Advice on downsizing set-up for KCBS

[triplezip]

Hey all,

I wanted to see if anyone's got experience downsizing their competition equipment / going trailer-less -- Reason I'm asking is that I may need to get rid of my current 7x14 cargo trailer to free up driveway space. I pull the trailer with a Ram 1500 (which I'll be keeping) and we also pull a Lang 84D with a separate vehicle to the KCBS competitions we cook. Our comp schedule is light, typically no more than 3-4 per season. The trailer has allowed us to bring more comforts to comps like a mobile sink, rolling storage rack, mini-fridge, and a sheltered place to sleep (w/ air mattress), all of which have made a difference in terms of efficiency during the comps, especially at crunch time... But considering the trailer basically just takes up valuable driveway space the other 48 weekends of the year, its cost outweighs its benefits. If we ditch it, I'll need to readjust to whatever I can fit in the cab and (6ft) bed of my truck.

Any insight from teams that have changed to a more minimal set-up, similar to this? And has it negatively impacted your outcomes at comps?

Thanks y'all.

 

[masque13]

I understand driveway dilemmas. However, my honest advice would be to find any scenario you can to keep the trailer.

I had the same issues a few years ago. Sold the trailer and within six months I was on the hunt for a new one. Shortly thereafter, I bought me another new trailer that was actually bigger than the last one. Lol.

My solution? I had a contractor come in and widen my driveway. Lol.

I’ve done contests pulling a smoker and loading up the back of a truck and how I do now with my cargo trailer and there is no comparison. I choose the cargo trailer every time. Much better setup for me.

 

[ynotfehc]

Obviously you'll be sacrificing some of the luxury items, like you mentioned. A cooler instead of the mini fridge, trim down equipment and see what you use vs what you may be packing. Maybe you get a pickup camper instead or a pickup tent for sleeping in. The mini fridge and mobile sink didnt contribute to your scores. There are ways to make a simple sink setup with a couple 5gal buckets and a foot pump, very portable and small footprint.

 

[ronbrad62]

I pretty much try to do the same as I do not own a trailer. If I feel I need one, I rent one, but at times I don't, the truck (same as yours) is packed. Every time I go to a comp and return, my top priority is downsizing my equipment for the next one, and I only do 2-3 yearly. I use a utility sink that came from Home Depot and it breaks down nicely and I can even pack some odds and ends inside it.

 

[gettinbasted]

I do it all the time. 4 gateway drums, an ez-up, cambro, 2 tables, cooler, and a tub full of supplies. It can all go in the back of a truck. If the weather is nice, I don’t even setup the ez-up. I can fly to events this way too and rent a truck carrying my essentials in one suitcase (we have drums stashed in storage units in strategic places)

 

[Ron_L]

we have drums stashed in storage units in strategic places

Why doesn’t that surprise me? :becky:

 

[Jorge]

What do you need vs what do you want? Cooking out of a truck, under a tent used to be the norm. A popup or two, a casket cooler for meat, a couple of tubs. It's not too different from having to put the slides out on the RV, instead of unloading a trailer and setting everything up.

 

[Right on Q]

We compete out of a truck with a popup.

We use 2 WSMs, EZ up, 2 tables with leg extenders, 2 plastic tubs of supplies, cambro, couple of lights, couple bags of charcoal and wood chunks. We sleep in the truck or a van we bring. Want to add a gateway to play around with. Hear they are cool cookers.

Probably missing something but that's basically it.

If the weather is nice it's wonderful to be out in the fresh air actually. When the weather is bad it's more of an "adventure" .

Last two contests we had 35 MPH winds, hail, sleet, and snow. :roll: Two contests before that we had beautiful weather.

Hope this helps

 

[tduffy]

i suppose one could just rent a uhaul trailer for the 3-4 you do every year. Probably cheaper than owning a trailer until you start cooking more contests.

 

[Smokin Hoggz]

Yeah pretty much what Brad from Gettin Basted said, you'll be surprised what you really don't need to bring for a contest and you can sleep in the truck. Set up for a contest in your driveway and only pack/bring what you used for that set up.

 

[Serious Hog]

My solution? I had a contractor come in and widen my driveway.

Classic, only comp BBQ people think this way. And we are no better ourselves. Moved a couple years ago from a homeowners association controlled subdivision to a couple acres in the country, in no small part due to BBQ "needs"

 

[didisea]

Maybe a find a storage yard that takes RV's to store your trailer in? Or a friend in the country who has a couple of acres?
I live in a HOA controlled neighborhood, and I had to find a RV storage yard to park my truck and cargo trailer in about 2 miles from my house.

 

[nbicoy]

I compete out of a truck. If I'm going all out I can manage to fit 3 WSMs (2-22" and 1-18"), two canopys, 2 coolers (one on a hitch luggage rack), folding tables, and my two bins worth of stuff. I'll sleep on a zero gravity chair from Costco.

Biggest issue for me is loading/unloading/loading/unloading. That's gets old real fast if you do more than one comp a month.

 

[triplezip]

Thanks for your replies, everybody!

 

[Pedro7]

I pretty much try to do the same as I do not own a trailer. If I feel I need one, I rent one, but at times I don't, the truck (same as yours) is packed. Every time I go to a comp and return, my top priority is downsizing my equipment for the next one, and I only do 2-3 yearly. I use a utility sink that came from Home Depot and it breaks down nicely and I can even pack some odds and ends inside it.

Similar here. Usually we just rent a uhaul trailer, although now that we have the big stick burner the pick up bed is open for all the other stuff and not smokers. Then it's coolers, an amazon fold up sink, tables, a couple totes, chairs and pop up tents. We are a pretty simple set up.

Would I love a trailer? Yes. I don't compete enough to justify it, however. But, i feel if I had it I'd find it hard to lose those creature comforts. I'd be lying if I said i wasn't jealous watching people walk out of their air conditioned trailers.

 

[timzcardz]

Doug!

Last time we did Que for the Troops, set up next to you, we left the trailer at home. Remember?

We opted for going lightweight for ease in going through NYC, and it went pretty well for us.

Using your backwoods may be more of an issue than the WSMs we use though.

I had picked up a trailer primarily because getting back home Sunday evening and having to unload EVERYTHING so that I could go to work the next day was an issue when I was already exhausted. The trailer just meant only having to unload perishables.

And I remember that before you owned a trailer that you used to rent one for the comps. Is that no longer a possibility?


Check the bed on your truck. My Ram Crew Cab's bed is just under 6' so I went to folding tables from the standard 6 footers that I have.


Yours in smoke,

Tim