What size air mattress fits in a truck bed? Are you planning for car camping in the woods? An air mattress that fits with the truck can be your closest aide when you expect a good night’s sleep in the middle of nowhere. It is quite true that you can’t have a comfortable bed without a mattress when you are out.
But, what size air mattress fits in a truck bed? It is not an easy answer. It requires a little research to find a mattress that is the right fit for your truck. Those that sleep inside a truck bed like a long-haul truck driver need a good mattress for the best sleep.
This article will help guide you to find out the right size of an air mattress for your truck for the next road trip.
Table of Contents
Standards of mattress size
Whether it is an inflatable truck mattress or other types, the manufacturers follow a standard size guide. The size starts from twin and ends at California king. Below are the lengths and widths of all the sizes.
Twin
It is the smallest of all the sizes available. A twin-size mattress is 75 inches long and 38 inches wide. This is usually appropriate for a single person. The approximate dimension in feet is around 6.25 X 3.1.
Twin XL
The dimension of a Twin XL mattress is almost the same only the length is around 5 inches more than that of the Twin. The length and width of a Twin XL mattress are 80 inches and 38 inches, respectively, or 6.6 feet X 3.1 feet.
Full
A full-size mattress has the capacity to accommodate two people. Therefore, it is wider than the twin. The dimensions of a full-size bed are 75 by 54 inches, or 6.25 by 4.5 feet. This is the best size of mattress that will fit in a truck bed. Due to its width, you will have enough space to place it, but if you take down the tailgate, you can opt for a full XL air mattress.
Full XL
It has a similar width that of the full-size bed. But the length of this unit is 5 inches higher than the full size one. Therefore, it has a length of 80 inches with a width of 54 inches. Therefore, the equivalent dimension in feet is 6.6 X 4.5.
Queen
It is the largest mattress that you can fit in a truck. Therefore, it is wider than a full-size one. The dimension of a queen mattress is 80 inches by 60 inches or 6.6 feet by 5 feet. So, if you have a large truck, then a queen size air mattress can be the best option.
Olympic Queen
OQ mattresses are some of the largest ones available for full families. But, unfortunately, these ones aren’t that easy to fit inside regular trucks. The standard dimensions for OQ mattresses are 80 inches by 66 inches.
King
King mattresses are best for couples with pets and such. But, again, this is another mattress that you won’t be able to fit inside a truck. The standard dimensions for OQ mattresses are 80 inches by 76 inches.
California King
California King mattresses are best for full families with pets and such. Unfortunately, another mattress that you won’t fit inside a truck again. The standard dimensions for CK mattresses are 84 inches by 72 inches.
Avoiding the wheel well
Try to find what size air mattress fits in a truck bed a wheel well can be problematic. If you are the only one sleeping, you don’t have to avoid the wheel well. However, if multiple people will be sleeping with you, you will need to use the full truck bed.
In that case, avoiding the truck wheel well will need to be a priority for you. As such, I will help you find ways of avoiding the wheel well and choosing the right mattress size.
Building a platform
Firstly you can build a platform to avoid the wheel well and utilize the entire truck bed. Then, you can either DIY the platform yourself or get help from a professional or friend.
Surprisingly, building a platform to avoid the truck bed is common among truck owners. They mainly build a platform for sleeping while hauling products or while camping.
An additional benefit of the platform has space underneath for storage.
Make a custom-made air mattress
Secondly, you can make a customized air mattress that matches the dimensions of your truck bed. To me, this process is a bit more bothersome. As I have said, all the standard mattresses have their own dimensions, which won’t match any regular truck bed.
Therefore you can use a pair of scissors to cut a standard mattress that matches a truck bed dimension closely. But remember that only foam mattresses can be cut with a pair of scissors. So you can’t make a customized air mattress or other types.
Order a customized mattress
Finally, you can order a customized mattress if you cannot make a platform or cut out a custom mattress. The reason for doing this is that you can make a custom air mattress.
These custom air mattresses will conform better with the shape of a truck bed, including the wheel well. However, the price of a custom air mattress will be high so keep it in mind.
How to measure the bed of my truck?
To answer what size air mattress fits in a truck bed, you need measurements. To make sure that you have the correct bed mattress, you will need to measure the dimension of the truck first. You will need these measurements for both custom and standard air mattresses.
There will be some differences in measurements for custom or ready-made truck beds. Let us now learn about the process of measuring your truck bed for your air mattress.
What size air mattress fits in a truck bed: Measure with wheel well
Length
- From the front of the truck to the tail
- Maximum length: Near the cab to the tailgate
- Maximum length: From Point N to Point B
Width
- Wheel well make max-width, not possible
- Width: Sidewall to wheel wall sidewall
- Maximum width: From Point H to Point I
What size air mattress fits in a truck bed: Custom measurement
Length
- Maximum Length: Length of truck bed
- Maximum Length: From Point N to Point B
Width
- Cut the wheel well to make it fit
- Maximum width: From Point A to Point C
- Cut the wheel well: From Points D, E K, and J
- Another side: From Points G, F, L, and M
- Utilize the maximum truck bed surface
- Customize foam mattress yourself
- Send measurement for air mattress
What size air mattress fits in a truck bed: Raised platform measurement
Length:
- Maximum Length: From cab to tailgate
- Maximum Length: From Point N to Point B
Width:
- Avoid the wheel well
- Maximum Width: From Point A to Point C
Air mattress size guideline for trucks
To find what size air mattress fits in a truck bed you need to consider the size of the truck.
Considering the bed or cargo size, we can classify trucks as short-bed, standard-bed, and long-bed trucks. The basic difference among these three different truck beds is the length of the cargo. All three different types of trucks have the same width. Below is the guideline for air mattresses for different types of trucks.
There are four answers to what size air mattress fits in a truck bed:
- For medium sized trucks you should get a Full Sized mattress(54’’ x 74’’)
- For trucks with more lenght a Full XL mattress(54’’ x 80’’)
- For those with rectangular truck bed get a Queen sized mattress(60’’ x 80’’)
- For the bed fit gettitng a customized mattress is the only option
Size guide for Short bed truck
A short bed truck requires the smallest air mattress. This kind of truck has a length of around 5 feet and 8 inches. The length of a twin mattress is 6 feet and 3 inches which is the least length among all other available sizes. Therefore, you need to use the tailgate as a support for the additional length of the mattress.
Size guide for Medium bed truck
In fact, the width of the long, standard, and short bed truck is the same. Therefore, the guideline for width is the same as the short bed truck. You can choose a twin mattress if there is no customization. The maximum size for a standard truck bed is queen. But it requires a raised platform to avoid the wheel well.
Size guide for Long bed truck
A long bed truck can not accommodate more than a queen mattress. The guideline is similar to the standard bed truck. For example, the Mazda B series long bed truck has a bed dimension of 96 X 69 inches.
Therefore a queen-size air mattress with a dimension of 80 X 60 inches will be just perfect for this truck with a little customization for the wheel wells. A king or California king mattress has a width of more than 70 inches. Therefore, they will not fit in a long bed truck.
Advantages of air mattress
- Air mattresses are customizable
- For more firmness, add air. For less firmness, deflate the mattress
- Air mattress best for those with back pain
- It is made from PVC materials
- No odor after long time use
- Free from sagging issues
- The average lifespan is 15 years
- High durability
- Best for camping and truck beds
- It has in-built pumps
- Provides utmost comfort
- Multipurpose mattress
- Comparatively inexpensive and convenient
Disadvantages of using an air mattress
- Not common in houses or homes
- Requires time to get used to
- It may not be comfortable for some
- Requires some assembly(around 30mins)
- The air pumps can die
- It will cost to replace or repair air pumps
- Might have problem protecting the mattress from dog
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
How can I get a mattress that exactly matches my truck floor?
A large air mattress can not fit your truck bed exactly due to the wheel well. Although you can order a custom-made air mattress for your truck. A foam mattress can be cut with scissors to fit the entire cargo floor.
What is the standard length for a truck bed air mattress?
According to the size standard, two lengths are available – 75 inches and 80 inches. Usually, the regular size mattresses come with a length of 75 inches, and XL sizes have a length of 80 inches. For example, the length of twin and twin XL is 75 and 80 inches consecutively.
What can be the length of the floor of a truck?
The length of the cargo floor of a truck can be three different types. A short bed truck has a length of 70 inches, a standard bed truck has a length of 79 inches, and a long bed truck has a length of 96 inches. The width of all kinds of trucks is usually the same.
Why are king-size truck bed mattresses not usable?
A king-size bed has a width of 76 inches which is more than the width of a truck body. The standard width of a cargo body is around 69 inches. Therefore, the king size is not appropriate for the best truck bed mattresses.
Bottom line
Hopefully, by now you should be able to answer what size air mattress fits in a truck bed.
There are no worries if you select a twin mattress for your truck bed. It fits all truck beds. However, an air mattress that covers the entire surface of the truck requires customization because of the wheel housing.
You can use a queen-size mattress for the truck but make sure it has the right measurement to avoid the wheel well.
Long story short, it is possible to use an air mattress from twin to queen in most truck beds after proper measurement and customization.
I hope you will enjoy your next camping trip with a perfect air mattress for the truck that meets your taste of comforts and budget.
