Will A Washer And Dryer Fit In A Minivan? (How To Do It)

Yes, minivans generally have a giant cargo space and this is why many people choose to purchase them. However, despite a minivan having a lot of room the question still remains, will a washer or drying fit inside of one? 

A washer or dryer will easily fit inside the back of a minivan, if you lay down or remove the third row of seats. You can actually fit both a washer and dryer in the back of a minivan if you lay down or remove both the second and third row seats. 

It is important to note that fitting a washer and drying in a minivan is easier if they are the stackable type that have the controls on the front and not on the back. This is because the controls that are higher on the back will increase the height from 39” to 43” which in turn makes fitting them inside the minivan standing up a little more difficult. 

It’s more difficult because the rear door of the minivan only has a height of 40” while the inside of the minivan has a ceiling height of 45”. 

So if you have the stackable style washer and dryer then you can simply slide them right through the rear door and into your minivan. If you have the traditional style washer/dryer then you will have to lay it partially down or angle it while it is going through the back door and then once you have cleared the door then set it upright again. 

If the washer and dryer are brand new and still in the box then you can lay them on their back and easily slide them inside your minivan but you likely won’t want to do that if they have been opened up. Once they are open and used then you can easily scratch them, damage the connections, or even get water inside your minivan if you turn the washer on its back. 

It’s always better to simply keep them upright once they are unboxed rather than taking a chance of making a mess inside your minivan or destroying the washer/dryer connections. 

In the rest of this article we will cover some additional important things that you need to know before trying to move your washer and drying in a minivan. 

If you want some additional tips on how to put a washer and drying into a minivan by yourself you can check out the video below. 

Can you lay down the washing machine when transporting?

Just in case, you wish to move the appliances that you have already been using in your home, you will have to do certain things to ensure the safety of your appliances. For instance, when you move your washer, you should first place the shipping bolts that originally came with your washer back in it. This will help with keeping the drum immovable to safeguard it from damage.You should also ensure that the washer is placed in an upright position in a minivan. 

When you place it on its side, front or back, there are chances of damage to the appliance or making a giant mess in your vehicle. 

To make sure that your washer gets moved without any damage you will have to first wrap the appliance in blankets. Ensure that the appliance is wheeled outside and again check that it stays upright. Now, load the appliance into your minivan using a ramp (or the help of a couple friends). You can then strap it in with the help of a rope or straps or simply place it where there isn’t enough room around it to tip over. 

When driving the vehicle, make sure to avoid bumps and go around corners as slowly as possible. The reason is that when your vehicle goes through a lot of bumps, it can damage the internal parts of the appliance and if you go around corners too fast the washer might turn over. 

Can a dryer and a washer be handled by two people?

Carrying a washer and dryer is not an easy task but it is one that should be able to be handled by two people. If you have your washer and dryer stacked on top of each other then you will want to install them when moving them to make it easier. 

The heaviest one to move by far is the washer but you should still be able to handle moving it with two adults. If they are smaller adults or teens then you might want to have more than two people especially if you will be going up or down the stairs. 

Using a moving dolly or hand cart will make moving these appliances much easier with just two people so that’s certainly a good option as well. 

How to move a washer and dryer into a minivan?

To do this, you will have to do the following:

• First, unplug the power cord and tape it to the side of the appliance (this helps eliminate tripping)
  
• Make sure that the water from the washer is completely drained before you begin moving it.
  
• Load the appliance onto an appliance dolly and move it outside. It’s normally a good idea to have a piece of cardboard or blanket between the washer/dryer and the dolly to prevent scratching.
  
• Place the appliances by the rear door of the minivan and once the seats are laid down or removed then simply lift them up inside the vehicle.
• Remember to be careful throughout this entire process as moving heavy appliances can easily end up with someone injured if you aren’t careful. 

Can you lay a stackable washer and dryer down to move it? 

If you have a stackable washer and dryer and end up having to move it you likely will want to know if you can lay them down or not and which is safer. 

Although you can lay a stackable washer and drying down to move them you are risking damaging the internal components of both appliances. It is always better to unstack the set, move them individually, and then restock them when you are at the destination. 

Obviously this will require additional work since you have to unstack the two appliances, unscrew them from each other, and then go through the process of reconnecting them but that is not he far better way to do it and also a far safer way as well. 

A stacked washer and dryer are incredibly awkward to move and also quite heavy so unstacking them and moving them individually is really the only safe way to move them.

Conclusion

You can very well move a washer and dryer with a minivan and you can actually fit both of them inside the back of a minivan at the same time! 

Of course you will lose most, if not all, of the passenger seating in the rear of the minivan but you can still have enough room for  the driver and passenger in the front and possibly one other person in the back as well (depending on your seat layout).