How to get baler onto a flatbed trailer

I have a chance to buy a New Holland 269W baler in great shape for a great price--only hitch, I need to trailer it some 400 miles. The owner says its 98 inches wide (tires) and 16 feet long. I have an option of renting a 16 ft or a 20 ft trailer. Seems like it should work on the 16 ft?

 

The trailer does not tilt, and its bed is about 2 feet above the ground (forgot to measure--maybe even a tad more). The owner has a tractor and front-end loader, but I'm not sure how we would go about getting this thing on the trailer. Should we use a sturdy ramp to pull it up? If I make a ramp out of a couple sheets of thick plywood, that would be only 8 feet long, thus a pretty steep slope... If I unhook the truck and we put the tractor at the head of the trailer and use chains from the raised bucket and back the tractor up, would this work to pull it up? Or, we could use a hand winch or two from the raised bucket to the baler?

 

Also, it seems the balance point should be roughly over the baler's axle (a bit forward no doubt). What should I do at the front and read ends of the baler--brace them up on something before cranking down the straps/chains?

 

Or is it a flat-out crazy idea to try to trailer this thing for 400 miles?

 

Any advice would be most helpful.

 

Dave W.

How to get baler onto a flatbed trailer