Trailer Converted To Haul Bales

Trailer Converted To Haul Bales BALE HANDLING Bale Handling (31B) 27-1-16 If you own a 16-ft. or longer tandem axle trailer, you'll be interested in the low-cost conversion Lee Welden made to his trailer that lets him haul up to eight 4 by 5 round bales at a time. "It cost less than $200 to make, and I can remove it from the trailer in less than 10 minutes so that I can use the trailer for other jobs," says Welden. The kit consists of three separate "racks" that bolt on top of the trailer's sides. The racks are made from 1 1/2 by 3/16-in. sq. tubing, with a length of 2-in. angle iron welded onto each end. A pair of vertical "stops" on each rack are welded to lengths of 3-in. channel iron that ride on the floor to support the weight of the bales. The vertical stops serve as a reference point when loading bales, and also relieve the trailer sides of the bales' added weight. Lengths of 2-in. angle irons are welded on horizontally between the stops to provide strength. Welden cut the channel irons as long as possible so they span several of the angle iron supports under the trailer floor. The ends of the racks extend upward to serve as a brake for the bale when loading bales and pulling back to remove the bale spike. "My friend Jim Harber and I made this conversion in just one day," says Welden. "The racks carry six bales and you can load two more on top of them. By removing the racks you can haul square bales or anything else that you need to haul. Just be sure that your trailer and axles are rated to carry the weight," he notes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lee Welden, 947 Emiline Rd., Salem, Ark. 72576 (ph 870 895-4276).

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