Campervan bedding advice

Introduction to campervan bedding

© Photo courtesy of Robens

Every great day out while you’re away in the campervan begins with a good night’s sleep, and that starts with having the right accessories.

Try out your regular bedding first

Begin by trying out your bedding from home in your campervan to see how you get on with it. If this works for you, buy a seperate set of bedding you can keep in your campervan permanently – it’s one less thing to pack, and one less thing to forget!

But don’t assume your big, fluffy king-size duvet from home will work best in the campervan, where space is more limited. One of you might find they get too hot at night, while the other is cold. If so, buy separate bedding to suit your individual needs.

Mattress toppers and sleep mats

Just like Goldilocks, everyone has their own preferences with their bed at home, and your campervan is no different. Many people find the beds in campervans too firm, so a simple solution is to use a normal mattress topper like you might have at home, or a specially designed inflatable sleep mat. Outdoor Revolution, for example, sells a range of self-inflating mats that have been designed to fit most beds in a VW campervan.

Consider specialist travel bedding

© Photo courtesy of Outdoor Revolution

Bed rolls and sleeping bags

While the cheapest option might be regular single duvets, bear in mind these are quite bulky and will therefore take up a lot of valuable storage room in the campervan.

Instead of bulky duvets, consider specialist duvets, bed rolls and sleeping bags, which will be lightweight and come with compression sacks or straps.

Inflatable pillows

Inflatable pillows are also available and worth considering if you really are short on space, but most campervanners opt for normal household pillows, as they are the most comfortable.

More to consider for a good night's sleep

© Photos courtesy of Snuggy; Kelty; Snuggy

Take plenty of blankets

If you camp all year around, you will also need a set-up that works both in summer and in winter. The easiest way to achieve this is with blankets – simply pile them on top of your bedding in the chillier months.

Blankets are always handy to keep in the campervan permanently, as they will get used year-round – even in summer, blankets are useful for wrapping up when sitting outside of an evening.

Ventillation and light

Finally, to ensure you get a good night’s sleep, consider ventilation and light. Always sleep with the skylight and/or a window ajar to ensure air circulation inside your campervan.

Curtains and blinds

Most campervans come with curtains or blinds fitted to side and back windows, but not all have them in the cab. In this case, buy a set of insulated screens.

There are two types of campervan cab screen – those which are fitted inside the campervan and attach to the windscreen with suckers; the second type sits on the outside of the windscreen and usually has straps to secure it to the cab doors of your campervan. Both types of insulation blinds serve to keep the heat out in summer and the cold out in winter, as well as to provide privacy. Blinds are available in universal sizes to fit any campervan, as well as specific ones that will only fit a VW T6 or Fiat Ducato, for example.

A final bedtime note

What bedding accessories you choose will come down to personal preference, so have a good look around before buying. Brands like Outwell, Robens and Outdoor Revolution offer a good range. Don't forget to try everything at home first.

A good night's sleep is essential after a grand campervan day out, so it's worth spending that extra little bit of time and money to make sure you've got the right bedding set-up for you.

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Read more about campervan accessories and see our campervan accessory travel checklist in our guide to campervan accessories.