Will a Golf Cart Fit in the Back of a Pickup Truck?

Do you have a golf cart that needs transport? Are you worried that it may not fit in the back of your truck? Don’t worry!

The average golf cart is 48″X96″ and will fit in a long bed truck, but not any other type of pickup truck. Other trucks may have the available width for the cart, but will not have the length required to safely transport the golf cart.

Let’s take a look at golf carts and the transportation options!

What to Know – Transporting a Golf Cart with a Truck

There are many things to consider when transporting a golf cart in your pickup truck. You need to be sure to use the right type of truck, remove the roof of the cart, be careful when loading the cart, and be wary of leaving the tailgate of your truck down.

1. Use the Right Truck

As stated before, only long bed trucks will be able to accommodate a golf cart. Their extended length will be able to fit the golf cart perfectly.

Most long bed trucks have a length ranging anywhere from 96″ to 98″, some long bed trucks are only 72″ to 89″. That is definitely not going to fit your golf cart.

Be sure to measure your truck and your cart before loading your golf cart. You wouldn’t want to go to all the trouble of loading the cart only find that it’s not going to fit. Your golf cart is going to be a little snug in a 96″ length truck, but it should be okay if you leave your tailgate down. Below, we’ll talk about the weight of your golf cart and if your truck can haul it.

If you want to know more about the long bed truck options on the market, check out our article on it here.

2. Remove the Roof of the Golf Cart

Unfortunately, the roofs on golf carts are rather flimsy.

The roof of your golf cart is not going to stick around when faced with the buffeting winds typical in a drive with a truck. This could prove a hazard for you and other drivers. Before leaving, remove the plastic roof of your golf cart, if possible, and tie it down next to the cart. Doing so will prevent accidents or other problems.

If you are unsure how to remove your golf cart roof, here is a handy video to help!

Skip ahead to 0:53 to see what tools you will need and how to remove the roof. It is important to note that this is just one brand and model of a golf cart. A different method of removal may be required to remove the roof of your golf cart if it is not like the cart in the video.

3. Use a Ramp to Load

When loading your golf cart, it is important to have the right ramps to safely load the cart. There are many different types of ramps you could use to load the cart. Be sure to check the axle weight of your ramps so that you can have the correct ramp for the weight of your cart. A 3000 lbs ramp will be perfect for any golf cart weight you may be dealing with. We’ll discuss the weight of golf carts later in this article.

Another thing to be concerned about when loading the cart is if your cart has offset wheels. You will need to make sure that the ramps will be able to accommodate the offset wheels, whether they are positively offset or negatively offset. If you would like to learn more about the wheels of golf carts, click here!

Finally, make sure you get the right length of ramps. It will be very difficult if your ramps are set at a steep angle that could cause your golf cart to topple when loading. If your truck bed is high off the ground, it’s better to get a longer ramp to get the cart into the bed.

Perhaps you do not want to worry about getting the right ramps. You might be able to back your truck up into a ditch so that your cart could simply be driven into the bed of your truck. However, this method is extremely risky. It requires careful positioning, the right terrain, and is not the safest way to load your cart. Only take this option is absolutely necessary.

4. Decide What to Do with the Tailgate

Leaving your tailgate down when transporting your golf cart is completely fine, as long as your cart is properly strapped down. However, it is important to note that leaving your tailgate down for standard or short bed trucks is not a viable option. The tailgate will not be able to withstand the weight of the golf cart.

Only leave the tailgate open if your long bed truck is at 96″ in length, will not fit the body of the golf cart with the tailgate closed, and is securely strapped down.

Otherwise, you will need to find another way to transport your golf cart.

If you need to leave your tailgate open, consider backing it in your cart. Most of the weight of a golf cart is in the rear wheels. Loading your cart backward will help keep a lot of weight off of the tailgate.

Though backing in may be harder, it’s totally doable!

If you are unsure if your long bed truck will be able to fit your golf cart, click here to see a table comparing the different types of trucks.

Is Your Golf Cart Too Heavy?

When transporting your golf cart, a great concern to have is if your truck will be able to haul your golf cart’s weight. Please be sure to check the weight of your golf cart compared to how much your truck can haul before loading your truck. You may run into problems during the drive if your cart weighs more than your truck is able to carry.

The average golf cart will weigh 500 to 1100 pounds. This is an extremely wide range! The weight of the cart depends largely on the make, model, and modifications of the cart. Some things that may contribute to the golf cart’s weight include larger batteries, seating kits, extra seats, larger tires, upgraded motors, hitches, roof storage racks, the buildup of mud and rocks, or debris.

If you would like to see a comparison of different brands and types of golf carts by their weight, click here! Scroll down about halfway to see the list of models and brands.

The best truck to haul your golf cart in is going to be one that can haul a maximum of 1000 lbs or one-half ton. However, most trucks that say they can haul one ton, may not be able to. It’s important to calculate the weight that your truck can handle before hauling anything. Click here to learn more about the towing capabilities of trucks and how to calculate the weight your truck can handle.

Types of Golf Carts

If you do not know the dimensions or weight of your golf cart, it may be a good idea to research your type or model golf cart to find those numbers. It will be much easier to look up the make and model of your cart instead of trying to calculate all the numbers on your own.

The most popular brands of golf carts include Ez Go Golf Carts, Club Car Golf Carts, and Yamaha Golf Carts.

Click here to see a side by side comparison of the dimensions and weight of different types of golf carts in each brand.