Here is the uncomfortable truth about caravan comfort: most original caravan mattresses use 28 to 30kg/m3 foam, built to a price. It compresses and hollows out within a season or two of holidays — which is why a caravan that cost half a million rand can sleep worse than a backpackers bunk. The fix is not a mattress topper. It is replacing the foam with the same density used in proper home mattresses: 50kg/m3 SABS-approved high-density foam.
Why manufacturers fit cheap foam
A caravan is sold on tow weight, layout and finishes — nobody presses the mattress at the dealership for longer than ten seconds. So the mattress is where the accountants win. Low-density foam looks identical on day one. The difference only shows up in year two, when the hollow under your hip means you wake up on the plywood.
Density is the whole story
Foam density — kilograms per cubic metre — is the single best predictor of how long a mattress lasts. At 28–30kg/m3 there is simply less material holding you up, and it fatigues fast. At 50kg/m3 the foam resists compression for years — it is the same grade we cut for our home range, and it is SABS-approved. When a mattress seller will not tell you the density, that is your answer.
Foam vs innerspring in a caravan
Springs and corrugated roads are a bad marriage: an innerspring adds 15–25kg of payload and the coils can bend or rust on the road. High-density foam is lighter, has nothing to rattle loose, and ships vacuum-rolled — it carries through a standard 65cm caravan door and expands on the bed within hours.
What a proper replacement costs
A Double Bed replacement is R3,799 and an Island Bed (Queen) with free rounded corners is R4,999 — custom shapes (cut corners, French beds) cost the same as a Queen. Standard sizes carry a 30-day money-back guarantee, a 365-night trial and a 10-year warranty; custom cuts carry the 10-year warranty. Delivery is free nationwide, with a small fee only for extreme rural areas.
Regional caravan mattress guides
South Africa (national) · Gauteng · Cape Town · KZN · Free State · Mpumalanga · Limpopo · Eastern Cape · North West
Frequently asked questions
Why is my caravan mattress so uncomfortable?
Most original caravan mattresses use 28 to 30kg/m3 foam, built to a price. It compresses and hollows out within a season or two. A replacement in 50kg/m3 SABS-approved high-density foam sleeps like a proper home mattress.
Can I just add a mattress topper instead?
A topper sits on top of collapsed foam, so the hollow underneath still shapes how you sleep. Once the core has hollowed out, replacing the mattress is the only fix that lasts.
Is foam or innerspring better for a caravan?
Foam. It saves 15 to 25kg of payload, has no springs to bend or rust on corrugated roads, and ships vacuum-rolled through a standard 65cm caravan door.
Written by Andries Taljaard, founder of Mr Mattress.