A mattress is one of those tricky pieces of furniture that are often difficult to fit and transport. The real trouble is if you have a king-sized mattress and need to move it with a small Uhaul trailer.
The best size of Uhaul for a king mattress is a 10’ Uhaul moving truck. Since king mattresses are large, any smaller Uhaul vehicle couldn’t transport them without damaging them.
In the rest of this article, I will explain why this is the best size Uhaul vehicle for a king mattress and if a 5×8 Uhaul trailer is big enough to transport a king bed. I’ll also provide tips on how to safely transport your mattress with Uhaul.
Best Size Uhaul for a King Mattress
The two best ways to place a king mattress in a Uhaul truck to avoid damaging the mattress are to:
- Lay the mattress flat on a Uhaul truck floor
- Put the mattress on its side against a Uhaul truck’s sides
Even the largest Uhaul cargo trailer at 6’x12’ (1.8×3.7m) is too small for a king mattress, which is 76”x80” (193×203.5 cm) in size. This means that you will need to find a larger Uhaul vehicle to transport your mattress.
The safest option that is big enough for a king mattress in its natural form is a 10’ (3m) Uhaul moving truck. Anything smaller, and you would have to transport the mattress at an angle and risk it losing its shape.
Will a King Bed Fit in a 5×8 Uhaul Trailer?
According to Uhaul.com, their 5×8 (1.5×2.4m) cargo trailers are the most popular trailers that they rent out. However, you need to be careful which Uhaul trailer to rent, especially if you’re planning on moving a king bed.
A king bed will not fit in a 5×8 Uhaul cargo trailer. A trailer of that size is simply too small to fit a king bed if the king mattress is included. You could fit a king bed only if you dismantle it into smaller components and place them individually in a 5×8 Uhaul trailer.
A king bed is about 76”x80” (193×203.5 cm) in size. As you can imagine, it is a huge bed. The king bed frame is the same size as the mattress, which means the dimensions are too large to fit in a 5×8 Uhaul trailer. For more information, you can take a look How Much Weight Can a U-Haul Truck Hold?
Although, you could fit the king bed frame if you take apart the individual components of your bed and stack them in a Uhaul trailer on top of or next to each other. Unfortunately, you can’t take apart a king mattress. In that case, you’ll probably want a larger vehicle.
Tips to Safely Transport Your Mattress in a Uhaul Trailer
It’s really easy to damage your mattress during transportation. The reason why your mattress gets damaged is usually because of the way you place it in a Uhaul trailer.
Here are some tips to avoid damaging your mattress in transportation:
- Put your mattress in a mattress bag to protect it.
- Place the mattress flat in a Uhaul trailer.
- Secure the mattress.
- Don’t put too much weight on your mattress.
Put Your Mattress in a Mattress Bag To Protect It
Before even moving your mattress from your home, you should protect it. Mattress bags are a great way to keep your mattress clean and dry during transportation.
I recommend this Nordic Elk Mattress Bag from Amazon.com. This particular product comes with eight strong handles, making carrying a mattress so much easier.
Place the Mattress Flat in a Uhaul Trailer
Once you place your mattress in a mattress bag, it’s time to carry it to a Uhaul trailer.
Smaller mattresses will fit in Uhaul trailers, and you can lay them on the trailer floor easily. However, larger mattresses, such as king mattresses, will require more space. You can put your mattress at an angle, yet the mattress will bend and get damaged, and you will lose valuable space in the trailer.
The best option for king mattresses is to rent a 10’ Uhaul truck. That way, you can lay your mattress flat on the truck floor or lean it on the truck’s side.
However, if you’ve rented a smaller Uhaul van, you will probably have to place your mattress at an angle. In that case, check out this video on how to properly load a mattress on an angle in a Uhaul van:
Secure the Mattress
If you decide to lean your mattress on a side inside the Uhaul truck’s trailer, you’ll need to secure it to ensure it doesn’t fall over.
The best way to secure your mattress is to use a piece of rope and tie it to the side. You can also use ratchet straps. I recommend RHINO USA Ratchet Tie Down Straps from Amazon.com. These straps have full bend S-hooks with safety clips and smooth-release padded handles for easy handling.
Another option is to place some pieces of furniture that are not too heavy against the mattress. That way, the mattress should remain in place during transportation.
Don’t Put Too Much Weight on Your Mattress
Placing your mattress on the trailer floor will take a lot of valuable space. Nonetheless, it is important that you do not put your heavy pieces of furniture on the mattress. This will cause it to deform and lose its shape.
Some mattresses have metal springs inside, which can get damaged if you put heavy stuff on them.
If you need more space for your heavier furniture, the best option would be to rent a bigger Uhaul trailer.
Conclusion
Practically speaking, the best size of Uhaul for a king mattress is a 10’ Uhaul moving truck. A 5×8 Uhaul trailer is too small for a king mattress. This is because you must keep your mattress flat during transportation and not at an angle.
Even before you start your transportation, you need to prepare and secure your king mattress. Basically, you need to:
- Protect your mattress from getting dirty and wet.
- Place it in a flat position in the trailer.
- Secure it so it doesn’t fall or move.
- Make sure no heavy pieces of furniture are on the mattress.
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