# Trailer Hitch & Basket on SUV for Carrying Hay



## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Maybe something like this? Larin Hitch Carrier with Basket - Mills Fleet Farm

How heavy will each bale weigh? Does your vehicle have a luggage rack on top? If so, you could just strap them down there.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

usandpets said:


> Maybe something like this? Larin Hitch Carrier with Basket - Mills Fleet Farm
> 
> How heavy will each bale weigh? Does your vehicle have a luggage rack on top? If so, you could just strap them down there.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



I am afraid hay would be too heavy to put on the top of the car, also I throw my back out fairly easily so I really would prefer to not have to pull hay down from the top of the car.

I should of specified in my original post, I am really looking for recommendations of actual baskets that people have used. Considering a 3 string bale of alfalfa equals approximately 2.5-3 normal size bales I don't think the one you listed would be heavy duty enough. Assuming an average 2 string bale of hay is probably around 60lbs.


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

A 3-string bale? That seems like a lot of weight to be putting on the back of your car let alone the hitch. Your front end would end up being very light.

Could a tarp be put in the back of your car and put the bale there. Thats the way I hauled hay in our Durango before we bought an itsy bisty Wells Cargo trailer


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

ChitChatChet said:


> A 3-string bale? That seems like a lot of weight to be putting on the back of your car let alone the hitch. Your front end would end up being very light.
> 
> Could a tarp be put in the back of your car and put the bale there. Thats the way I hauled hay in our Durango before we bought an itsy bisty Wells Cargo trailer


I wondered about that as well. I honestly have never done this before or known anyone who has. Really am hoping to talk to someone who does this. I have put it in the back of my car before, it just makes a mess no matter how careful I am to keep it contained. From a very quick google search, a 3 string bale could weigh 125-150 pounds. Do you think this would be too much weight for the vehicle to handle in a basket, since the weight wouldn't be centered over the balance point of the vehicle?


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

How about wrapping the bale and tieing that up and then putting the bale in your car?

You need to see how much tongue weight the receiver you are putting on can take. I see one receiver for the car you have can handle 525lbs

I had a receiver basket once that could handle a couple of hundred LBS. It was homemade. Bought it at a yard sale for $50


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

ChitChatChet said:


> How about wrapping the bale and tieing that up and then putting the bale in your car?
> 
> You need to see how much tongue weight the receiver you are putting on can take. I see one receiver for the car you have can handle 525lbs
> 
> I had a receiver basket once that could handle a couple of hundred LBS. It was homemade. Bought it at a yard sale for $50


If have to keep hauling the hay in the car I will, it's just a pain honestly. I will definitely check into the weight any receiver can handle before it is purchased as well as the actual cargo carrier. This is more of a desire to make it easier on me. Thanks for your insight. Good questions for me to think about and look into.


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I too would be concerned about putting 200+ lbs on the back of a smaller vehicle. That's about the same tongue weight as an empty 2-horse bumper pull trailer and could definitely cause the front of the vehicle to raise.

Back when I drove a tC (hatchback coupe) I occasionally hauled a bale of hay in the back wrapped in a tarp and didn't find it to get too messy. If you're doing it regularly, though, I'd recommend a rolling bale bag. That would keep it thoroughly contained and also give you handles (and wheels) on the bales.


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

The crosstrek shows a 1500# towing capacity which puts it in class 1 hitch territory. 

Typically ball hitch trailers apply 10% of their capacity to the tow vehicle, so some simple math shows that the most weight Subaru is expecting to you to ever place on the hitch is 150#.

Assuming any decent cargo rack is probably going to weigh in excess of 50# (the one quoted above is 77), your weight budget for what you can carry is probably in the range of 100# maximum.


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## scarletnape (Nov 27, 2014)

Not trying to be a smart*** here but have you looked into the possibility of buying a beater pickup truck? Not sure what the market is where you live but you could probably purchase an old 15-20 year old pickup truck for around $1500 that would be more than capable of hauling the amount of hay you're looking at. 

Figuring you would spend at least a couple hundred dollars for the basket and it probably wouldn't be the best setup. I realize $1500 is a lot of money but over the course of a few years, the convenience and less wear and tear on your car would be well worth it. Just throwing this out there as an option that may suit your needs.


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

I have seen a bag that you could put hay in to smart pak has one and it has wheels it holes one bale I do not know how big


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

PrivatePilot said:


> The crosstrek shows a 1500# towing capacity which puts it in class 1 hitch territory.
> 
> Typically ball hitch trailers apply 10% of their capacity to the tow vehicle, so some simple math shows that the most weight Subaru is expecting to you to ever place on the hitch is 150#.
> 
> Assuming any decent cargo rack is probably going to weigh in excess of 50# (the one quoted above is 77), your weight budget for what you can carry is probably in the range of 100# maximum.



Good to know. Thank you! I see I have some re-thinking to do now.


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

scarletnape said:


> Not trying to be a smart*** here but have you looked into the possibility of buying a beater pickup truck? Not sure what the market is where you live but you could probably purchase an old 15-20 year old pickup truck for around $1500 that would be more than capable of hauling the amount of hay you're looking at.
> 
> Figuring you would spend at least a couple hundred dollars for the basket and it probably wouldn't be the best setup. I realize $1500 is a lot of money but over the course of a few years, the convenience and less wear and tear on your car would be well worth it. Just throwing this out there as an option that may suit your needs.


No worries, I am not offended! I have considered it, but to be honest, it just isn't in the cards. With the added insurance and maintenance on a truck like that, I just can't justify the expenses. Plus, I have a one car driveway that my roommate and I already have to juggle cars in the morning.  The beater truck would be ideal though!


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## Southernsally (Dec 12, 2014)

SaddleUp158 said:


> I am getting a hitch put on my Subaru Crosstrek. I am wondering what the best cargo basket would be be for hauling a couple of bales of hay (2 string) or 1 (3 string bale) on the back of the car. I know I could just get a small trailer but would prefer the basket so I can go at lunch and still park in my parking spot at lunch. All I will be buying at one time is 1-2 bales of alfalfa. Depending on supply available it will be a 2 string or 3 string bale.


Are you looking for a roof mounted cargo basket or hitch mounted? There is both available. I normally get all my towing gear from Hitchweb. Here is the link if you wanted to have a look at both baskets:
Roof Mounted Cargo Carriers
Hitch Mounted Cargo Carriers

Hope this helps!


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

Southernsally said:


> Are you looking for a roof mounted cargo basket or hitch mounted? There is both available. I normally get all my towing gear from Hitchweb. Here is the link if you wanted to have a look at both baskets:
> Roof Mounted Cargo Carriers
> Hitch Mounted Cargo Carriers
> 
> Hope this helps!


Hitch mounted. Thank you!


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## scarletnape (Nov 27, 2014)

I'm glad you took my post in the way it was intended. Another thought is if you have a trailer for the horse, maybe there's some space in the trailer for hauling the hay? Or if you're using someone else's trailer(which I've had to do for 4 months before I finally got one) there's room in it? 

I'd hate for you to invest 3 figures in a hitch tray that you would only use every now and then if you had other options available to you. Of course, I don't know what your situation is. And yes, the truck option would only work if you were to substitute it for your car and I can certainly understand why one might not wish to do that.


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

scarletnape said:


> I'm glad you took my post in the way it was intended. Another thought is if you have a trailer for the horse, maybe there's some space in the trailer for hauling the hay? Or if you're using someone else's trailer(which I've had to do for 4 months before I finally got one) there's room in it?
> 
> I'd hate for you to invest 3 figures in a hitch tray that you would only use every now and then if you had other options available to you. Of course, I don't know what your situation is. And yes, the truck option would only work if you were to substitute it for your car and I can certainly understand why one might not wish to do that.


I have decided to go ahead with the purchase of the hitch and cargo carrier. I have looked at the specs and called my feed store to see on average how much both sizes of bales tend to weigh. That being said, all I will ever need to get at a time will be 1-2 bales, since my mare goes through one bale of alfalfa a week. 

To be honest, this is more of a backup plan for me. It was such a headache last winter trying to arrange to borrow a truck or having to clean out the inside of my car after hauling a bale in it (with a tarp). I do have a 2 horse trailer, but once again, I would need to borrow a truck and have someplace to store the extra hay I would end up buying. The feed store is really close to my office so I can go over lunch and still be able to park in my office parking lot with the hay on the back of the car without utilizing more than one parking space.


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## Rideabighorse (Jan 12, 2014)

You can just get a bale bag. Holds a bale of hay and zips closed so no mess. Take it out of the car to take the hay out. Zip it back up before putting it in the car. No mess. I have a couple of them. Also keeps partial bales from blowing out of the back of a truck.


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