm. But after a few nights on the road we decided to see if our Kelty air mattress would fit and it did. This mattress came with a rechargeable handheld inflator/deflator, so set up and take down only take about a minute. Upon deflation, the mattress looks like a vacuum packed bag, so it could fold up with the RTT with no issues of bulk. I wished we had thought to use the air mattress sooner in our travels.
 
I actually like that my stock mattress always slides toward the head and leaves some floor by the entrance. About a foot. This way I have a place for shoes and don't track sand onto the mattress. It'll get there soon enough, no reason to rush it. :frown:

Mogawi: What foam pad is going to be that much more comfortable without being too thick? Keeping in mind that I'm 6'1" @ 270lbs and have arthritic hips that wake me up at night from the pressure on them.




Most of the air mattresses I see online are between 12" and a whopping 22 inches. I may need a second ladder for those tall ones! LOL I mean that covers about half the window. No more seeing out of them.

All you guys have given me a good start and I will check out each recommendation.
 
JCruse said:
I actually like that my stock mattress always slides toward the head and leaves some floor by the entrance. About a foot. This way I have a place for shoes and don't track sand onto the mattress. It'll get there soon enough, no reason to rush it. :frown:

Mogawi: What foam pad is going to be that much more comfortable without being too thick? Keeping in mind that I'm 6'1" @ 270lbs and have arthritic hips that wake me up at night from the pressure on them.




Most of the air mattresses I see online are between 12" and a whopping 22 inches. I may need a second ladder for those tall ones! LOL I mean that covers about half the window. No more seeing out of them.

All you guys have given me a good start and I will check out each recommendation.
Click to expand...
Honestly I'm not sure but I know there are shops that sell "mattress foam" and do custom work where you can layer various densities of material (ie fit to your weight/sleeping style). You may want something very firm at foundation and a couple soft inches on top to sink into. Or 3 progressive layers? Wish I had a magic solution for you, I'm just banking on the fact that if you went out to design a 4 - 6" foam/gel mattress you'd come up w/ something much more comfortable than what comes out of the box w/ these RTTs. I'm sure this is why some offer "premium" mattresses. Heck... there are premium "coil" mattresses in this height range (not sure if any more comfortable!). What is the max thickness you think you could go while keeping all bedding in the RTT and still easily close?
 
The foam idea sounds like the smartest answer long term. For the rest of the summer I just ordered a Soundasleep camp series air mattress. Well see how good it is. I'll report back.
 
^ exactly.
 
I have the Maggiolina Extreme, and its a small so the bed is only 50"x72" and I had a couple of
bad crashes so I have pressure point problems sleeping. The original 2" high density foam pad just
didn't do it so I bought this to supplement. Now I haven't tried it yet, but it is a good fit and it took
a long time to find this particular size. I do note, that I don't have to fold it over like some of the other tents.
Trailside 29220 TrailRest Double-Wide Self-Inflating Mattress, 72 x 48 x 3"/X -Large, Self-Inflating Pads - Amazon Canada
 
Just spent the first night on the air mattress and it was great!
Filled in about 2 min and every time I woke up to turn over or other reason I didnt realise it was there until I moved and then, "AHHHHH"......

Its the SoundAsleep Camp series mattress on amazon.

The supplied pump will empty it as fast as it filled.I will report back after a few weeks but as of now Im loving it.

I just got up and am still on the beach
 
Last edited:
Another Exped Megamat owner. Love it. Fits length wise in the 100 with pass seat forward a bit. Fits in my REI Half Dome PLUS tent, and I sleep like a king. The texture of the mat is something to behold. The "R" value is sky high, so you won't lose heat through it
 
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