Can a queen futon fit in a car

June 21, 2006 7:29 AM

Can a queen-sized futon fit in a car? I've found someone willing to take my futon (not the frame), but they say the "only have cars" and are wondering if it will fit.

I think I've fit a new queen-sized futon in the back seat of my 4-door Saturn, but it's been a while.

Also, any tips for getting the futon downstairs and into the car would be most welcome. We'll probably fold it in half & use rope to tie it up, then hold the rope for carrying, but it's still a very awkward load.

posted by amtho to travel & transportation (11 answers total)

Depends on the car, of course. A long time ago, I fit a queen size futon into the back of a Jeep Wrangler. That's about as small a car as you can get, so you should be fine.
The best way I've found to move a futon is to roll it up into a giant burritto. Tie it with rope, or better yet, get a roll of the plastic cling wrap they make for moving. That stuff will hold anything.
posted by Eddie Mars at 7:33 AM on June 21, 2006

oh, it'll fit!

Extra bonus if the back seats fold down, but if not, as Eddie mentioned, tie it together with something, and stuff it in the back/ passenger seats.
posted by defcom1 at 7:39 AM on June 21, 2006

Why not measure the futon when it's rolled up, send the potentail buyer the measurements and let them figure out if it will fit in their car?
posted by misanthropicsarah at 7:39 AM on June 21, 2006

I put a futon in the back of a Suzuki Swift, with the back seats folded. There aren't too many cars smaller than that.
posted by Dipsomaniac at 7:43 AM on June 21, 2006

Couple ideas:

1. It's a cushion; it can fold and squish down. Fold it as much into a block and just squish it into the back seat of their car.

2. If it can't squish that much, there's no reason why you can't just drape the cushion over the front seats. Set one end of the cushion at the butt of the front seats, drape it into the back seat, and roll/fold the extra into the back seat.
posted by cleverusername at 7:45 AM on June 21, 2006

Why not just tie it to the roof? I see people moving mattresses like that all the time. Toss a tarp down, toss the futon on, open all the doors, and wrap it in about fifty layers of rope.

I've moved a double bed and boxspring that way in a mid-80s Tercel hatchback, which is pretty small. Queen shouldn't be a problem with a larger car.
posted by Kellydamnit at 8:16 AM on June 21, 2006

I folded a futon and put in the back seat of a Corolla a few years ago. I can't remember if it was queen or full, but either would have fit just fine.
posted by JMOZ at 8:22 AM on June 21, 2006

I have a 91 Honda Accord and I fit my $80 queen sized walmart futon in it, including the frame (disassembled of course). If you have something larger, or of higher quality, YMMV.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:48 AM on June 21, 2006

Just as another data point for you... I'll second Kellydamnit. I sold a king size TempurPedic matress, and the buyer took it away on top of his car - wrapped in tarp, with lots of rope and bungees holding it down.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 9:10 AM on June 21, 2006

I've always found it much easier to move futons when they're rolled, tied and wrapped in plastic. Rolling and tying makes them less cumbersome, the plastic makes them much more slippery and thus easier to push through tight spaces, like the rear doors of a subcomapact. Go buy an 8x10' sheet of thick (11 mil +) polyethylene, sold by length as a cheap painter's dropcloth. IT's will only cost a couple of bucks and makes sliding the futon around much easier.
posted by bonehead at 9:22 AM on June 21, 2006

I carried my futon by draping it over my head like an upside-down taco. With 2 people it's pretty easy, 1 is tough.
posted by Four Flavors at 11:10 AM on June 21, 2006