Yoder guys - question on transport?

[realdocBBQ]

So I'm getting a used Yoder YS480 tomorrow, have to bring it back around 2 hours on the highway. Actually a friend of mine who is passing through the area was going to pick it up for me, I figured it could be easily laid back on its back in the bed of his truck.

The guy who is selling it to me is concerned, he thinks that isn't a good idea, he thinks it's too heavy and it might be damaged by laying flat on its back. Personally I can't see the problem, I mean I know it's probably heavy as heck, as it's 10g steel, but I just don't see what could really go wrong? I mean, the electronics are safely bolted to the steel, and they're not going to be bounced around any worse standing, lying or in a cardboard box than any other way. A couple little scratches or something here and there, I'm not worried about. It looks to be in extremely good condition for a 2 year-old smoker, he's taken really good care of it.

I guess if need be I can pick up a trailer tomorrow and go get it, but we're talking 4+ hours driving I don't absolutely HAVE to make... is this a big deal, or no?

I mean, personally, with my Traeger, I wouldn't hesitate to transport it like that and the electronics are essentially the same - different controller and board and such, I know, but I mean, the basic design of a pellet smoker is pretty simple. A controller, an auger and a fan.

What say you guys? Let my friend lay it in the bed of his truck and not worry about it, or pick up a trailer and drive over to OKC tomorrow and back, about a 5 hour turnaround.

[Spinaker]

I would not lay it on its back for transport. Use ratchet straps to secure it in the truck. If your buddy doesn't have any, tell him you'll pay him back. You need to make sure the casters are locked or secure the base another way. Then strap it down. I am not worried about the steel, I am worried about the electronics. They are not designed to be transported that way. They will not bounce around the same as if it were standing the way it should. They are assembled while the unit is upright, they are not designed to be put on their backs. All that being said, you might be fine. All I am saying is, that is not a risk I would take.

Considering how long you'll have this, what is 5 hours? Just my two cents.

[Nate]

+1 on this. I always figure they would ship them that way if it was ok to do it but they don’t. Also if I was the seller it would make me sad to see my baby leaving that way and I would be scared for its future!

[Spinaker]

My thoughts exactly. Nate Take your time, do it right.

[Troutman]

++2 - couldn't have said it any better myself, go to Home Depot and get some ratchet straps, they are useful in so many different ways.

[realdocBBQ]

Well, because of his truck, he doesn't think he'll be able to transport it standing. He has like tool boxes or something that prohibit it, I guess. He said he will stop by in the morning and check it out and see what he thinks.

[RonB]

You might try callin' Yoder in the morning. They probably know the answer...

[jfmorris]

I’ve transported my offset many times in the back of a pickup and always stood it up and secured it to different anchor points in the truck with ratchet straps, including one around the body to keep it closed right. I would just roll it in/out with some 2x8 ramps I made. With the Yoder I think there is a lot more stuff inside that is not gonna like being turned on it’s back versus upright. I am with Spinaker on this one.

I've got toolboxes in both my pickups, and imagine this guy must have blocked access to the front tie downs on the truck bed. I’ve solved that before by running a really long ratchet strap around the top of the toolbox and then around whatever I am hauling. Then more to the back or side anchors in the bed or on the rail. Recently I installed some U bolts on front of the toolbox on one truck, and moved the toolbox back several inches on the other to uncover them.

[realdocBBQ]

Actually I think he's got a half-height box of some kind that runs from the front about halfway back? I don't know, I didn't catch all of what he said.

[Troutman]

So what your saying is you also go a gun rack and a spittoon in those babies as well ......

[realdocBBQ]

Ok, ok, ok... I'm bowing to the conventional wisdom. I am going to take one of my extremely valuable days off and am headed to pick up the trailer right now, then hit the road. I hope to have some pics of the new toy up this evening!

[Spinaker]

Good call. Better to get it home safe. Get some picks of the loading and unloading! Looking forward to seeing your first cook!

[Troutman]

Yea send the bill for your expense and time off to Meathead via Spinaker 's expense account

[EdF]

You can ask @BBQCentral to be your intermediary with the First National Bank of Meathead! ;-)

[Mr. Bones]

Hope ya have a great adventure on yer Yoder Road Trip, brother!
Lookin forward to pics.

[RonB]

Well, it's been more than 4 hours - where are the photos....

[Troutman]

.....waiting ......

[DWCowles]

Personally I would take the wheels off of it and strap it down with it standing on it’s legs.

[Spinaker]

Great idea!

[realdocBBQ]

Well, I got it home. No pics yet, I had meetings yesterday afternoon which took a couple hours, then I was exhausted and napped for about an hour and a half, then had Family Movie Night with The Wife, The Boy, The Grandparents, The Neighbor Lady Who Claims To Be A Grandparent....

Ugh.

So I'm up early today suffering with allergies. It should be light enough in a little bit to take some pics. I'm super happy with this thing. Holy smoke(r)s, man, there is a REASON Yoder is expensive! I knew it was 10g steel, but jeez! This thing is more solid than either of my gun safes! And the attention to little things is awesome!

Some things that have definitely already stood out to me:
- Thickness and weight of steel, obviously. I think it will take longer to get truly "heat-soaked", yes, but should hold heat well and minimize temperature variations.
- The upper grate is heavy and solid and actually slides out and can still easily hold a ton of weight when pulled out, so you can reach things easily. This is a really neat feature. Website says 1/2 square tube and #9 expanded metal. For those of us like me who aren't welders or farmers or whatever, it's hard to envision that - but it is IMPRESSIVE in person!
- Smoke stack is also the same heavy 10g, but is super easily removable for cleaning. Just spraying out with a hose or something.
- The side and front racks are super heavy solid steel (chrome plated), not tubular or lightweight. They are listed as 7/16", but this is for the edge and weight-bearing parts, the crossbars are lighter, but still way better than any other ones I have seen. They will SERIOUSLY hold some weight!
- Digital controller. Everything I've found says this controller works very well, it's custom built for Yoder, but I don't find a lot on the actual method. Is it a true PID controller? I don't know. I've got more research to do, but I do like the 5°F temperature settings, I think it will help a lot. I'm going to have to see how well it holds things for me, but everything I've read says it works very well. Gotta dive into the instruction manual in-depth.

The guy I bought this from took great care of it, it's probably a true 9-9½ out of 10 condition, and he gave me his invoice from purchase which showed just under $1700, and I got it for $650. He also threw in a bunch of accessories, like a bunch of aluminum pans, a small hand torch for lighting it, and even another Maverick ET-732. Sweet!

Overall, I'm stoked! Have Date Night out tonight with the wife and another couple, but I'm thinking I'm going to break it in tomorrow, I'm just not sure with what yet. I might do both a pork butt and some ribs - since I've got room now! W00T!!!

[jlazar]

Great find. Congratulations to you.

[realdocBBQ]

Pics are up!

https://trdoc21.smugmug.com/Yoder-Smokers-YS480/i-TQ6sBL9

[realdocBBQ]

I've currently got it running, started up, no problems (well... sorta), went out a minute ago and it was warming up. Initial startup default is 350 and it was up to 237 or something, so I've pulled it back down to 180.

Going to leave it there a little while and see if I can evaluate how much smoke I get. I've been used to lower temps generating more smoke in my Traeger, but have read the Yoders don't do that....? I dunno, I'll wait and see what it looks like. Was reading something about lower temps with more smoke being "dirty" smoke - I'm not so sure about that, but we'll evaluate what it looks like in 20 minutes or so.

I was going to do the biscuit trick, to see if I had any hot spots, but I don't have any canned biscuits. All I could find was some crescent rolls. I guess those would probably work about the same, right?

<edit> Interestingly enough, it is MUCH quieter than my Traeger, but holding your hand over the smoke stack, you can definitely feel the air blowing.

I am STOKED!

[DWCowles]

Congrats! It looks new.

[RonB]

Congrats again! That thing is in super shape. You sure did get a super deal.