Tank smokers

[aczeller]

so i am picking up a 500 gallon fuel-oil tank (8' long, 3' diameter) on Sunday afternoon... $50. it's worth that alone in scrap metal, so i have no problems coughing up the cash. my question is: how should i mount this thing? My original through was to throw it on a trailer with a drop-gate so I could have an elevated area to cook on, serve food, prep meat, etc. However, after looking at sizes, weight ratings, etc... it ain't gonna be cheap. my question is: has anyone ever had any experience with mounting a trailer axle to a tank and just going about your business? My truck can haul anything else i need... wood, coolers, tents, etc., so space is not a huge concern for me. sure, more would be better, but i think i can get by without it. worst case scenario, i just laod the inside of the smoker with the coolers and chairs. by the time all is said and done, i am planning on the smoker alone weighing nearly 2000 lbs. dry weight, the tank is over 1200. my only real concern is where i will get an axle, but i have also through about getting some torsion-spring hubs (if you call them that) and just mounting 4 of them to the tank directly... I will probably have a small frame of some sort, but nothing major. just something to get some solid welding surface.

any thoughts?

Later,
Andy

[new smoke]

That is where our smoker started. Ed at the shop wanted to do that in the planning stages of the build. Even now, he says the real structure of the smoker and trailer is in the tanks and heat chase. They built it heavy for that reason. He says the trailer frame that is under it is just something to hold the axles.

One of the benefits of having axles already on a trailer, given the trailer pulls straight, would be saving the time and effort of squaring up the axles.

That's a good price for the tank.

[IrishChef]

Make it purpose built as a smoker with wheels, instead of a trailer with a smoker attached to it. No sense in building/buying a trailer for it, if you are just going to tear it apart modding it anyways.

[new smoke]

You going RF? Rotisserie?

[new smoke]

Very true.

Make it purpose built as a smoker with wheels, instead of a trailer with a smoker attached to it. No sense in building/buying a trailer for it, if you are just going to tear it apart modding it anyways.

[aczeller]

You going RF? Rotisserie?

no clue yet. I'm going to run down to Shenandoah on Sunday to pick it up. (you're welcome to come along if you so desire). I want to take a look at it and see what's in it before I start making up my mind. it used to be an fuel-oil tank before their home got converted to LP (based on what the current owner told me). Rotisserie wouldn't be bad, but i don't know how i want to go about doing it yet for sure. the three biggest things through are getting the tank, teh trailer/axle figured out, and a plasma cutter. I can do it all with grinding/cutting disks, but that is about 18hours of solid cutting and about $400 in disks, easy. I can go buy a new plasma for that, save my back, my ears, and the sanity of the neighbors. lol

after that, I think i have enough scrap material to get a good start on it. I think i should have it done by winter if all goes according to plan.

[new smoke]

Awesome. It will be interesting to see what it is.

We drug a couple of old fuel-oil tanks out of the weeds at my grandmas house before we came across the two propane tanks we ended up using.

The fuel-oil tanks were tall and not quite as deep as a standard propane tank. They would have been good for a cooker, but had a little cancer where they were sitting on the ground. Pretty thin wall stuff, too.

I love cooker builds. Haven't even gotten this one out of the shop yet and have had moments when I've thought about another one.

Have a safe trip. Not too bad of a drive.

[aczeller]

i never thought about them being thin-walled... i might have to look at that when we go. i was thinking it should be at least 1/4"...

[Blowin Smoke]

i never thought about them being thin-walled... i might have to look at that when we go. i was thinking it should be at least 1/4"...

The oil tanks I've cut up where around 1/16".

[new smoke]

We didn't measure, but they were definately thinner than propane tanks.

Thin enough that dad and I could lift them into the back of the truck.

[aczeller]

hmmmm... looks like i will be giving this some more thought. thanks for the heads up guys, and potentially saving me some troubles...

[IrishChef]

I would think that if its 8ft long, it would either have internal bracing or baffling to keep the sides from distorting from internal pressure, or be made out of something a bit thicker. But......

[whitey]

I don't know about in your state but pa. you need a title to haul a trailer on the road.Getting a home build title and liscence is a hassle. Might be better to get a cheapo on cl and using parts and title. Just a thought.
Whitey

[Blowin Smoke]

I would think that if its 8ft long, it would either have internal bracing or baffling to keep the sides from distorting from internal pressure, or be made out of something a bit thicker. But......

The tanks I cut open where only 250 gallon and they where about 5 to 6 foot long and about 4 foot tall. If this tank indeed weighs 2000# they are heaver than mine. The 250 gallon two people could easily lift one.

[aczeller]

The tanks I cut open where only 250 gallon and they where about 5 to 6 foot long and about 4 foot tall. If this tank indeed weighs 2000# they are heaver than mine. The 250 gallon two people could easily lift one.

I was basing my weight estimate off of pipe weights (36" pipe, .375" wall is about 147lbs per foot, plus the end caps, fittings, etc.). I had a picture at one time, but don't know where it went. it looked like a backyard-style silver propane tank, but with flat ends, rather than rounded. I sent her an email asking about the approximate dry-weight... i guess we'll have to wait and see what she comes back with.