Sid Post
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- May 31, 2013
- Location
- East Texas, USA
I'm pretty much decided on a Shirley Fabrication 'brand' smoker. I live in Arizona but, plan to eventually move to Texas and have family in Oklahoma. I want a smoker that is not so large it is impractical for small cooks (~4 people) with enough capacity for family gatherings (30~50 people). I am also interested in cold smoking so the thought of using the vertical box for that has crossed my mind a few times though, a WSM with smoke source in the bottom is probably a better option unless I go Salmon fishing ray::fish2:
Thinking this smoker will travel long distances at highway speeds (80MPH speed limit in West Texas) I am concerned about trailer bounce and having meth heads steel parts of it for scrap while I spend the night in a hotel. I know the Langs come with 13" wheels which are definitely too small for my use so, what experience should I expect with a 24x50 SF trailer model? Any thoughts on upsizing the wheel/tire combination? What loose parts do I need to secure? I'm thinking I will want padlock tabs on all the doors and access points to ensure:
Thinking this smoker will travel long distances at highway speeds (80MPH speed limit in West Texas) I am concerned about trailer bounce and having meth heads steel parts of it for scrap while I spend the night in a hotel. I know the Langs come with 13" wheels which are definitely too small for my use so, what experience should I expect with a 24x50 SF trailer model? Any thoughts on upsizing the wheel/tire combination? What loose parts do I need to secure? I'm thinking I will want padlock tabs on all the doors and access points to ensure:
- they are secure so trays aren't stolen and
- no worries about something coming open on a rough Interstate with the chaos and damage that would ensure.
What are your thoughts on the round versus cabinet SF smokers? How much capacity difference is there between the two. Is the cabinet model better at anything like whole hogs?
What options should I consider for my smoker? I want this to be a buy once, cry once, lifetime enjoyment purchase. I know, I know ... if I go to competitions or cater large events I'll need to buy something else so I go back to my original question: What isn't too big but big enough?