500 gallon smoker with 150 gallon cooker

[motoridr09]

Hey guys this is the first time I've posted on this forum but I have spent a lot of time reading and learning from everyone else that is on here. I meant to post some pictures of this project when I started but i procrastinated. Here's a few pictures of what I've got. Don't laugh too hard at it since this is my first smoker. I should have started on a smaller one but i always go overkill on all my projects. Anyways let me know what you think. Thanks.

[bluecatfish]

Making good progress and looking good.

[Big T]

Go Big or Go Home!!

[Smokeone]

[Rodcrafter]

That's a lot of cooking space. Welcome to the crew, I thought I saw this work on the trailer a while back. Must have been someone else. So let me ask, what's the small tank for?


Making memories.

[motoridr09]

Im making the small tank into a charcoal grill. I may make one half a propane grill.

[Big Steve]

Ambitious. I like the resolve. Do you plan on cutting the tank for the grill in half or hinging it? Open grill is totally Santa Maria style. That'll be one versatile trailer. How's weight loading on those wheels?

[motoridr09]

Ive got the doors hinged so it will function like a regular grill. Those wheels are gone. (Notice the jack stand holding up the one side). I have 2 3500 lb axles underneath it now. Im just waiting on tires.

[motoridr09]

Here's a picture of the axles I put under the trailer. Didn't want y'all to think I was going to drive this thing around on Tonka tires haha. Also got the firebox door hung up there.

[Tom_Heath]

Food for thought for any future builders. In my opinion,,,,which sometimes isnt much.... I would always build my trailers tandem axle.

#1 a tandem WILL always pull better then a single axle.
#2 have a flat on a tandem and unless its like mine, just chain the axle up and roll on to safe point to make repairs. Or even make it on to a comp or home.

I watch facebook all to many time about a particular comp and its sad just how many folks have blow outs.

Sometimes its overkill but I just hate single axle trailers. I guess I have just had to many bad experiences.



Now....on to this build. Trailer is looking fantastic.!!!!

[Pennywise]

I agree. Ive pulled too many single axle trailers in my day that had a flat to mess with not being able to chain up an axle and keep on rolling.

I have a question about weight distribution. Since obviously the smoker is the heaviest part of this, having the 150 gal grill on the passenger side forces more weight to the driver side of the trailer. won't that cause pulling issues?

[motoridr09]

Im not sure. I thought by adding the 150 to the opposite side helped even out the trailer. I was also going to have the firewood rack on the front passenger side. If anybody sees anything wrong with this let me know. Yall are the experts haha. Once i got the tires on it i was going to pull it around a bit to see what it did.

[Pennywise]

I'm no expert brutha...Im on my first build. I thought half these guys were crazy when I first came around, then I found out I was correct...BUT they could build smokers in their sleep...LOL

[Rodcrafter]

With the tandem axles you have now, there will be no problem with the load. As you said add all you want to the off side and it will be just fine.

[motoridr09]

Pennywise - I agree it looks like these guys build these smokers in their sleep but I cant say much about being crazy since I had to pick my wife's jaw off the driveway when she saw how big that 500 gallon propane tank was.

Rodcrafter - Alright thanks. I figured adding opposite weight of the 150 and firewood to front passenger side would help offset weight of the rear driver of the firebox. That firebox is freaking heavy!

I have a question for y'all. I have some stainless table that I am going to add to the front of the trailer. How would i go about welding angle iron legs to the bottom of the stainless table top. If I just used regular mig wire to weld the angle iron to the underside of the stainless would it start to rust out? I've never welded stainless before so I didn't know.

[Pennywise]

IDK about welding it, but if you added some tabs and drilled holes to your legs then used carriage bolts you could bolt it on without too much clean up issue later.

[motoridr09]

I like that idea pennywise I may just do that instead. Was I reading somewhere that your building a 500 gallon too or am I mistaken?

[Pennywise]

I am. I'll link ya:

viewtopic.php?f=43&t=3848

[motoridr09]

Dude i like it! I'm ready to see how your square doors come out. I kinda wish I would have went that route too. I'm not gonna judge you on the hungover part. I just dumped my trash can and all it was was beer cans and bottles. It's weird, I always end up with a beer in my hand when I'm working on this thing haha.

[Pennywise]

Well that night I happened to be drinking Stone Brewery Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale. Its a black IPA...and it was my first bout with the monster that can destroy you like a full 5th of bourbon. its 8.7%ABV and I managed 11 of them.

Needless to say, my father removed both the welder and plasma from my grasp and told me to take pics. I cannot post all of them here, nor can I share my rendition to Miley Cyrus's Its Can't Stop...but needless to say I had fun.

[motoridr09]

Haha that's awesome. Its all part of the fun of these builds IMO. I get a lot of my design visions when I'm drinking beer. I guess that's how this project went from buying a cheap trailer on craigslist to mount my parents small smoker to it to what it has become now.

[Tom_Heath]

I have a question about weight distribution. Since obviously the smoker is the heaviest part of this, having the 150 gal grill on the passenger side forces more weight to the driver side of the trailer. won't that cause pulling issues?

Yes there will be a difference in weight, but you arent talking enough to be an issue. I have hauled since 1987, many of those loads were very unbalanced. Look at the RR derailment clean up guys. They haul those side boom dozers all over the county with no ill effect. I know a few guys that have lop-sided cookers that run slightly more pressure in the tires on the heavy side.

And yes to all....We are crazy !! Thats a fact.

Rodcrafter - Alright thanks. I figured adding opposite weight of the 150 and firewood to front passenger side would help offset weight of the rear driver of the firebox. That firebox is freaking heavy!

Yes the firebox is a killer. Totally OK to add your weight to the front. The only thing that I would watch is loading heavy on opposite corners. I used a torque tube on my trailer, like what they do on the long goosenecks, It prevents the trailer from twisting. When Frank and I pulled Hawg Molly out it was our surprise at just how balanced the trailer was. Axles all the way to the back and three giant cookers and one guy could still lift the tongue.

I have a question for y'all. I have some stainless table that I am going to add to the front of the trailer. How would i go about welding angle iron legs to the bottom of the stainless table top. If I just used regular mig wire to weld the angle iron to the underside of the stainless would it start to rust out? I've never welded stainless before so I didn't know.

The tables that I have are stainless tops but the channel under the top for support is galvanized. And the leg pockets were also galv. I started to weld mine in place then choose to build somewhat of a sub frame and use self tappers to secure the sub to the table support. Makes it easy to remove and work in that area if needed.

Dude i like it! I'm ready to see how your square doors come out.

Square doors are the bomb!!!

I am not that great at stainless but I can weld it. My son was like 14 or 15 and he watched me tig a table, then said he wanted to try. Bad news was.....he smoked my azz. He took the tig torch and ran with it like a track star.

[Tom_Heath]

Click here : [url=http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o277 ... CF0772.mp4][/url]

Click here : http://vid122.photobucket.com/albums/o2 ... CF0772.mp4

I need #1 to embed this video for me please, CRS has kicked in and I just cant remember. LOL

[motoridr09]

Got the wheels and tires put on today! Its a rear heavy too but once I add all of the stuff to the front it should sit nicely.

Pit doctor - Im not sure what your talking about on the torque tube.

[Tom_Heath]

https://www.google.com/search?q=torque+ ... 0&ie=UTF-8

This is the easiest way to wrap your mind around it.

It takes the twist out of the trailer. Basically let you load the front left corner with out effect to the twist on the rest of the trailer.

I made mine with 4 inch sch 80 pipe. And used 3/8 in plate to tie it to the cross members from the tube. I will see if I can find pics of the one I built.