Help with creating a mobile hut for my new Smoke Hollow pro 44

[stylez777]

Hello everyone!

I just purchased my first smoker the Smoke Hollow pro 44 from Sams club.  I am excited about putting it together and using it.  While I am going to put it together I wanted to build a mobile hut of sorts for it before hand.

My vision was to have a 3/4 inch plywood with 4 casters attached.  I then figured to frame the 3 sides out using 2 x 4 and then using either 1/2 inch plywood as the "walls". I was planning to staple Reflectix on the inside portion and then using Silver tape to seal the seams.  Areas where I need advice / help:

1 - Does this sound like a decent start?  Should I be using anything different? 

2- On the inside floor, what can I line this with?  Would lining it with Aluminum sheet metal be a good choice?

3 - The roof.  Should I build a roof to keep the rain and snow out in the winter time?

4 - If I do build a roof, should I put a whole in the top so the chimney from the Smoke Hollow Pro can vent out or should I just leave enough clearance and keep it a without a vent hole? Should I also line the roof with Reflectix?

5- Should I stain or treat the outside parts of the wood with anything to repel or protect it form the elements?

Thanks in advance for any and all help / advice.  I plan to post pictures along the way as I build my little mobile Smoke hut / shack

 

[freetime000]

In the same situation here and looking at a qucik easy solution I found this adjustable Mobile Base.  I am curious if anyone has tried one of these 

 

[stylez777]

I have not personally seen that, but it is not a bad option at all and it should work perfectly if you are looking to just make your smoker mobile.

I probably am going to stick with using plywood and casters so I can line the bottom with aluminum sheeting and then build the hut around that base.  It gets crazy windy up here in the NE and we just had a really cold winter!  So next winter I don't want to waste a whole tank of propane trying to smoke something in 10 degree weather and 40 mph winds.

 

[stylez777]

Interesting there is no feedback at all and that nobody else has done this with their smoker.

This smoker being 24.5 x 33 makes it more difficult to get a plywood base.  Pre-cut plywood is 2 feet by 4 feet so it missed by about a half inch.  I'm actually thinking of using 1 x4 or 2 x 4 pieces of wood and make a moving dolly of sorts.  I'll attach the wheels to the pieces of wood and then make a cross beam at each end for the legs to sit on.  I can drill them down into the wood for more stability to just have it stand on it in case I want to easily remove the smoker at a later time.

I also picked up a roll of Reflectix and foil tape.  I am going to get pieces of plywood and some hinges and make a folding wind barrier, instead of a hut / shed. I know the wind barrier is going to be a necessity for me living down by the water!  The other day alone the wind was whipping across my deck.

 

[sota d]

Stylez, It would be easy to build a dolly to move your smoker around. But if you plan on making it a structure you can smoke in, I don't see the feasibility of it being mobile. With a base just big enough for your smoker and 6 foot walls and a roof I think you would have a hard time keeping it from blowing over in a hard wind, it would be way too top heavy. In my opinion you might have to choose a dolly to make your smoker easier to move around, or a permanent smoking structure that can be sufficiently secured to the ground or to another existing structure. Just my opinion, maybe I'm not fully understanding what your goal is. David.

 

[sota d]

Just reread the last few lines of your last post. That sounds like a more feasible idea, but keep in mind that plywood makes a darn good sail in a stiff wind.

 

[stylez777]

Thanks for the reply!

Yeah I kind of went against having it all attached to each other due to the possibility of being top heavy.  Last thing I want is my smoker tipping over mid-cook!!! that would be a disaster.  I have the deck rails and I can always use straps to anchor the smoker down if I am smoking and the wind is going to be that bad!  

The windshield is going to be tall.  The smoker itself is 60" from the ground and now with the wheels and added wood probably 66" total height. So yeah about 5 1/2 to 6 feet wall shield height.  I think the wind shield with 1/2" to 3/4" plywood will be heavier than the smoker itself!  

If I don't build a windshield what else could I do?

Would it be reasonable to build a smaller one to keep the wind from blowing out the burner? 

If the shield isn't going to cover the entire height of the smoker is there any need for the thermal reflection insulation?

 

[sota d]

Never tried building a windscreen for a smoker. But I do know that when loading a sheet of plywood onto a truck in even a moderate wind, that sheet will catch the wind and push you hard! If you do this be certain to anchor the plywood to something solid as it will exert a tremendous force onto whatever is trying to hold it in place. A flying sheet of plywood could be lethal! Personally I wouldn't risk it. Is there a leeward side of your house or other structure that could offer shelter from the wind?

 

[stylez777]

There really isn't.  The deck is totally open and is on the canal.  There is really nothing to block the wind unless I place something to do so.  The deck itself has slats and if I did build some kind of wind shield I can drill anchors into the outside and strap the plywood down to the deck slats in the fence around the deck.  

At this point I'm not so worried about losing thermal heat and using more propane if smoking in the winter, I'm more worried about the wind taking out the flame on a cold windy day or a stiff breeze off the water on a summer afternoon.

 

[sota d]

OK Eric, I typed "wind problem" in the search bar above and found a bunch of threads on the subject. Maybe you can get some fresh ideas. Plywood was mentioned, but quite frankly, that scares the hell out of me. I'd sure hate for someone to get hit by a piece of runaway plywood! Good luck, and most importantly, be safe. Maybe you could post another thread letting folks know what you decided would work best for you. Happy smokin', David.

 

[stylez777]

IMG_20150325_132801466.jpg

• stylez777
• Mar 26, 2015

Finally got it built yesterday!  I was able to easily add 2 pressure treated wood rails and attach 4 casters with locks on it.  Moves nice and easy around the deck now and when wheels are locked it won't budge.  

Now onto figuring out the wind issue.

 

[sota d]

Looks good, I like that you got locking casters. Good luck with the wind problem.