If you are moving or perhaps bringing a new couch home from the store, you may be wondering if you can transport a couch in a pickup truck.
This article will explain if a couch can fit in a pickup truck bed along with some other important information.
Will A Couch Fit In A Pickup Truck Bed?
As a general rule, your couch will fit in a pickup. But this will depend on the size of the couch you are moving and the dimensions of the truck bed that you are planning to use. In most cases, the tailgate of the truck will need to be opened and the couch will need to lay on top of it.
Don’t worry about the couch being too heavy for the tailgate. Many pickup truck tailgates can hold between 1500-2000 pounds. The Dodge Ram 1500 has a maximum certified tailgate weight of 2000 pounds.
Before deciding to move a couch in a pickup truck, you will need to measure both the depth (from the outer edge of the back to the front where your feet sit) and the length (from arm to arm).
The standard couch size is about 82 inches long x 36 inches wide x 32 inches tall. A standard-size pickup truck bed is 78 inches long x 5 feet wide. Of course, your couch or truck may not be a standard size.
It’s important to ensure the couch will fit inside the wheel wells of the truck bed. It’s common for a standard-size pickup truck to have 4 feet of space in between the wheel wells. So ensure your couch legs (or bottom) will fit in between this space.
Not measuring the exact dimensions of your couch and pickup truck bed ahead of time can lead to stress and frustration.
Always Use Straps
If you have to move your couch with the truck gate down, make sure you use straps to secure your couch firmly in the truck.
Put down a moving blanket under the couch to protect the base of it, especially if one set of legs has to hang off the end of the truck bed.
Keep the couch as flat as possible; don’t try to haul your couch with the truck gate closed and your couch sitting at an angle.
Not only will you badly beat up the bottom edge of your couch as it bangs against the top of the truck gate, but you’ll risk the strength of the right angle joint of the lower end of your couch where the arm meets the base.
Even if your couch fits in an extended bed, secure it with straps. Cover it with a moving blanket and tie down the couch to the bed.
It doesn’t take much of a wreck to badly bounce around your belongings in a truck bed. Strapping down the largest items is critical to getting everything moved safely.
Other Positions
Your couch will be the safest standing on all four feet. Not only will you have an easier time getting it into the truck, but you will expose less of the fabric of your couch to damage from rubbing and bouncing.
However, your couch may just not work sitting on all four feet.
Back Down
To move your couch with the back down on the bed, the first step is to lay down several moving blankets. No matter how clean your truck is, this position is really tough on your couch fabric.
Once you lay it down on the blankets, cover it with more blankets and strap it down tight to the truck bed. Fill in under the feet of the couch to lessen the risk that it may tip if jostled.
The base of your couch is heavier than the back. If you’re in a wreck that puts a lot of pressure on your truck from the side, the pull can break the connections between the back and the base of the couch.
To load it back down, lay down blankets to protect the couch from the truck bed. Push it into the truck as far as possible; if you can close the gate, do so. Push the couch so the feet or the bottom rail are against the wheel well.
Try not to add a great deal of weight on top of the back of the couch. Soft items can be captured inside the straps, but boxes should be stacked beside the feet of your couch.
Upside Down
To load your couch in a truck upside down or all 4 feet in the air, you will need
- a serviceable couch that you’re not crazy about
- really strong truck loaders
- a carefully designed base with a gap for the top of the back
If you have to move in the rain, this layout will protect boxes under the couch, but you will have to tarp over the whole truckload once you get the couch settled into the gap.
Pad the nest for your couch with moving blankets; if you can arrange it, leave room for sliding them as you load the couch. Pull the cushions.
Rotate it upside down and have one mover back into the gap as far as possible before setting the couch down and climbing out.
Slide it the rest of the way in and tarp it down to avoid slippage.
In most cases, a couch will fit in a pickup truck bed.
measuringstuff.com
Furniture Style Considerations
Most couches come with feet or legs that can be screwed off. If your couch is straight from the base rail to the floor, there’s really no sense removing the feet; it will make your couch much harder to lift without clearance and without really protecting short, bulky legs.
However, if your couch has mid-century modern flared legs, removing them can save you from breakage. Any time you take the legs off a piece of furniture, get a large Ziploc bag to capture any loose hardware.
Inside this bag, place the hardware, the legs if they’ll fit, and any tools necessary to reinstall the legs. Tape this bag to the frame of the underside of the couch so you can quickly reinstall the legs.
Fabric Considerations
Even a well-swept truck bed can be dusty. Always put down moving blankets. If you have no straps and can close the bed, pad the arms of the couch to protect it from damage caused by sliding from the cab to the tailgate.
You can also add padding by loading the cushions into large trash bags and squashing them at both ends of the couch.
As with any labor-intensive project, you will want to measure twice and lug just once. Unless you have no other option, move your couch with all 4 feet on the truck bed. Always tie down large pieces of furniture.