Winter Project_250 build

[4ever3]

Maybe you're the first to ever think of that! Not a bad idea. Seems possible and that would allow for two lighter doors.

Yer not the first…


Back to the OP…

The frame underneath is fine, do what you want, but NO square corners under a rounded end cooker! I don’t care how it cooks, if the look isn’t right it will NEVER set on my back porch!

Call me crazy… IDK!

That is all…

 

[Itsdone]

Plan is to cut a single door. If too heavy to lift I will split in half and hinge the middle section. Left and right door will have outer strapping and center section will have inner. Outlaw has done this on one of their large cookers. See below. This will allow whole hog cooking but also allow open small sections for individual pieces. Plan is coming together. Picked up 7’ long piece 6” for stack and 8” ling radius 90 for elbow today

I am building a wooden gantry crane to help move some pieces around so thats project number one

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I figured it had to have been done before, i just never seen it before. Thanks.

 

[Back9Q]

I am so tempted to try and build a 500 and mount it on some 17” car wheels. Use a 2500lb hoist and weld a sprocket onto it then attach to rear axle by chain. Use the remote dor forward and back functions and manually steer it

I have never seen a 500 rover build before and I want to see if it is possible


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[sudsandswine]

 

[Fooball]

I am so tempted to try and build a 500 and mount it on some 17” car wheels. Use a 2500lb hoist and weld a sprocket onto it then attach to rear axle by chain. Use the remote dor forward and back functions and manually steer it

I have never seen a 500 rover build before and I want to see if it is possible


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Keep in mind how much meat you would need to make it worth while firing up a 500.

A lot of wood needed to heat that bad boy up.

Not a cooker for just a couple racks of spares or a few butts.

You would have to build another smaller one like you just sold to cover both bases! :doh: :laugh:

 

[Fooball]

Another thing....most of the google images for a 500 show twin axles.

Probably not required if you build a rover and are not towing behind a vehicle, but something to check into.

 

[Back9Q]

Keep in mind how much meat you would need to make it worth while firing up a 500.

A lot of wood needed to heat that bad boy up.

Not a cooker for just a couple racks of spares or a few butts.

You would have to build another smaller one like you just sold to cover both bases! :doh: :laugh:

I am type of person that would fire up a 1000 gallon offset to cook one chicken quarter. I just like sitting by smoker with some sports on and a beer in hand


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[1Gradymaci]

Since you are in Florida come Fire up mine and set around it, and right before chow is done I will take over and claim the Trophy.

 

[Fooball]

I just like sitting by smoker with some sports on and a beer in hand


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Sounds like me. Good cool weather arrived for us today to do just that. :clap2:

Gotta do a freezer check and see what I've got.....

 

[Back9Q]

Since you are in Florida come Fire up mine and set around it, and right before chow is done I will take over and claim the Trophy.

Im good with that if I can eat as well


Anyone have a rough idea of what dimensions would be on a Rover 500gal smoker? I want to tape it off in garage to see where I am at.


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[Sid Post]

Another thing....most of the google images for a 500 show twin axles.

That is mainly because they are using 2,000lb axles and they look better that way!

A single 5K, 6K, or 7K axle is more than enough for a 500G smoker, personally I wouldn't mess with a 3.5K/4K axle. Even on a tandem axle trailer though, personally I would want either 5K or 6K axles as I hate axle flex and if something is going to fail, it better be something other than the axles and its parts (bearings, brakes, etc.).

 

[Sid Post]

Anyone have a rough idea of what dimensions would be on a Rover 500gal smoker? I want to tape it off in garage to see where I am at.

Think mid-size SUV! ~5' wide and ~15' long. A lot of variables but, look up 500G tank dimensions and add a bit for shelves and the firebox.

The biggest variable will be the hitch/towbar size and the size of the firebox. Width will be pretty trim and depends on where you put the wheels for the 'stance' of your smoker. Trailers tend to be 17'~19' long.

 

[Fooball]

Tank alone without firebox is 10' long by 38" diameter.

 

[Back9Q]

I guess biggest question is what are chances I could move around unassisted on golf cart or car wheels?

I mentioned hoist assist previously but meant to say winch. If I add sprocket to a 13k pound winch and chain it to rear axle with wireless remote that could work

The other issue I see is tank thickness. I want to do as much with plasma as possible and only have 30A capabilities. Cant cut 3/8”. I could use grinder but already got letter from HOA on previous cook due to noise


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[1Gradymaci]

If I was you..I would drive to my house 5 hours away in Panama City and look and pull my 250 gallon around, and then double it, and you want it to stay in your garage for some reason..For the amount of money and time you would invest I would make a road trip..The offer is open for you..HOA Plus 500 gallon smoker equals death threat in my neck of Florida..Hit me up if interested.

 

[Fooball]

I could use grinder but already got letter from HOA on previous cook due to noise


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Ain't life grand? You gotta keep the neighbors in check if you want to live in a nice community. (that would be YOU sir! Ha!)

 

[Back9Q]

I am going to go with 250 for this build. If I feel like I need more space ill sell it and do a 500 build. Wife will be pissed but oh well

First up I need to build gantry crane and find a couple tanks.


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[SmoothBoarBBQ]

Agree with the single door. But...

Why wouldn't it work with 4 grates? As long as each grate is framed on all 4 sides with angle iron I'm trying to understand why it wouldn't work the same as a single grate.

If anything, it seems like it would work better due to the added support of the additional framing on each section to support the hog. :noidea:

It doesn't work well because the supports for the grates are now in the middle of the smoker, and they make it much harder to get the pig into the smoker. This is in terms of those supports acting as a road block essentially to put the pig in the smoker.

I had a 24x60 smoker from Johnson Smoker which had the double doors and 4 grates. Those supports made it damned near impossible to get a whole animal in because first of all you have to put the animal in at an angle. Then you have to squeeze it through the areas and those extra supports are in the way. The biggest issue is that when you have an animal spanning both those bottom grates you now cannot pull it out to turn / baste / spritz / etc.. Not to mention it makes it pretty much impossible to pull the entire animal out, as a single piece, once it's fully cooked.

Mine now has 1 large door and 2 very large grates so even with a 200Lb hog I can move the grates in and out as necessary.

Other designs will work...the "cabinet doors" which are pretty popular on the Shirley cookers would be beneficial as well. I discussed this with Chad but we both agreed on the single door for time and budget. Just my $.02 from experiences in the past.

 

[Back9Q]

It doesn't work well because the supports for the grates are now in the middle of the smoker, and they make it much harder to get the pig into the smoker. This is in terms of those supports acting as a road block essentially to put the pig in the smoker.

I had a 24x60 smoker from Johnson Smoker which had the double doors and 4 grates. Those supports made it damned near impossible to get a whole animal in because first of all you have to put the animal in at an angle. Then you have to squeeze it through the areas and those extra supports are in the way. The biggest issue is that when you have an animal spanning both those bottom grates you now cannot pull it out to turn / baste / spritz / etc.. Not to mention it makes it pretty much impossible to pull the entire animal out, as a single piece, once it's fully cooked.

Mine now has 1 large door and 2 very large grates so even with a 200Lb hog I can move the grates in and out as necessary.

Other designs will work...the "cabinet doors" which are pretty popular on the Shirley cookers would be beneficial as well. I discussed this with Chad but we both agreed on the single door for time and budget. Just my $.02 from experiences in the past.

Agreed. I may do doors 1-1.5” below center and make bottom rack one piece and slide out. Probably make large upper rack as well


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[Back9Q]

Well I placed large order on Amazon this morning for consumables, gauges, hub and spindle. Went to work on building gantry crane today and thats almost done. Need to add casters

Tanks should be in end of next week. Wife and kid out of town first week of Nov and hoping to get a lot done then. I am doing 250 with single door. Only unknown as of now is if I am doing a frame for storage

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