Hello All,
This is a really great forum! I accidentally sent my first post as an email to Phoenix, he asked me to re-post on the forum. Thanks to Phoenix for directing me here! So, this actually makes my first time on the forum.
I’m trying to build a mattress for my semi truck, which I spend most of the week in. I have already purchased a 6" piece of blended Dunlop latex. It is a tri zone 32/35/32, supposed to be manufactured by Latexco. Which I now understand was a mistake, it’s not preferred, but will still work. Would like to use this if I can, but would consider not using if it will foul everything up.
I’m kicking around three different options:
Option #1 - The 6" blended Dunlop 32/35/32 I have on the bottom for firmness, topped with a 3" piece of Talalay 28 ILD, made by Latex International. If not comfortable enough, adding another 2-3" of Talalay 24 ILD.
Option #2 - The 6" blended Dunlop 32/35/32 I have on the bottom for firmness, with a combo of a 3" piece of 100% natural Dunlop 25 ILD in the middle, then possibly topping with Talalay 24/19.
Option #3 - From what I’ve read it sounds like a good idea to have a flippable mattress. Using the 6’ blended Dunlop 32/35/32 I have, what would you recommend for the other two sides?
I’m 5’11" and weigh 250 pounds, and like most truck drivers am bigger around the middle.
I also want to put a nice wool or light latex cover on it and would appreciate any recommendations on what and where to purchase.
Like most people I am on a budget, but don’t want that to be a determining factor on which direction I go. Has anyone had any experience buying seconds from Ebay? I spoke to a guy that said they were discolored and would in no way effect the quality or longevity, made by either Radium or Latex International. How would I know if his claims were true, and how would you know if they were made by these companies?
I’m open to all suggestions and appreciate any help.
Hi Chester,
I don’t think I would call this a mistake. The quality and performance of blended Dunlop is not as good as all natural Dunlop but it is still a high quality material and better than many other types of foam and it can be good value for budgets that are lower. It certainly won’t “foul anything up” 
The choice beween Talalay and Dunlop would be based on personal preference depending on which different “feel” you preferred. There would be no better or worse here IMO.
I also probably wouldn’t go with a flippable mattress for a truck and you are getting into a more complex construction with this that I would take on with a DIY construction (there are complicating factors involved with a two sided mattress) but you could certainly use a 6" core and a separate topper that each that had their own cover and then each of them could be flipped this way.
I would think that you would likely do best with a comfort layer of 28 ILD or above and I would tend to go with Option #1 but any personal testing you have done on latex would provide a better reference point. Once you have this combination … then you could decide what if anything else you would need to add.
I would b hesitant to make an ebay purchase from someone i wasn’t sure was selling what they listed but there is a list of some good DIY suppliers in post #4 here and one of them is an ebay supplier that sells seconds that has a confirmed source and describes their product accurately. You can also see a review with pictures in post #6 here.
Phoenix
Hi Chester,
I am not going to give you any suggestion on your mattress as I do not have any experience in that. I will just say that the dunlop latex manufactured by Latexco are generally of good quality. And also, I would like to suggest you not to buy a mattress secondhand mattress from eBay as first it is not guaranteed means if you find any problem later on, you cannot complain against it. Also, the mattress is a long term investment so you should consider buying a new one.
Chester:
I would offer a contrary opinion to JackFlaming’s on secondhand mattresses from eBay. I made a purchase from Mattresses 24/7, an eBay seller of factory seconds. I have also personally sampled and looked at multiple latex layers from multiple vendors in Arizona and Colorado. The layers I received from Mattresses 24/7 were very comparable to those I looked at from other vendors. A few small tears but I seriously doubt the quality is any less than that in other mattresses. Many vendors have a cover which conceals the underlying layers and you don’t even get to see what you are getting. At least I was able to see and inspect the quality of the latex under my mattress cover. I also could return the latex layers if they proved to be unsatisfactory.
There are only a couple of manufacturers. My guess is that Mattresses 24/7 sell customer returns which resulted from layer exchanges or may have had a few more defects than the vendor (SleepEZ) would accept.
Given your size you could probably just add a medium or soft 3" topper to your existing setup. I would imagine that your sleeping arrangement may require a custom piece. If that is true, you might also contact Chuck at Brooklyn Bedding on Amazon Brooklyn Bedding on Amazon. You can send him an email through Amazon and he will give you a price on a custom piece in 3" or 2" Blended Talalay. If that doesn’t work get a piece from Mattresses 24/7 on eBay and cut it to meet your needs.
Or if you want to follow Jacks advice and go the new route; try SleepEZ Components.
I can imagine you need a good nights sleep with all of your driving. Good luck.