Hauling Hay

[Rancher Ed]

We started hauling hay this weekend and I thought you guys might like to hear about it and see some pictures. Anyway, we have two trucks and two 18' trailers and my dad and I each made a trip on Thursday night. We got 17 bales that night and then made three trips on Saturday getting 18 bales each trip. (7 on the trailer and 2 in the truck x2)

The only pictures I got are of the load of 8 we got on Thursday but the rest of the loads were all the same except that we had 2 bales in the second row on the trailer instead of 1 like this first trip. (we got done at 10:30pm on Saturday)

It was 42 miles one way and each truck made four trips for a total of 336 miles. I believe the loaded weight was around 16k for each truck. Both truck were almost full of diesel when we started and we filled them up on the way back with the last load. One is a 2005 GMC, the other a 2004 Ford. They are both crew cab, long bed, 4x4, diesel, auto trans, 1 tons, SRW with 3.73 gears. The only difference is the ford has 305/70R16 tires and the GMC has 265/75R16 tires. It is almost all highway (55mph) with 2 small towns with no stop lights. (there were 2 stop lights else where)

The GMC got 14.96 miles per gallon.

The Ford got 12.85 miles per gallon.

I am guessing that they were getting about 2mpg less coming back loaded and about 2mpg more going down unloaded but don't know for sure.
I also think part of the difference in mileage is the ford having slightly bigger tires but I think even if they had the same size tires the GMC would get better mileage, there just wouldn't be as big of a difference.

Ed

 

[magicheater]

What do you figure each bale weighed on average?

 

[Rancher Ed]

I think they are around 800lbs but don't really know. They are baled with a 4x5 baler set smaller that 5' but I don't know exactly what size it is set at.

Ed

 

[JESSE1]

Glad to see someone getting some hay. I baled mine in early June and got 1/3 the bales I usually get. I'll be lucky to get a second cutting. Very Dry.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I think you are right on the money with the tires changing the gearing. The Ally is also a slightly more efficient tranny and the GMC is probably 800# lighter.

Chris

 

[Rancher Ed]

Glad to see someone getting some hay. I baled mine in early June and got 1/3 the bales I usually get. I'll be lucky to get a second cutting. Very Dry.

This is early for us. Most hay is done around the 4th of July and we only get one cutting. With all the rain this year (here we were above average through May) and then June being pretty dry even though we got little sun lots of people are haying now and will most likely get a second cutting.

I think you are right on the money with the tires changing the gearing. The Ally is also a slightly more efficient tranny and the GMC is probably 800# lighter.

Chris

I think the RPMs are different by about 80 which is not much but the 305s are 1.5" wider which I think makes the big difference. We don't have any scale near by so I haven't been able to weigh them but I agree the ford is heavier, though I have no idea if it is 800 pounds heavier.

Ed

 

[56FordGuy]

You're hauling that hay all wrong. There's nothing hanging off the trailer, it's only one bale high, and I see ratchet straps. :laughing:

Most of the folks around here stack it as high as the loader will reach, two bales wide (on trailers just like yours), one more on the tongue, and use the "It's heavy, it'll sit there" method of strapping down.

Looks good. :thumbsup: I just picked up 80 bales this weekend, hoping to get another 100 or so in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Diamondpilot]

This is early for us. Most hay is done around the 4th of July and we only get one cutting. With all the rain this year (here we were above average through May) and then June being pretty dry even though we got little sun lots of people are haying now and will most likely get a second cutting.



I think the RPMs are different by about 80 which is not much but the 305s are 1.5" wider which I think makes the big difference. We don't have any scale near by so I haven't been able to weigh them but I agree the ford is heavier, though I have no idea if it is 800 pounds heavier.

Ed

I have a 04 F-250 Diesel 4x4, a 2006 F-350 Diesel SRW 4x4, had a 2005 GMC 3500 SRW Diesel 4x4 and my neighbor has a 2007 Chevy 3500 SRW Diesel 4x4. All the same cab and bed except for the 07 Chevy being a long bed. We weighed them all with just a driver and 3/4 tank of fuel.

04 F-250 7,500#
06 F-350 7,600#
05 3500 GMC 6,900#
07 3500 Chevy 7,000#

I also have a 2008 Nissan Titan 4x4. Its 5,600#

So as you can see there is a weight difference. Not quite what some report @ 800# but I have seen about 700#. The new 2011 GM trucks with the new heavier frame is right in line with Ford on the trucks weights.

I have a scale 1.5 miles from my house at the gravel pit. There is also a truck stop north, south, east, and west within 10 miles of my house so I run loads over the scales at them many times when I am hauling.

Chris

 

[Rancher Ed]

You're hauling that hay all wrong. There's nothing hanging off the trailer, it's only one bale high, and I see ratchet straps. :laughing:

Most of the folks around here stack it as high as the loader will reach, two bales wide (on trailers just like yours), one more on the tongue, and use the "It's heavy, it'll sit there" method of strapping down.

Looks good. :thumbsup: I just picked up 80 bales this weekend, hoping to get another 100 or so in the next couple of weeks.

The trailers are only 7k and the fenders would bend onto the tires if we put anything on them. If it weren't for the problem of money I would get a 22' 14k trailer and you could put 18 bales on it. More if we stacked it 3 high which our tractors could do.:laughing::laughing:

We had 11 miles to go on the freeway at 60+ mph and the rest on the highway so we didn't want stuff coming off or having a tire fail cause we overloaded it.:laughing: If it were just back roads and closer there would have been more hay on the trailers.

Cool, maybe take a few pictures when you do? We are going to get 20-30 more and that should get us through the winter.

Ed

 

[Rancher Ed]

I have a 04 F-250 Diesel 4x4, a 2006 F-350 Diesel SRW 4x4, had a 2005 GMC 3500 SRW Diesel 4x4 and my neighbor has a 2007 Chevy 3500 SRW Diesel 4x4. All the same cab and bed except for the 07 Chevy being a long bed. We weighed them all with just a driver and 3/4 tank of fuel.

04 F-250 7,500#
06 F-350 7,600#
05 3500 GMC 6,900#
07 3500 Chevy 7,000#

I also have a 2008 Nissan Titan 4x4. Its 5,600#

So as you can see there is a weight difference. Not quite what some report @ 800# but I have seen about 700#. The new 2011 GM trucks with the new heavier frame is right in line with Ford on the trucks weights.

I have a scale 1.5 miles from my house at the gravel pit. There is also a truck stop north, south, east, and west within 10 miles of my house so I run loads over the scales at them many times when I am hauling.

Chris

Ya, my guess is if we weighed them right now there would be a 500-600# difference. We have more "stuff" straps, wrenches, etc in the white truck (cause we have had it longer) which might add 50+ lbs that the black truck doesn't have.

As a side note, are you sure your 2005 GMC was both a 3500 and a short bed? I thought you could only get the 3500s with a long bed till 08 or later?

Ed

 

[Diamondpilot]

Ya, my guess is if we weighed them right now there would be a 500-600# difference. We have more "stuff" straps, wrenches, etc in the white truck (cause we have had it longer) which might add 50+ lbs that the black truck doesn't have.

As a side note, are you sure your 2005 GMC was both a 3500 and a short bed? I thought you could only get the 3500s with a long bed till 08 or later?

Ed

You are right. I put the only difference was a "long bed". I should have said "Crew Cab". His 07 is a Crew Cab and mine was a Extended Cab.

Too many trucks. I have had over a dozen in the last 10 or so years.

It was a 05 Extended Cab SRW Dmax 4x4 Long Bed.

There is about 75# of difference in short bed and long bed truck.

 

[zzvyb6]

Can you swap tires/wheels from Ford to Chevy? That would tell you the story. 2 mpg is about something you could get if the pressures were readjusted to max rated pressure.

 

[DanD78]

We hauled a little hay as well. Getting it put up between rains is the problem here. We were able to get the tractor home with the last load. The 3320 just won't pick up enough to stack two high from the ground.

I am not sure whrere Ford picks up the extra weight. It sure isn't in the sheet metal. You can look at it hard and make it dent. I have never owned a short bed truck. I need a tool box in the bed and pull a fifth wheel as well.

Dan

 

[PoorMansCat]

Glad to see someone getting some hay. I baled mine in early June and got 1/3 the bales I usually get. I'll be lucky to get a second cutting. Very Dry.

I'm hoping that I will find some soon... I have a line on hay, but its a 1 1/2 hour haul to go get it...

 

[Rancher Ed]

You are right. I put the only difference was a "long bed". I should have said "Crew Cab". His 07 is a Crew Cab and mine was a Extended Cab.

Too many trucks. I have had over a dozen in the last 10 or so years.

It was a 05 Extended Cab SRW Dmax 4x4 Long Bed.

There is about 75# of difference in short bed and long bed truck.

Ok, that makes sence.

Can you swap tires/wheels from Ford to Chevy? That would tell you the story. 2 mpg is about something you could get if the pressures were readjusted to max rated pressure.

I don't know if they could be swapped but the computer would need to be reprogrammed for the new tire size it you did it. We keep all the tires at or within 5psi of the max rated pressure so that is not it.

We hauled a little hay as well. Getting it put up between rains is the problem here. We were able to get the tractor home with the last load. The 3320 just won't pick up enough to stack two high from the ground.

I am not sure whrere Ford picks up the extra weight. It sure isn't in the sheet metal. You can look at it hard and make it dent. I have never owned a short bed truck. I need a tool box in the bed and pull a fifth wheel as well.

Dan

Nice trailers and that hay looks good also.

On the subject of dents, both our tailgates are bent/dented. It would be nice if they made them heavier duty (Ford and GMC anyway, I don't know about Dodge).

We don't have a tool box but all our trucks have been long beds. Between hauling hay, getting firewood, gravel, and anything else we might need I could never see having a short bed truck.

Ed

 

[SLHawkins]

"It's heavy, it'll sit there" method of strapping down. :thumbsup:

Works for me:laughing:

Although, I did lose a bale once when hauling hay from Purceville, VA to Mannassas, VA. Fortunately, it did not fall off the trailer until we were about quarter mile from the farm we were taking it to. The bad thing, it was at night, in the blind spot on a dark country road, and there still a few cars coming down the lane. But, I was able to run down the road with the tractor and retrieve it without incident...:dance1:

 

[Rancher Ed]

Here are a couple pictures of our horse hay we went and got last weekend. There are 156 bales and they weights 60-65 pounds. 46 bales on the truck and 110 on the trailer.

Feel free to post any pictures you have of hauling hay. I know I like seeing them and am sure other people do too.

Ed

 

[schmism]

Here are a couple pictures of our horse hay we went and got last weekend. There are 156 bales and they weights 60-65 pounds. 46 bales on the truck and 110 on the trailer.Ed

you have to have air bags on the truck....

cause that math and those pics dont add up without airbags

46*60 = 2760
46*65 = 2990

110*60=6600

theres no way that truck doesnt squat more than that with 3000+ lbs sitting in it.

or 1) you have air bags or 2) your bail weight is extremely generous

 

[dieselscout80]

Here are a couple pictures of our horse hay we went and got last weekend. There are 156 bales and they weights 60-65 pounds. 46 bales on the truck and 110 on the trailer.

Feel free to post any pictures you have of hauling hay. I know I like seeing them and am sure other people do too.

Ed

How long is that trailer?

 

[Rancher Ed]

you have to have air bags on the truck....

cause that math and those pics dont add up without airbags

46*60 = 2760
46*65 = 2990

110*60=6600

theres no way that truck doesnt squat more than that with 3000+ lbs sitting in it.

or 1) you have air bags or 2) your bail weight is extremely generous

Nope, no air bags. It is a 1 ton and is down on the helper springs though. Some of the bales were closer to 70 pounds but the average weight was between 60 and 65 pounds. We figured we had just under 10k of hay. Almost 7k on the trailer and close to 3k on the truck. When you add in the tongue weight I figure we had between 3500 and 4000 pounds on the truck plus there were 6 of us in the cab. (only 3 adults plus 3 kids, around 725 pounds total)

How long is that trailer?

The deck is 20'.

Ed