Looking To Replace Air Mattress '16 Itasca Suncruiser

rk911 · 09-19-2018, 07:02 PM

We have a Lippert power bed with two two-chamber air mattress in our 2016 Itasca Suncruiser. (For those unfamiliar the bed must be retracted in order for the slide out room to be pulled in.When the bed is retracted it transitions from flat to an 'L' position.)

Towards the end of our last winter trip one side of the bed kept slowly losing air. I traced the problem to a faulty connector at the pump and had my shop replace it a few weeks ago and the motorhome went to storage.Today I found that the same side of the bed was essentially flat.I pumped it up and over the next hour it slowly lost air.

I'm tired of futzing with this and would like to replace the air mattress with a residential style. I called Tuft & Needle (T&N) and asked about their mattresses but when I explained the application including the need for the mattress to bend daily and to sometimes remain in that retracted position for weeks and months at a time T&N expressed doubts that their mattresses would withstand that sort of punishment.The rep told me that the T&N mattresses can be folded for occasional short periods of time but have never been tested for anything more than that.She was concerned that the material would not hold up with the daily motion and long periods of storage.That won't work for us since we retract the bed everyday we're on the road to provide easier access to the closets and drawers even when we're parked for weeks at a time.The air mattress we have weighs ~ 75-lbs; the replacement T&N would weight ~ 72-lbs so the weight is not really an issue.

Two things...

- Has anyone used a T&N mattress in a similar application, retracting it daily or for long periods of time? If so what was your experience?How well did it hold up?

- Is anyone using a different brand/mfg of residential style mattress on a Lippert retracting power bed? If so what was your experience?How well did it hold up?

Also would entertain any other relevant comments or suggestions.

Thanks.

**creativepart** · 09-19-2018, 11:51 PM

Lippert makes the slide and, I guess, the tilt mechanism but has nothing to do with the knock-off sleep number-type mattress. It’s an I-deal Rest by InnoMax.

The main problem with replacing it is that it’s an RV-Specific size - 72X80. Standard King mattressse ar 76X80. California King mattresses are 72X84. You could find a manufacturer of RVKing mattresses or have one custom made to size.

We replaced ours with a Leesa foam mattress- it’s like Tuft & Needle. Comes in a box. We bought a California King. If you look at the head of your mattress there is a 4” bolster between the headboard and the mattress. We removed that (it’s attached to the wall with 4-screws and comes off easily. That made the California King fit perfectly.

We’ve had no problems with it folding up with the tilt mechanism and it works great.

Very happy we dumped the “less than” I-Deal Rest Mattress.

rk911 · 09-20-2018, 12:13 AM

thanks. ours is a std 69x90 queen. any issues with your Leesa being bent?

jerichorick · 09-20-2018, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rk911

We have a Lippert power bed with two two-chamber air mattress in our 2016 Itasca Suncruiser. (For those unfamiliar the bed must be retracted in order for the slide out room to be pulled in.When the bed is retracted it transitions from flat to an 'L' position.)

Towards the end of our last winter trip one side of the bed kept slowly losing air. I traced the problem to a faulty connector at the pump and had my shop replace it a few weeks ago and the motorhome went to storage.Today I found that the same side of the bed was essentially flat.I pumped it up and over the next hour it slowly lost air.

I'm tired of futzing with this and would like to replace the air mattress with a residential style. I called Tuft & Needle (T&N) and asked about their mattresses but when I explained the application including the need for the mattress to bend daily and to sometimes remain in that retracted position for weeks and months at a time T&N expressed doubts that their mattresses would withstand that sort of punishment.The rep told me that the T&N mattresses can be folded for occasional short periods of time but have never been tested for anything more than that.She was concerned that the material would not hold up with the daily motion and long periods of storage.That won't work for us since we retract the bed everyday we're on the road to provide easier access to the closets and drawers even when we're parked for weeks at a time.The air mattress we have weighs ~ 75-lbs; the replacement T&N would weight ~ 72-lbs so the weight is not really an issue.

Two things...

- Has anyone used a T&N mattress in a similar application, retracting it daily or for long periods of time? If so what was your experience?How well did it hold up?

- Is anyone using a different brand/mfg of residential style mattress on a Lippert retracting power bed? If so what was your experience?How well did it hold up?

Also would entertain any other relevant comments or suggestions.

Thanks.

I have been looking to replace the bad idea of a air bed that came with my coach. I have finally settled on the Nectar for many reasons. We are moving to a new location so I have to wait till next week to order it.
Reading the reviews of the Lessa, I didn't feel comfortable with the fiberglass shedding comments.
Here is the Nectar site: https://www.nectarsleep.com/

**creativepart** · 09-20-2018, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerichorick

Reading the reviews of the Lessa, I didn't feel comfortable with the fiberglass shedding comments.

What’s this? I’ve not seen any such comment. Can you point me to some?

A Google search turned up zero results.

Meridian42e · 09-20-2018, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rk911

[FONT=Times New Roman]I traced the problem to a faulty connector at the pump and had my shop replace it a few weeks ago and the motorhome went to storage. Today I found that the same side of the bed was essentially flat. I pumped it up and over the next hour it slowly lost air.

Are you sure your shop even looked at it? Just saying.

Innomax in Denver are nice folks to work with if you actually enjoyed the bed when it was working. I dropped off my pump for a valve I actually broke myself, and they fixed it for $8.40 within an hour. We like the bed in ours.

jerichorick · 09-20-2018, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meridian42e

Are you sure your shop even looked at it? Just saying.

Innomax in Denver are nice folks to work with if you actually enjoyed the bed when it was working. I dropped off my pump for a valve I actually broke myself, and they fixed it for $8.40 within an hour. We like the bed in ours.

I can't sleep on the bead. Mine is the 2010 model. Too hard and hot when very low. If it is reading pressure I find it too hard. I am a side sleeper.

I have no problem with their customer service. Just the mattress. Yours may be of a different design than mine or your requirements may be different. At 73, leg cramps and hip pain are common on a hard or even firm mattress.

jerichorick · 09-20-2018, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creativepart

What’s this? I’ve not seen any such comment. Can you point me to some?

A Google search turned up zero results.

I apologize. I can't find these reviews now. Because I can't substantiate my claim I must ask all to disregard my post. If I find the several reviews I saw on this I will post them. No proof = NO PROBLEM.

fkempf216 · 09-26-2018, 06:29 PM

I had the same problem with my air bed in my 2015 Itasca Sunoma 35G. I found one of the two air connections on the pump had cracked and was leaking air. I tried to remove the connection and it totally broke off the pump. I contacted Innomax and was told the pump needed to be sent back to them to have the connector replaced for $75.00 plus the shipping cost. While removing the pump to get a better look at it the other connector broke also. I tried grinding down the nubs on the remaining connectors and sliding the hose directly to the pump using a hose clamp to hold it. It looked to be a good connection till I checked the bed the following day only to find the hose had slipped off the remaining nub on the pump. I finally got the problem solved with a PVC adapter and PVC cement. Bed has been filled for a week now with little pressure change.

rk911 · 09-26-2018, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fkempf216

I had the same problem with my air bed in my 2015 Itasca Sunoma 35G....

that might work since i'm having no luck finding a mattress company whose product they believe will stand up to daily and long term abuse caused by extending and retracting the bed. i did a bit of further troubleshooting since my OP and found that the little nubs on one of the pump-side connectors broke off (as you described). it's going back to the shop tomorrow so we'll see what my guy has to say.

what kind of pvc adapter/connector did you use to conne the air hose to the now smooth pump nipple?

mrskron · 09-26-2018, 09:17 PM

We are all different. The ideal rest was awful on my lower back, so we replaced the rv king in our Journey 42E. Friends pointed us to a manufacturer, and we picked a layered foam mattress , about 13 inches deep. This was 6 years ago, and now the mattress in a box is popular. I don't know if one of them would work for me - never tried one.
In order to bring our custom mattress in thru the front door, as well as bend when raising the bed, they designed us a bed in 2 pieces. We have an 18 inch horizontal mattress that we place at the top. It will "bend" at just the right spot. This works for us, but it was not cheap. Hope you find the right fit for you.

fkempf216 · 09-27-2018, 06:26 AM

I'm going to Lowes this morning and will get the numbers for those adapters for you and will post them today.

rk911 · 09-27-2018, 07:02 AM

thanks

jerichorick · 09-27-2018, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rk911

that might work since i'm having no luck finding a mattress company whose product they believe will stand up to daily and long term abuse caused by extending and retracting the bed. i did a bit of further troubleshooting since my OP and found that the little nubs on one of the pump-side connectors broke off (as you described). it's going back to the shop tomorrow so we'll see what my guy has to say.

what kind of pvc adapter/connector did you use to conne the air hose to the now smooth pump nipple?

Check out Nectar (https://www.nectarsleep.com/) I have a mattress coming from them next week. They sell adjustable bed frames so the mattress is built to flex. Lifetime guarantee to boot!

fkempf216 · 09-27-2018, 10:32 AM

pk911
Here are the part numbers for the items you'll need to repair your connection from the pump to your air mattress.

2ea. 1/2" to 7/8" hose clamps, stainless steel
2ea. ProLine Brass 1/2" BARB X 1/2" MIP Fitting #BHB385NLB Lowes # 877073
2ea. Lasco PVC 1/2" Extender Threaded #434005RMC Lowes #24162
1ea. OATEY Handy Pack Cement & Primer #30232 Lowes#452387

I had to file down the nubs on the pump to fit the male threaded end of the PVC fitting inner hole.(not threaded) The male threaded end of PVC fitting will fit snugly over the pump output that broke off. I connected the brass fitting to the PVC fitting using Teflon tape before I glued the PVC fitting to the pump to prevent braking the pump fitting off. I also used a Q-tip to apply the PVC cleaner and cement to both fittings. Here's my Email Address if you have any questions. [email protected]

jerichorick · 09-27-2018, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerichorick

Check out Nectar (https://www.nectarsleep.com/) I have a mattress coming from them next week. They sell adjustable bed frames so the mattress is built to flex. Lifetime guarantee to boot!

Looks like I am repeating myself. Sorry. I don't work for Nectar. I just want a good nights sleep. I hope this will happen starting sometime next week. Will let you know how it goes.

rk911 · 09-27-2018, 11:18 AM

thanks for all of that. dropped off the rig earlier this morning and we'll see how it goes. I may be in touch if I go with Plan B.

rk911 · 09-27-2018, 11:55 AM

just completed a chat with Nectar about their mattress. like Tuft & Needle Nectar will not warrant their mattress if it is flexed daily and/or stored in the retracted position for months at a time. They said that their mattress has not been tested to those conditions and cannot predict how it will hold up.

jerichorick · 09-28-2018, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rk911

just completed a chat with Nectar about their mattress. like Tuft & Needle Nectar will not warrant their mattress if it is flexed daily and/or stored in the retracted position for months at a time. They said that their mattress has not been tested to those conditions and cannot predict how it will hold up.

I guess I didn't consider just how much flexing you are talking about. They sell adjustable frames for the bed. And, storage in a folded position never, ever crosses my mind. Sorry for not considering that most folks here don't full-time or that their beds don't fold up for travel. I do know that many of the newer model RVs are built that way. This really puts a damper on mattress choices.
I can see the manufactures point of view. The mattress is in a box for a short period of time. Folded for months and months, with changing temperatures and humidity, without proper testing, there is no way of knowing what the mattress will do when put back into service. Years of frequent folding in the same place is also problematic for them. This is different than flexing as with a flexible bed frame.
Hope you folks with these unique requirements can find a suitable mattress replacement.
Happy trails.
Rick

Yoders2Go · 12-12-2018, 08:11 PM

We hated those air mattresses!!! We used to call those things floats when we were kids and used them in the lake! We lasted one season on them and to the dump they went! We had electric beds in our house with extra long twin mattresses on them. We were selling the house, and the beds so we put our mattresses in the motorhome! We are still using them (4 years) and they bend/fold just fine! We got our mattresses online from Bed in a Box! We are getting ready to replace them and will get custom mattresses abit narrower, and longer online (google custom mattresses)!