Air mattress inflation

[ontariocamper]

4 years ago when we didn't know any better, we went camping with an air mattress that we had not looked at the inflation input of.
We get to the site about 10 am.....just so the sun is beginning to shine directly on us. Get the tent set up, with 2 kids wandering around tripping over each other and us.
Next we decide we should get the air mattress inflated and shoved in the tent, and the bed made up.
We pull out a 12V automotive air pump with the nozzle that pushes onto the valve stem and the lever you bend over to lock it on.
We pull out a standard pogo stick style bicycle pump.
The air mattress has one of the new multi purpose valves.

http://www.instructables.com/files/d...374.MEDIUM.jpg

Well, a square peg don't fit in a round hole......and neither of our pump nozzles fit into this thing!
We spent the next 45 minutes pumping/pressing/sweating/swearing trying to get this bed inflated.
I was sweating more than Bill Clinton in the White House....
We figured at this rate of pumpage, we would be finished around Christmas.
Me and the Mrs. had finally had enough!!!!!
We loaded everybody in the van and went to the local supply post for ice cream/fries/pop/counselling........well, didn't we find a Coleman 12V air pump with adapters covering everything from bike tires, beach toys, air beds and blowup..........ahhh, never mind.
Cheaper than Walmart too!!
When we went back to the site, it took about 1 min 15 secs to get the bed up to par.........Coleman saved the day!!!
Lesson learned....... CHECK YOUR EQUIPMENT COMPATABILITY BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE!
Happy Camping!

[renodesertfox]

Howdy Ontariocamper,
Thanks for sharing...this really helps the cause of camping forums because good or bad your two cents mean alot! Once again thanks for taking the time to explain your opinion!

If it helps, check out the Gallery Forum about three titles down, is the instrument that I chose to help in those tight situations that develop with inflating air matresses. We use it all the time when we go camping, sometimes I've forgotten to take the first-aid kit but I don't forget to take my powerpack 400+. It has saved many a trip! Even when my Jeep Grand Cherokee 2001 battery died, the Xantrex Poweroack 400 plus saved the day! There was enough power to jump start the jeep and we were 65 miles back in rough country! It dents the wallet a little, but peace of mind is what I'm after...now if I blew a carb what then? So when we go we go loaded for bear. Tools, cameras, camping gear, big gas(xxx) grill, the works, my rig is loaded, but I still brake for lizards! Thanks again for shaing!

[Bigdog57]

Yep, I have a big Twin Size airmatress I use when camping in my three-man dome tent - but it has that huge valve - no bicycle pump for that big brute! I got a D-cell battery powered pump for it - works well. It also quickly deflates - has a reverse mode. Made by Coleman.
Last year I was with a buddy who wanted the same setup, so we went to WallyMart. I found they have some new pumps - similar to my D-cell pump but with a cigarette plug - it plugs into the power socket I have on my motorbike. No more wearing out those pesky D-cells! I also have a "Slime" pump I carry to air my MC tires up & down - works great when switching between road and off-road riding, and I have used it to inflate my smaller matress - uses a regular needle inflator.
They also have an AC-plug in version, for those who have an RV or an AC inverter on their vehicle.

[ontariocamper]

Yes, that Coleman air pump is the one we got......12VDC plug in.....inflates a queensize thick mattress in about 2.5 minutes!

[17nut]

I recently bought the coleman double high queen air mattress it came with a 110 pump. I found a quick pump in Cabelas bargain cave for $4.99 Its ok but the double high bed takes a while to fill so I went to harbor freight and bought a 200watt power inverter for $19.99 and take a extention cord and use the 110 pump. It works awesome then I leave the quickpump in the tent so I can make adjustments if needed. The inverter paid for itself the first time I used it.

[Dragalge]

Re: Air mattress inflation

A Coleman air mattress is something that everyone should experience at least once in their life. The cheap blow-up replacement for conventional mattresses at it?ˉs best, the best raised queen size from their QuickBed range includes a soft suede top for comfort and 35 coils for support and stability. Unlike others, this just has one 120v built-in electric pump. Excellent for guests thanks to it?ˉs compact storage size, and having a light-weight design (17 lbs) means it?ˉs also easily transportable from the included zipped carry bag.