Smoke Vault alignment problem....

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old poi dog

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Aug 26, 2007
1,232
11
Maui, Hi.
I finally got around to assembling the Smoke Vault 24 that I ordered a couple of weeks back. Everything went well until I put the door on. It did not align with the right edge of the smoker. There was a gap between the door and the right upper edge of the smoker. OK...so I shimmed the bottom edge of the smoker so that when the door is shut, the gap is lessened, but I still have a 1/8 inch gap on the upper right edge. In fact when i peek through the to vent hole, I can see light streaming through.

Any other fix I can try to close the 1/8 inch gap? I'm worried about heat loss, although I do not know how much gap that size would affect heat.
 
Although I don't own one as of yet, I have been checking them out from time to time. It sounds to me like the smoke chamber has a slight twist from shipping...it can happen. If you grab a hold of the chamber on top and brace the bottom with your feet, try to twist the chamber in either direction while you watch the gap in the door. That will tell you which direction it needs to go to close the gap. You may need to "tweek" it a little.

Also, check the lips/channels of the door/chamber for distortion/bends or other damage. And check for damaged door cabinet hinge parts. If all else fails, loosen any screws/bolts that hold the cabinet/door together and try to re-position, then, retighten the fasteners.

My GOSM had a small dent in the cook chamber when I un-boxed it to assemble (shipping damage)...I had to pound it out with a wood block.

Good luck!

Eric
 
I had that problem too. mine was damaged in shipping - twice, and still had that problem. I ended up putting pressure on the main frame ("box") to bend it so the door fit right. Even then I have to lightly kick the legs "toward the corners" (ie out) after I move it.

Edit: forluvofsmoke: the door is a single piece no parts to tighten. But OPD: DO check the main frame over for damage.
 
Thanks guys....I'll check it out tomorrow. If the main chamber is out of square, I wonder if there is a way to rig a brace of some kind?.....If not it will be like you suggest....tweak/twist.
 
The first one I bought was out of square so bad that I returned it to Sportsman's Warehouse and picked up another one. This one s much better but still does not fit real tight. I get some smoke escaping around the door but it still keeps the temps up and the food still gets plenty of smoke. If all else fails, call customer service and see what they recommend.
 
I checked for damage to the main box a few minutes ago. There were a few bumps and bruises from shipping but the box is square. All the diagonal measurements are spot on. I checked again and the gap is 1/16 inch rather than 1/8...and it extends about 8 inches from the top right edge of the door, downward. After the first 8 inches the door seal is good.

Anyone use high temp silicone to form a type of seal? If so your thoughts and tips would be appreciated. Will silicone impart anything detrmental to food/smoke?
 
I used some high temp silicone that I purchased from a fireplace store. Once it's dry, it won't hurt your food as it's on the outside basically. It still didn't seal mine completely,but it works fine as is.
 
To check for "an out of square" condition, just criss cross the rectangle or square item with a tape measure. Go from upper left corner to lower right corner, then upper right corner to lower left corner. Let's say for this example the difference is 3/8". The dimension that is the longest needs to be reduced by 3/16". That will bring you right back to "square". You can use this same method for the door also.
 
Thanks Mikey, The door is aligned too. I guess I shouldn't obsess over 1/16 inch. After all it was made offshore.
 
That sounds like what I had - the dents put the opening out of square so to speak. Be careful about hammering it back with a block of wood, you'll cause the powder coat to chip off. I tried on one of the ones I had (before Camp Chef replaced it). If it doesn't fit to your satisfaction, call Camp Chef. They sent me a new "body" no charge and no hassle. I get virtually no smoke leak around the door unless I forget to "kick the legs to the corners" after I move it.
 
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