Confused about foam. Help appreciated

I would suggest going directly to your local foam wholesaler, or if your town doesn't have one, then order online. When I am doing my own trailer, (I am an upholsterer), I would go with a 4-6 inch foam, depending on the height of your gaucho platform. Correct seating height is 18-19 inches, so do the math. You want a medium or firm density foam for lasting power, and when you measure it, I suggest ordering it 1/2 inch wider than the actual space it needs to span. Foam contracts when its in the cushion, and people are always disappointed that the cushion is suddenly "too small". If you are upholstering yourself, then cut your cushions to exact size for the space and allow the extra 1/2 inch on the foam to puff them out. I also add one inch of Dacron attached with spray glue. Again, this simply gives the cushions fullness and adds to the nice look. Don't worry about it looking to big to fit.. it will compress. Here is an example of a foam I would use. On this website, I put in a request for a quote for foam that is 20 inches deep, by 78 inches wide, by 4 inches thick. The photo I am showing is a screen shot of the results for that quote, showing the choices of different foam you can buy for that size. I would buy the firm in the ever flex or duraflex depending on how much you will use the bed. The prices they are showing are about average for the industry. I would not pay them to wrap the foam. Buy the Dacron at a fabric store, and spray glue at an art store or an upholstery supply place. Its only $10 per can. I have put a link to this website below the photo, but this is just an example.

So to summarize , you need regular upholstery foam, called here "conventional foam" and I recommend getting "firm density" as it will last better, and will soften up, (unless you want softer cushions for sleeping, then get medium) and either the duraflex or the everflex quality. 

I hope this helps answer your questions... 




Link to foam supplier

I am wondering about the memory foam too... I'm my current trailer it is a topper that I roll o to the bed. I would love to save that step...:.

In my applications I need to easily move the cushions around, as they are used for both a seat cushion, and double as a bed mattress at night. When you used high quality, high density foam, and start making things six inches thick, they are going to excessively heavy. If you use high quality materials, I see no benefit in using the extra thickness.

The seat benches should be 14", and with 4" of foam you will be right at the desired 18" target sitting height.

Picking out the correct density, and foam quality is very difficult. I have tried it at our local foam store (A-1 Foam and Fabric, Santa Ana, CA) and also on line (Foam on Line) and it's a crap shoot until you can lay it out and sit on it. I last used Foam on line, and bought 4" Firm, High Resilience, 3.0#. I think it would have worked just as good at 3" thickness for a bed. Foam is not cheap.

Make sure you let the foam seek it's own shape after it's been vacuum wrapped. It takes several days to stretch out.

If you look at the photo of the chart I sent you, in the top right corner is a piece of foam covered with Dacron. It can also be called fibber fill, but this kind comes on a roll. If you don't wrap your cushions in Dacron, they don't fill out properly and look kind of cheap. Professionals always use Dacron. As to the price you are being charged for your foam, I need to know the exact measurement of the piece before I can comment on the price. Length, width and thickness.

I have always used 6" in my trailer... I like the thicker look, so it is a design preference rather than a comfort thing.
4 inch is the usual application, but I would be just a bit concerned with using 2 inches regular foam and 2 inches memory foam, I would be concerned about the staying power in terms of it not squishing down to nothing. So perhaps it is good to ask to sit on the foam at the supplier as John said..