Transporting a Backwoods Competitor

Eatapedia · May 16, 2013

I foolishly thought that a hand truck would be a good solution for hauling my cooker around. Well, it works if I want to haul it around a flat surface, but to drag or run that up the aluminum ramps into my trailer (with barn doors) is suicide.

We did it, but I can't see me doing this at comp sites over and over, it was really quite difficult. :shocked:

My first comp is a week away, and I am now considering laying a piece of metal underneath it, dragging it to the open doors, and cooking with it in the trailer. I'd fashion some sort of a vent for the chimney, but I'd really rather not. I want it out of the trailer, but no at the cost of my spine or the risk of tipping it off the ramps.

Buying big casters at Princess Auto is tempting, but with this thing weighing in at 350 pounds, I worry about it being top-heavy, and what kind of support I can expect from those casters. I worry about getting stuck in soft ground at some sites as well.

What do you folks do?

THANKS!!

TroyA65 · May 16, 2013

I don't know about the casters that you are looking at, but there are certainly casters that can do the job from a weight perspective. Sinking into the ground might be another issue, but I think you could find some inflatables that would work. Try looking here, there is a solution but it may not be cheap.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/casters-and-wheels/material-handling/ecatalog/N-cnm?xi=xi

Even if you have the wheels, it's not going to be easy to push up and down a ramp at 350# good luck! Interested to hear what you come up with.

Mark R · May 16, 2013

I've seen a bunch of people leave them in the back of their rig for that reason. Both hitch trailer and semi. Used metal dryer vent tube to vent smoke outside.

jimstocks53 · May 16, 2013

pull it up with a winch?

kaosfury · May 16, 2013

Wheels on the smoker and a winch installed in the front of the trailer? :behindsofa:

umrebel26 · May 16, 2013

Could you not use a winch to lower it and pull it up on the ramps using the casters on the bottom of the smoker and you could use a small piece of plywood to set it on so no sinking just a thought

garzanium · May 16, 2013

this is a question that has kept me up at night especially lately. This is a project I've been working on all week it started out at a competition. It was a p.i.t.a to get the cart and smoker on the trailer so I decided to go with a hitch mounted solution.
if you decide to use large casters keep in mind it will be top heavy I decided to lay my cart on its side while transporting as I did not feel comfortable with the car to being up right if you have a horse trainer it would be fine to put it up against a wall.

I would suggest a table lift for getting it on the trailer..harbor freight or norther tool

I did not feel comfortable with a hitch mounted solution but with a triple point hitch mount solution that
works for me here's a sneak peek

Hitch and cart upside down

Does that foo have 3 hitch points..yuuup

Eatapedia · May 16, 2013

Thanks, all. All great suggestions! Right now, the winch seems to be one of the best ideas, right up there with "leave it in the trailer, lay done some SS flooring, and vent it outside"

I am also looking at this contraption:

Scissor Lift Cart

I can use the hand truck to maneuver the cooker inside the trailer, and onto the cart. The, lower the cart and position the cooker. Since that cart is 150 pounds itself, I'll use the ramp to get it in the trailer. Wow, that sounds convoluted.

Man, if I wasn't afraid of a fire in that trailer, leaving it in there in the most practical. Do you think I am being irrational when fearing a fire? I've only been using this cooker for 3 months, but I've used it every weekend, and never even came close to having a fire. Well, there was that time an ember danced away when I was filling the charcoal pan, and it touched a piece of cardboard....so, yeah, I guess there is risk. Dang it...

Eatapedia · May 16, 2013

garzanium said:
this is a question that has kept me up at night especially lately.

LOL...Thanks for that response! Great rig you made up there!!

garzanium · May 16, 2013

if mounting was an option..I would go that route. Your on the better track i think-mount in trailer and fireproof the surrounding:clap:

Transporting a Backwoods Competitor

Eatapedia

Found some matches.

TroyA65

is one Smokin' Farker

Mark R

Knows what a fatty is.

jimstocks53

Take a breath!

kaosfury

Knows what a fatty is.

umrebel26

Got Wood.

garzanium

Full Fledged Farker

Eatapedia

Found some matches.

Eatapedia

Found some matches.

garzanium

Full Fledged Farker

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