Is the 1998 Toyota RAV4 5-door able to transport a queen size mattress?

January 3, 2013 7:50 AM

Is the 1998 Toyota RAV4 5-door able to transport a queen size mattress?

Assuming the backseats are folded forward of course, and the mattress is inside the car, not outside.

I'd imagine personal stories would be the best answer, as opposed to theory.

But if it helps, here are some car lengths (from Wiki) for cars that can achieve this:
Toyota Camry XV20 Wagon - 189.8 inches (4,821 mm) - YES
Mitsubishi Magna TJ Wagon - 4,746 mm (186.9 in) - YES


Toyota RAV4 in question: 4,160 mm (163.8 in) - ???

posted by gttommy to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

Best answer: No.

I have a 1997 Toyota Rav4 (are you counting the back door as the 5th door? in that case I suppose mine is a 5 door) and a full-size mattress only barely fit inside with some bending.

Just strap it to the roof.
posted by phunniemee at 7:55 AM on January 3, 2013

I have an 08 RAV4, and I believe the trend in the RAV is toward larger interiors. There's not a chance in hell I'd fit a queen-sized mattress in there. Roof that sucker.
posted by denriguez at 7:56 AM on January 3, 2013

I doubt you could do it. I used to own a 96 Rav4 and they are pretty tiny. You might get the mattress to go in, taco style, but bending mattresses isn't great for them, and usually pretty bad. And you won't be able to close the door.

That might be enough if you aren't going far, but if that is the case, strap it to the roof.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 7:57 AM on January 3, 2013

I assume you're talking about an innerspring mattress as opposed to something foldable, like a futon. The answer is almost certainly no (and we haven't even addressed the idea of the box spring, if applicable).

I would take caution about strapping it to the roof as well, especially if you're traveling any distance at speed, as you risk turning the thing into a (really inefficient) airfoil.
posted by Skot at 11:26 AM on January 3, 2013

You absolutely must strap down the front of the mattress so it doesn't flip up. Fortunately it wasn't my own experience that taught me this lesson, but my sis and I have made my dad transport a lot of mattresses over the years, and he learned quickly. Strap a few lines into your hood and tail in addition to tying around the sides to the roof of the car. Don't be a n00b and tie through the windows-- tie through the doorframe. Tying through the windows can disable the door, and that's foolish and profoundly unsafe when it's not merely inconvenient.

Also, don't cut your rope, just use a really long one. Use small sticks to aid or tourniquet your knots if you don't trust your strength to pull and tie.

If there's a box-spring at stake, put it on top-- its rigid form should help. Stay off the highway if at all possible, and if not, go when you can do 35-40 at most on the right lane. (55ish kph)

Drive slow, and be prepared to pull out of traffic to let people past.
posted by Sunburnt at 1:55 PM on January 3, 2013

Almost certainly not. A queen size mattress is 60 inches wide, and a Rav4 is 66 inches wide on the outside. The inside will surely be less than 60 inches. For reference, my dad has a Malibu Maxx, which is 69 inches wide, and just barely fits a full size (54 inches) mattress inside of it.
posted by gjc at 5:05 AM on January 4, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks everyone, I am now convinced that it won't work!
posted by gttommy at 6:12 AM on January 4, 2013