Hi, Companies such as Browning seem to be going to two sizes of air mattresses: twin and queen. Unfortunately, for our tent we need a mattress about 54 inches wide, normally referred to as "full" size. Full size Aerobeds are listed on eBay, but apparently their built-in pumps are plug-in, not optimal for tenting. Can anyone recommend a good, full-sized mattress with either a battery built-in pump or no built-in pump? By the way, I'm not overly impressed by Coleman these days, so not sure I want to go that route--unless someone has a strong case to make. Thanks, Bill
The aereo beds are really rugged and to inflate them all ya need is a cheap converter plug in ya 12 volt and then plug in the matress. They make 2 tyypes ones ya hook to battery and are wired in or the plug into the cigerette lighter hole types. handy for other small things too
By "converter plug," I assume you mean inverter. We have one. But usually the car is far enough from the tent that the mattress would have to be inflated and then carried to the tent. But getting the inflated mattress into the tent is another problem. Thanks for the input. Still looking for other ideas. I saw a 1600 watt portable battery pack on YouTube that might be a solution, but the brand wasn't mentioned and I couldn't find it online. Anyone know anything about that? Bill
Do a Google search for Portable Power Packs. A whole bunch of stuff will come up. Portable power packs are simply 12 volt batteries with a power inverter built into them. They usually have cables for jumping cars and several 120 volt outlets plus several other outlets such as usb ports for charging cell phones etc... I have the Duracell 600HD. Its got 3 120 volt outlets and one 12volt DC outlet, the newer ones also have two USB ports. It comes with a set of short jumper cables. It can be charged through your standard 120 volt outlets at home or you can charge it through your cigarette lighter in your car while you drive. We take it car camping to keep our cell phones charged. On long camping trips with the grand kids we take a portable DVD player and have a movie night during the week, I use it to power the DVD player because the battery in the dvd player usually doesn't last for a whole movie.I've also found it handy for a bunch of other reasons both camping and at other times. It is great for running power tools when you only need them for a short while. There are many others out there but the duracell 600 has lasted me for 5 years and is still running strong. Because it is basically a 12 volt battery, repeated charging will eventually put it in a state where it will no longer hold a charge and I will replace it with another Duracell 600HD. JMO. Hope this gets you pointed in the right direction.
We recently got this full-size air mattress for our two boys to use in our backyard. Perhaps this might be what you're looking for.
Thanks, both of you. Hickenhunter, I assume that battery pack would be powerful enough to run a plug-in air mattress pump. Am I correct? Any danger frying the device you have plugged into it? I had a different brand I had bought in a garage sale. It lasted a couple of years but recently stopped holding a charge. But for $10, who can complain? That one had an air pump built in. I don't see that feature listed when I Googled it. No air pump? Troy, I can't seem to open that image. Any suggestions? Bill
Yes sir it will operate a portable air pump. We do like the water in my family and I use it to pump up our river tubes several times a year. Never fried anything I had plugged into it.
HickenHunter, thanks. Very helpful. I'm starting my research. Looks like a good one will run about $100 and change. By the way, another way to charge cell phones, etc. while driving--which I'm sure you're already aware of--is to have an inexpensive inverter, such as from Radio Shack. Our minivan has a second cigarette-lighter-type plug near the rear hatch, so we plug the inverter in there and run an extension cord up to the front. That way, we don't hear the inverter's fan. Add a multiple socket to the end of the extension cord, and you can charge as many cell phones as you have outlets. Bill
Yes my aereo beds came with a plug assy that plugs into the cigarette lighter. Something to check into.
Re: "Yes my aereo beds came with a plug assy that plugs into the cigarette lighter. Something to check into." Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, that doesn't solve the problem of having to take the mattress to the car to pump it up. Concerning candidates for a power-pack type portable battery supply, I've looked at several, trying to find the sweet spot of function versus price. The best price I've found for a Duracell 600HD is about $170. According to the specs, it has 600 watts and three AC outlets. If what I've read in general is correct, that amounts to 200 watts per outlet. In other words, if you use only one outlet, you still have only 200 watts capacity, not 600. Anyone confirm that, or the contrary? Another likely candidate is the Schumacher XP2260 6-in-1 Jump Starter, available at Walmart for $99. It has two AC outlets and 400 watts capacity which, if I am correct, still means 200 watts per outlet. Some users have complained about flimsy construction, but at least I can easily return the unit if it doesn't work. Does anyone know if 200 watts is sufficient to power the Aerobed built-in air pump? By the way, I just found out that Coleman has purchased Aerobed. I mentioned earlier that I've had quality issues with Coleman, so I'd better buy that Aerobed soon before the quality starts going down! (Just kidding, sort of.) Bill
UPDATE: Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions. I ended up buying a full-sized AeroBed and a Schumacher XP2260 6-in-1 Jump Starter battery power pack to inflate the bed (and grind fresh coffee at the campsite too). Both are working well. The air mattress is very comfortable and seems well built. The battery pack's inverter handles the built-in mattress air pump without a problem. The power pack seems solidly built. A large digital display tells you how much of a charge is left on the battery. And you can keep the pack plugged in without worrying about damage to the battery. If problems occur out in the field, I'll update this thread. Bill
Hi... READ THIS ONLY IF YOU'RE TIRED OF GETTING CROSSEYED BLOWING UP YOUR AIR MATTRESS...!! Here's a breath saver: Camp-Tek - Outdoor Adventure Solutions has a gadget the size of a shotglass (!) that will blow up your air mattress. It's the Camp-Tek Microburst that runs on a pair of AAA batteries that last about 25-cycles and weighs a couple of ounces. It fits over the fill valves of most current mattresses, including the Therm-a-Rest Neo Air series. $40.00.
Don't think it will work on the AeroBed. It has a built-in pump with no valve. The batter power pack will do fine, and has many other uses. Bill
