SAD UPDATE ON THE SLEEPING PADS 😢 After owning them for a year, we got them out and neither sleeping pad would inflate. I spoke to an REI representative on the phone and they let me know that the optimal storage conditions for these sleeping pads is inflated in your home- not your garage and not in a box. Since we live in a camper van, we do not have access to these optimal storage conditions. We found this pretty disappointing since camping gear is usually made to be rugged and stored in packs and boxes. Ours were stored in a weather-proof pelican. Soooo if anyone has any suggestions on a great sleeping pad that can survive a storage box hit us up in the comments below!
I have heard there are issues with the valve not holding air after so many uses. REI has slashed the prices on these recently, between the discount and sale price I paid less than half. I got an XL. I like to tinker with stuff. As long as it makes my fall and spring camping trip before I have to tinker I wont be too mad, and I’m pretty sure I can 3D print something and add the proper gaskets to do the job. I guess my question before I make a decision to not bother and just return it all together, was there any reason other than the valve that this item failed?
@@thelivingear990 REI is telling us that it was our storage method that ruined the product (weather proof trunk) The valve itself was not the issue although if you create a fix for that there is definitely a market! :)
Thanks for recommending this video to me. I just found my new sleeping pad. I like these reviews that you guys do. That way I don't have to buy a product that isn't good. Looking forward to more of your vids.
Thank you so much for watching :) We love it when you comment!! These sleeping pads are amazing, it would be cool if they made them smaller but that is not a make-it-or-break-it for us at this point. Is there anything else you want us to review? You can see all of our gear in the video we just released today about what is in our camping tubs!
@@MKandTJ lol I just saw that you have a new video out!! Will check it out on the big screen tv once I get home. I love reviews on anything camping related. So like tents, sleeping bags, camping kitchen setups, inflatable beds/pads, flashlights, camping chairs etc etc. Also love the vlogs where you go hiking and exploring. Keep up the great content!
@@tommieboi707 we have video coming out next week about camping in cold weather that, won't be a gear review, but will cover our cold-weather setup! I feel like we are putting out more gear videos recently than usual lol 😂
Thank you for your video but do have a question. We are thinking about getting a Runaway mini camper that is 6 wide and 8 long. I like the idea of this bed and being able to roll up to get out the way. In the Runaway we could sleep in wide position or the length position with this beds. Question I have is about moisture issue/thermal warmth when using in the camper. I know you said your using a tent but want to make sure that condensation issues with theses bed won't be a issue and have to raise the beds up a bit for air flow. I hope I am sense in my question. The camper company is Runaway camper and the model we are thinking about getting is the Range Runner. Thank you for your time and feedback! Jess 🙂
Hey Jess! So when we are on the ground with nothing below the sleeping pad, sometimes the condensation from the tent will get on the sleeping pad. When we are on cots, this doesn’t happen since it’s not touching the ground. I imagine you won’t have an issue as long as nothing around /touching it is collecting condensation. Happy camping! And thanks for the question!
@@MKandTJ Thank you for your feedback! Yeah I have been researching what mini camper owners have been using and does vary in all types. I just thinking of ease of set up and take down to have more space in the camper when not sleeping. That is our plan and Runaway campers look like a great company and fit for us. Again appreciate your time and safe travels to you both. 🙂 Jess
Hey MK and MJ, I'm very curious to know how your Camp Dreamer pads are holding-up after the initial year of use? I recently spoke to an REI employee who said it's an amazing pad "if" the value doesn't fail. From the reviews on their website it seems that a significant number of folks have had issues with the value. Sadly REI doesn't warranty them beyond one year, even though there's clearly a design/manufacturing issue. Seems like you two are frequent campers so I'm hoping your experience is still positive. :))
Hey! Sooooo we’ve actually been talking about making an update video to this one because, long story short, ours are useless now 🙃 We kept ours in a weather proof box on top of our camper van as we traveled but when we got them out to use them a couple of months ago (we hadn’t used them in a few months), they did not inflate at all. We did everything we know to get them inflated but nothing worked. We called REI and were told that the sleeping pads have to be kept unrolled in a house otherwise the material on the inside breaks down and they don’t work anymore. Obviously this was quite frustrating because they’re camping gear - how are we supposed to keep them unrolled in a house all the time? Plus, like you said, they were out of warranty. The customer service rep on the phone said it’s a common issue which is frustrating as well that they keep selling the product and don’t fix it. Sadly, we haven’t found a solid replacement yet. We’ve gone back to basic Walmart air mattresses for now.
@@MKandTJ Thanks VERY much for your response. I'm soooo sorry you're in this situation! The sad truth is that REI has continually lowered their standards on product quality and customer service. Honestly, who wants an inflatable camping pad that always needs to be kept inflated??? Anyway, enjoy your travels across our beautiful country. :))
Great question! There’s a few reasons we decided to go for the single. 1. On a sleeping pad, unlike a bed, you feel every tiny little movement when the other person moves. One of us is a lighter sleeper and we thought that anytime the other barely moved it might wake the other up. But we can easily push them together which we do most of the time. 2. It’s not uncommon for us to pick cheap or free campsites, which can mean that the ground is uneven. Because of this, we have to turn the sleeping pads different directions, and sometimes sleep on opposite sides of the tent to get the flattest, most comfortable places to sleep. 3. Our tent is big enough to take our dog, friends, or family (or possible future kids) but in order to do that, we needed to have twin size mattresses to move them wherever needed to accommodate these situations. Like when our dog used to go with us, he’d sleep in the middle of the tent and we’d each put our mattresses on either side of the tent. It made it easier for him to move around in the tent without stepping on the mattresses and potentially putting a hole in it. I hope all that makes sense and is helpful!