Since I'm tired of waiting for my new Silverstar to be built the dealer said he'd make a good deal on one he already has on the lot.  Its a really nice looking trailer and would be perfect except it has a hay rack. 

I've never used one before.. and don't know if I would even if it was up there. seems like more trouble than it's worth carrying hay up the ladder when it can be carried in the back of the truck or in an extra stall. 

and would it creat more wind drag?  he said it's not removable. 

I'm looking for comments/suggestions..  Is having one up there really that useful?  thanks!

interesting..

so you think the thing really IS useful?  I sure don't want to haul hay on my mattress.  not an option anyway since I"m too cheap to pay motel fees when I have a perfectly nice trailer to camp out in.

what about wind drag?  think it would make a difference?  or is that a moot point w/ a horse trailer anyway?

We never had a hay rack until last year and like the previous person, hay bags work great. They keep the hay dry and you only toss down a bag as needed. We use a front end loader or back the trailer to the hay loft. I remember seeing a post on here last year for a homemade wench. Might want to do a search for it. The hay rack has come in handy for week long rides and is a lot safer than placing bales in an empty compartment that could shift and cause injury to a horse provided the stall wall is not solid. We also use ours to place a portable generator for camping areas that have no power. The amount of drag the hay causes is minimal compared to the nose of the trailer. One thing to note is make sure your roof vent is open prior to adding the hay otherwise you might have a hard time getting the vent to open all the way.

Happy trails!

Where do ya'll live???

This is what you do to load your hay up in the hay rack- NO expensive loaders, no tractors needed!!!

This is really easy-especially for us women. On your way out-drive to your local feed store, (trailer in tow)buy a couple bales of hay and have "the boys" load it up into the hay-rack!!!! Come on guys and gals-need to get a little more creative here!! I guess the only draw back is if you live WAYYYY  out in the boonies. But still, you usually pass some town with a feed store on your way right?

I love my hay-rack! You WIll see that space IS EVERYTHING. I have a water-tank in mine and plan to  install a cowboy shower in the near future and will use this for it and also plan to install solar panels, water-pump, possibly the hot water heater as well on the hay-rack?. I would do it, to install one later is more expensive. You would be surprised at what uses you could come up with for it. Also, better resale value with a hay-rack. Good luck and let us know what you decide. Happy trails!

I've never put hay in my rack. Usually just throw the bales in the bed of the truck.

But I do have a water rack up there. Living in Utah ( a desert state) It's handy to have 40 gallons of horse water on the trailer.

I have fallen off a trailer roof before, thank God for a nearby tree branch!  I was loading our pleasure driving carts and in order to load them you must grab the shafts and pull it up.  As the cart wheels near the roof you are almost off the other side.

I wouldn't go to any old feed store and have the boys put the hay on the rack either, because I feed really nice hay and any old junk won't due for me.

The used trailer that I purchased has a hay rack on it. I loved the trailer and decided it didn't matter if I used the rack or not. I probably will never put hay in it but I think that a water tank would be a good idea. Some places where I camp don't have water at every site.

I also like the ladder so I can check and clean the roof and air conditioner. I tie my horse to the ladder sometimes. I can hang towels on it. I know these are very frivolous uses but since it is there, why not?

I'm currently pulling a 3 horse Elite with a 15' LQ and my trailer doesn't have a hayrack. And there have been quite a few times I wish I had one. I didn't want one for all the reasons mentioned above - how can I load it myself, would I really use it, etc.

Well, after a few trips to OKC, FL & NC, I sure wished I had the extra space. I usually only haul one horse so my scooter, hay & grain usually go in my first stall. It never fails on those long trips, I get an offer to haul one or two home (it pays for the fuel) and I can't do it because I've got too much stuff to move around. Had I had a hayrack, I sure could have moved at least the hay and made some money on the return trip.

If I were you, and the trailer I was looking at already had a hayrack, I would just get the deal done whether I would plan on using the hayrack or not. You never know, it could be a deal breaker when you want to resell!