[mstuck21]

I see you do not use any back racks at all on your wagons. I thought it would be good to install a back rack if I were to use the wagon behind baler for hand stacking or use it to tighten up the grapple stack by pushing against back rack after dropping the load.

I had back racks on mine but my shed is there at the farm and i got tired of watching it bounce around so i took it off .. with your long trip maybe consider it just for piece of mind that theres something back there helping hold where you can't see so well, but if you strap everything thats might not be an issue just a thought.. theres a thread on here somewhere where a guy made a pretty slick folding rack that could be lowered flat during transport to the field and flipped up into place before loading.. also I like a gap between my bed boards for air incase it takes me a few days or longer to unload.. again might just be a personal preference but any of my trailers/gooseneck that are solid get unloaded asap for that reason

 

[IH 1586]

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I get my truck frame either from the local heavy truck wrecker, scrap yard, or randomly finding them for sale. And if I’m doing a good job buying other used structural steel, I can pretty much build a wagon out of “junk”. If you had to buy all new steel tomorrow, I would agree that it’s not such a good deal.

You could definitely do a steel frame and then wood boards perpendicular to the frame, as I’ve seen some done that way for small bales. Each of the ones that I’ve built have been for thrower racks or round/3x3 bales, so they’ve all had steel cross members and wood floor full length, except the big bale wagon having no floor. It would take a floor easily though and I had that in mind when I built it.

Anyway, here’s some random pictures I found in my camera roll if you run across a honey hole of good steel. I wouldn’t want to do this from a mass production view but one or two per year can be done rather cheaply and I kind of find fun.

Really like the round bale wagon. I should keep an eye out for steel. Be a great way to work on my welding skillls.

 

[calico190xt]

I had back racks on mine but my shed is there at the farm and i got tired of watching it bounce around so i took it off .. with your long trip maybe consider it just for piece of mind that theres something back there helping hold where you can't see so well, but if you strap everything thats might not be an issue just a thought.. theres a thread on here somewhere where a guy made a pretty slick folding rack that could be lowered flat during transport to the field and flipped up into place before loading.. also I like a gap between my bed boards for air incase it takes me a few days or longer to unload.. again might just be a personal preference but any of my trailers/gooseneck that are solid get unloaded asap for that reason

I saw where you ran just 2 straps across the length of the wagon and like that idea. With 10 flat batch, a 3rd strap might be more secure. Three straps going the width of the wagon, one on each end and one in the middle as well as the 3 length wise straps should be good for the long trip. Am going to go in that direction. If it fails, I can put rack on the back later. Of course, picking up bales on the road sucks so hopefully the straps work.

You bring up a good point about short decking versus long decking. More slots provides more air whereas long 20 ft boards provide less air. I was going to make the gap half inch. Should it be wider? How wide did you make your gaps?

I have some horse customers that are adamant about the hay going through a two week sweat on the wagon. I personally probed some hay in the barn and after 3 days the temps stabilized so I don't agree that it needs 2 weeks on the wagon.

Due to my travel schedule, I won't be completing my first wagon until middle of April. Once I do I will update with pics. Thanks.

 

[mstuck21]

I was going to make the gap half inch. Should it be wider? How wide did you make your gaps?

I don’t know if there is a preferred space.. I just used approx 1x1 stick I had laying around for a guide so I didn’t have to measure each time.. set the first board, put the stick in for a spacer and add the next board..rinse and repeat

I try to store everything for a couple weeks just to make sure everything behaves the way I expect it to..customers don’t understand the idea of hay “sweating” so I don’t waste my time trying to explain.. watch it, make sure it’s good to go and send it out the door to make room for more

 

[calico190xt]

I don’t know if there is a preferred space.. I just used approx 1x1 stick I had laying around for a guide so I didn’t have to measure each time.. set the first board, put the stick in for a spacer and add the next board..rinse and repeat

I try to store everything for a couple weeks just to make sure everything behaves the way I expect it to..customers don’t understand the idea of hay “sweating” so I don’t waste my time trying to explain.. watch it, make sure it’s good to go and send it out the door to make room for more

I think 3/4 inch to 1 inch would be better than 1/2 inch for air circulation. I am thinking I will do a full 1 inch. It will save 2 more baords going 1 inch but that isn't the issue. Making a "jig" is faster and accurate.

When you say "store" it, does that mean that you are unloading from the wagon into the barn or do you leave it on the wagon for 2 weeks and then unload into the barn? Customer argument is that leaving on the wagon lets more moisture out.

When it comes to "behaving", I assume you take the temps and the moisture percentage and as long as the temps don't rise and the moisture remains in range you sell it, right?

 

[calico190xt]

I get my truck frame either from the local heavy truck wrecker, scrap yard, or randomly finding them for sale. And if I’m doing a good job buying other used structural steel, I can pretty much build a wagon out of “junk”. If you had to buy all new steel tomorrow, I would agree that it’s not such a good deal.

You could definitely do a steel frame and then wood boards perpendicular to the frame, as I’ve seen some done that way for small bales. Each of the ones that I’ve built have been for thrower racks or round/3x3 bales, so they’ve all had steel cross members and wood floor full length, except the big bale wagon having no floor. It would take a floor easily though and I had that in mind when I built it.

Is the truck frame C Channel 8 inches or 10 inches? I saw a square tube spacer under them so I am guessing that is to get elevation over the tires.

What is approximate thickness also of the truck frame C Channel?

I have found some scrap I beams not far away at 50 cents a lb that I am trying to determine if it is a match to what you did. I Beams are mostly 10 inches and probably sturdier than the C Channel but not sure.

 

[Aaroncboo]

Anytime I've built a hay rack deck I've just used a 2x4 as a spacer. set the first one up it's nice and square and you don't have to think about it the rest of the way

 

[8350HiTech]

Is the truck frame C Channel 8 inches or 10 inches? I saw a square tube spacer under them so I am guessing that is to get elevation over the tires.

What is approximate thickness also of the truck frame C Channel?

I have found some scrap I beams not far away at 50 cents a lb that I am trying to determine if it is a match to what you did. I Beams are mostly 10 inches and probably sturdier than the C Channel but not sure.

I actually like the little bit of flex you get with frame compared to an I beam. Frames are really good steel designed for a little flex, and in the field a wagon can definitely flex. The frame rails are typically 10” but I do have some here at the moment that are 9”. They vary from 1/4” to 5/16”, anything thicker I avoid buying because it’s overkill for an 18-20’ wagon, but if you’re going extra heavy duty you may appreciate some that are closer to 3/8”.

The reason I had to add the little spacers (and the ones in the photo were just to determine sizing, they were replaced with better spacers) was so that when the walking beam tandems pivoted to their max they hit the underside of the “floor”. Otherwise on a single axle wagon, or a tandem with less travel, they would be perfectly fine as is. Or if I had built the bed with gaps so the wheels could travel up into them, but I wanted the spacing that I wanted, so no gaps. (Too big of a gap and round bales would’ve settled down into the gap also rubbing the tires).

That wagon also uses random discbine parts as the frame crossmembers, concrete curb form for the rub rails, random junkyard pieces for the front and rear “bumpers”, bumper legs made from truck frame crossmembers salvaged from the same junkyard frame, and unfortunately mostly new steel for the 3” channel bed because I had run out of the 3”channel pallet rack beams that I had been using. (Luckily I’ve restocked since then!) Even the white bumper I didn’t even have blasted because it was already white with good paint and it matched the wheels, so why bother to have it sandblasted?
These are definitely an exercise in frugality, but I enjoy making them, and I also enjoy looking at random stuff for sale so I can snag cheap steel when I see it.

 

[calico190xt]

I actually like the little bit of flex you get with frame compared to an I beam. Frames are really good steel designed for a little flex, and in the field a wagon can definitely flex. The frame rails are typically 10” but I do have some here at the moment that are 9”. They vary from 1/4” to 5/16”, anything thicker I avoid buying because it’s overkill for an 18-20’ wagon, but if you’re going extra heavy duty you may appreciate some that are closer to 3/8”.

The reason I had to add the little spacers (and the ones in the photo were just to determine sizing, they were replaced with better spacers) was so that when the walking beam tandems pivoted to their max they hit the underside of the “floor”. Otherwise on a single axle wagon, or a tandem with less travel, they would be perfectly fine as is. Or if I had built the bed with gaps so the wheels could travel up into them, but I wanted the spacing that I wanted, so no gaps. (Too big of a gap and round bales would’ve settled down into the gap also rubbing the tires).

That wagon also uses random discbine parts as the frame crossmembers, concrete curb form for the rub rails, random junkyard pieces for the front and rear “bumpers”, bumper legs made from truck frame crossmembers salvaged from the same junkyard frame, and unfortunately mostly new steel for the 3” channel bed because I had run out of the 3”channel pallet rack beams that I had been using. (Luckily I’ve restocked since then!) Even the white bumper I didn’t even have blasted because it was already white with good paint and it matched the wheels, so why bother to have it sandblasted?
These are definitely an exercise in frugality, but I enjoy making them, and I also enjoy looking at random stuff for sale so I can snag cheap steel when I see it.

Thanks and that helps. I think I only have I Beams to choose from now. I would also guess that you could sell those steel wagons for $6k+ if you ever get rid of them so your part-time fun isn't exactly a waste of time.

 

[mstuck21]

When you say "store" it, does that mean that you are unloading from the wagon into the barn or do you leave it on the wagon for 2 weeks and then unload into the barn? Customer argument is that leaving on the wagon lets more moisture out.

When it comes to "behaving", I assume you take the temps and the moisture percentage and as long as the temps don't rise and the moisture remains in range you sell it, right?

I unload onto pallets right away or as soon as I get a chance..my thinking on the wagon bed is that providing the space between boards creates a similar condition to the pallets... is one better than the other, I don’t know.. just how I do it and haven’t had problems.. side note our shed floor is concrete and I don’t know if there is a vapor barrier or not so that’s why I use pallets.. other guys use other things or have different ways of doing it that just works for me and don’t have any issues with bottom bales.. I want to sell those too for the same price as the rest of the stack

on the behaving part - correct just watching temp and moisture.. no real formal measurements just trying to develop a feel.. put my hand in and expect to feel nothing more than warm.. hot is bad.. few days heat should go away .. if heat goes away or is dropping moisture should be too.. maybe probe a few bales with the moisture meter but I know it’s probably going to read high if you do it too early so I don’t put a bunch of “false positives” in my head

 

[AndyH359]

I think adding a rack in the front may just get in the way of the grapple, so I am thinking that isn't a good idea at this point. Still collecting comments though.

I do 10 bales on edge (2 rows of 5 bales each). My first attempts at bales wagons only had the rear rack. Had it stepped some so that the front of the wagon would be stepped for stability. But after a few times reloading wagons after coming off my hills, I went with hinged front racks. Definitely can get in the way if you don't hinge the front rack. I then run a ratchet strap from front to back on each side. Pulls the front rack back into the stack and squeezes the stack between the front and rear racks. Pics are a wagon I built a few years ago. Very happy with this set up. Done several more in similar fashion (with front rack hinged.) And hinged as shown, so when you are transporting an empty wagon the front rack lays all the way back on the deck.

 

[calico190xt]

I see the value of having the hinged rack. Stays out of the way when loading but help pulls the stack together. As you say especially going down hills. I do have one hill that I have to deal with bringing bales home. I haven't finished my wagons yet so will try to incorporate this into my final designs. Thanks.