It feels like summer got here early this year, and we’re all looking for ways to cool off. Whether it’s trips to the beach or a cold brew on the back porch, we’re doing what we can to keep the spirits up and the core temperatures down. These are the months when you’re really happy to have a set of wheels. Even those five-minute walks to the corner store are a drag in 90-degree weather, and there’s nothing like cranking the AC or just rolling the windows down to forget all about the sun’s scorching death rays.
- Base Trim Engine
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6.8L V8 ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
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TorqShift 10-speed automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Rear-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
405 HP @5000 RPM
- Base Trim Torque
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445 lb.-ft. @ 4000 RPM
One automotive solution we’ve seen for cooling off is lining the bed of your pickup with a tarp and using the garden hose to fill it up to create a kind of makeshift wading pool. Whether you’ve seen it in real life or online, it looks like a really chill time, and the next best thing to having a swimming pool of your own. But, this might not always be the smartest way to cool off in the summertime. Here’s what you need to know.
The following is presented for informational value, with calculations provided based on information published by the automakers in question. Disclaimer: we wouldn’t advise turning your truck into a swimming pool.
Your Suspension Might Not Be Able To Handle A Mobile Swimming Pool
Depending on what you’re driving, how much water you plan on pouring into the bed, and how many friends you’re going to have splashing around back there, turning your truck into the neighborhood swimming pool might create suspension issues that will plague your pickup like an old football injury for the rest of its life.
It’s easy to forget just how much water weighs. Some quick reference points to illustrate what we’re talking about:
- A single gallon of water weighs 8.34 lbs.
- A full bathtub typically weighs around 250 lbs, minus the tub itself.
- A cubic foot of water weighs a whopping 62.4 lbs.
Whether or not your truck can handle a bed full of water depends on the make and model, but to provide an example: An F-150 with an 8-foot bed holds up to 77.4 cubic feet of cargo, which amounts to 4,829.76 lbs, nearly a full two and a half tons of weight. The F-150’s maximum payload capacity taps out at just 2,445 lbs, around half the weight of a bed full to the brim with water.
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On the other hand, the F-350 starts with a standard payload of 4,557 lbs. With a 6.75-foot short bed packing 65.4 cubic feet of cargo space, you could fill it to the top with water, and it would only come out to 4,080 lbs. Minus a few inches for displacement, that’s more than enough leftover payload capacity for at least a couple typically sized adults. An F-250 can carry 4,268 lbs, which is just under the weight of a shortbed full of water, so you might only want to fill it halfway or so.
Small Trucks Shouldn’t Even Dream Of Hosting A Pool Party
The Ford Maverick holds 33.3 cubic feet of cargo, which comes out to just over a full ton of water, but the payload capacity taps out at just 1,500 lbs. The Tacoma’s bed can carry a ton and change of water, while the payload capacity maxes out 1,709 lbs.
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In short, if you drive a compact or mid-sized truck, don’t even think about filling the back with water. If you drive a full-size pickup, check your weight ratings and make sure you’re not overloading it.
Super-duties like the Ford F-350 and Silverado 2500 are better candidates, but, again, check your weight ratings, and, when in doubt, underfill (and invite fewer friends).
Your Tailgate Will Give Out If It’s Not Reinforced
Most pickup tailgates can only handle a few hundred pounds of weight. If your truck “can handle a bed full of gravel just fine,” that’s because gravel doesn’t slosh around and slam against the tailgate like water does. The RAM Multifunction Tailgate is advertised with a weight rating of up to a full ton, but, if you’re keeping score, that only amounts to eight bathtubs full of water. Hardly a swimming pool.
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It’s possible to brace your tailgate with a support system, like a wooden bracket system planted against the ground to keep it from popping open, but now we’re talking about stuff you would never want to do with your baby. If you’ve got a beater collecting dust in the backyard, turning it into a swimming pool is one way to put it to work, but this is no way to treat a brand-new Ram 2500 or Toyota Tundra.
Further, we would advise against ever putting the truck in motion with a bed full of water. As soon as you make it down the driveway, you’ll have sloshed hundreds of gallons of chlorinated water all over the lawn and into the street.
There Are Smarter Ways To Use Your Truck To Cool Off
Maybe the most ridiculous thing about turning your truck into a swimming pool is the fact that an above-ground pool kit will definitely fit in the back, and, last we checked, the 12-foot Coleman Steel Pro above-ground pool costs just under two hundred bucks at Wal-Mart.
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Don’t have the space in your backyard? The Holiday Inn has a pool, and a single night can cost as little as 64 bucks in some cities. You could stay for a full week, and you’d still be spending less than you would to replace the shocks and tailgate on your Ram 1500.
Don’t Turn Your Truck Into A Pool, Unless You Don’t Care About Your Truck
Ultimately, it’s possible to turn a truck into a pool, and it’s possible to do it safely. It’s just not the best option you have available to you if you have a working pickup truck and a little gas money in your pocket for the next road trip. The damage you’re doing to the suspension and the tailgate, not to mention the potential corrosion you’re introducing by adding chlorine to the mix is just not worth it.
And all of this is a best-case scenario. What’s more likely to happen is the tailgate will pop open with you and all your friends chilling in the makeshift pool, and you’ll be washed out into the street like a bunch of castaways washed up on a desert island.
Sources: Ford, Ram, Chevrolet, Wal-Mart, Toyota.
