Close it, then take the energy out of it
A recliner latch is a piece of furniture hardware, not a cargo control. Close the footrest in the driveway, then tie the footrest to the frame with a strap or a strong cord so a bounce cannot pop it. A power recliner should be unplugged, with the cord wrapped, before that tie goes on. If a battery runs the motor, it comes out, terminals taped, for a battery program, not for the truck bed under the chair. The tie is what you trust for the ride. Sit in the chair once, or push the footrest, and confirm it cannot deploy. If it still moves, the tie is too loose or it is on a cushion that will compress. Move the tie to the frame.
Strap the chair as a box, not as a friend
A recliner strapped by one arm will rotate and then the tied footrest becomes a post that punches the bed wall. Strap over the arms to a rated anchor on each side, or run a strap around the whole chair at the base where the frame is. Do not crush the mechanism with a strap through the linkage if you can strap the outer frame instead. The linkage is what you are trying to keep still. Padding under the strap keeps the webbing from cutting the upholstery and then failing. Two people lift. A recliner rolled on its side will open even with a weak tie, because the footrest's weight helps it. Keep it upright if the bed allows, blocked so it cannot tip onto the latch.
Unload as if it wants to open
At the site, leave the footrest tie on until the chair is on the ground and out of the truck. Taking the tie off in the bed is how the footrest deploys into your shin and then into the tailgate. Set the chair down upright. If the tie has to come off to satisfy an attendant who wants the piece intact, do that on the ground, standing to the side, not in front of the footrest. Check the bed for a remote and a transformer that shook loose. Those are small, and a transformer left in the bed becomes a projectile on the next trip.
Before you go
- Close the footrest and tie it to the frame so a bounce cannot deploy it.
- Unplug power chairs and remove batteries for a battery program.
- Strap the chair upright to rated anchors, with the tie still in place.
- Leave the footrest tied until the chair is out of the truck and on the ground.
Relying on the recliner's handle latch alone, which pops when the truck hits a pothole.
Questions people ask
Can I flip the chair onto its back?
That often lets the footrest fall open. Keep it upright, blocked, and tied, unless the only path through a door required a brief tip with two people holding the footrest.
What if the latch is already broken?
Then the tie is the only latch. Make it a real strap around the frame, and do not haul the chair with the footrest half open.
Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city, then call the site before you load the truck. Hours and accepted materials change.