Uncarted Territory


 
BrettK

BrettK

TVWBB Member
I started the obsession with a Fourth Generation 22” Performer Deluxe with all the GBS goodies I nabbed off Craigslist for $200. Last year we invested in a 22” WSM and that’s been our jam for all of 2023.

Over the past year though, Emily and I have learned that moving the WSM can be cumbersome. I thought it would be nice if a man had a Performer cart like the one for the kettle, and didn’t see why it wouldn’t work. So I started to search the web to see if anyone has attempted it, and that’s what led me to you guys! Here I was thinking I was the only goober that was mildly obsessed with Weber stuff. Glad I found y’all. Seeing that it was now easily doable, I started searching for a used Performer. The only downside is Craigslist and Marketplace are not all that great where we live (a real active listing is used Glade plug ins), so we have to drive to Denver a couple of hours to find anything worth something.

Earlier this week, a SS Performer on Craigslist for a $100 popped up and I immediately made the drive to Denver go pick it up. I decided to take our gas saver, a 95 Toyota Tercel 2 door, and brought tools thinking the cart could be disassembled and would fit in the 2 door car fairly easily. Once I arrived, I realized that I was wrong, because the cart was welded, and I probably should’ve brought the pickup.

I had some puzzled looks as people walked by, and I’m pretty sure if you did a search, you’ll find me on a social media reel looking like an idiot trying to fit a carted grill in a 2 door passenger car for 30 minutes or so…but I eventually got it! I ended up unbolting the front passenger seat and laying it on the rear bench. The cart then filled the space between the driver seat, passenger door, the front dash and the rear bench, with one of the legs of the cart still stuck out the window. After I left the sidewalk folks with their mouth agape, I went through the chick-fil-a drive thru with some more weird looks, and made my journey back home.

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It may take me a minute to flesh this project out, but I plan on making a platform on the bottom of the cart to hold the WSM in place of the kettle. The game plan is to eventually add propane assist and holes for a One Touch Cleaning System to the bottom of the smoker. We’ll cross that bridge in the spring maybe. In the meantime, I’ve got some turkeys to smoke.

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Brett, good news, bad news. First the bad, you have got a full blown case of Weberitis. The good, welcome to the forums, you found the right place to share your affliction with fellow victims of the obsession!

I have no doubt you will be able to pull this off. The determination you demonstrated getting that smoker in the Tercel is ridiculous. Lol.

As you know, there are like minded folks on this forum that have made similar projects like yours. Why didn't Weber? A gas assist WSM on a cart is going to be sick.

The WSM was my first Weber smoker and like you found it cumbersome at times. That lead me to the SmokeFire pellet grill/smoker. Gotta get your fix somehow when you want great smoke flavor. I wish I had the skills to pull off the project you are undertaking.

Great back story getting that home, cant wait to read/see more of your WSM cart project. 🍻
 
The gas assist “One Touch” up grade is interesting. Basically that would just need a “Performer” bowl and a different gas line. Easy enough.
The Flip side of that, the vents will not really allow some of the fine tuning that most folks want for smoking, extra height to accommodate the ash catcher will raise the working area some. For a tall person that’s not a big deal but, it might be for others.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
The gas assist “One Touch” up grade is interesting. Basically that would just need a “Performer” bowl and a different gas line. Easy enough.
The Flip side of that, the vents will not really allow some of the fine tuning that most folks want for smoking, extra height to accommodate the ash catcher will raise the working area some. For a tall person that’s not a big deal but, it might be for others.
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I definitely want to have the one touch in addition to the 3 vents on the bottom. I’ve thought about swapping bowls, but then it comes down to drilling out 9 extra holes for the 3 vents on the bottom. I think I can pull off using the WSM bowl, and dremeling out the One Touch vents by laying a template from the extra kettle I have now. The clearance won’t be a problem, and the bowls are identically shaped as far as I can tell.

The height will make it a little more interesting, but the pay off of not having to disassemble it after every cook will be worth it in my opinion.
 
Hi Brett, welcome from PA! I’ve got my 18” on an SSP cart, no mods other than a lid hinge. It’s nice being able to move it so easily and having convenient charcoal storage and workspace. Being 6’4”, I appreciate the additional height it provides as well. Can’t wait to see your finished product!

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Small update, but gave me a lot of direction on where I’ll take this project next. Since mine is 22”, it won’t fit as nice inside the cart like the post above by @DuaneMac.

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Knowing I need a platform, I started with a sheet of OSB, and cut a 2’x4’ section out of it. I had to notch the board for the cart legs, and then I rounded the end off it for aesthetics. I don’t plan on sticking with the OSB as a permanent solution, only as a temporary template. I’m thinking of going with a piece of stainless for the end goal.

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Overall, i’m really happy with how this is coming together. Once I swap out the OSB for the permanent platform, I’ll grab a pair of kettle mounts from Unknown BBQ and utilize the holes in the cart to mount the barrel. For extra stability, possibly getting a set of cylinder locks from Cajun Bandit.

One thing that I’ll have to rule out is the high capacity ash catcher. I was hoping the ash catcher would sit between the frame rails of the cart, but it comes into contact with the crossmember and the axle of the bigger wheels. So for now, the plan is to bend the tabs on the legs of the WSM that hold the heat shield, and turn it into a removable ash catcher instead.

One of the things missing from this cart when I bought it was the igniter. So with the help of @DuaneMac, I ordered the factory igniter and nut. Once that arrives, I’ll start the process of adding both it and the one touch system.
 
Brett I went about the same route as you only mine was a 18.5 I just wanted more room to open and clean it.
I started with plywood ,OSB, after getting the shape moved on to cedar slates, then I freind saw it and said you need a steel mess floor, and he took my floor and made me a steel one great in the rain and snow.
 
It took me a minute to work myself up to this, because I’m really picky, and didn’t want to mess the bowl up. It can’t just be “functional” either, it has to look nice. Even if a blemish is hidden away, others may not know it about it, but I will, and that’s enough to drive me insane...but it turned out better than I thought it would!

To find the abosolute center of the bowl, I made 3 measurements with a tape using the vents and the leg mounts to make sure I was measuring the longest parts of the bowl. Once I found the center, I drilled the first hole.

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Next, I made a template off the old grill of the one touch system using cardboard and a marker.

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Next I laid the template over the smoker and transferred the pattern back onto the masking tape. You’ll probably notice that I’m inside the house doing majority of this…little man was taking a nap upstairs and I needed to be in range of the monitor.

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Once little man woke up, I stepped into the garage and spent about a hour or two making sure I got the holes cut and everything was tight and clean. Not pictured, but with the same method, I did the same for the burner. This was a little harder, because the hole is more lemon shaped, so it was a little more time consuming. But overall, I’m super happy how it turned out. If anyone ever wanted to replicate this, it’s not hard, you just have to be really patient and take plenty of measurements ahead of time. I’m pretty eager to fire it up to see if I can notice any difference in temps.

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I shot the exposed metal with a bit of high temp black paint and clear coat after I took these pictures. Next update should be a more permanent base.
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
Yes, very interesting indeed! Not a project I would undertake but, it’s fascinating to watch unfold.
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Brian Moriarty said:
while I dont condone this I understand it
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I’m not one to wear my feelings on my shoulders, and I gladly welcome well-thought-out and logical criticism. As long as it generates good discussion, I’m all ears fellas.

What on your minds? Do you think it’ll hinder any performance, or are you coming at it from a purist perspective?
 
I’m coming at it from an “I do not have those skills nor tools“ perspective. While I would not necessarily bother with the ignition system I certainly appreciate the idea. I’ve been a torch through the door guy for years, works very nicely for me, I get the convenience aspect. I guarantee if I had it I’d use it! Keep going!
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
Gain height by getting some bigger wheels? Offset the axle from the original position, move them back six inches?
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Sorry, I totally didn’t see this to respond. The height of the cart wasn’t the problem, but the crossmember right above the axles. I didn’t want to move the wheels back any because it would’ve made the cart rather tippy with all that extra weight in the front.
 
Small update. Stainless was way too expensive, so I just used some sheet metal, and will get it powder coated to match the rest of the cart.

In addition to the lip (aesthetic only)...it’s hard to see in the pics below, but also tacked on 2 loops underneath towards the back where I could secure the base to the cart with a pin.

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Hopefully I can get it back from PC sometime next week and update y’all with the final product.
 
BrettK said:
Sorry, I totally didn’t see this to respond. The height of the cart wasn’t the problem, but the crossmember right above the axles. I didn’t want to move the wheels back any because it would’ve made the cart rather tippy with all that extra weight in the front.
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Fair enough!l. Looking really cool!!
 
Today’s the day!

IMG_8190.jpegGot the base back from PC and quickly assembled it. She’s a beaut!

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Here’s a better picture of the way the base is secured to the cart. I just need to grab 2 cotter pins to keep the rod in place.

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The Cajun bandit mount holes line up perfectly with the cart, and the curvature is perfect with the smoker itself. I’ve just got to add bolts to mount the barrel. Also replaced the square tube inserts from ones I found on Amazon.
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I the old propane hose was a tad short, so I had a new one made up. Then I wrapped the igniter wires in a loom to clean up the look. I replaced the missing Weber badge with a new one, and also managed to grab the last custom “Performer” sticker from a guy on eBay. I really liked the look.
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I cleaned up the old wheels with a plastic compound called “Back to Black”, you can find it in the automotive section at any parts store. To round it off, I found a guy on Etsy that remade the inserts for the wheels. They look brand new!

I honestly didn’t anticipate it being done this quick. Hopefully I’ll get to cook on it within the next week or so and test the performance with the added One Touch. I’ll keep y’all posted.
 
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