Will A Scooter/Moped Fit In A Minivan? (Things To Consider)

Some people want to take their scooter everywhere or simply need to move it cross country and don’t want to ride it the entire way. If a truck isn’t available then the next largest vehicle for cargo is a minivan, but will a moped even fit inside? 

The interior of a minivan is 45” tall which means that a scooter/moped the size of a Vespa will fit inside standing upright. If your scooter is a bit taller you will have to put it in the minivan at an angle for it to be able to fit. 

No matter how tall your scooter is you will have to fold down or remove all of the seats from the back of the minivan for the scooter to fit lengthwise so make sure to plan ahead for that. 

It should also be noted that putting a scooter or moped in the back of a minivan can be difficult since you really can’t use a ramp without risking damaging the bumper. That means that a group of people will literally have to lift it up into the back of the minivan which will take 4-6 people depending on the weight of your scooter. 

Another thing to consider is how you will keep the scooter/moped steady when you are going around corners or braking/accelerating. Since there aren’t traditional tie down points like in a truck you will likely have to use the metal rings that are on the floor for the seats which can be in awkward spots. 

So, although a scooter or moped will absolutely fit inside of a minivan it likely isn’t the best choice. 

If you have no other options then you will definitely want to put down a few thick tarps to prevent anything from leaking inside the vehicle and if possible drain the fuel and remove the battery from the scooter to prevent additional issues from arising while you are driving. 

What to remember when measuring a scooter?

When you measure the space available in your minivan and the maximum length, and height of your scooter, you should remember one thing. You should leave some extra space for loading, unloading and properly positioning your scooter once it’s inside the minivan. 

Remember that even if the scooter is a tad too tall you can easily lean it a little bit however you will need to have tons of padding or another way to secure it so that a lean at the beginning of the trip doesn’t turn into it laying on its side and leaking fluids all over your minivan. 

If you are hauling more than just the scooter then you will want to first load your scooter/moped and then all of the smaller items all around it. Then when you arrive at your destination, you can first unpack other stuff from your minivan and can finally remove the scooter from the van. 

Consider the scooters weight 

When you put a scooter into a minivan, you should consider the weight of everything that you have planned to carry in your van. The reason is that your minivan will have a weight-bearing capacity and only when you are aware of the weight of things you carry along with the passenger weight, you can judge whether it will be possible for the minivan to manage it all or if you are at risk of damaging the suspension, motor, etc. 

When you look at most scooters or mopeds, the average weight will be around 200-300lbs while in the case of heavier scooters, the weight can be somewhere between 400-500lbs. Before you can decide on whether the weight of the scooter can be managed by your minivan, you should know the average weight-bearing capacity of your minivan from your user manual and then should subtract the weight of the number of people traveling and other items that you feel are essential to carry. 

If after doing the math you have plenty of weight for your scooter then you are good to go, otherwise you will either have to reduce the number of passengers or other items in your minivan so you aren’t putting too much weight in your vehicle and risking destroying it. 

Evaluate the list of things you are taking

Have you planned that you and your spouse or friend are the only ones traveling in the minivan? Then, you can just fold all of the second and third-row seats in your minivan to store stuff without any hassle. With most minivans having a max cargo weight of 1200-1500lbs and tons of space with the seats folded down you could even fit two scooters inside of a minivan in many cases (as long as they aren’t the heavier scooters). 

However, if you aren’t simply moving the scooter but are actually moving everything that you own then you will have to put a lot more in your minivan than just the scooter which will increase the weight and make you run out of room quickly. 

It’s always best to prioritize everything that you are wanting to take so you have the largest and most important things first and then if you have to leave something behind it isn’t the end of the world. However, you would be surprised how many things you can fit around and on top of large items like a scooter so you might get everything inside with no problem. 

Some safety tips when moving a scooter in a minivan 

Fitting a scooter into a minivan should be done with the utmost caution and it is always better to have a helping hand or in this case many of them. Putting a moped in a minivan is not a one-man job and it. Really shouldn’t be done by any less than 3-4 people. Otherwise, there is a chance of damaging your scooter/moped or your van or even both.

• Ensure that you measure both your scooter and the inside of your van. Also, do not rely on the information you find on the web or other sources for measurement. Measure and get the dimension values yourself of the actual scooter that you will be moving. Make the appropriate adjustment to the footpegs, handlebars and mirrors on your scooter to reduce the space it needs.
  
• Before you place the scooter inside your minivan check whether you can find enough points, where you can hook the straps and tie the scooter to. When you remove the seats from the minivan you will see metal seat mount hooks on the floor. These will be the ideal spots to hook and strap your scooter to the minivan to keep it from moving or shifting as much.
  
• Also, it is better to check that any fluids left in the scooter are removed before loading it in the vehicle. The reason is that if not removed, the scooter might let out toxic fumes that are not good to inhale when you drive your minivan.
  
• In most cases a ramp won’t work very well to get a scooter in a minivan since it will have to be lifted up abd then turned or leaned partially to fit through the back door. This is why you need to have 3-4 people and don’t rely on a ramp to help. Often the ramp will simply damage or tear off the bumper and you will end up having to list the scooter by hand anyway.  

• Before loading the scooter, place either a piece of cardboard or a tarp below the scooter to catch any leaks. Of course, you should have drained all the fuel but there is still a possibility to get some other fluids spilling along the way. To ensure your safety, it is better not to let the residue drop in your minivan.
  
• Finally, to prevent any part of the scooter from scratching the van or the van from scratching the scooter, it is better to cover the scooter with a blanket or two. A little bit of prevention goes a long way toward saving your paint job.
  

Conclusion

You can certainly fit almost any scooter into a minivan but a truck or even trailer is really a better choice in most cases. 

Assuming you can’t haul a trailer with your minivan or don’t have access to a truck then you will be fine using a minivan as long as you are careful to strap it down carefully to make sure that it doesn’t move or fall over during the trip.