How to Measure Your Vehicle for a Mortuary Deck System & Cot

Before ordering a mortuary vehicle deck system, take these measurements from your actual vehicle. AME's published deck and cot specifications (used throughout this guide) only tell you whether the hardware itself fits together — your vehicle's rear opening, interior floor, and wheelbase determine whether the whole system fits your van or SUV.

Measurements That Matter

• Rear door opening width & height — determines whether a cot or casket can pass through the rear opening at all, especially on decks with recessed cot cups or bumper ramps that add clearance requirements.
• Interior cargo length — compare against the deck's max load length spec. AME's cots run 76.75–77 in. long; most decks publish a max load length of 81–95 in., but confirm your van's usable cargo length after any bulkhead.
• Interior cargo width — compare against the deck's max load width spec, and against cot width (22 in. standard, 24 in. oversized/bariatric).
• Width between wheel wells — on some vehicles this is narrower than the overall interior width and is the true limiting dimension for deck width.
• Interior height — matters for double-deck systems, where the upper deck plus a loaded cot or casket needs clearance to the roof.
• Vehicle load-floor height — the height of your van or SUV's factory cargo floor off the ground. This interacts directly with a cot's loading height spec (see table below) to determine how much lift the operator needs at the tailgate.
• Vehicle wheelbase — several AME deck systems publish a minimum vehicle wheelbase (for example, 140 in. for the AME-DD2000-XLC, 144 in. for the AME-DD4000 on a Sprinter). Confirm your specific trim's wheelbase against the product's published minimum.
• Rear A/C units or dual rear-wheel packages — AME notes these factory options can restrict double-deck installation. Check your build sheet or VIN-decoded options before ordering.

Cot Loading Heights for Reference

Loading height is the height a decedent must be lifted to clear the vehicle's cargo floor. Compare your vehicle's load-floor height against these published cot loading heights:

Cot	Loading Height	Capacity
Titan PRO S 650	Max loading height 24.5 in.	600 lb
Titan PRO XL (bariatric)	Loading height 25 in.	1,000 lb
TITAN 500T	32 in. vehicle loading height (purpose-built for full-size SUVs & high-floor vans)	600 lb

A higher load-floor vehicle (full-size SUV, high-roof van) generally pairs better with a cot engineered for higher loading, such as the TITAN 500T. See the full Mortuary Cot & Deck Compatibility Center for deck-by-deck and cot-by-cot fitment detail.

Deck Minimum Wheelbase Reference

Deck System	Min. Vehicle Wheelbase
AME-DD2000-XLC	140 in.
AME-DD4000 (Sprinter)	144 in.
AME-DD4000 (Nissan NV)	146 in.
AME-DD4000 (RAM ProMaster)	159 in.

How to Take the Measurements

1. Open the rear cargo doors fully and measure the door opening width at its narrowest point, and height from the load floor to the top of the opening.
2. Measure interior cargo length from the back of the front seats (or bulkhead, if already installed) to the inside of the rear doors, along the floor.
3. Measure interior width at the floor, and again at the height of the wheel wells — note whichever is narrower.
4. Measure load-floor height by measuring from the ground to the top of the cargo floor at the rear opening.
5. Check your vehicle's manufacturer specifications or VIN-decoded build sheet for wheelbase and any rear A/C or dual rear-wheel options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to measure my vehicle if AME already lists it as compatible?

Vehicle-level compatibility (make/model/year/wheelbase) is published per product. We still recommend confirming your specific trim and any factory options, since rear A/C units and dual rear-wheel packages can restrict installation even on a listed-compatible vehicle.

What is "loading height" and why does it matter?

Loading height is the height a cot's load surface reaches at its highest adjustment — it should be at or above your vehicle's load-floor height so the operator doesn't have to lift the load upward to clear the tailgate.

What if my vehicle isn't listed on any AME deck system?

Contact us with your vehicle's measurements from this guide. AME deck systems are made to order, and fitment for less common vehicles can sometimes be confirmed directly with our team.

Where can I see which cot fits which deck?

See the Mortuary Cot & Deck Compatibility Center for verified geometric fit between AME's cot and deck lineups.