# hauling hay



## txgoatfarmer (Dec 17, 2009)

I am goin to get some square bales that are supposed to be pretting big. I am wondering if anyone has ever loaded a toyota tacoma down with square bales and how much yall could put on it. I have a 01. thanks for the help


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## BDial (Dec 17, 2009)

We have loaded a Ford Ranger with 20-25 square bales(50-60lb). We start out faceing the bales front to back and load with the tailgate down. We go about 4 rows high then strap them down. Hubbys little two wheel drive squats a little but could handle more if there was room.

ETA: Talked to DH and it was 22-24 bales that would be loaded at a time. I all depended on how we arranged things each time. We would then haul the load 35 miles down a highway and throught the edge of the city to deliver it for my friend. We never had a problem with the loads. I will try and find a pic of how it was loaded so you can have a visual. I think there is one on my DH's phone.


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## lupinfarm (Dec 17, 2009)

We can safely get 17 70lb squares of alfalfa hay in our 5.5ft bed (we have a Ford F-150) and we don't have any issues. I think you'll be fine. 

We also haul roundbales every 2 or 3 weeks for the horses.


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## txgoatfarmer (Dec 17, 2009)

ok thanks


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## ducks4you (Dec 18, 2009)

I don't know the NUMBER of ~50 pound square bales you can haul, but I know that you can go up to 3 layers high on my full-sized pickup without losing them.  On my truck I start with 11 on the bottom layer:
E  E  E  E
  E  E  E
E  E  E  E
_(tire wells restrict the middle row)_
2nd layer, 12 bales:
W W W W
W W W W
W W W W
3rd layer. 12 bales:
E  E  E  E
E  E  E  E
E  E  E  E
**"E"-facing forward
    "W"-facing sideways

A full pickup, with the the tailgate down, will comfortably carry 35 bales, "tied on", ALL baling twine/wire visible (that is, skinny bales, like you stack/store them).  If you have a rope, you can tie them together and stack more.  I used to get hay delivered from this guy with a truck like yours.  I paid him by the truckload, which he always loaded with 53 bales.  (My hay ended up costing me $2.68888888/bale   )

I kinda envy you--I LOVE to go get my own hay, and stack it myself--it ends up looking like a work of art in my loft!


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## MrsCountryChick (Dec 18, 2009)

Thank Goodness Hubby has a car hauler.... we loaded 90 bales for hauling onto it. Sure we had to use straps to keep it all on the trailer, but it made it home. It would've been easier if we didn't have the open 1 ft. spot in the middle of the trailer, down the whole trailer length. Then we would've been able to stack 1 row longways down the length of the trailer to the height of the bale stacks. Hubby has 2 truck bed trailers we've used for hauling straw or hay now & then, but not to fill our hay rack for the winter, it'd take more than one trip with those. They're Very handy for feed or supplies transporting tho.  Thank Goodness for trailers.  

We're looking into purchasing some round bales in the future & hauling with the car hauler too, the curved down tip & almost no sides should make it easy to take them off.


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## FarmerChick (Dec 18, 2009)

I got about 40 (?)  big square bales on my chevy silverado 4x4 heavy duty---haven't stacked on the truck in a long while.

it is all in how you stack.  Tony has made hay for over 30 years....and it is all a matter of the perfect stacking..LOL---use an interlocking stack and you don't even need rope or bungee....we just drive off and they stay put.


what we get on our hay trailers blows my mind he can get that many on them.


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