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If you’ve spent any time sleeping in an RV, you know how uncomfortable the standard RV mattresses are. A new mattress is one of the first things new owners purchase after getting an RV.
It can be difficult to enjoy a weekend of camping if you’re not getting good, quality sleep.
Wilderness RV Mattress is popular, but there are good reasons to avoid purchasing from this company based on personal experience. Let us share.
Are RV Mattresses Different?
Some RV mattresses, especially bunk bed size mattresses, are sized differently than standard residential mattresses.
There are some mattresses that are the standard full, queen, king, and California king like you might have in your house.
But RV mattresses are often lighter and thinner to travel better down the road. A residential queen weighs much more and is much bulkier than an RV queen.
So it’s not just the measurements that can be different but the quality and thickness as well.
About Wilderness RV Mattress
Wilderness RV Mattress offers customers a 100-night trial plus free shipping. It’s a popular company for RVers since RV mattresses aren’t always the same size as standard mattresses.
Wilderness RV Mattress focuses on providing quality mattresses for RVers while keeping in mind weight and durability. Since RVs are tight spaces, all mattresses from Wilderness RV Mattress come compressed in a box so they can be easily shipped and maneuvered around upon arrival.
All mattresses come with a 10-year limited warranty.
There are four different RV mattresses that Wilderness RV Mattress manufactures. The Wilderness Dream Bunk is the least expensive option. There are five different sizes, so RVers can choose the one that fits best in their bunk beds.
The Canyon RV mattress is the least expensive of the standard-size mattresses for an RV queen.
There are all sizes, from standard twin to California king, and the price varies based on size.
The next step up is the Aspen RV mattress. Whereas the Canyon is made of high-density 6-inch poly support foam and topped with 2-inch gel memory foam, the Aspen is a 10-inch memory foam mattress.
Finally, last mattress they offer is the Montana Hybrid. Starting at $1,249 for a plush RV queen, this mattress comes in firm, plush, and soft pillow top options.
About Our Wilderness RV Mattress
We replaced our RV mattress when we went full-time with a plush Montana Hybrid from Wilderness RV Mattress.
According to the company, this is the most luxurious hybrid mattress available for RVs and their top seller.
We used it for three years, but below are the reasons we wouldn’t get another one.
5 Reasons We Think You Should Avoid a Wilderness RV Mattress
Let’s look at five reasons to avoid these mattresses. Even though it’s a popular company, these negatives might make you think twice before purchasing.
1. They’re Expensive
When you’re paying over $1,400 for an RV mattress, that is pricey. Some residential mattresses don’t cost that much. A 72 x 80 RV king mattress from Wilderness RV Mattress costs around $1,500.
A Scarsdale Luxury RV king mattress from Mattress Insider costs about $970. So there are certainly less expensive options that still maintain good quality.
Keep in Mind: Even your furry friends need their own comfortable bed. Take a look at some of the Best Dog Camping Beds Your Pet Will Love!
2. They’re Heavy
Like residential mattresses you might have in your house, our mattress from Wilderness RV Mattress was super heavy.
We couldn’t lift up our bed and get to the storage underneath without two people. This makes the underneath storage much harder to reach and much less convenient.
I can understand why some people would stop using the storage completely.
3. They Have Poor Customer Service
There are always going to be customers who have bad experiences. But it seems excessive with Wilderness RV Mattress.
On the Better Business Bureau, one customer complained, “I wouldn’t even give it 1 star! They do not stand behind their product! It is the worst mattress I have ever tried to sleep on. It is horrible and gives me horrible sciatic pain. I have gone to stay at another place to see if it is indeed caused by the mattress and it is! The company said too bad, nothing they can do, so I am out $1,000.00 and have had it for about six months. Didn’t become an issue until about the 5th month of owning.”
In a private Facebook group, additional owners have spoken up about the poor customer service at Wilderness RV Mattress. One customer wrote, “Just bought ours. It’s decent. Softer than we wanted but much better than the stock mattress. Also, it’s a lot heavier on the slide.”
Another customer said, “Mattress is comfy, but they absolutely do not stand behind their warranty, and their customer service is awful.”
This is not something you want to hear about a company that claims to have a trial period.
After only three years of use, the mattress lost its shape. In general, mattresses should be comfortable for at least five years.
Most companies suggest switching out mattresses every eight years or so. Ours from Wilderness RV Mattress only lasted three.
According to the website, the “premium quilted top helps resist body impressions and provides optimal breathability while you sleep.”
In addition, the 1-inch foam adjusts to your body and is supposed to keep you from having “that dreaded stuck feeling in the mattress.” We did not find that to be accurate in our experience.
5. The Bottom of the Mattress Molded
RVs are susceptible to mold. The amount of wood used in RV construction and the moisture and lack of ventilation in RVs mean owners must keep an eye on water problems.
An RV mattress company should know this and provide a better quality mattress durable enough for years of RV living.
When you pay over $1,000 for a mattress, you expect better.
Pro Tip: Check out How We Stopped the Mold Under Our RV Mattress!
What Is a Good Mattress for RVs?
Like Wilderness RV Mattress, Mattress Insider ships their mattresses all over the United States for free.
You can custom order any shape or size mattress, plus include cut corners or radius corners. Mattress Insider also provides a 365-night trial period.
Mattress Insider has different quality mattresses to fit different budgets. The most budget-friendly is the Elation. A 72 x 80 size mattress costs around $650.
The Elation mattresses come with a 15-year warranty.
Next is the Luxury, made with eight inches of cooling gel memory foam. The Luxury comes with a 20-year warranty and a 72 x 80 size mattress costs around $1,000.
There’s also an option to increase the thickness to 11.5 inches, which also increases the price to $1,200. However, Mattress Insider frequently has sales and discounts where you can get an even lower price.
Keep in Mind: Some RVs have oddly shaped bunk areas. If you’re looking to replace those mattresses for your kids, here is Where to Get the Best Custom RV Bunk Mattress!
One of the first things we recommend to new RVers is to toss out that horribly uncomfortable mattress that came with your RV and switch to Mattress Insider. They specialize in hand-made mattresses as well as custom mattress sizes and shapes; perfect for oddly shaped bunk beds and more. We had our mattress custom-made for the truck camper and now sleep like babies. You can too with Mattress Insider.
Use the code “GETAWAY5” to save 5% off your order!
Trust Your Sleep to a Better Brand
Yes, standard RV mattresses are terrible. Yes, you should upgrade and spend the money to get a comfortable mattress you can enjoy while camping. But you shouldn’t buy one from Wilderness RV Mattress, in our opinion.
Try Mattress Insider or another reputable company that will provide a quality product and good customer service. Your sleep is essential to your camping experience.
Have you upgraded your standard RV mattress? How has your experience been?
Couldn’t agree more. We literally never slept on the new mattress that came with our new 5th wheel. We purchased a normal residential memory foam mattress and are very happy with this decision. While it maybe heavier and slightly difficult to access the under-bed storage, small price to pay for comfort and a good night sleep.
We used a foam mattress topper with the stock mattress for several years (3 years with our first TT & the first 2 years with our current rig). We are members of E3 Camping Assn, which partnered with Wilderness to offer a discount to members. In January, we bought one of the mid-range hybrids ($765 with discount & taxes). Although we’ve been on only a few trips since,, it’s very comfortable & we like it so far…even better than our home mattress. Thankfully, we have had no issues & no need to go thru their customer service. After reading your article, I am concerned about the durability, tho. Thank you for your time & effort to bring us RV specific info. Good luck & happy adventures with you next camping phase!
We have a Mercedes Benz Sprinter on the Roadtrek Adventurous platform; a true Class B motorhome. It has a king sized bed 69 by 78 inches. It’s too difficult to put sheets on this every time, so, we purchased a down alternative mattress topper and pinned the bottom and top sheet to the mattress topper and rolled it up for overhead storage in the upper cabinets right over the bed in the back. We just use bungee cords and tie it up and take it down when we sleep.
It’s easy and the extra padding on top of the sofa bed that’s in the back is amazingly comfortable.
I bought three wilderness RV mattresses, one queen sized and two king. Our first was for our first motorhome and we left it when we upgraded. We bought the king for our new motorhome and are satisfied. We bought another for our bed at home and that was where the trouble happened. Our bed is upholstered so the mattress was not tall enough. I sent an email to cancel but it had already been sent. Today I spoke to Customer service via email and was informed that they would give me credit for the entire mattress but I had to pay the shipping back. These are heavy! After buying two i would think that the company would pay to ship return back. . Their web site says if you dont like it send it back. They do not say you need to pay the shipping.
Shame on you wilderness RV
We purchased a Wilderness Mattress after a year of full-time RVing, working with the stock mattress and a 3″ memory foam topper. The Wilderness mattress was comfy for about 105 days, 5 days past the 100 day “return for refund” period. It was then that the body impressions started and got deeper and deeper. We suffered for a LONG time, before I started to reach out. I have tried to contact the company with NO replies to my emails. My back is so jacked up from this awful mattress! They said, on their website to throw the box away, because they’ll never ask us to get the mattress into the tiny box, again. In order to take advantage of the warranty, APPARENTY, we have to mail the mattress back to them, and they will “repair” it and mail it back to us. How on earth do we mail this messed up mattress back to them? With 5″+ body impressions, I cannot imagine that they can repair it and have it work for us. We already paid over $1,000 for the mattress, and we have to pay over $150 to mail it to them? It seems insane, and like they do not back their product. I’ll be calling the number I just found to see if they will help us. Meanwhile, I guess I’m sleeping in the recliner, so I do not wake up barely able to move. Words of advice, from experience….don’t buy a mattress online. 🙂