Building a trailer smoker.

Im gonna build a trailer smoker for a guy that does charity event BBQ. Im trying to do it on a budget cause I am going to buy the stuff and build it for them as a donation.

The idea is to use one of those little utility trailers. This will make it easy to make legal in PA cause those trailers come with all of the paper work. To actually build the trailer from scratch can make that complicated.

The guy wants it to have a separate fire box and be able to do a LOT at one time. He also requested a separate warming chamber.

I was thinking at first to make a real nice fuel efficient insulated cabinet smoker but the time line might not allow for it. They need to get it going right away so I have to work kinda fast.

If you had to pick a type of smoker that had to be built fast, could do a lot of volume, and had a warming chamber what would you do?

I want it to be sturdy and work well, but I also need it to be inexpensive and easy to build.

Im nuts right?

Im a welder and I own a architectural fab shop. I form time to time make smaller smokers, and I work on other BBQ guys trailers from time to time.

So, I would say while I have over 25 years of metal working experience I only have a little experience with bbq's.

Buying I bet is a good idea but I am looking to gain experience from the endeavor too.

I have a sheet metal shear and break but it is only 48" wide. So a little limited there. Thought of buyin an 350 gal oil tank but maybe that isnt so great cause they are asking for more than one chamber.

There is a little bit of engineering involved cause I guess it would sort of be an offset with a a cabinet on top for warming stuff that is waiting to be turned over. They want to do 200-300 racks of ribs t start with. Some events even much more.

Just got an email from them. They are gonna send some drawings. They want the fire box "away" from the smoking chamber and some kind of blower? I think they meant electric, not one of those hand crank blowers.

Wow, mitch, that thing is a beauty. Did you build it? Did you/they make it from a section of pipe or is it roll formed? My steel supplier has all sorts of yard steel pipe cut offs I could rummage through. I bet I could get them to donate it too.

Not sure how in expensive is, just a lot less then it is to buy one for sure.

Im gonna handle the labor, have to raise the dough some how for the materials. They have an idea of what they want. Waiting for some drawings now. Im sure they will be flexible if their design isn't practical. Ill post pics of the sketch when I get it.

I could get stuff done on someone elses break pretty cheap too. I know mine is small. :tsk:

Im thinking of getting one of those little 2000 lb cap. sport trailers similar to this one and then just building and setting a rectangular cabinet on it. Like what you have up right, maybe I could do a horizontal rectangle and then a vertical rectangle. If the pipe form isnt in the budget. then fit as many racks as I can get into it. I could get the parts cut and broken, then tig weld the corners without filler, that makes the weld go real fast BTW.

Not sure what they are talking about with the blower. First I thought he was talking about one of those hand crank bellows, but I think he means an actual blower motor. Im lost without a drawing.

Im waiting on the sketch now. Cant wait to see it.

Thanks for the input guys.

I wish I could just say what the budget thats available is, but I would just be pulling a number out of my ass for now. Ive worked on memorials and other type donated projects like this. Sometimes they gain momentum after they get started and people start joining in. So as we figure out a target design and means of fabrication the budget will form. If that makes sense?

So do you guys think it would be cheaper to buy one then build one? I have myself and a few guys that are very mechanically skilled.

This may be a stupid question but when you volume bbq guys do large quantities do you do all what you plan to sell at an event at the same time then try to sell it out? Or if your smoker is too small for the amount of people the temptation must be there to start smoking the days before and getting a few loads smoked before the event?

Hoss, we get involved with this stuff and one of our rules is never say "cant" we just say, its "gonna be farken hard". We only say cant when the word quit is included. I also saythat in a firm pep rally type voice. :becky: MAybe the solution is a combination of smokers. A trailer then a few more UDS, or something. Their problem is they are not meeting their demand.

I was thinking they need it by July 4th, but it is actually Labor Day they would like the first use. I have plans to prototype some ideas that I have. I wanted to make this be one of those but Im not sure if I can pull that off. This project may involve going to a surplus yard buying a couple of tankns and/or cabinets, some old axles and hitch gear and then back to the shop to weld it all together.