250 Reverse Flow w/ Trailer Build

I finally decided to try my first smoker build. I have been working on this project since Christmas, and needless to say, it was a bigger job than I thought it would be. For all of you who have tackled this type of project, you have my respect. For all of you who have tackled this type of project, and taken pictures, and posted informative threads, and answered questions, you have my sincere appreciation. I definitely could not have done this without your help.

My grandfather started a well drilling business in 1954. Luckily for me, his early rigs ran off propane. We have had a 250 gallon propane tank mounted on a trailer stuck in the weeds behind our office for at least 30 years. The tank had a stamped aluminum tag that put the date of manufacture at 1963. The wheels/tires were destroyed by weather and time. I had to find new wheels/tires before I could easily move the tank. I am also going to need to rework the tongue. I have had the intention of converting this rusting relic into a smoker for several years but haven't had the time. With the economy in the condition it is in I found plenty of free time this winter.




This build was actually completed this past weekend and I am going to attempt to show the build from start to finish but I didn't take near as many pictures as I wanted to. Thanks again for all your help. Most ideas for this build came from this very forum!!

Used the BBQ pit calculator to give me firebox dimensions. I built the box out of 1/4" plate and 1" tubing for framework. Really wanted to double-wall and insulate but the weight would have been crazy and I would have had to make some MAJOR changes to the trailer. This thing still ended up weighing over 400 lbs.



More to come. . . .

The tongue needed some TLC. I removed the old and added a new hitch and jack. I wish I had a longer piece of tubing to extend the length of the tongue and make the trailer easier to back but this is all I could find in scrap.





Next I removed all the extra "junk" off the tank (I want the final product to be nice and smooth) and marked the location of doors and firebox. I also had to move the axle back as far a possible to try and compensate for the additional weight of the firebox. The trailer was balanced perfectly before and I knew when I attached the firebox it would flip up.





More to come. . . .

I definitely forgot to bring the camera with me for a couple of weeks. I could have sworn I got some pictures of the finished firebox before it was mounted but I can't find them. Oh well, there should be enough details in the rest of the pictures. At this point I have mounted the firebox, cut out the doors, added banding to outside edge of doors, bent and welded on door handles, and started the reverse-flow baffle.









A couple of things that will make your life easier:
#1: Listen to these guys when they say to attach your hinges before you cut out the doors. (I attached my hinges to banding not straight to the door)
#2: Cut the top of the doors and the bottom of the doors (including the corners). This will leave a few inches of uncut metal on the sides of the doors. You can then attach your banding to the bottom and top of the door and attach hinges before you finish cutting it out. This will keep the door from swinging in when the cuts are complete.
#3: Do not attempt to cut your tank at the factory weld(vertical weld near the ends of the tank). I decided to cut my tank vertically, along the inside seam of the factory weld. Figured I could get a nice straight cut this way without having to take time and mark it. Turns out the cylinder and cap (parts that compose the tank) are overlapped where they are welded. So instead of having to cut 1/4" thick steel I ended up having to cut 1/2" of steel. Needless to say, it was time consuming.
#4: I purchased and attempted to use a metal cutting saw w/ blade to cut out the doors (spent about 350.00 bucks). Saw worked great on metal thinner than 1/4", worked ok on flat plate no thicker than 1/4" (wore out first blade very fast), didn't suite me for work on the curved tank. Ended up using cut-off wheels on a side grinder for doors and firebox opening.

Thanks so much guys, I will try to post pictures when I get time.

Jawpaul: Good Que is hard to find. The only place that jumps to mind is called "Smokeys" in Dandridge. Brisket, ribs, and pulled pork is average but they have something they call "pork shanks" that can be fantastic.