[Pitmaster T]

Pitmaster T’s Build Series – Funkotorium Project Part 2 (Setting the Tracks for the Smokers)


New Video (Part Two) At Bottom of this POST

The Back Story – “What the Hell are you gonna use the Camper for?” Melissa Thomas 2006



Water’s Edge Campground – Lebanon, Connecticut


Well it wasn’t long after I bought it that I got my good friend Don to go up there and bring the Camper home. I parked it and began to fully assess what I had. Jake and my wife were so happy. There was a redneck RV place outside of Uncasville that let you park your RV there for like a season and only pay 1,300 plus a monthly maintenance and electric fee. The maintenance fee was only 25 bucks. I loved that little place. It was safe, had an underutilized covered grilling area, a nice lake with canoes, fishing, kids were under control, I loved it. I could see myself making BBQ for the Saturday Night Band they had at the Rec. Center. My wife was with the plan…

She walked through and saw the potential of the Camper, albeit not for what I had plans for. I remember we were in the center looking forward and she was commenting on how the ceiling was rotted and I said… “well honey, I am gonna build a wall here and make a deck out of the front so we can sit out there, we don’t need all that space baby. All we had was our one year old, Jake. My wife loved the BIG queen size bed that was in the rear. She could see herself “camping” in it. But when she saw me rip that out for an office space and computers that hooked up to the stoker…well, she saw the writing on the wall. Sadly, that camper never made it to the Lake.


Why I did what I did

Some of you may wonder why is the smoker on the front, why is it removable? Why not make the whole thing a kitchen? The latter questions I answered in part one. I hate serving food and dealing with customers when I am dirty, smelly, tired and sweaty… and frazzled from being uncomfortable all day during the smoke. So what I wanted was a trailer that had amenities for my comfort as well as a big kitchen and the ability to use different smokers.

I need a trailer that had the following things

♀Working trailer with legal lights
♀A freakin’ title
♀Insulation and the ability to have a portion of the Camper efficiently A/Ced
♀Water management for waste (two tank system)
♀Water management system for hot and cold running water that could operate on 120 VAC or 12 DC
♀Toilet and Shower (I thought the Health Dept would frown on this but they liked it because as one guy said “I always wonder where the guy is going to the bathroom and look for pickle jars)
♀Existing 12 VDC lighting with Power converter
♀Heating System

A Camper has all of these.

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Port Side shot


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Looking forward – the picture of Part One shows this exact position but it is more or less finished. From just forward of the stove a wall must be constructed, the front side door will be used as a door for this wall and everything forward of that (window) cabinets, even siding gets trashed.

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Looking from center toward rear you can see the bed in back. The fridge was moved rearward to what was then a closet and everything in the kitchen except the stove was gutted. This allowed for more counter space. It was also the “serving side.”


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The new wall will start right where that 8 track is. This shows the rotten ceiling. New beams had to be made and actually, the entire wall was rotten. That little crank thing was cool, it raised the TV antennae and rotated it for reception.


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Here is such a pretty shot. Once again, right where you see the door hinge open… that’s where we cut off the front (leaving the roof of course).


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Sorry this is out of focus but I loved the stowage in the rear. Which when I finished out the bedroom/office, it had access from the front as well. Battery is to the left. Here I can stow away leveling jacks, Power cords, and hoses, whatever. To the right is the frame of the bed, which had been removed. The white thing was a water tank.


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This was the bed but under it was gold. The working Power inverter (transfers AC to DC for lights and pumps) is to the right, the working water pump is to the left.

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Before and after shot as I gutted out the kitchen and build a new port side wall. Picture to the left – at left (where those drawers are) is where the 3 bay sink will go. Picture to the right - at right is the frame for the service window. Bathroom to the left is untouched.



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Windows removed. Door removed. In this shot you can see the new wall, door re-installation. That’s a sheet of high enamel grooved wall covering. Floor is in the process of being removed.



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The stove was a keeper and I was surprised that the health department for two counties thought it was adequate. They claimed that since I had an approved kitchen to work from (I never told them I lost it) a little stove for minor jobs was fine. The thing worked like charm and the oven was to die for. And Yes… we had an onboard Carbon Monoxide detector installed in the office. To right is a nice door I saved (there were two) for what was going to be a NICE backlit liquor cabinet.



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Wall sheathing cut, floor removed, ready for decking. This will be were the smokers will roll off.

So the other thing I did you may question. At this point why not just install a smoker in the static way. Pig Roasts are big in that part of the country, bigger than even BBQ. Then there was the beef quarters of steamship rounds and clod I planned on doing. The Meat mama was a rotisserie pit and had real limitations on cuts over 50 pounds. So I secured a 250 Gallon oil tank ( I still have) and I wanted to be able to pull one off, pull the other on. In addition, should I want to go to that lake and NOT take a smoker, I could simple enjoy my redneck deck. So I needed mobility.

This is why I decided to make a system to winch on and off any smoker I chose. But first I needed to build a deck. I chose pressure treated wood. I thought I was saving money. I thought I was saving weight. I saved neither and lost time. Sure looked cool though. The cost of steel rose so an 8 by 4 sheet of diamond back was not gonna do. But in then end, maybe I should have.

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4 by 4’s carriage bolted to the beams below. Wiring is for the trailering lights. Gas line would be cut and routed to the rear of the deck just to the right of the door were twin tanks would be placed. I would use the existing tank holder.

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Side support (where the deck passes the main beams) and my mod to accept a bolt.

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Looking forward at my neighbor at my old house (who rented from me) you will see a tarp and two drums. He had a oil tank installed and the company screwed up and it tilted (it was on legs) and spilled nearly every ounce of fuel. The ground had to be dug up and everything. The tank was under wraps until they settled. I knew that one day the tank would be mine.



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Right support secured. Directly under it are the undamaged leveling jacks. There were four and all you had to do was turn that rusty long bolt thing coming out. When the tongue was secured and these four jack were under tension, the Trailer was like a rock.



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Ready to trim out. The window you see upper left could be removed and perfectly fit a small AC for summer. At least until I found a top mounted one.



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So here’s where we leave part 2. The shiny new steel you see will be the tracking to accept the smokers, which would have identical bases. You will see how this works in the video but the tongue lift would have to come off, the tank holder would be moved permanently and then you could roll the smoker up of your choice and winch it on. The port side front support is also near completion. Bottom left another view of those intact levelers.



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Here is a shot of an old Southern Yankee Pit and Commissary trailer that inspired the layout. Its ALL business though and no resting area.




YouTube - ‪Pitmaster T Build Series - Funkotorium Project Part 2 (Setting Smoker Tracks)‬‏

Enjoy The Video of this Process (I was just learning Editing then). This is like 2006/2007 maybe.Remember to subscribe to this thread - there are 8 more parts to go2