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View Full Version : Good trailer smoker for under $2,000


sledgers
07-12-2013, 06:16 PM
I have been looking for a few weeks for a small trailer smoker for under two grand. Most that I have found are custom pits for this price. Any tips or advice from the brethren would be appreciated. Like what accessories are needed (burners,grill), size, etc...

Thank you all very much

dwfisk
07-12-2013, 06:39 PM
Probably the biggest problems with custom/home builds is having to small of a firebox and/or not enough airflow. Search here or online for the Feldon BBQ Smoker calculator (there are others, this is just the one that comes to mind) and compare anything you look at to the Feldon calcs. In general, the firebox needs to be (at least) about 1/3 the size of the cook chamber. For a normal sized cooker, intakes & exhausts need to be 5-6 inches (20-30 sq inches). If a pit gets past those basics, look for thickness to steel (1/8 minium, 1/4 inch better)' quality of welds, etc. I would get te basics first, then worry about accessories like gas burners etc. Hope this helps.
PS: welcome to the forum, let us know what you get.

sledgers
07-12-2013, 08:26 PM
alright, thanks for the advice. I'll post what I get whenever that may be

va_connoisseur
07-12-2013, 08:41 PM
Check local builders as well. I see you're in 'Bama, it should be quite a few down there. I had a 120 gallon reverse flow built for well under your price and love it. A good skilled welder should be able to put something together to meet your needs.

bpainter
07-12-2013, 08:41 PM
Check out the Lang 48. It is a little more money than you were looking to spend. It is $2495 but it may be work the extra 500 to you.

TuscaloosaQ
07-13-2013, 07:55 AM
Me and my son Tyler build em all the time I am sure we can put you in something in your price range and I can assure you we are top of the line fabricators and do not build junk or cut corners. I will put our cookers as far as quality and performance against any in the country and you can talk to all of my customers. I sent you a pm also. Our website is just about done and I can give you a sneak preview of it. It has much of our fabrication work on it.

John Bowen
07-13-2013, 08:02 AM
I own a Tucker Cooker made out of Memphis and I am very happy with it. It is billed as a versatile cooker with an offset firebox and an adjustable second rack for grilling. I have not had any reason or desire to grill with my unit but it is nice to have if I need to. I use the second shelf for water pans or as an extension of cooking surface.
I can highly recommend their product and customer service. It would be worth your time to check out their website.

scaramoche
07-13-2013, 08:12 AM
Oh man. After looking at pics of tuscaloosaQ builds I am simply salvaiting thinking of things that I could do... hell I'd drive down to pick it up.

FireChief
07-13-2013, 08:24 AM
Probably the biggest problems with custom/home builds is having to small of a firebox and/or not enough airflow. Search here or online for the Feldon BBQ Smoker calculator (there are others, this is just the one that comes to mind) and compare anything you look at to the Feldon calcs. In general, the firebox needs to be (at least) about 1/3 the size of the cook chamber. For a normal sized cooker, intakes & exhausts need to be 5-6 inches (20-30 sq inches). If a pit gets past those basics, look for thickness to steel (1/8 minium, 1/4 inch better)' quality of welds, etc. I would get te basics first, then worry about accessories like gas burners etc. Hope this helps.
PS: welcome to the forum, let us know what you get.

I agree. I'm far from an expert but the firebox on my 24X48 Horizon is 24X24 itself. It's massive. Doubles as my BBQ grill as well.

bpainter
07-13-2013, 08:25 AM
Me and my son Tyler build em all the time I am sure we can put you in something in your price range and I can assure you we are top of the line fabricators and do not build junk or cut corners. I will put our cookers as far as quality and performance against any in the country and you can talk to all of my customers. I sent you a pm also. Our website is just about done and I can give you a sneak preview of it. It has much of our fabrication work on it.

I would like to see some of your pits too. I have been kicking the idea around that I need something bigger than the UDS. I have been looking at Lang and some other vertical smokers. I have just not decided what I want yet.

TuscaloosaQ
07-13-2013, 09:44 AM
scaramoche (http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/member.php?u=7409) Thanks for the kind words


bpainter (http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/member.php?u=43475) I sent you a pm

RX2006JE
07-13-2013, 10:20 AM
I will vouch for TQ last year in december he built me a trailer for my pit that i had gotten elsewhere and he did an exceptional job on the trailer. And about a month ago i sent my trailer back down to him to redo my firebox and make me an insulated firebox. I will and TQ will agree that other pitmakers don't make the firebox big enough mine before TQ cut it off was about 50% of what it should be. TQ is an excellent person to work with and if he says he can do, he will make it happen and not cut corners, don't find many in business anymore like that.

here are some photos of when he took my pit and built a trailer for it
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss26/rx2006je/NEW%20TRAILER/FRONTREAR_zps525dc4e4.jpg (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/rx2006je/media/NEW%20TRAILER/FRONTREAR_zps525dc4e4.jpg.html)
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss26/rx2006je/NEW%20TRAILER/REARFRONT_zps374409a3.jpg (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/rx2006je/media/NEW%20TRAILER/REARFRONT_zps374409a3.jpg.html)
you can see the size of my firebox before here
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss26/rx2006je/NEW%20TRAILER/photo2_zps1df31b3c.jpg (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/rx2006je/media/NEW%20TRAILER/photo2_zps1df31b3c.jpg.html)
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss26/rx2006je/NEW%20TRAILER/photo_zps1f857bf7.jpg (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/rx2006je/media/NEW%20TRAILER/photo_zps1f857bf7.jpg.html)

and here is the new insulated firebox and warmer back on the same trailer i have got to paint it gonna tryout some new paint on the firebox so i told TQ not to paint it
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss26/rx2006je/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_1495_zpsd90a8a26.jpeg (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/rx2006je/media/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_1495_zpsd90a8a26.jpeg.html)
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss26/rx2006je/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_3138_zps3f2ae5da.jpeg (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/rx2006je/media/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_3138_zps3f2ae5da.jpeg.html)

Smoke Dawg
07-13-2013, 10:40 AM
I will vouch for TQ last year in december he built me a trailer for my pit that i had gotten elsewhere and he did an exceptional job on the trailer. And about a month ago i sent my trailer back down to him to redo my firebox and make me an insulated firebox. I will and TQ will agree that other pitmakers don't make the firebox big enough mine before TQ cut it off was about 50% of what it should be. TQ is an excellent person to work with and if he says he can do, he will make it happen and not cut corners, don't find many in business anymore like that.

here are some photos of when he took my pit and built a trailer for it


you can see the size of my firebox before here



and here is the new insulated firebox and warmer back on the same trailer i have got to paint it gonna tryout some new paint on the firebox so i told TQ not to paint it

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss26/rx2006je/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_3138_zps3f2ae5da.jpeg (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/rx2006je/media/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_3138_zps3f2ae5da.jpeg.html)
Nice work - open them doors!

RX2006JE
07-13-2013, 10:46 AM
I will update with some new pics when i get it tomorrow and paint it but here are some pics of the inside of the firebox and warmer before it was put on the trailer

(http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/[URL=http://s558.photobucket.com/user/rx2006je/media/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_7482_zps50b72da0.jpeg.html])http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss26/rx2006je/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_7482_zps50b72da0.jpeg
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss26/rx2006je/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_3466_zpsfee2f700.jpeg (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/rx2006je/media/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_3466_zpsfee2f700.jpeg.html)
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss26/rx2006je/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_3175_zps0ca28017.jpeg (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/rx2006je/media/NEW%20FIREBOX/IMG_3175_zps0ca28017.jpeg.html)

here is a pic of the smoker doors open from when TQ was building out my trailer.
http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss26/rx2006je/NEW%20TRAILER/cookerontrailer_zps5514c3fa.jpg (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/rx2006je/media/NEW%20TRAILER/cookerontrailer_zps5514c3fa.jpg.html)

Red Valley BBQ
07-13-2013, 10:54 AM
I have an Oklahoma Joe trailer for sale buried in the For Sale thread.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=162007

Smokin' the Bandit
07-13-2013, 11:16 PM
Check out the Lang 48. It is a little more money than you were looking to spend. It is $2495 but it may be work the extra 500 to you.

+1

Very nice cookers!