Does smoke exhaust routing need to come out vertical?

[captain8]

I just bought a new motorcoach and planning on building a smoker inside one of the bays. I'm thinking a Bradley P10 if it'll fit since its electric and seems the best option for our needs. The goal is to be able to drive while smoking so when we get to a site we'll have nice quality meats to serve.

The biggest issue is with exhaust routing and if I need to have the exhaust come above the smoker or if its possible to have a side exhaust or even route the exhaust from the top to under the smoker so it'll come out under the bus. I'm unsure how this will affect flavor and if even possible. Also wondering if I am able to put the exhaust to wrap under the bus if I should consider some form of fan for flow.

I'm only considering electric smokers and using chips or bisquettes just for flavor as this will be used in motion and I believe it'll be close to the diesel fuel bay so want to minimize the risk of any issues.

 

[cmayna]

My first concern would be how much smoke will get trapped into the motorcoach as you're traveling down the road. For the amount of times you will be using the smoker, do you really need it to be part of the motorcoach? I would consider having the smoker as being portable. Set up a portable table and plop your smoker onto the table. Plug the smoker into one of your motorcoach's outside AC outlets and go for it. Yes, this means smoking when you're at the coastline, looking at the beautiful waves, sipping on your coffee.

 

[captain8]

My first concern would be how much smoke will get trapped into the motorcoach as you're traveling down the road. For the amount of times you will be using the smoker, do you really need it to be part of the motorcoach? I would consider having the smoker as being portable. Set up a portable table and plop your smoker onto the table. Plug the smoker into one of your motorcoach's outside AC outlets and go for it. Yes, this means smoking when you're at the coastline, looking at the beautiful waves, sipping on your coffee.

The smoker will be in a basement bay so not inside the coach at all. It's a Prevost xl2 40ft large class A coach and there's other things in other bays like a generator which is safe to use while driving and no risk of smoke getting inside.

Most of our traveling is day trips to concerts, amusement parks, tailgating and such so load up the coach, start the smoker at 8am, go ride some rides and check on the food then have an amazing dinner all without any setup/teardown so we can hit the road quickly at night and drive back home. We'll be using the smoker a ton and making a ton of food for people so it'll be nice not to have to setup/teardown. Also the ability to smoke while driving down the road a few hours is a huge plus and we can easily stop at rest areas to stop and check on the food then hop back on the road so it's ready when we get to the destination.

 

[Smoke-Chem BBQ]

I don't have an answer, but I'd look at where the exhaust is for the generator and see if you can position the smoker vent similarly. The reason is a boxy vehicle in motion has all kinds of weird airflow things going on around it, high pressure and low pressure areas, air current eddies, etc. There might be a chance that a smoker vent that works fine when the coach isn't moving could fail to draw, or even flow in reverse, at highway speeds. But presumably the generator exhaust is positioned where that isn't a problem.

Yes, I'm speculating, but it's something to consider.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I'm a rank amateur at this kind of thing, but directing heat down is never good in a smoker, no matter where its located. It defies a basic law of physics, that heat rises.

Looking at pics of a Bradley P10, I don't see where it exits now ? Is that smoker fan assisted to control temps ? If so, I don't see how exhausting laterally would be a problem. My Masterbuilt 560 gravity feed exhausts out the back, it does not have a stack. But it exits immediately.

I think before I built it into the coach, I would test it with an extended exhaust.

 

[captain8]

I don't have an answer, but I'd look at where the exhaust is for the generator and see if you can position the smoker vent similarly. The reason is a boxy vehicle in motion has all kinds of weird airflow things going on around it, high pressure and low pressure areas, air current eddies, etc. There might be a chance that a smoker vent that works fine when the coach isn't moving could fail to draw, or even flow in reverse, at highway speeds. But presumably the generator exhaust is positioned where that isn't a problem.

Yes, I'm speculating, but it's something to consider.

You're definitely right. The genny is in the bay next to it and it's exhaust goes under the coach and out the bottom of the other side completely sideways probably for this reason.

With an electric smoker the smoke is mainly just the flavor and since heat rises I'm worried it'll get trapped inside the smoker and thus not be able to burn well or at all. Maybe a miniature slow inline fan will fix this or maybe just the increased pressure will allow the smoke to still exhaust

 

[captain8]

I'm a rank amateur at this kind of thing, but directing heat down is never good in a smoker, no matter where its located. It defies a basic law of physics, that heat rises.

Looking at pics of a Bradley P10, I don't see where it exits now ? Is that smoker fan assisted to control temps ? If so, I don't see how exhausting laterally would be a problem. My Masterbuilt 560 gravity feed exhausts out the back, it does not have a stack. But it exits immediately.

I think before I built it into the coach, I would test it with an extended exhaust.

It appears to have an exhaust at the top. I'm still unsure if the p10 will even fit in the bay but hopefully it will and I can get this model. I believe it's fan assisted on the inlet side as it's an electric smoker.

The main purpose of venting a smoker isn't to release heat but vent for airflow. Actually retaining the heat in would be a positive. With other fuel sources they need an exhaust to control temps but electric doesn't. The real issue is will I still be able to get the smoking bricks to burn with enough airflow and will the exhaust be routed under the smoker trap too much smoke and flavor thus destroying the flavor of what's being smoked.

 

[Smoke-Chem BBQ]

You're definitely right. The genny is in the bay next to it and it's exhaust goes under the coach and out the bottom of the other side completely sideways probably for this reason.

With an electric smoker the smoke is mainly just the flavor and since heat rises I'm worried it'll get trapped inside the smoker and thus not be able to burn well or at all. Maybe a miniature slow inline fan will fix this or maybe just the increased pressure will allow the smoke to still exhaust

Got it. I hadn't considered there might be an under-coach exhaust for the generator, but that might work only because the generator exhaust is creating some serious pressure to push the gasses out. The smoker won't have that, so absent an exhaust fan, you've only got passive airflow driven by heat rising, and that isn't going to work with an under-coach exhaust.

Maybe it will work with a slow inline fan; it may take some trial and error to get it right. An interesting experiment, with no guarantee of success.

 

[noboundaries]

As I contemplate the issue, I can't get past two words; grease fire.

 

[captain8]

As I contemplate the issue, I can't get past two words; grease fire.

I don't think that's even possible. The minimal airflow would prevent any decent fire and then the heat temp from a fire would shut off the electric heaters. Even if there was somehow a massive fire this thing is all stainless steel enclosed and only spot for air/fire to escape is the inlet and outlet which is in a place for me to decide. Plus even with that the whole coach bay is stainless steel and baiscally airtight.

I'm much less concerned with a smoker being an issue than everything else like generators, water heaters and everything else.

 

[Smokin Okie]

It appears to have an exhaust at the top. I'm still unsure if the p10 will even fit in the bay but hopefully it will and I can get this model. I believe it's fan assisted on the inlet side as it's an electric smoker.

The main purpose of venting a smoker isn't to release heat but vent for airflow. Actually retaining the heat in would be a positive. With other fuel sources they need an exhaust to control temps but electric doesn't. The real issue is will I still be able to get the smoking bricks to burn with enough airflow and will the exhaust be routed under the smoker trap too much smoke and flavor thus destroying the flavor of what's being smoked.

Right, its all about air flow. But if you're not venting vertically or immediately exiting the cook chamber, then air flow is gonna be minimum, a lateral stack will slow down air flow .......unless there's a fan on the air intake pushing the air through the smoker. That is what happens on my gravity feed, a fan is pushing air into the cook chamber, along with taking advantage of heat rising .

 

[chopsaw]

I'm much less concerned with a smoker being an issue than everything else like generators, water heaters and everything else.

Yes , but 2 of those were engineered into the coach .
A smoker wasn't .

 

[Brokenhandle]

I personally don't think it's a good idea. In order for a smoker to work properly you need air flow. An inlet for combustion air and an exhaust to keep the smoke flowing and clean ( tbs... thin blue smoke) so your food doesn't taste like an ashtray. Too much air flow and your chips will most likely ignite and burn without much smoke. Too little air flow and your chips might just extinguish themselves.

I'm guessing before you bought this motorcoach you shopped around? If so, how many did you see that had a built in smoker to be used while driving?

Ryan

 

[captain8]

Yes , but 2 of those were engineered into the coach .
A smoker wasn't .

There's little "engineering" done on most RVs its all just toss in and see what works. My old rv had water lines, drains 120v and 12v all "engineered under the fridge together. It's a mericle there aren't more RV fires.

 

[captain8]

I personally don't think it's a good idea. In order for a smoker to work properly you need air flow. An inlet for combustion air and an exhaust to keep the smoke flowing and clean ( tbs... thin blue smoke) so your food doesn't taste like an ashtray. Too much air flow and your chips will most likely ignite and burn without much smoke. Too little air flow and your chips might just extinguish themselves.

I'm guessing before you bought this motorcoach you shopped around? If so, how many did you see that had a built in smoker to be used while driving?

Ryan

Sure and these can be solved with fans. My question is how does exhaust vent location and piping affect flavor if at all?

Just because something hasn't been done before doesn't mean it shouldn't or isn't a good idea. This is one of many things I'll have in a coach that hasn't really been done before.

 

[Newglide]

I personally don't think it's a good idea

I agree. It just doesn't sound like a good idea to me.
Instead of going through all of the cooking while driving thing, why not cook before you go and install a warming oven instead?

 

[Brokenhandle]

There's little "engineering" done on most RVs its all just toss in and see what works. My old rv had water lines, drains 120v and 12v all "engineered under the fridge together. It's a mericle there aren't more RV fires.

Before you build it into your coach, I'd suggest trying different locations of inlets and exhaust on a smoker and then find a day when the wind is blowing 55 to 65 mph and see how it works... this will most closely replicate what you want to do.

Ryan

 

[captain8]

Before you build it into your coach, I'd suggest trying different locations of inlets and exhaust on a smoker and then find a day when the wind is blowing 55 to 65 mph and see how it works... this will most closely replicate what you want to do.

Ryan

Thanks Ryan will do

 

[noboundaries]

A moving vehicle experiences dynamic forces in all three dimensions due to acceleration/deceleration, turns left/right, and bumps/potholes/hills. Rendered fat, even if in a pan, is an open fuel source that could splash onto the heating element.

That said, research how food trucks cook while moving, if they even do. It might give you some ideas.

 

[babydocsmoker]

My two bits...I'm not fond of the idea either, but if you're like me you'll prob do it anyway. Is there anyway to seal off a section of the bay for just the smoker?