Choosing
Camper mattresses: why 140 × 200 almost never fits
A mattress shop stocks lengths of 190, 200 and 210 centimetres. A van camper has none of them. The widest panel van you can buy is 187 centimetres inside, and that is where a transverse bed has to go — so you are thirteen centimetres short of the shortest standard size there is. Below is what the sleeping surface actually becomes, per layout.
Updated on 10 min read
What the sleeping surface becomes, per layout
These dimensions come from the same calculator that draws the floor plans, wall thickness and wheel arches included. So it is not the nominal size of the bed frame but the surface you actually lie on. In a different van it shifts: a wider van gives a longer transverse bed, a narrower one a shorter.
| Layout | Sleeping surface | Calculated in | Mattress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench bed only | 1266 × 1775 mm | Ford Transit Custom L1H1 | Made to measure — 125 mm short of 1900 |
| Seating group | 1266 × 1700 mm | VW Transporter L2H1 | Made to measure — 200 mm short of 1900 |
| Transverse bed | 1400 × 1870 mm | Fiat Ducato L2H2 | Made to measure — 30 mm short of 1900 |
| Transverse bed with seating | 1400 × 1870 mm | Fiat Ducato L2H2 | Made to measure — 30 mm short of 1900 |
| Slide-out bed | 1787 × 2050 mm | Mercedes Sprinter L2H2 | 178 × 200 cm, cut to width |
| Slide-out bed with seating | 1787 × 2050 mm | Mercedes Sprinter L3H2 | 178 × 200 cm, cut to width |
| Lengthwise bed | 1787 × 2050 mm | Mercedes Sprinter L3H2 | 178 × 200 cm, cut to width |
| Lengthwise bed with seating for four | 1787 × 2050 mm | Mercedes Sprinter L4H2 | 178 × 200 cm, cut to width |
| Slide-out bed with two seats | 1787 × 2050 mm | Mercedes Sprinter L3H2 | 178 × 200 cm, cut to width |
| Transverse bed with a seat | 1400 × 1870 mm | Fiat Ducato L2H2 | Made to measure — 30 mm short of 1900 |
Where the last column says "made to measure", that is not a sales line but arithmetic: the shortest standard mattress that exists is 190 centimetres, and no panel van gives a transverse bed that much.
Measuring it yourself, in four steps
- 01
Measure the frame, not the van
The mattress sits on your bed frame, not against the panel. Measure the inside of the frame where the mattress will lie, and measure at both ends: a van often tapers towards the rear, leaving your bed a centimetre narrower at one end.
- 02
Subtract five millimetres
No more. A mattress that fits exactly takes effort to get in but stays put; one with two centimetres of slack slides to one side while driving and then you sleep in the gap. Five millimetres is enough to get it in.
- 03
Trace the corners
Almost no sleeping surface in a van is rectangular: there is a wheel arch in the corner, or the rear wall slopes. Lay a sheet of cardboard on the frame, trace the real shape and send that template to the upholsterer. It saves the argument afterwards.
- 04
Pick the thickness from the headroom you have left
Twelve centimetres is the minimum you still lie comfortably on, fifteen is pleasant, and above eighteen your head hits the roof on a transverse bed when you sit up. Measure the space between frame and ceiling before choosing.
The underside is the real problem
Two people give off about a litre of moisture a night, and most of it sinks. If your mattress lies flat on a solid board, that moisture has nowhere to go and sits there in the morning. After a few months you find black spots on the underside, and those never come out.
- Put a spacer mat or a slatted base under the mattress. It is the cheapest measure in this article and immediately the most noticeable.
- Do not drill the bed base full of holes hoping it will ventilate — without an air gap beneath, nothing happens, and you weaken your frame.
- Do not put the bed straight against an uninsulated outer wall. There the panel is cold and the moisture settles exactly where you see it least.
- Stand the mattress on its edge when the van is parked for a while, so both sides can dry.
One piece or several
A 140 by 187 mattress will not go round the corner of your sliding door, and a transverse bed above a garage has to be liftable to reach underneath. Two parts solve both. You feel the seam less than you would expect, provided it runs lengthwise — then it sits between two people rather than across your hips. Add a thin topper and it disappears entirely.
See the sleeping surface for your own van
What you need for this
We do not (yet) sell these parts separately. The list is here because this is what should be in your basket before you start.
- Made-to-measure mattress, cold foam, 12 to 15 cm thick
- Spacer mat or slatted base against moisture from below
- Fitted sheet for a non-standard size
- Thin topper to soften the seam of a two-part mattress
Frequently asked questions
- What mattress size fits a van camper?
- For a transverse bed, roughly 140 × 187 cm, because the bed's length is your van's interior width. That is shorter than the shortest standard mattress of 190 cm, so it has to be made to measure. A longitudinal bed comes out around 179 × 205 cm, which you can have cut to width from a standard 200 cm mattress.
- Does a 140 × 200 mattress fit in a camper?
- Not in a transverse bed. Two hundred centimetres of length would mean your van is two metres wide inside, and the widest panel van in this class manages 187 cm. In a longitudinal bed it does fit: there the length runs fore and aft and there is room to spare — you will usually just need it cut to width.
- How thick should a camper mattress be?
- Twelve centimetres is the minimum you still lie comfortably on and fifteen is pleasant. Thicker than eighteen gets awkward on a transverse bed: your head hits the roof as soon as you sit up. Measure the space between bed frame and ceiling before choosing.
- Why is my camper mattress wet underneath?
- Because the moisture you give off at night sinks and then sits against a cold, solid bed base. Put a spacer mat or slatted base under the mattress so air can pass, and do not place the bed straight against an uninsulated outer wall.
- Can I have my camper mattress made in two parts?
- Yes, and on a transverse bed above a garage it is often sensible: you need to lift the bed to reach the storage, and a 140 by 187 mattress will not go round the corner of your sliding door. Run the seam lengthwise, between two people rather than across your hips, and add a thin topper.