Pop top bed advice

Milly Molly · May 4, 2026

Hi everyone. I know there has been much discussion about mattress toppers etc for the pop top, but I can’t find anything about where you can put a SIM on top of the VW mattress or Zonesleep Ultra and then keep it up there deflated when you lower the roof. Does anyone know if you can do that? I have tried both the standard VW mattress and the Zonesleep Ultra in the pop top of our T6 Ocean, but find I still wake up with a bad back every morning. I’d like to find a solution I can leave up there rather than have to roll up and store and just wondered if a deflated SIM (eg the Outwell Dreamcatcher that is in the Club Shop) could stay on top of the Zonesleep Ultra when deflated.

Thanks

capt kirk · May 4, 2026

Dont know if this is of any help but here goes. my wife sleeps up top and uses an air bed, topper and sleeping bag and it all stays up top when not in use. because she has an air bed we have removed the pad that came with the van and the air bed sits direct on the slats or foli springs if you have them. she finds this very comfortable and the mattres takes about 30 seconds to inflat and deflate, she decides how firm she wants it and we use a flextail pump to inflate and deflate.I also carry a small air bed in the wadrobe down stairs for emergancies. both mattrese were from go outdoors and the pair cost 40 quid in the sale. we have not had to use the spare yet and its been in the roof for about 2 years. Im not over keen on sims as i have had two that have inflated prematurely while driving. one was a kampa and i cant remember the other.
Hope this helps.

AdamsFamily · Friday at 10:39 PM

Milly Molly said:
Hi everyone. I know there has been much discussion about mattress toppers etc for the pop top, but I can’t find anything about where you can put a SIM on top of the VW mattress or Zonesleep Ultra and then keep it up there deflated when you lower the roof. Does anyone know if you can do that? I have tried both the standard VW mattress and the Zonesleep Ultra in the pop top of our T6 Ocean, but find I still wake up with a bad back every morning. I’d like to find a solution I can leave up there rather than have to roll up and store and just wondered if a deflated SIM (eg the Outwell Dreamcatcher that is in the Club Shop) could stay on top of the Zonesleep Ultra when deflated.

Thanks

CampervanBits have recently put a POST up about one they have...
The short answer is yes.
The long answer is read a few threads about alternative mattresses and remove the one you have.
We tried a few and settled on the Panda Topper. No more bad backs and achy sides.

Daveb999 · Friday at 11:52 PM

I’m putting up a barely used (once) sea to summit camper deluxe si for sale tomorrow.

Milly Molly · Saturday at 8:15 PM

capt kirk said:
Dont know if this is of any help but here goes. my wife sleeps up top and uses an air bed, topper and sleeping bag and it all stays up top when not in use. because she has an air bed we have removed the pad that came with the van and the air bed sits direct on the slats or foli springs if you have them. she finds this very comfortable and the mattres takes about 30 seconds to inflat and deflate, she decides how firm she wants it and we use a flextail pump to inflate and deflate.I also carry a small air bed in the wadrobe down stairs for emergancies. both mattrese were from go outdoors and the pair cost 40 quid in the sale. we have not had to use the spare yet and its been in the roof for about 2 years. Im not over keen on sims as i have had two that have inflated prematurely while driving. one was a kampa and i cant remember the other.
Hope this helps.

Thank you. We have a sim for downstairs bit I hadn't thought about it inflating in the pop top whilst driving!

Milly Molly · Saturday at 8:16 PM

AdamsFamily said:
CampervanBits have recently put a POST up about one they have...
The short answer is yes.
The long answer is read a few threads about alternative mattresses and remove the one you have.
We tried a few and settled on the Panda Topper. No more bad backs and achy sides.

So you use the Panda topper on its own without a pad/mattress underneath it? And it stays in the roof when the pop top is closed?

AdamsFamily · Sunday at 4:05 PM

Milly Molly said:
So you use the Panda topper on its own without a pad/mattress underneath it? And it stays in the roof when the pop top is closed?

We do.
Kind of did things backwards in a way.

We only used the downstairs bed when we first bought it - I guess it was cosier in winter.
After trying a few alternatives to the VW original we got the small double from Panda expressly for downstairs - yes its a little large so bends slightly on the sides (inch or so) but we found it very supportive and didn't feel a thing underneath it.
Then we started using upstairs but took the mattress rolled up in the boot just in case.

I found the upstairs bed/mattress pretty good so in hindsight could have brought that mattress down and used it but the Panda had the edge for me.

Then after a while of taking a rolled up mattress and not using it, figured we could use that up top too so just rolled the VW one up and store it in the spare room.

Panda like most, do a 30 day trial so worth ordering just before you go away and give it a try.

Milly Molly · Sunday at 8:45 PM

AdamsFamily said:
We do.
Kind of did things backwards in a way.

We only used the downstairs bed when we first bought it - I guess it was cosier in winter.
After trying a few alternatives to the VW original we got the small double from Panda expressly for downstairs - yes its a little large so bends slightly on the sides (inch or so) but we found it very supportive and didn't feel a thing underneath it.
Then we started using upstairs but took the mattress rolled up in the boot just in case.

I found the upstairs bed/mattress pretty good so in hindsight could have brought that mattress down and used it but the Panda had the edge for me.

Then after a while of taking a rolled up mattress and not using it, figured we could use that up top too so just rolled the VW one up and store it in the spare room.

Panda like most, do a 30 day trial so worth ordering just before you go away and give it a try.

I've ordered one! Can't wait for it to arrive. Hopefully the first great night sleep I've had in the van!!

Straad · Monday at 7:47 AM

Milly Molly said:
Hi everyone. I know there has been much discussion about mattress toppers etc for the pop top, but I can’t find anything about where you can put a SIM on top of the VW mattress or Zonesleep Ultra and then keep it up there deflated when you lower the roof. Does anyone know if you can do that? I have tried both the standard VW mattress and the Zonesleep Ultra in the pop top of our T6 Ocean, but find I still wake up with a bad back every morning. I’d like to find a solution I can leave up there rather than have to roll up and store and just wondered if a deflated SIM (eg the Outwell Dreamcatcher that is in the Club Shop) could stay on top of the Zonesleep Ultra when deflated.

Thanks

Hi, we have a 2014 Cali and we’ve struggled to get comfortable sleeping upstairs. We eventually bought a Duvalay Topper which was good but very bulky to store in the van when not in use and a struggle to get upstairs.
We now use a Sea to Summit inflatable mattress which deflates down to next to nothing and can safely be left upstairs with the roof down. It very comfy and easily inflated/deflatedwith a wee rechargeable Flextail pump.

Tony 56 · Monday at 12:33 PM

Straad said:
Hi, we have a 2014 Cali and we’ve struggled to get comfortable sleeping upstairs. We eventually bought a Duvalay Topper which was good but very bulky to store in the van when not in use and a struggle to get upstairs.
We now use a Sea to Summit inflatable mattress which deflates down to next to nothing and can safely be left upstairs with the roof down. It very comfy and easily inflated/deflatedwith a wee rechargeable Flextail pump.

Hi,did you remove the existing upstairs vw mattress and place the sea to summit directly on the wooden slats ?
What make of flextail pump do you use ?

Straad · Monday at 1:04 PM

Hi Tony. Yes, we took out the thin Cali upstairs mattress and the Sea to Summit sits on the slats. The Flextail is the Tiny Pump 2x. The pump is an amazing wee thing which blows to inflate (takes less than 5 mins) but when you deflate the mattress you just turn it around and it sooks all the air out again. It is important to get as much of the air out as possible and then the depth of the deflated mattress is less than the previous aforementioned Cali mattress and there isn’t any strain on the roof when it’s down. Alan

Tony 56 · Monday at 2:30 PM

Straad said:
Hi Tony. Yes, we took out the thin Cali upstairs mattress and the Sea to Summit sits on the slats. The Flextail is the Tiny Pump 2x. The pump is an amazing wee thing which blows to inflate (takes less than 5 mins) but when you deflate the mattress you just turn it around and it sooks all the air out again. It is important to get as much of the air out as possible and then the depth of the deflated mattress is less than the previous aforementioned Cali mattress and there isn’t any strain on the roof when it’s down. Alan

Hi Alan. Thank you for your prompt and informative reply.