Will A Riding Mower Fit In A Minivan?

Minivans are suitable for any adventure that you feel like taking whether that is just around the city, going camping, or even taking long road trips with the family. With the power of an SUV, space of a full size vehicle, and comfort for your family, minivans seem to have the best of all the worlds. 

One thing that many people love about minivans is that not only can you use them to haul lots of people around but you can also use them to haul plenty of cargo as well. One question that we commonly hear is in regards to what will fit inside of a minivan. 

In this article I will specifically be talking about putting a riding lawnmower inside of a minivan and whether it will fit or not. 

Most riding lawn mowers will not fit in the back of a minivan because they are too tall to go in the rear door. Most riding mowers will have a height of 46-48” while the rear door of most minivans is only 40-42” tall. If you have a riding lawn mower that isn’t fully assembled yet and it is shorter than 40-42” then it WILL fit in the back of a minivan. 

A minivan’s practical design works like a charm and it has plenty of storage space for almost everything but a riding mower is simply too tall in almost every case. 

If you have a riding lawnmower that has a shorter seat and steering wheel then it might be able to fit inside of a minivan however that is rare on most models so a general rule of thumb is that a riding lawnmower won’t fit in the back of one. You need a vehicle without a height restriction so hauling a riding lawnmower in the back of a truck or even renting a trailer to pull with your minivan would work better. 

What will easily fit in any minivan, SUV, and some cars will be a regular push lawn mower. Many people wonder whether a lawn mower will fit in a car and although there is no one size fits all because of different trunk sizes etc. most traditional mowers will fit in a regular car.

Of course the trunk will need to be open and you will have to strap the mower into the trunk of your vehicle but you can fit a push mower in the rear of most cars, SUVs, or minivans.

Will a riding lawn mower fit in a truck?

So now that we know that a riding mower won’t fit in the back of a minivan (in most cases) the next question that many people have is whether it will fit in the back of a pickup truck. Many people prefer using a trailer but if you don’t have one will a pickup truck work? 

As long as you don’t have a short bed pickup truck then a riding mower will fit in the back just fine. A lawn mower with a deck up to 48” will fit between the wheel wells of a truck bed so as long as your mower isn’t wider than that it should fit. 

One issue with getting a lawnmower up into the back of a riding lawnmower though is the height of the vehicle. You will have to drive the lawnmower up a pretty steep incline to get it into the back of the truck which can be scary and even dangerous if you don’t have much experience with driving one. 

It is considerably safer to rent a trailer to tow with your truck since that will be much closer to the ground which makes loading and unloading the riding mower easier and also safer. 

The best way to move a riding lawnmower

No matter whether you are going to move your riding lawnmower in a minivan (if it’s short enough), in the back of a pickup truck, or on a trailer, there are certain safety issues that must be addressed. 

Preparation is the key. 

However, loading your riding lawn mower on the back of a trailer, securing it with straps for a safe and steady transport is the best way. The trailer can be attached to the hitch on your minivan or pick-up truck whichever you have. 

Some other important things to remember when loading a riding lawnmower on a trailer, truck, or minivan are: 

Use the correct type of loading ramps

Lawnmowers usually have a low ground clearance, that is why you must use arched and not straight ramps unless loading on a really short trailer. This needs to be done to ensure that your mower or tractor can clear the lip of your minivan’s, truck’s, or trailer’s tailgate without causing any damage to the car or your lawn equipment. Center of gravity on almost all of the riding lawn mowers is high which could lead to tipping back when going on steep inclines. So, be sure and buy a ramp that is long enough that it eliminates the risk of tipping over, or use the lifting attachment of your hitch if you happen to have it already.

Ramps should be secured on the truck, minivan, or trailer

It is important to place the ramp correctly; unfold the loading ramps then position the ramp plate’s ends on the edge of the tailgate. Tie-down straps can be used to steadily secure the ramps. Make sure that the tie-down straps are properly holding the ramps in place, to avoid accidents before driving the mower up them.

Load the riding lawn mower

Drive backwards up the ramps, onto the bed of the vehicle/trailer because the rear end is the heaviest part. This will maintain a lower center of gravity, which will help to eliminate the risk of tipping over while moving up the ramps. If driving in reverse is difficult, then drive it forwards but only in a lower gear. 

Avoid stopping and starting midway on the ramps; if the engine goes off, on the ramps, let your mower roll back to the bottom and try again.
 

Secure the mower to the vehicle/trailer

After loading the riding mower into the vehicle or on the trailer put on the parking brake, and use tie-down straps to ensure it is secured for transportation. To ensure that the mower is secured, stop periodically during the journey to check the straps if going a long way to make sure they haven’t shifted or begun to pull loose.

How to prepare a lawn mower for moving

You should not just load your lawnmower into a minivan if it fits without first taking some precautions. 

Drain your mower of all fluids

The first thing you need to do when moving a lawnmower inside of a vehicle instead of on a trailer is to drain it completely of its fuel and oil, then transfer these liquids into the appropriate containers. Fuel and oil are hazardous materials and any possible leaks can cause damage to your minivan and may even lead to a fire. So, its best to drain the mower of these liquids if it will be inside of your vehicle. 

This is another reason why it’s better to use a trailer as you don’t have to mess with that.

Clean your lawnmower well

 You probably don’t want your minivan to get dirt and mud in it from the last time you used your lawnmower, so cleaning it before loading will help you save some money that you may have to spend on getting your interior cleaned later. 

Give your lawnmower a nice cleaning before loading it in a minivan and be sure to pay extra attention to the wheels and places on the deck that dirt/grass will get stuck at.

Remove all attachments and blades

Remove the blades and attachments from your lawnmower, for safety reasons before you load it up. Consult the manual of the machine if you need to and be sure and do it properly. Blades can cause injuries so use thick gloves while removing the cutting elements. Then cover the blades to protect their edge and wrap and pack them in a separate box.

Disconnect the spark plug

This will help you be certain that the mower won’t start by accident, inside your minivan. Don’t take any risks! If you aren’t sure how to remove it you should be able to find information in your owner’s manual.

Conclusion

As you can see even if the lawnmower will fit inside of your minivan to move it safely is a giant hassle. In most cases it is much better (and easier) to simply rent a trailer and pull it with your minivan than it is to go through the steps mentioned above and try to put it inside. 

If you have a riding mower that is still in the box then it will likely fit inside of a minivan and you won’t have to go through all of the hassle mentioned above so that can work pretty well.