Purchase consideration

[Thomassen]

I'm considering buying the Camp Chef Smoke Vault 24 or the Masterbuilt MB20051316. How do people like their Smoke Vaults? What are your experiences smoking brisket? Ribs? I've read that the thermometer is not that accurate. Has anyone replaced it with something like a Tell True?

I have a PBC but need a backup for days when we have Spare the Air days (I live in Oakland, CA). Wild fire smoke blows into the area and can settle in the Bay Area for days and sometimes weeks until wind patterns change. It's Labor Day and I can't use my PBC!

Thanks in advance.

[CurlingDog]

Hi Thomassen,
this might be a little late, but i just pulled the trigger on the MB20051316 yesterday. Found the best price was on their website, not Amazon. Got the tracking today and come Saturday, it will be assembled and added to my collection. The wife says one has got to go, so the old propane cabinet smoker thats got a little rust on it will be on the curb with a big ol FREE sign on it. Can't throw it away as it's still works. gotta give.
Enjoy and good luck!
Hanker

[Dan Deter]

I've not used either one, but I had a friend at work who turned out really top-notch brisket with his Smoke Vault on a regular basis.

[jpietrantone]

Same here. I see and hear nothing but positive things from people who have Smoke Vaults.

[Joey877]

Well I wish I had seen this back when it was originally posted. I have the Thermotemp XL and my brother has the Smoke Vault 24, so I have a lot of experience with both. My preference is the Masterbuilt for size and ease of use. The Smoke Vault is built a little better (higher quality), but the Masterbuilt has more space for food and is closer to a "set and forget it" than the Smoke Vault. Can't really go wrong with either of them.

[texastweeter]

I have a sv24 and I use it probably more than any other cooker. Cook 3 briskets, 6 racks of St Lewis ribs, or 12 butts on it all the time. Nothing at all negative to say. Can run it all night long and keep it 5 degrees either direction of my target temp. Only once did I have an issue and it was due to high wind and no shelter.

[CosmicMiami]

Hi Thomassen,
this might be a little late, but i just pulled the trigger on the MB20051316 yesterday. Found the best price was on their website, not Amazon. Got the tracking today and come Saturday, it will be assembled and added to my collection. The wife says one has got to go, so the old propane cabinet smoker thats got a little rust on it will be on the curb with a big ol FREE sign on it. Can't throw it away as it's still works. gotta give.
Enjoy and good luck!
Hanker

Can the MB20051316 be outfitted with a mailbox mod?

[CosmicMiami]

Can the MB20051316 be outfitted with a mailbox mod?

Also, if I can't do a mailbox mod, how does it handle a smoke tube? I had a MB electric that finally died and haven't replaced it. I don't smoke enough to invest in a smoker in a higher price bracket.

Thanks.

[SmokingSteve]

A smoke tube will work fine, but if you use wood chunks instead of wood chips in the Masterbuilt, you very likely will never need the smoke tube. Experienced XL340G owner.

[Dewesq55]

Agree with SmokingSteve - Use chunks and you won't need a smoke tube unless it's for cold smoking. However, since you ask about a mailbox mod, perhaps cold smoke is what you are after. I don't think that is particularly practical. It would require significant modification of the double walled cabinet wall.

[jfmorris]

Thomassen I don't have the Smoke Vault, but do have other Camp Chef products, and can vouch that the build quality is usually very high. I've not heard of anyone that owns a Smoke Vault with complaints. Apparently once you master the controls, it can be a set it and forget it smoker, and it holds a ton. Master Built, on the other hand, tends to make a lot of cheap products, and I've seen some complaints here in the Pitmaster club from folks about problems with the Masterbuilt thermostatic propane smokers.

I was all set to get a SmokeVault 24 to help in smoking pork and chicken for my youngest daughter's May 2020 wedding, but when it scaled back from 200 people to about 15, I no longer needed the extra smoking capacity. I kinda wish I had bought it before the women and COVID-19 scaled back the wedding plants, but such is life.

I say go for the SmokeVault if you have not already, and there are plenty of folks here on the pit that can give you advice on the best way to set it up. Another advantage, if you have natural gas available, is that the Smokevault is easily converted to run on a natural gas hookup.