Motorized Charcoal Grill

[Dr Smith]

Howdy, you can call me Doc. I have decided to strip down an old gas grill to use charcoal, and add a cooler, some bigger tires, a #3 Dale Earnhardt, Sr. paint job, and a few RPMs for a cool tailgating attraction. The general idea is a scooter cooler with a grill on top. However, I have come across a few problems in the design. I have attached a general plan and circled the issues in red.

1. The rider - a sulky-type build as a trailer makes the most sense. A seat of some sort would be more NASCAR-like and more comfortable, but would also add weight and be cumbersome. A stand up sulky that folds flat into the side of the grill is my ideal setup. I have an old bike frame that I can cut up.

2. The motor - I haven't weighed my grill yet, but I'm sure its pretty hefty. Add a full cooler and a rider in tow (though I'm only 130 lbs) and it quickly adds up. I have elected to use an electric motor because I'd rather avoid mixing exhaust fumes and gasoline with hot charcoal. But I don't have a clue how powerful the motor needs to be. Top speed is not a priority, I'd be happy with 5-10 mph. Anything over that would probably be a little risky. I can just push it up hills or rough terrain if the need arises.

3. Throttle control/braking - I have seen scooter controllers on eBay, but I feel like I should get a full set of motor, controller, throttle, and brakes from the same source. I do have a $200 budget for all that together, plus bicycle handlebars if needed.

4. The tires/axles - I'll try to get an updated weight to help narrow this down. I expect to have a fairly wide wheel base to avoid a top-heavy rollover.

5. Steering - I have the steering column between the cooler and the back of the front panel, which makes it off center to the right. This is a problem only in principal, I can't make a Dale Sr. motorized grill with a steering wheel on the right side. Blasphemy! The other option is to reverse the whole setup and have the rider on the end with the stove top burner. However, this would put the propane close to the motor, something I would like to avoid in the off chance of a spark. Anyone have any ideas on the safety issues involved there? The stove top is already built in, and I don't know if I can change that.

I am still in the planning phase of this project. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

-Doc

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Howdy, you can call me Doc.

I can try, but it will be hard... LOL- I get called Doc on other forums, and my last name is indeed Smith.

Welcome to the forum, your project looks really interesting.

There's not a lot of "electric guys" on here, so please be patient when awaiting such answers.

Propane and electrical sparks could indeed be an issue. If you're careful about your design and implementation, I think it'll be fine.

My first impression (although I admit it could get costly) would be a gasoline engine converted to run LPG, with the grill running off the same fuel supply. Wouldn't that be cool?

 

[landuse]

Welcome to the forum. You have an interesting project ahead of you. Are you going to be installing some sort of hear shield to protect the motor from the hot grill?

 

[Dr Smith]

I can try, but it will be hard... LOL- I get called Doc on other forums, and my last name is indeed Smith.

Welcome to the forum, your project looks really interesting.

There's not a lot of "electric guys" on here, so please be patient when awaiting such answers.

Propane and electrical sparks could indeed be an issue. If you're careful about your design and implementation, I think it'll be fine.

My first impression (although I admit it could get costly) would be a gasoline engine converted to run LPG, with the grill running off the same fuel supply. Wouldn't that be cool?

Indeed, the LPG would be awesome. With gas prices these days, I've often wanted to modify my truck to run off of it. If all goes well with the first one, that can be something I work toward.

Welcome to the forum. You have an interesting project ahead of you. Are you going to be installing some sort of hear shield to protect the motor from the hot grill?

Yes, I was thinking about covering the top of the cooler and the engine with aluminum flashing (it's lighter) to protect from hot grease, and it should do a reasonable job for heat. The engine cover will probably just be a "shelf", but I might completely encase the cooler with the stuff.

Thanks for the input.