Golf carts are excellent people-haulers and can be great for off-road excursions if equipped properly, but sometimes you need to move them from place to place and driving the golf cart itself isn’t an option for long distances. If a trailer isn’t an option, maybe you’ve got a truck and need to find out: will a golf cart fit in a truck bed?
Most standard golf carts will fit in the bed of a full size pickup assuming the truck bed is at least 8’ long and 4’ between the wheel wells.
Now, there are some exceptions to the rule, such as short bed trucks and other factors that may not allow you to fit your golf cart in a truck bed, which we’ll cover further on in this article.
Will A Golf Cart Fit In A Truck Bed?
There are several factors that will determine whether or not your golf cart will fit into your truck’s bed:
- The length and width of the golf cart (your golf cart dimensions)
- The length and width of the truck bed
- Any additional items in, around, or on the truck bed
Let’s cover each of these below:
Golf Cart Dimensions
Like anything else, you’ll want to measure your golf cart before trying to put it in the bed of your truck to ensure it will fit and will not interfere with any other weight limits of items your truck is hauling or towing.
Average Golf Cart Width
Most standard and unmodified golf carts measure four feet wide regardless of the numbers of passengers they can carry.
Average Golf Cart Length
Smaller two-person and four-person golf carts average eight feet long, while six-seater golf carts tend to be 11.5 feet long on average.
Average Golf Cart Weight
How much a golf cart weighs averages around 900 pounds but can change based on other factors like if it’s a gas or electric engine or the passenger capacity.
Some 2-passenger golf carts can weigh as little as 650 lbs, while some 6 passengers can be over 1,500 lbs!
Check your make and model of golf cart to see it’s curb weight, which is the total weight of the cart as purchased including the battery and additional accessories.
Factor this weight into your truck’s total payload capacity which can be found in the owner’s manual or on the driver’s side door of your truck, and factor in the weight of other items you’re hauling or towing to ensure you don’t exceed this limit.
Truck Bed Dimensions
Once you know the length and width of the golf cart, now you’ve got to measure the truck bed to ensure the cart will fit.
Average Truck Bed Width
When looking at the width of your truck bed you need to consider the available space inside the truck bed, which is referred to as the Inside Box Width (at rail), so this is the figure we’ve listed below.
Most full size trucks like the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Dodge Ram, Ford F-Series, Toyota Tundra, and Nissan Titan run around 65” wide on average, with the exceptions being some of the Chevy stepside models running narrower at 49-50” wide.
Most midsize trucks like the Chevy S10, GMC Sonoma, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, and Nissan Frontier run around 55” wide on average, with the exception being the Tacoma stepside models running around 49.5” wide.
Considering that most golf carts are 48” wide, you should be fine here on nearly every model of truck concerning the width aspect of fitting your golf cart in your truck bed.
Average Truck Bed Length
Just like the width of your bed, we need to consider the available space inside the truck bed, which is referred to as the Inside Box Length.
The key difference in length is that most truck beds come in three primary classes: long bed, standard bed, and short bed.
Here’s a chart detailing the average inside box lengths of long, standard, and short bed lengths by truck manufacturer.
Note that these are averages and your truck’s bed may vary by model and year:
| Manufacturer | Average Long Bed Length (8′ Box) | Average Standard Bed Length (6.5′ Box) | Average Short Bed Length (5’8″ Box) |
| Chevy / GMC | 96 5/8″ | 77″ | 68 1/2″ |
| Dodge / Ram | 96 1/2″ | 74 1/2″ | 63″ |
| Ford | 97″ | 79″ | 68 1/2″ |
| Nissan | 96 3/4″ | 77 1/4″ | 58 1/2″ (*Nissan short beds are typically 5′ Box) |
| Toyota | 96″ | 73 1/2″ | 64 3/4″ (Toyota short beds are typically 5.5′ Box) |
Considering the average length of a standard golf cart comes in at 96″, we can tell that most golf carts will only fit easily in long bed trucks.
So, what should you do if you want to fit a golf cart in a standard bed or short bed truck?
Luckily, most pickup truck tailgates are about 2′, so if you put your golf cart in with the tailgate down you’ll still be able to fit your golf cart in the truck bed even if you have a short or standard bed truck.
Just be sure to use caution and not damage your tailgate by putting too much weight on it (we cover how to avoid this below), and make sure to use a tailgate extender if possible.
Note that if you are towing something, the tailgate being down could interfere with your trailer hitch! Consider that before loading your golf cart in the back of your pickup.
Additional Items In, Around, Or On The Truck Bed
If you are looking at a tight squeeze length or width-wise in the first place, pay extra attention to things like bed liners, attached toolboxes, or items that you also have to store in the truck bed when considering if your golf cart will fit in the back of your pickup.
All these items will reduce the total available space that your golf cart has in the back of the truck, so plan accordingly.
How To Get A Golf Cart In A Truck Bed
So you’ve measured your cart, measured your truck bed, and you’ve got a fit – congratulations!
Now we need to safely get the golf cart into the truck bed without damaging the cart or the truck, and make sure it’s in there securely for transport.
Follow these easy steps below to ensure everything goes well:
Step 1: Put Your Truck’s Emergency Brake On
You don’t want any unnecessary movement from your truck while loading your golf cart in there, so engage the e-brake once you’ve parked the truck.
Step 2: Grab Some Ramps
Go with a pair of sturdy metal ramps that are rated to hold the weight of your golf cart – don’t go with a homemade wooden pair of ramps here!
Arched aluminum ramps are great because they’re lightweight, affordable, and easy to set up.
If you don’t have ramps available, back up your truck to a point where the tailgate is level with the ground, and slowly drive your golf cart into the truck bed.
Note that excessive weight can cause damage to your tailgate if this is done incorrectly, so use caution.
Because most golf cards have low ground clearances, some can bottom out at the crest if you use straight ramps- this is why we recommend going with arched ramps.
Some Quick Notes About Loading Your Golf Cart
If the length of your golf cart won’t fit inside the truck bed with the tailgate closed, you can certainly still haul it with the tailgate open!
If your golf cart will only fit with the tailgate open, we recommend backing the cart in to the truck bed so that the heavier portion of the cart is at the rear of the bed, keeping the weight off your tailgate to avoid damage.
Also be aware that some golf carts have offset wheels, meaning the front wheels will be different widths apart than the back wheels, which can be troublesome for loading a cart into a truck using ramps.
If this is the case, use ramps that are wide enough to accommodate both wheel base lengths.
Note: You should not haul your golf cart in your truck bed if the front wheels are hanging over the tail gate!
If you have a length issue like this, consider using a truck bed extender that are made for fitting a golf cart in a truck bed.
Step 3: Secure Your Golf Cart
Fasten your cart to your truck’s bed with ratchet straps or chains to make sure the cart doesn’t go anywhere while you’re driving, and also apply the golf cart’s emergency brake if it is equipped with one.
Step 4: Remove Everything You Can From Your Cart
Of course you’ll want to remove the cart key from the ignition, along with any other loose items like golf cart bluetooth speakers or personal items.
Additionally, some golf cart’s roofs can be removed. Although this can seem tedious, it is worthwhile if you’ll be traveling long distances or at high speeds because the wind can damage your golf cart’s roof in certain cases.
FAQs About Golf Carts In Truck Beds
Most standard golf carts will fit in the bed of a full size pickup, assuming the truck bed is at least 8’ long and 4’ between the wheel wells.
Most standard golf carts measure 8’ long by 4’ wide, which will fit in a long bed truck.
Most other truck beds will need a truck bed extender in order to safely fit a golf cart in the truck bed.
Most long bed trucks have bed dimensions of 96″ long by 60″+ wide, which most standard golf carts will fit in without issue.
Most standard bed trucks have bed dimensions of 77″ long by 60″+ wide, which most standard golf carts will fit in with the tailgate down.
Most short bed trucks have bed dimensions of 65″ long by 60″+ wide, which most standard golf carts will fit in with the tailgate down.
Most full size trucks like the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Dodge Ram, Ford F-Series, Toyota Tundra, and Nissan Titan run around 65” long by 60″+ wide on average, with the exceptions being some of the Chevy step side models running narrower, so most golf carts will fit in a full size truck bed.
Most midsize trucks like the Chevy S10, GMC Sonoma, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, and Nissan Frontier run around 55” long by 60″+ wide on average, with the exception being the Tacoma step side models running narrower, so most golf carts will fir in a midsize truck bed.
Yes, you can transport a golf cart in a truck bed. Just make sure to apply the emergency brake on the golf cart once it’s in the truck bed, secure the golf cart using ratchet straps or chains, and remove the roof if possible to avoid wind resistance and damage.
We recommend using arched ramps and backing up the golf cart into the truck bed, then securing the cart using chains, steel cables, or ratchet straps.
Make sure the ramps you use can support the weight of your golf cart.
A golf cart will fit in the bed of most Ford F-150s with a long bed. If your F150 is a short bed model, you may need to use a truck bed extender to haul your golf cart in the back of your truck.
Will A Golf Cart Fit In A Truck Bed – Wrapping Things Up
As we’ve covered in this guide, most standard golf carts measure 8′ long by 4′ wide, and most truck beds on most full-size and mid-size trucks in all bed lengths can fit a golf cart with the tailgate down.
Now that you’ve got a way to haul your golf cart in your truck, it’s time to take your golf cart to the next level with a golf cart bluetooth speaker or a golf cart lift kit!
