Hay Ride Wagon Build

[ruffdog]

I would rather have a real running gear's steering design than the one the OP posted.

 

[K5lwq]

I would rather have a real running gear's steering design than the one the OP posted.

That is one of my main concerns with this thing. Also the height the bed will be by the time I finish.

 

[sixdogs]

My neighbor has an Amish made parade wagon with springs on it for a smooth ride and nice bench seats. It's beautiful.
Maybe search Amish made parade wagons in Holmes county, Ohio? You could get enough good ideas to build one and get a good end result.

I might be able to get pictures of my friends in maybe a week or so.

 

[K5lwq]

My neighbor has an Amish made parade wagon with springs on it for a smooth ride and nice bench seats. It's beautiful.
Maybe search Amish made parade wagons in Holmes county, Ohio? You could get enough good ideas to build one and get a good end result.

I might be able to get pictures of my friends in maybe a week or so.

I would love to see pictures. I did try to search for them but no luck yet. Thanks

 

[Gee Ray]

I would pass on the one that you have pictured. It looks to be of the fifth wheel design. That is the front axle turns on a pin sticking down from the frame. Instead look for one that has automotive style turning. That is it has tie rods and tie rod ends and leaves the wheels at the corners as you make the turn. The fifth wheel design can get tippy as you make it a turn.

Make sure to include some kind of shelf where you could hide a small generator. That way you could decorate the wagon with Christmas lights if you ever decide to pull it on the road.

Mine was built with railings around the outside edge and it’s only 14 foot long but I have had as many as 40 and 50 kids on a it at a time.

I wanted to take my tractor wagon and do hayrides in the neighborhoods but I’ve been unable to find an insurance company that will cover me for liability and a reasonable price.

 

[2manyrocks]

A standard 16' utility trailer would be lower to the ground to get in/out, would have a suspension and could be used for other purposes. However, I see a lot of hay rides where no thought appears to have been given to someone falling out and hitting their head or breaking a limb.

 

[CobyRupert]

With that style steering, the tighter you turn, the narrower the front (let’s call it) “effective axle width” decreases, relative to the wagon width. At 90° pivot, it’s essentially zero, a single point in the center. Here, the wagon is totally relying on the back tires, and frame stiffness, for lateral stability, to not tip over.

Given that the cargo is PEOPLE, and terrain, weight distribution can add additional instability to this design, I’d pass on that running gear.

 

[bigtiller]

Keep looking. That home made fifth wheel design is to tippy for hauling anything mildly heavy or expensive, especially kids.

 

[RjCorazza]

I used a pivoting front axle hay wagon for one event, and couldn't get the hang of backing it up. For the next 15 years to present I used a 16' or 20' equipment trailer with fab'd side rails and hay bales for seating.
Good luck in your search!

 

[EddieWalker]

I don’t know where he is located at in Canton but have seen he advertises a lot of stuff. Most is priced too high in my opinion.

When I go to Mabank, I drive through Canton and then head straight down to Mabank. He's just past Canton, on the right side of the road. It's a house with tons of "stuff" in his pasture, along the road. Most is junk, but sometimes he has something that I probably should of stopped for.