How big is a Toyota Tacoma Pickup's bed?
April 14, 2009 10:59 AM Subscribe
Will a Toyota Tacoma Pickup haul a 84" couch?
I'm moving a large-ish sofa on Saturday and would rather not deal with Uhaul.
Through zipcar (I'm already a member) I can rent a Toyota Tacoma Pickup. I can't 100% tell from the description but it looks like it has an extended cab.
With the tail gate down, can I safely haul a 84 inch long sofa? It's critical that the sofa not be damaged, etc.
Thanks for any advice.
BONUS if any Chicago MeFi's want to help with the move.
I'm moving a large-ish sofa on Saturday and would rather not deal with Uhaul.
Through zipcar (I'm already a member) I can rent a Toyota Tacoma Pickup. I can't 100% tell from the description but it looks like it has an extended cab.
With the tail gate down, can I safely haul a 84 inch long sofa? It's critical that the sofa not be damaged, etc.
Thanks for any advice.
BONUS if any Chicago MeFi's want to help with the move.
After reading the headline in here this might also be useful:
Bed length (in.) 73.5
Bed height (in.) 18.0
Bed width (in., total/between wheelwells) 56.7/41.5
posted by Grither at 11:05 AM on April 14, 2009
Bed length (in.) 73.5
Bed height (in.) 18.0
Bed width (in., total/between wheelwells) 56.7/41.5
posted by Grither at 11:05 AM on April 14, 2009
Get ropes or straps or bungee cords--you don't want it to slide off the back. And probably some pads or blankets or whatnot, too, especially if it's important to not scratch or scuff the sofa.
The (regular) bed in my (regular-cab) Toyota pickup is about six feet, so we're probably not talking about a whole lot of overhang (if any)--you shouldn't need flags or anything.
posted by box at 11:06 AM on April 14, 2009
The (regular) bed in my (regular-cab) Toyota pickup is about six feet, so we're probably not talking about a whole lot of overhang (if any)--you shouldn't need flags or anything.
posted by box at 11:06 AM on April 14, 2009
2009 Tacoma specs. You can add the 18" tailgate "height" to the bed length. Mind you, this is for the 2009 model. I don't know what year your rental will be.
Don't forget to take into account the width. The rear wheel wells will cut into the bed, as typical for most pickups. This will likely affect which way you place the couch (upright vs upside-down).
Another important question is what you will use to secure the couch to the vehicle. Bungee cords? Straps?
And on preview, what everyone said above.
posted by CancerMan at 11:07 AM on April 14, 2009
Don't forget to take into account the width. The rear wheel wells will cut into the bed, as typical for most pickups. This will likely affect which way you place the couch (upright vs upside-down).
Another important question is what you will use to secure the couch to the vehicle. Bungee cords? Straps?
And on preview, what everyone said above.
posted by CancerMan at 11:07 AM on April 14, 2009
It'll work just fine.
Pick up some ratchet straps, they're cheap and more secure than ropes.
posted by davey_darling at 11:24 AM on April 14, 2009
Pick up some ratchet straps, they're cheap and more secure than ropes.
posted by davey_darling at 11:24 AM on April 14, 2009
Ditto davey_darling. Also buy a cheap tarp so that the dirt in the bed doesn't mess up the couch. A painter's dropcloth will do just fine.
posted by bonehead at 11:33 AM on April 14, 2009
posted by bonehead at 11:33 AM on April 14, 2009
If the picture shows four doors on the truck, it's a crew cab (vs. an extended cab); the standard bed on that model is only 60" long. You will have some overhang even with the gate down. The problem with overhang is that part of the sofa will be resting on the edge of the gate and could get some damage. Lay a clean tarp or dropcloth over the edge, making sure it's well off the ground. You also need to be careful of the sofa's feet (best to remove them altogether if possible).
Cancerman mentioned the width and the wheel-well cutins. Besides the physical fit, those wells also pose opportunities for damage should the sofa slide from side-to-side. If the sofa pillows are firm enough, you could use them for padding. If not, you need to stabilize the sofa so it doesn't slide. Don't use bungee cords if this is a concern. While they might be strong enough to hold the weight, their stretchiness allows shifting of the cargo. See if the rental company rents tie-down straps with ratchets (and don't be shy about asking how to use them -- the threading of the strap isn't always intuitive). One won't do the trick -- you have to keep the sofa in the truck as well as keeping it from sliding side to side, so use three at a minimum.
If you have to put the sofa on its back, put down more tarp to prevent damage to the upholstery. If you put the sofa upright, position it so the sofa back is on the passenger side of the truck to give you maximum visibility out the rear.
(Yes, I just finished helping a neighbor move a sofa in his crew-cab pickup.)
posted by joaquim at 11:53 AM on April 14, 2009
Cancerman mentioned the width and the wheel-well cutins. Besides the physical fit, those wells also pose opportunities for damage should the sofa slide from side-to-side. If the sofa pillows are firm enough, you could use them for padding. If not, you need to stabilize the sofa so it doesn't slide. Don't use bungee cords if this is a concern. While they might be strong enough to hold the weight, their stretchiness allows shifting of the cargo. See if the rental company rents tie-down straps with ratchets (and don't be shy about asking how to use them -- the threading of the strap isn't always intuitive). One won't do the trick -- you have to keep the sofa in the truck as well as keeping it from sliding side to side, so use three at a minimum.
If you have to put the sofa on its back, put down more tarp to prevent damage to the upholstery. If you put the sofa upright, position it so the sofa back is on the passenger side of the truck to give you maximum visibility out the rear.
(Yes, I just finished helping a neighbor move a sofa in his crew-cab pickup.)
posted by joaquim at 11:53 AM on April 14, 2009
The picture on the Zipcar website shows an extended cab model, so the specs that Grither posted above are correct (i.e. the bed is just a little longer than 6ft).
And it bears repeating that you should not use bungee cords to secure the sofa.
posted by ssg at 12:14 PM on April 14, 2009
And it bears repeating that you should not use bungee cords to secure the sofa.
posted by ssg at 12:14 PM on April 14, 2009
Yep, ratchet straps. I had a Toyota Tacoma and it doesn't quite fully enclose a big couch.
posted by electroboy at 12:35 PM on April 14, 2009
posted by electroboy at 12:35 PM on April 14, 2009
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posted by Grither at 11:02 AM on April 14, 2009