How many standard small square hay bales

[vineyridge]

will fit into a 6 1/2 foot pickup bed? I'm trying to figure out how not to hook up the utility trailer for a load of about about 25/30 bales. I think we're talking 3' long bales.

[ASB Stars]

Ohhhh, I like this question!

You can put 11 in the bed with the gate down, if you stack then on their "sides"- non-string side up, paralell to the sides of the truck. Then, you go two by two, perpendicular to the sides of the truck. You can do ten this way. Then, you stack three to four, once again, perpendicular to the sides, for an additional six safely, without tying, as long as you do not drive like an idjit! :lol:

[shakeytails]

Depends on who's stacking. :yes: :winkgrin:

You should be able to get 25-30 bales on a short-bed. If you leave the tailgate down the load won't be as high.

[CHS]

I can get 25-30. You just have to know how to stack it.

[Bluey]

To feed cattle, I put 32 in my 8' bed with the tailgate down.

I wonder, if you can put 27 in 6 1/2 with the tailgate down?

Two on the bottom of the front lenghtwise, two and two on top on each side sideways, sticking out a little, but will be slightly slanted in to the middle, that is six.
Add another row of four just the same and three lenghtwise over them.
That is the standard 13.

If your pickup had the regular 8' bed, you would repeat that.
Since it is only 6 1/2', in the middle, one sideways with five sideways over it and in the back, the standard three and three and two.
All that then tied in good so you don't lose any bales on the highway.

You can tie that stack together a little better if you alternate the middle row with the ones over the bottom ones in the front, then the rest ties in better toward's the back.

We stack hay in a pickup like that as so it is easier to keep cutting the bales and feeding them, without having to move them around too much.

I loaded out of the field and stacked in the pickup and then stacked in the barn, one summer, 2032 bales, so have some experience there.:p

[AilleXWest]

I can get 32+ in my truck. I do a bottom row then 3 high 2 wide and one on the top to hold it all there. Just take a rope and make an X across the top and do one aroiund the back to hold it all in

[Nes]

Depends on who's stacking.

And how many you want to leave along the road-side :lol:

Tie then down well!

[Sithly]

I saw someone going down the freeway with a six-foot stack in the back of their pickup. It was perfectly rectangular and hiiiigh. They had it tied down with those wonderful ratcheting tie-downs, and it looked pretty secure.

[KnKShowmom]

Hubby and I got over 40 on our short bed one time, but we weren't going very far on back roads so I don't know that I would attempt that again! :eek:

I usually start the way others have posted with the bales on their sides running length ways in bed, but then for the next level, I run another row, laid flat, down the middle going the same way with a perpendicular bale on either side. The ends of those bales hang over the sides of the truck a bit but the next row is laid going the opposite way and not all the way to the edge, so it holds down the row below.

You end up with a very stable pyramid stack and then run one tight rope over the single bales at the top from bumper to bumper.

Been hauling hay this way for 25 years and haven't lost a bale yet.

[CatOnLap]

before I sold the 1990 F150 short box, we routinely stacked about 34 bales in it, not secured by ropes or anything, and safely drove many times to and fro along the back roads homes. Tieing it down would've slowed us down...so hubby says. However, you are supposed to tie it down. We just stack really tight. Before we both injured our shoulders in non rleated accidents, we sometimes put 40 on. That would be 5 layers high. Be sure your shocks and springs are up to it. 30 bales of small squares is going to be at least 1500 lbs, -we have extra leafs and extra duty shocks put on our half ton to increase the capacity to 3/4 ton. Otherwise your truck will sway and you will lose bales if they are not tied down. Did it this way for 13 years and never lost a bale.

3 bales across, cut end up, in the bed. 3 more behind them. Put tail gate UP to secure them stable in the bed.

2 bales laid string side up, side by side, resting on the bales in the bed and the sides of the truck and stacked tight against the back window of the cab- repeat for a layer of 8. You can get two more layers like this, again, punch them in to the center tight. Then on top, 3 or 4 bales across the centers of the last layer, tieing them in. makes for a nearly square stack.