Are you an RVer who has just about given up on making the beds on a weekend camping trip? It’s way too hard to tuck in those hard-to-reach corners, and we know we aren’t the only ones who dread the fight. Don’t let your RV bed win! Today, we’re sharing five tips to help you conquer those tight spaces so that making your RV bed isn’t so stressful.
Let’s dive in!
Why Is Making An RV Bed So Difficult?
If you’ve spent any time RVing, you know how hard it is to make the bed. Getting to the top corners can be frustrating, even with a spacious bedroom with a walk-around bed.
Making an RV bed isn’t like making a residential bed. You can’t easily reach all parts of the mattress because beds are usually against a wall (or four) and surrounded by storage cabinets. A top bunk bed could be so deep you can’t even reach the bottom without climbing into the bed.
Plus, the headspace above the bed may leave you prone to whacking your head a time or two. In our truck camper, I also honestly get winded due to the cardio workout.
Are There Different Types Of RV Beds?
RV manufacturers try to make the most of every nook and cranny in a camper. It’s tiny living, so they want to maximize the space. As a result, beds are often against a wall so something else can fit next to them, like a bathroom or a wardrobe. These corner beds can also be bunk beds. Many travel trailers feature this layout to accommodate more people.
Most bedrooms have either an RV queen or RV king bed. Sometimes, there will be space around the sides to walk around. Other times, one of the sides will be along the wall. Toy haulers and camper vans often have a lift bed you can raise when not in use. It provides space underneath for storage. Motorhomes sometimes have a drop-down bed over the cab area.
You also have Murphy beds, convertible dinettes, and sofa beds to add to the possibilities.
Not only are there different types of beds, but there are also varying RV mattress sizes. RV beds usually aren’t the same size as residential ones, although some people replace their RV mattresses with residential mattresses. There are RV short queens, twins, bunks, kings, and more.
Suggested Read: Learn if you can put a Sleep Number Bed in an RV.
Can I Buy RV-Specific Sheets?
Because there are many sizes and types of RV beds, it’s sometimes challenging to find sheets to fit. Many RVers purchase custom sheets on Etsy or shop companies that sell zippered bedding or RV bed-sized sheets. Having sheets that fit will help the bed-making process.
You can shop Beddy’s, Comfort Beddings, Mattress Insider, Amazon, or camping stores to find RV-specific sheets and bedding.
6 Tips for Making RV Beds
We don’t want making the bed every morning to feel like a drag. Starting the day frustrated isn’t the way to begin a camping trip. So, let’s look at five tips to help you conquer those tight spaces!
1. Use A Dowel Rod With Corner Beds
Grab a dowel rod, ruler, or plastic spatula the next time you need to make a corner bed. You can use this tool to push the sheet, comforter, or blanket between the mattress and wall. This saves your fingers and keeps the bed looking tidy.
2. Get On the Bed And Work Your Way Down
Although you might not get on your bed at home to make it, you often have to in an RV. For instance, when we make our truck camper bed, it’s almost 100% surrounded by walls and cabinets. So, there is no other option.
When making beds or changing sheets this way, remove your shoes, climb onto the bed, and tuck in the fitted corners at the top first. Then, when you get off the bed, it’s much easier to pull the rest of the sheets and blankets down to the bottom corners.
As for the blankets, you have to lift yourself off as much of the moving layer as possible to align it. I try to make these beds one half at a time and set everything a little further up than normal. Once I climb off the foot of the bed, I give everything a smoothing tug to get rid of all the marks from crawling around.
3. Move the Mattress
Although you might not need to move your mattress around at home, you’ll likely need to do this when making your RV bed. You don’t need to finagle your way around the mattress. It’s moveable, so move it to where it’s easiest to put on new sheets. If you must pull the mattress away from the corner walls, do it. Then slide it back into place. It could be much easier to move the mattress around than to climb into a top-corner bunk.
If you’ve upgraded your mattress to a foam type, this may be harder to move than the original mattress. We’ve done this, as well as added memory foam mattress toppers to our mattresses before. These are heavy to move, so we recommend sticking to one of the other tips to save your muscles.
4. Invest In Zippered Bedding
One way to alleviate the stress of getting standard residential sheets to tuck in and stay put on a uniquely shaped RV bed is to invest in zippered bedding. We say “invest” because it’s not cheap.
Beddy’s is a brand RVers commonly use. A twin bedding set can cost over $300. However, RVers who choose zippered bedding love the convenience of being able to zip up the comforter in the mornings. The bedding goes on like a fitted sheet, and the bottom sheet stays in place because it’s sewn into the bedding.
5. Buy Custom RV Sheets
We mentioned buying custom RV sheets from companies like Mattress Insider or Comfort Beddings. They make these sheets, especially for RV beds, so they’ll fit perfectly instead of needing to stuff a foot of a twin sheet underneath your child’s RV bunk bed. You’ll still have to make the beds, but you’ll do it with sheets that fit, making your job easier.
Pro Tip: Need some extra softness on your RV mattress? Consider adding a mattress topper.
6. Get a Bed-Making Partner
While it’s often easy to make beds single-handedly at home, we’ve found that simply asking someone to help with making your RV bed. It’ll save you several trips walking all the way around to the other side to tuck in corners plus cut your time in half. You’ll be amazed at what a second set of hands does for pulling things in the right direction at the right time.
Patience And Practice: You Can Conquer Your RV Bed!
Don’t start your Saturday morning with frustration. Find a hack that works for you so you can conquer your RV bed. Be patient with yourself, as making an RV bed is an art! Each bed is different, so it may take some time to unlock the secret of a smooth and uneventful making where you don’t even break a sweat.
Do you have a tip you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it!
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