I need some type of rig so I can move my smoker

[rbranstner]

I just finished my smoker and it turned out great but it is really big and WAY heavier than I expected. So heavy that it takes three guys to lift it up when setting it on its back. My dilemma is that I want to be able to move it around. I might mount it on a trailer but the problem is that it is so high I can't get it in and out of my garage for the winter. Has anyone ever come across any type of dolly or mover or have any ideas how I could have the unit in my garage then hoist it up or something and lean it back or something like that enough to get it out the door into the drive way and then move it back into the garage. Or even some way I could attach it to the trailer and lean it down when I need to go in and out and when I am transporting it. It would need some type of winch or cranks to move it up and down.
I just have a smaller 4x8 trailer that I never use.
I would just park it outside in the winter but we get so much snow here that it would be stuck in the back yard and we make sausage every winter at my parents house. I guess we may end up just making it at my house from now on. Just thought I would pick your brains to see if we can come up with anything.

 

[rbranstner]

Here is a link to some pictures of the smoker to get you a better idea of what i am working with.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=85090

 

[beer-b-q]

You might look into a refrigerator dolly.

Check out the ones here...
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...y_6970_101+426

 

[gnubee]

I'd be tempted to bolt some heavy duty wheels say about 4 inch or so on the back of it. Two swivel wheels and two fixed direction wheels. You could lay it down and wheel it out the door then stand it back up again.

Man am I a genius or what?

Probably what Huh?.

 

[smokin' dick]

A movers hand cart comes to mind, but would be too small, I think. Since your beautiful smoker is made of wood make the smoker the hand cart. Two large diameter wheels, maybe 13", with the axel mounted on the back of the smoker so the wheels are just resting on the ground and past the sides of the unit. Mount a handle about four feet up from the ground and you're ready to go. To move it around just tip it back onto the wheels, grunt, and then push. How much does this thing weigh by the way?

 

[rbranstner]

Yea I was thinking about they way you guys were by just mounting a few casters or wheels some where on the back and tilt it back on the wheels but the thing is so heavy that there is no way I can tilt it back without the whole smoker coming and slamming back on me and squishing me into the ground. I can't say how heavy it it in pounds but seriously it would take three guys laying it on its back to stop it from slamming into the ground and breaking the smoker and squishing me into the ground and killing me. No Joke. I am trying to envision some type of A frame metal frames on each side of the smoker and a beam in between which the trailer would back up and some type of crank or winch to lower and raise to smoker up and down.
I might make something where I back my trailer up to the smoke and then slip a pin into two hinges to keep the bottom stationary and then some type of crank or winch to lower the the smoker on the trailer. And then it would need to be able to raise it back up again outside. Don't know if this is realistic but I am trying to come up with something.

 

[kookie]

Not sure how tall it is right now, but if it is short enough to go through a standard door and you have room to spare, maybe just mount some casters under it and roll it out side. That is what I did to my chest freezer that I converted into a smoker. Mine standing on end was still short enough to fit through the walk in door. I put casters on it and wheel it out.

 

[rbranstner]

Oh yea I should have mentioned that it won't fit through my garage doors it's too tall. I need an engineer to come over and brain storm with me on what I can build to get this smoker ready to move around. I am starting to believe that it will be to tall and heavy to move around.

 

[carpetride]

I would build a dolly system similar to the Stumps.

For the height issue you might consider a chainsaw! ;)

Nice rig!!

 

[pops6927]

You need a chiropractor!

Well, a chiropractor table at least, that would take you from a standing to a laying position!

Unfortunately such a rig attached to your smoker would be so big and cumbersome even laying down you probably couldn't move it without a garden tractor!

You may just want to revise your build and lower the top a foot or two - 1) it would fit into the garage standing up and 2) it would lighten it some also.
Then mount some casters/spoke wheels on it so you can move it on it's own accord vertically. To transport it, you'd have to rig up a large cherrypicker contraption that would slowly lower it by block and tackle to horizontal, preferably into a truck bed that you could shove it up onto.

Or, put it on cement blocks and garden around it and call it permanent! Some people have garden sheds, you have a vertical deer smoker - whole! in the backyard! Just be sure to put it close enough to the house you can shovel out to it and have your woodpile handy!

 

[meateater]

Maybe this.

http://www.handtrucks.com/hand-truck...lhandtruck.cfm

 

[bbq lover]

find yourself a old gas grill thats junk and remove the box and you left with the frame my drum just fits and it has to selfs and wheels its working out so good