Building a bale trailer

[PROFarms]

Have had an idea to build a flatbed trailer for carrying our small squares back from the field about 10 miles away. Usually get around 200-250 bales off this field. Currently our biggest trailer will carry 40-50 bales and often we just don't have enough time to do 4-5 runs with the other hay we do.

Anyone got any idea what sort of size trailer would be sensible to use - maybe 100 bales? Would be pulled by a BMW X3 or Ford Ranger XLT

Would it need to be a twin axle or triple axle like some trailers seem to have? make it out of box section or angle iron?

Any other thoughts welcomed.

 

[Renze]

an X3 is useless for towing just like any other compact 4x4 because the wheelbase is too short. the Ranger is barely allowed to tow 100 small bales of hay of 50 pounds each. If you're cool with exceeding the legal limit, the Ranger may pull 120-150 bales on a 6 feet long tandem, stacked 5 high.

 

[PROFarms]

an X3 is useless for towing just like any other compact 4x4 because the wheelbase is too short. the Ranger is barely allowed to tow 100 small bales of hay of 50 pounds each. If you're cool with exceeding the legal limit, the Ranger may pull 120-150 bales on a 6 feet long tandem, stacked 5 high.

With the x3 we tow about 2 ton normally as it's our bobcat on a trailer which is 0.6ton + 1.5ton. The ranger will tow about 3.5ton. Think maybe towing restrictions are a bit different here in the UK

 

[bcp]

There have been posts about this before. The same cars/trucks in Europe have much larger rated tow capacities than the US versions.

Bruce

 

[Renze]

With the x3 we tow about 2 ton normally as it's our bobcat on a trailer which is 0.6ton + 1.5ton.

My S70 will also tow a 500kg trailer and a 2 ton tractor. But its not allowed. My neighbours Nissan Patrol is allowed to tow 3.5 ton but on the highway its not more stabile, it may be heavier but its wheelbase is shorter. One car trader had a short wheelbase Patrol and after a sway incident on the German highway, he changed it to a Mercedes ML with a much longer wheelbase.

There have been posts about this before. The same cars/trucks in Europe have much larger rated tow capacities than the US versions.

Indeed, tow ratings for light pickups and passenger cars are about 60 t0 70% in the US than what they are in Europe. For where i live, the flat Holland, you'd understand, but also in alpine countries the same cars are allowed to tow quite higher weights than in the USA.

The most a Ranger is allowed to tow in the USA is 6000 pounds or 2700kg with the 4 liter V6 and appropriate towing package. It wouldnt surprise me if the 3500kg you mention, is allowed in Europe for the same vehicle.

 

[BHD]

Have had an idea to build a flatbed trailer.

Would it need to be a twin axle or triple axle like some trailers seem to have? make it out of box section or angle iron?

Any other thoughts welcomed.

the axel selection would depend on the weight capacity of the trailer and axels and even the tires,
and the rules the government has,

In theory, one in the states are not to over load the tires, or the max capacity of the axels .

thus say you want to carry 100 bales the bales @100 pounds each the total weight 10,000 pounds the trailer will have some weight say 2000 pounds so your total is 12000 pounds so you need axels that can carry 12000 pounds, so a common axel rating here I 3500 pounds per axel, 6000, 7000, and there is a dually axel that is 10,000, and 12000 pound,

so if one was going to use 3500 pound axels one would need 4 axels, if you were going to use the 6000 axels one would need 2, and if one wanted to one could use a single 12,000 pound axel,

but then one needs to match tires to the weight, say the 3500 axels, the tires would need to rated for 1700 load, and so on, with the other axels,

for a bale trailer I would suggest two axels, the turns are easer on the axels, on a three axel trailer one of the axels usually has bearing problems with the one axel sliding side ways in the turns.

as far as the materials for the frame, I would suggest either tubing or channel irons, what I would suggest is to copy a commercial built trailer, or get a set of proven plans, so the strengths are engineered properly,
there are a number of places that have plans, he is one https://www.trailerplans.com/index.php/component/virtuemart/trailer-plans/
Trailer Plans | Blueprints

I would most likely choose a car carrier plan for your project or similar, the more versatile IMO the better, CAR CARRIER TRAILER PLANS - 18'x80"


you will need axels with brakes of some type,

if you get going down hill with a little tow vehicle you will not have much stopping power, (the truck is only really good for the max rated GWV of the truck) not fun to be pushed through an intersection or in to a ditch at a T in the road,

 

[BHD]

depending on the towing capacity, a lot depends on how one drives, and the roads and so on,

first of all there is a ton rating on most US sold small trucks, for example I have two one ton (2000 pounds) trucks, there GWV is 10,000 pounds the truck weighs about 5,000 pounds thus the capacity is over 2 tons of cargo, and if one wants you can over load them considerable,

(I also have a old 2 1/2 ton military 6x6 truck, if you look at the dash and the GWV rating Cross country is 2.5 ton, the GWV, on highway is about 4 times the Cross country rating,

so what is the TON rating, from my studies it appears to a carry over of the military rating for Cross country travel, (or a combat rating),

any way you take that small truck and start pulling a trailer in a soft fields and you will be stressing the drive train of the truck, if the one can pull it at all loaded in a soft field,

but if one is dumb enough to load the trailer to the max and take off down the road at top speed, then one will have problems, but if one slows down and takes it easy and extend you stop zones and take off zones, (your trailer could weight twice to four times of the truck), so drive accordily, (the trailer could weight close to he trucks weight)

that is my two cents