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Tacomas have spacious beds that can be quite practical for camping, so you might be tempted to build a comfy sleeping setup. This poses the question: will a full-size mattress fit in a Toyota Tacoma?
Unfortunately, a full-size mattress is too wide to sit flat in either short-bed or long-bed Tacoma models. You’ll have to tilt the mattress to the side or set a sleeping platform above the wheelbase.
In this post, we’ll go over the mattress sizes that can actually fit in a Tacoma. However, if you absolutely need to use full-sized ones, we also cover how you can squeeze the pad into the truck for both sleeping setups and transport purposes like a pro!
Will a Queen-Size Mattress Fit in a Toyota Tacoma?
Queen mattresses are even larger than full-sized ones.
The size of a standard queen is 60 inches in width and 80 inches in length. Meanwhile, a full-size mattress is 53×75 inches.
So, unfortunately, a queen-sized mattress won’t sit flat on the Tacoma’s bed either.
What Mattresses Fit in a Toyota Tacoma?
If you ask around, you’ll find that Tacomas come in two main sizes: long beds and short beds.
Both models have the same bed width (41.6 inches between the wheel wells) and height (19.1 inches), but the main difference is the length.
The long ones are also called the 6-foot beds, and they measure 73.7 inches. On the other hand, you have the short 5-foot ones that are 60.5 inches long.
Regular Bed Mattresses
Unless you want to tilt the mattress or DIY a bed platform above the wheel wells, you can pick one of the following sizes:
- Small single (30×75 inches)
- Twin (38×75 inches)
However, it’s important to note that you’ll still need to keep the tailgate open in both cases or chop up a bit from the mattress’ length.
Camping Mattresses
If you want something that fits with the tailgate on a long-bed Tacoma closed, you can look into camping mattresses (around 72 or 73 inches long) instead of the ones made for home use.
Custom-Made Mattresses
Custom-made mattresses are the way to go if you’re looking for the best fit possible.
The main appeal here is that these pads have spaces cut out to accommodate the wheel wells. This way, you can make the most out of the truck bed’s width without awkward gaps.
That said, manufacturers usually make these mattresses inflatable to boost the portability aspect, so you’ll need to have an air pump on hand.
How to Fit a Full-Size Mattress in a Toyota Tacoma?
While the smaller single and twin-sized mattresses can get the job just fine, some people still prefer the comfort of a full-sized bed.
Thankfully, there are a few ways to fit a full-sized pad in Tacoma, but they will take some effort on your part.
For Sleeping
Raised platforms allow you to work around the wheel well area altogether and accommodate a full-sized mattress in your Tacoma bed.
Of course, you can always buy ready-made platforms, but there are also several ways to tackle the upgrade as a DIY project. For one, some people keep it simple and lay a couple of 2×6 panels as supporting structures for a platform made of two pieces of birch plywood.
However, other Tacoma drivers take things up a notch by creating a full drawer system under the platform to balance between storage and sleeping areas. In this case, you can either build fixed drawers with plywood or get free-floating deck drawers and hold them with turnbuckles.
Either way, you’ll need to cut a tiny bit off the corners of both the platform and the mattress to fit the tailgate nicely.
Then, you can just lay down your full-size mattress on the platform. In most cases, a 3-inch pad will do the trick.
As a pro tip, we’d recommend avoiding memory foam mattresses. Those might seem cost-efficient and lightweight, but they can freeze and turn rigid if you camp out in the cold often.
For Transport
If you’re only going to transport a full-size mattress, you don’t really need it to sit flat on the Tacoma’s bed.
You can just opt to have it angled a bit by lifting one side over the wheel well. Alternatively, you can lay it on the bed rail itself.
Either way, you’ll still need to leave the tailgate open, especially if you drive a short-bed Tacoma model. This means that you have to secure the mattress down with ratchet straps to make sure it doesn’t slip when you hit the brakes or take turns.
Some people might worry that tying the whole thing down might ruin the material. Well, to avoid leaving tie-down marks on the mattress, you can use some sturdy cardboard to “pad” the spots that will come into contact with the straps.
