Bessacarr Caravan Mattresses

Bessacarr Caravan Mattresses

Bessacarr is one of the most respected names in British caravanning, with over seventy years of heritage behind it. The brand traces its origins to Albert Skepper & Son of Rotherham, a post-war caravan builder who named one of his models after the nearby village of Bessacarr. The Arnold Laver Group acquired the company in 1957 and built it into a byword for luxury touring, particularly through the celebrated Cameo range of twin-axle caravans that dominated the premium end of the market through the 1980s and 1990s. When Arnold Laver left the caravan industry in the mid-1990s, Swift Group purchased the Bessacarr name in 1996 and continued production at their Cottingham factory until 2008. Since then, Couplands Caravans of Louth has kept the marque alive through an exclusive arrangement with Swift, producing Bessacarr By Design models — currently based on the Swift Elegance Grande — that carry forward the tradition of high-specification touring in distinctive style.

That seventy-year production span means there are Bessacarr caravans of every era still in regular use, from 1990s Cameos on seasonal pitches to brand-new By Design models fresh from Couplands. All of them need mattresses that fit properly, and none of them use standard domestic bed sizes.

Why Bessacarr Beds Are Not Standard Sizes

Bessacarr caravans — like all touring caravans — are constrained by road width limits and towing weight. The interior width is typically between 6ft and 8ft depending on the model, and every centimetre of bedroom space is dictated by the floor plan and the position of wardrobes, washroom walls, and corridor access. The resulting bed dimensions rarely correspond to anything you would find in a bed shop.

Published bed measurements from Bessacarr By Design models illustrate this perfectly. A front lounge that converts to a double might measure 200cm by 153cm — close to a standard UK double (135×190cm) in width but 10cm longer, yet 17cm wider. An island bed in the same range measures 190cm by 133cm — shorter than a standard double and narrower than a king. A rear fixed bed might be 182cm by 133cm — barely 6ft long and just under 4ft 5in wide, which is between a standard single and a double. None of these match any off-the-shelf mattress size.

There is a further complication specific to Bessacarr. Many layouts include an optional chest of drawers at the front, which reduces the front bed width by a full 40cm. Two identical Bessacarr caravans of the same model and year can therefore have front beds that differ by over a foot in width, depending on which options the original owner chose. You cannot assume the bed size from the model number alone — you need to measure.

The Cameo Years — 1997 to 2008

The Cameo range was the heart of the Bessacarr line-up during the Swift production years and remains the model most people associate with the name. Available from two-berth end-washroom tourers like the Cameo 495 SL through to spacious twin-axle four and five-berth models such as the Cameo 625 GL and Cameo 645, these were premium caravans built with Alde central heating, dual-fuel hobs, and interiors that reviewers at the time described as opulent. They were heavy, well-specified, and designed for owners who valued comfort over lightweight towing.

The Cameo's mattress situation depends entirely on the bed type. Front lounge beds are make-up beds — the seating converts using an Accuride sliding slat system, and the mattress is formed from the seat and backrest cushions. Over time, the foam in these cushions compresses and loses its support, particularly on caravans that have spent years on a seasonal pitch where the lounge doubles as a sitting room by day and a bedroom by night. We can replace the seat and backrest cushions with purpose-made mattress sections that restore proper support.

Models with fixed rear beds — the Cameo 625, 645, and 650 in particular — have a dedicated mattress sitting on a spaceframe base that lifts on gas struts for underbed storage. The original mattress was typically a mid-range foam, adequate when new but often well past its best on caravans now approaching fifteen to twenty years old. These fixed beds accept a direct replacement cut to the original dimensions.

Side dinette models like the Cameo 525 had a convertible dinette area that could form a single bed or, with an optional upper bunk, a pair of narrow singles behind a privacy curtain. The mattresses for these are narrower and shorter than any standard single — they must be made to measure.

Bessacarr By Design — 2008 Onwards

When Swift discontinued the Bessacarr line in 2008, Couplands Caravans entered an arrangement to produce dealer-special models under the Bessacarr name. Initially based on the Swift Conqueror, the range has since moved to the Swift Elegance Grande platform. Current models for 2025 and 2026 include the single-axle 495 and 525, and the twin-axle 645, 650, 845, and 850 — all 8ft-wide tourers with Swift's SMART construction and Alde wet central heating.

The By Design range comes fitted with a Duvalay Duvalite Apollo Luxe mattress on the fixed beds — a premium foam mattress using Duvalay's Freshtec material, which promotes airflow and reduces heat retention. This is genuinely a decent factory mattress, a significant step above what most touring caravans ship with. However, even a good foam mattress has a finite lifespan, particularly on a caravan that sees regular use through the touring season. After five to seven years of weekend and holiday use, the foam will have compressed and the comfort will have diminished. A Duvalay replacement from the original manufacturer is one option. A bespoke mattress from us is another — and we can offer pocket-sprung and hybrid constructions that the Duvalay range does not include.

The 845 has a mid-transverse bed — a bed that sits across the caravan width between the lounge and the rear washroom. The mattress retracts during the day to allow passage to the washroom, which means it must be light enough to slide easily and thin enough to store when retracted. The 850 has a fixed rear double behind a central washroom, with the bed accessible from both sides — a more conventional layout that accepts a standard-depth replacement mattress with fewer constraints.

Weight Matters — This Is a Touring Caravan

Unlike a static caravan where weight is largely irrelevant, a Bessacarr is towed behind a car and must comply with the maximum technically permissible laden mass (MTPLM) stated on the chassis plate. Every kilogram counts, and the mattress is one of the heavier single items in the caravan. A standard foam mattress for a touring caravan fixed bed might weigh 8-12kg. A heavy pocket-sprung domestic-style mattress of the same footprint could weigh 25-30kg — an increase that eats directly into your payload allowance for water, food, clothing, and equipment.

Bessacarr owners tend to carry a lot of kit. These are well-specified, well-equipped caravans that attract experienced tourers who bring awnings, outdoor furniture, solar panels, motor movers, and all the accessories that come with regular use. Payload is often tight already. We always discuss weight when recommending a replacement mattress for any touring caravan, and for a Bessacarr — particularly the heavier twin-axle models — we will advise you on the best balance of comfort and weight for your specific layout.

Our Bodyshape™ memory foam and CoolPlus™ cool gel mattresses are both excellent choices for touring caravans. They deliver a significant comfort upgrade over factory foam at between 8-15kg depending on the size and depth, which is comparable to the original. If you want the feel of a pocket-sprung mattress without the domestic-mattress weight, our CoolPlus™ at 20cm is the best compromise we offer.

Front Lounge Beds — The Cushion Problem

On most Bessacarr models, the front lounge converts to a double bed using the seat and backrest cushions arranged on a slatted base. This is true across the Cameo range and the By Design range alike. The cushions are designed to serve a dual purpose — firm enough to sit on, soft enough to sleep on — and the result is inevitably a compromise. After years of daily sitting and periodic sleeping, the foam compresses unevenly: the seat squabs lose their resilience in the centre where people sit, while the backrest cushions remain firmer because they bear less weight.

If you primarily sleep in the front lounge, we can make replacement cushion sets that restore the bed to its original specification or improve upon it. We cut each cushion to the exact dimensions of the base slats and upholster them in a fabric that matches or complements the existing interior. This is a more involved job than replacing a fixed-bed mattress, so please call us to discuss your requirements and we can advise on the best approach.

Bessacarr Motorhomes

The Bessacarr name was also used on a range of Swift motorhomes for many years. If you have a Bessacarr motorhome rather than a touring caravan, we can still help — we make mattresses for motorhomes of all types and the same principles of bespoke sizing apply. Please mention that yours is a motorhome when you contact us so we can advise on the correct bed shape and any depth restrictions from overcab profiles or under-bed storage.

Pre-Swift Bessacarr Models

Before Swift acquired the brand in 1996, Bessacarr produced a range of models under Arnold Laver's ownership that are now genuinely vintage caravans. Names like the Cadeby, Dalton, Wentworth, and Conisborough date from this era, along with early Cameo models in SL, SLE, GL, and GLD variants with model numbers from the 360 through to the 600. These older caravans have bed dimensions that are not published anywhere online. If you own a pre-1997 Bessacarr, you will need to measure the bed platform and provide us with the dimensions. We are happy to talk you through the measuring process over the telephone.

Models We Cover

We make replacement mattresses for every Bessacarr caravan and motorhome, from the earliest Arnold Laver models through to the current 2026 By Design range. Current and recent By Design models include the 495, 525, 565, 580, 645, 650, 845, and 850. The Cameo range (1997-2008) includes the 360, 390, 420, 440, 495, 500, 525, 550, 565, 580, 600, 625, and 645 in SL, SLE, GL, GLD, and GLX variants. Pre-Swift models include the Cadeby, Dalton, Wentworth, and Conisborough. If it carries a Bessacarr badge, we can make a mattress for it.

Give us the model name, the year if you know it, and the bed type — front lounge, fixed rear, island, transverse, or side dinette. If you can measure the bed platform, even better. Call us on 0121 663 6114 and we will get you sorted.