Has anyone used the Gel-foam Mattress Topper for V-berth

LuzSD · May 9, 2011

YES, we have the Costco Nova foam topper in our C30 V berth and LOVE it. I agree with you, doubling it would not equal better. It would limit your actual space and just complicate things.
For our V berth, I got the full size but should have gotten Queen. I cut it to the V size we needed and then filled in the upper corners. If I had gotten the bigger size it would have simply been a cut down of the V only. There is a mattress pad that comes with it, actually encases it, and it works, you just need to tuck in the extra corners.
I would recommend that instead of going for sheets etc. you do what we have found to be really comfortable and easier.... Using a quilt and tuck it all in tightly. Then use whatever you like on top, we have a comforter. to launder, a quilt is easy to clean and it stays tight and comfortable much more than a sheet. Of course, this is my personal preference, some prefer sheets. I hate the wrinkle factor!!
Honestly, for the $$ this is a really good fix. We have been comfortable for 4 years, no complaints.

Joe · May 9, 2011

LuzSD said:
YES, we have the Costco Nova foam topper in our C30 V berth and LOVE it...... .

LuzSD....... did you lay it over the existing v-berth cushions? or is it just the Costco mattress on the bare deck?

LuzSD · May 9, 2011

Joe, we put the Nova foam on top of the upholstry cushions. A side note about that question is, during the really killer rains we had a couple months ago, our v berth hatch leaked and the v berth was pretty soaked. I thought that we'd be in real trouble but not so....the foam dried out pretty rapidly, though it went all the way through to the cushions. The cushions dried in 12 hours or so ( put them outside in the sun, then hair dryer). I washed and dried all of the bedding and it was all back to comfy within a few hours.

While we were waiting for the V berth to dryout, we set the table down and set up the full size bed area at the settee and with the nova foam over those cushions, quilts and comforters, we were in heaven. If I could figure out a way to store nova foam in a condensed way so it was out of the way, It would be great to have that choice all the time there, because without the foam, those cushions move around just a little too much to be wonderful. With the foam, it is really comfortable, really a big playpen.

PrincessoftheLake · May 10, 2011

luzsd said:
with The Foam, It Is Really Comfortable, Really A Big Playpen.

:d

Potl

Ian McGain · May 10, 2011

Have purchased queen size four inch memory foam as a topper and that works great.
one mistake I made in cutting it down to size was not cutting on an angle to match the slope of the hull in the V berth.
Ian
s/v Meant to Be

LuzSD · May 10, 2011

ditto what Ian said, the cutting needs to be correct, or you have a gap that is uncomfortable or the foam rolls up and that is even worse. Start conservative and work from there. But start with a big enough piece.
I really can't imagine that 2.5 or even 4 would be deep enough as a full mattress..
Let us know when you have tried it out!

Bob S · May 10, 2011

I got a similar product through BJ's. It was a 2" memory foam topper with a beautiful mattress pad covering (we bought the queen size). Took the cushions home and laid the foam under them and used a magic marker to trace a pattern. It was tough getting a good clean cut, it's thicker than you think. Even the queen size isn't big enough to fit the V birth in one piece. We love it and for the first time the admiral doesn't mind sleeping on the boat! I wish could get the mattress pad sewn to fit the foam.

We use a few extra feather pillows to fill the corners. Warning, it is bulky and rolling it up to move out of the way to access the water tank can be a pain. I only had to do that once. Definitely worth it and way cheaper than the mattresses they sell at the boat shows.

Joe · May 10, 2011

....we put the Nova foam on top of the upholstry cushions....

Thanks, Luz, the following issue is the main reason I asked:

caguy said:
I don't have any cushions in the V-berth so I will try without. If too uncomfortable I will add a layer of regular foam.
Thanks Ian I'll remember that.
Thanks to all for your responses.

All my upholstery cushions have a vinyl bottom layer sewn into the cover. That means there is a vapor or moisture barrier between the gel-coated deck and the cushions. I'm not exactly sure how necessary that layer is but you might consider something similar if you will be laying memory foam directly on the deck.

Joe · May 10, 2011

caguy said:
I believe the foam comes encased in some sort of jacard cover.
Moisture in the V-beth is not much of a concern on the C-27. There are no ports or hatches over the bed.

I was thinking more of condensation, rather than leaking... but hey, we're in california... we don't have humidity issues here...heh, heh... anyway, it's something to consider.

LuzSD · May 10, 2011

caguy said:
We usually sleep in sleeping bags. If we are feeling frisky we'll zip the bags together making one big bag. However, if she is particularly flatulent I'll put her in the mummy bag and pull the draw strings tight, and watch her billow like a bag of Jiffy Pop.

far, far TMI

LuzSD · May 10, 2011

Joe said:
I was thinking more of condensation, rather than leaking... but hey, we're in california... we don't have humidity issues here...heh, heh... anyway, it's something to consider.

Joe, this was something I was afraid of and watched for a while until I found it was not an issue.
First, we sleep with the hatch open, no matter what, so condensation is not a problem. Still, on some boats, things get wet. Luckily we have a really dry boat, and I think I would give most credit to that little humidifier that looks like a spaceship with lots of holes. It really works well.

2nd, I think with the cushions/vinyl any moisture created from the heat of bodies through the Nova Foam toward the cushions is absorbed and must be pretty minimal. It has not been an issue for the 4+ years we've owned her. No moisture, no mildew smelll, nothing unpleasant at all. (just the way I like it)

. I would however, not be surprised if the foam sitting on gelcoat would have some moisture building up and that would not be something I'd like. So, glad to be using cushions both for moisture and comfort.

MJWarner · May 10, 2011

caguy said:
We usually sleep in sleeping bags. If we are feeling frisky we'll zip the bags together making one big bag. However, if she is particularly flatulent I'll put her in the mummy bag and pull the draw strings tight, and watch her billow like a bag of Jiffy Pop.

ROTF!!!

Amos Cape · May 10, 2011

We use a electric knife to cut our cushions. It has a 10" blade so it would cut it like butter.

jrowan · May 10, 2011

Just curious - doesn't your memory foam get hard when its cold in the cabin? I bought one of those cushions made of that memory foam stuff years ago for may car seat (bad back) and it would turn into a rock when sitting overnight in a cold car. For almost a hundred bucks, I thought it was a rip off.

LuzSD · May 10, 2011

jrowan said:
Just curious - doesn't your memory foam get hard when its cold in the cabin? I bought one of those cushions made of that memory foam stuff years ago for may car seat (bad back) and it would turn into a rock when sitting overnight in a cold car. For almost a hundred bucks, I thought it was a rip off.

NO!!! this was what the salesman for a really high priced spring mattress told us, but that is NOT true. Our bed is always comfortable no matter what the temperature...... Maybe in the beginning years of the Nova foam it was an issue but not now.......it is really fabulous, amazingly comfortable.