Ordering a Custom Organic Camper Van Mattress

Over the last couple of years I've become very interested in climbing, camping, and hiking. Very recently I have been enamored with the idea of building out a custom camper van. We now have a van and are getting ready to deck it out! But as with everything in my life, I'm interested in chemical-free and organic options. In a camper van, I think it is even more important to have an organic mattress to protect yourself from the outgassing that comes from a non-organic mattress. In a small space like a van there is less room for the chemicals to disperse — meaning you will be breathing in more chemicals than you would in a larger space.

So how do you figure out what size organic mattress you want in your custom camper van? For people of average height, a lot of people are choosing mattresses less than the standard 80" length of a queen or king so that they have more room in the van. For taller people, and if your van can fit a longer mattress, you may choose the full 80" or even the 84" of a California King. It also depends on whether you plan to sleep lengthwise or widthwise in the van. As my camping van partner is 6'3", we are building our camper van with a full length 80" mattress and will be sleeping lengthwise. Our van has 72" of width, so we are customizing an organic mattress to the dimensions of 72" x 80" — slightly less wide than a king.

You will also want to decide how thick of a mattress you want. With organic latex mattresses — the type of mattress we can customize — generally the thicker the mattress the more comfortable, unless you prefer a firmer feel. I'm planning on installing a 9" mattress, which means either less headroom above the mattress or less storage underneath the bed platform. If you want more space, you can choose a thinner mattress. A 6" mattress will work just fine but will likely be less conforming to your body than a 9" mattress.

If you are just looking for slightly more comfort than tent or ground camping, you could choose a 3" or 4" organic mattress topper instead of a full organic mattress. We would suggest a latex mattress topper (not wool) and would recommend choosing a medium or firm piece of latex rather than soft, as a soft layer may not offer much of a barrier between you and the ground. Here are a couple of organic mattress topper options with medium or firm latex: the Healthy Nest Topper and the Harmony Topper. Personally I'm a big fan of comfort, so I'm sticking with the extremely comfortable 9" latex mattress — but it just depends on what you prefer to sleep on.

After you decide how you are orienting your mattress, it would be best to get your platform built and installed. It is very important to allow air flow beneath your mattress. Ideally you would build a platform with slats no more than 2.5 inches apart. However, if you build your platform out of plywood we recommend either drilling holes in the plywood for air flow, or alternatively using a bed rug which will allow air to circulate under the mattress.

After you have your platform built and installed, measure the length and width of the mattress that will be placed on the platform and give us a call at 1-866-663-0859 or email us! We can customize a whole variety of organic latex mattresses to whatever length or width you need. It is generally a small upcharge and will often take about 3-4 weeks to ship as it is specially made — but well worth the wait for years of comfort!

How about sheets? Although fitted sheets are made to fit a specific size mattress — for example a king fitted sheet is 78" x 80" — for my custom 72" x 80" mattress I will still be able to use king fitted sheets with a little extra on the sides to tuck in. In my experience there isn't much issue with the fitted sheet pulling out as long as it is tucked in nicely. My recommendation is to choose sheets one size up from your custom camper van mattress size.

Have fun customizing your camper van!