What Is a Mobile Smoker Barbecue Grill?

• The mobile smoker barbecue grill comes in just about everything imaginable. Some are made from old refrigerators, metal trash cans, soda coolers, steel drums, the trunk of old cars or the bed of a pickup truck. One of the largest mobile smoker barbecue grills is the trailer of an 18-wheeler. What the barbecue enthusiast must decide is how much food he is going to cook on the unit, then design it from there.
  
  

Mobile Smoker Foundation

• Depending on the size of the mobile smoker, the most common foundation may be as small as a 20-inch-by-48-inch cargo platform that fits into a standard 1¼-inch trailer hitch, to a single axle utility trailer. Design the size of the foundation by determining the size of the cooking surface and accessories like supply storage, propane tanks or the kitchen sink.
  
  

The Mobile Smoker Fuel Source

• The fuel source used on mobile smoker barbecue grills can be wood, charcoal, propane, corn or the combination of any or all of these fuel sources. The most common fuel sources found on mobile smoker units are propane and wood. The propane allows the grill master to regulate the heat, and the wood provides the authentic taste. In most cases when charcoal, wood or corn fuels the heat, then a firebox holds the fuel, so not to burn the food from too much direct heat.
  
  

The Smoker/Grill Cooking Area

• There are two main parts of the smoking/grilling area. The first is the belly of the cooking area, where the heat and smoke congregates and flows. The second is the cooking surface, made from steel rods, or ventilated steel sheets. Using ¼-inch steel to design the grilling surface will protect against overheating the steel when using direct heat. The heat flows in from the lowest point of the cooking area, and the vent stack is at the highest point opposite the heat source.
  
  

Smoker Barbecue Grill Safety Issues

• When building a homemade smoker barbecue grill, safety should be the focus. The majority of the weight should be closest to the tongue of the trailer to insure against bouncing the mobile smoker off the trailer hitch. Balance the weight, when using a trailer hitch unit as the foundation, so not to stress and bend the base. Never carry the propane tanks on the trailer, because an accident can cause an explosion.