Caravan Single Mattress

Caravan Single Mattresses — Made to Your Exact Size

A caravan single mattress is not a household single mattress. The two are completely different things, and that is the first thing most caravan owners discover when they try to replace one. Standard UK single mattresses are 90cm wide and 190cm long. Caravan single beds are almost never either of those dimensions — they are shorter, narrower, or both, and they frequently have cut corners, shaped ends, or other features that put them well outside anything you will find on the high street.

We have been making caravan single bed mattresses to measure for over 40 years. Any size, any shape, any thickness. Whether your caravan single is a standard-ish size that just needs trimming down, or an awkward rear berth with a tapered end and a cutaway corner, we can make it to fit. Every caravan single mattress we produce is cut and finished to order in our Birmingham workshop — nothing off the shelf, nothing modified. Made from scratch to your measurements.

Why Caravan Single Bed Sizes Are Non-Standard

Caravan manufacturers design their floor plans around the internal dimensions of the bodyshell — not around any standard bed size. A rear single berth needs to fit the exact space available once the kitchen, bathroom, washroom and main sleeping area have been accommodated. The result is that caravan single bed sizes vary enormously between manufacturers, between models, and even between floor plans within the same model range.

A caravan single mattress might be anything from 170cm to 190cm in length and anywhere from 55cm to 80cm in width. Some are true rectangles. Many are not — they have tapered ends where the bed narrows towards the foot, or one squared end and one angled end, or a notch cut out where the bed sits around a wheel arch. None of these shapes are available ready-made. Every one of them needs to be made to measure.

This is why buying a "caravan single mattress" from a general retailer rarely works. Even if you find something close in length and width, the shape will be wrong and the foam density will almost certainly be too low for regular use. We make the actual size and shape you need, in the density and comfort level that suits you.

Where Caravan Single Beds Appear

Rear single berths are the most common. These sit at the back of the caravan, typically either side of the rear window, and are the beds most often used by children on family holidays. They are nearly always non-standard in size and frequently have shaped ends or corners where the bodyshell curves inward.

Bunk beds appear in family-layout caravans and always require custom-made mattresses. Bunk caravan single mattresses need to be kept relatively thin — typically no more than 10–15cm — to maintain adequate headroom between the bunks. We make bunk mattresses in any size with this constraint in mind, and can advise on the right thickness for your specific bunk gap.

Side single beds run lengthways along one wall of the caravan, usually in smaller two-berth layouts. These are often close to a standard single in length but narrower, and may have one end shaped to clear a kitchen unit or washroom door.

Converted dinette singles are formed when a dinette area folds down flat to create a sleeping surface. The resulting shape is usually rectangular but non-standard in size, and the mattress — or more accurately the seat cushion that doubles as a mattress — needs to be the right thickness to sit flush with the squabs when in sleeping configuration.

Over-cab singles appear in coachbuilt motorhomes and some larger campervans, where a fixed single bed sits above the cab. These are almost always non-standard and frequently have angled or tapered ends following the roofline.

Caravan Single Mattress Thickness — What You Need to Know

The right thickness for a caravan single mattress depends on where it sits and how it is used. For a fixed single berth with no clearance restrictions, a 15cm mattress gives you a substantial improvement over the factory mattress without being excessive. For bunk beds, we generally recommend 10–12cm to preserve headroom. For dinette conversions, the thickness needs to be calculated against the squab height so the sleeping surface ends up level.

Factory caravan single mattresses are typically 8–10cm deep, using foam rated at around 28kg per cubic metre. This is adequate for occasional use but compresses quickly under regular touring — particularly for adult sleepers. Our replacement caravan single mattresses use a minimum of 33kg per cubic metre reflex foam as standard. The difference in support and longevity is considerable, and the step up to our 39kg per cubic metre premium foam makes a noticeable difference if the single bed is used by adults regularly.

Children on Caravan Single Beds

Rear single berths are predominantly used by children, and this changes the specification slightly. Children are lighter sleepers in terms of body weight, which means the foam density requirements are different — but it does not mean they should sleep on inadequate mattresses. A child spending a fortnight touring through summer on a thin, unsupportive mattress will sleep poorly and so will the rest of the family.

For children's caravan single mattresses, we typically recommend our standard reflex foam option at 15cm depth. This gives good support without being unnecessarily heavy, and the higher density foam means it will last the life of the caravan rather than compressing flat after two or three seasons. If the bunk clearance is limited, a 10cm version in the same foam grade is a sensible compromise.

Shorty Caravan Single Mattresses

Some caravan single beds are shorter than usual — too short for even a standard caravan single mattress. These are often referred to as shorty beds, and they require a shorty mattress made to the exact reduced length. We make shorty caravan single mattresses in any size — just send us the measurements and we will cut to fit.

A Real-World Example — Coachman VIP 565 Twin Singles

The Coachman VIP 565 is a good illustration of exactly why caravan single mattresses cannot be bought off the shelf. This popular twin-single layout has two beds separated by a walkway to the rear washroom. The two mattresses look similar at a glance. They are not.

The nearside mattress is 1821mm x 727mm — broadly rectangular with a small step cut on one side. Straightforward enough. The offside mattress is a different matter entirely. It is 1910mm long at its longest point but only 1790mm along the bottom edge, because of a narrow rectangular notch cut into the foot end — 614mm long, 68mm wide and 113mm deep — where the bed sits around the bathroom bulkhead. At the head end, by the door, there is an angled cut across the corner. The overall width is 727mm throughout. Both mattresses are 125mm thick.

There is no retailer in the country stocking an offside VIP 565 mattress. The shape is unique to that model and year. The only way to get a proper replacement is to have it made to measure — which is what we do, every day, for caravans exactly like this one.

How to Measure Your Caravan Single Bed

Measure the base of the bed, not the old mattress. Old mattresses compress and distort over time and are often the wrong size to begin with. Measure the length and width of the sleeping platform itself, noting any corners that are cut away, any tapers where the bed narrows, and any notches where the bed sits around a wheel arch or other obstruction.

If your single bed has a shaped end — where the foot end of the bed is not a straight line — measure the longest point and the shortest point of the taper and note the width at the foot end. A quick sketch with measurements is ideal. If you are unsure, call us and we will talk you through it. Getting the measurement right once is considerably easier than returning a mattress that does not fit.

Foam, Memory Foam or Pocket Sprung — Which Is Right for a Caravan Single?

For most caravan single beds, reflex foam is the practical choice. It is lighter than the alternatives, which matters when the mattress needs to be lifted to access under-bed storage, and it provides excellent support at the densities we use. Our reflex foam caravan single mattresses are available in two grades — standard (33kg/m³) and premium (39kg/m³) — and either represents a significant improvement over the factory mattress.

Memory foam is a good option for adult single sleepers who want a pressure-relieving surface and are not concerned about the additional weight. It is not ideal for bunk beds where the mattress needs to be manoeuvred regularly, and the heat-retaining properties of memory foam can be a drawback in a warm caravan in summer.

Pocket sprung caravan single mattresses are available but are rarely the right choice for a single berth. The weight and cost are difficult to justify for what is typically a children's bed or a secondary sleeping position. For an adult single bed that gets regular use and where comfort is the priority, it is worth considering — call us and we can discuss whether it suits your situation.

Removable and Washable Covers

Children's beds in caravans take more punishment than adult beds. Accidents happen, food gets dropped, and the mattress takes the consequences. All of our caravan single mattresses come with a removable zip cover that can be taken off and washed. The cover fabric is chosen to be durable and easy to clean, and the zip runs the full length of the mattress for easy removal. If you want a spare cover — particularly useful for family touring — we can supply one with your order.