13+ Ways to Deck Out Your Meadow Creek Smoker

You’ve been researching, and saving for the day you can buy your dream barbecue trailer. The most exciting part of all is making the smoker your own—adding the upgrades that are perfect for you and your needs.

I am a big fan of Meadow Creek’s tank smokers because they come with features that you’d have to pay extra for on many other brands, such as the stainless steel grates and even the fact that the grates slide out of the tank.

A second reason I am such a big fan of Meadow Creek tank smokers is that you can deck them out even further with a long list of options, including insulated firebox, stainless steel work shelves, and an awesome-looking trim package.

Not only that, but Meadow Creek will build your custom barbecue trailer exactly how you order it. In theory, that is how all smoker manufacturers operate, but sadly that’s not how it always works. Of course, we are all human and not above making mistakes once in a while, but when you order a custom Meadow Creek trailer, you can expect it will be built to the specs on the order.

I could go on about all my rational reasons for being so in love with Meadow Creek, but that’s material for another article. In this post, I want to explain the various ways you may choose to deck out your Meadow Creek smoker.

13 Ways to Customize Your Meadow Creek Tank Smoker

1. Mounted Chicken Cooker. You can add a rotating-grate grill (BBQ26S or BBQ42 chicken cooker) mounted permanently to the front of any TS trailer. This is an awesome upgrade because now you can also grill chicken or sausage, etc, while you cook low and slow.

2. Vinyl Cover. The vinyl cover is Amish-made and thicker than what you’d expect from a grill cover at a big-box store. It really helps keep your smoker clean and dry if you store it in the elements.

3. Trim Package. The trim package adds a touch of class with aluminum wheels and fenders and a stainless steel smokestack. Sharp!

4. Stainless Steel Shelves. The stainless steel work shelves replaces the standard expanded metal shelves. They help to keep anything from dripping down into hard to reach areas and make clean-up easier. Besides… they look amazing!

5. Jerky Racks. This rack slides into the glide where the regular grate goes and is made of evenly spaced rods to hold jerky strips.

6. Extra Grate in Smoker. Adds a third glide (permanent) and grate in the cooking chamber. Would be great for cooking thin items that don’t need much vertical space. You can easily remove the middle grate for projects where you need more space.

7. Extra Shelves in Warmer. The warming box comes standard with three stainless steel racks. These extra racks give you more shelf space.

8. Live Smoke in Warmer. The warming box and firebox are separated with a solid piece of metal. Live smoke puts an adjustable vent from the firebox to the warming box and a stack on top of the warming box, so you can cook meat with smoke in the warming box. Without it, you can still cook beans on the very bottom or keep your cooked meat warm.

9. Insulated Firebox. A great investment if you can handle the initial cost. If you’ll be using your smoker a lot, you can pay off the insulation in a short time by charcoal savings alone.

• The amount of charcoal you save varies, of course, but normally it will take 40–50% less charcoal. This means less fire maintenance, with refills spaced up to 5 hours instead of 2–3 hours.
• You will have a little more consistent temp and it will be easier to cook year-round in a cold climate, which means more fun cooking and cranking out awesome barbecue!
• Even though Meadow Creek uses high-heat paint, the paint has a hard time holding up where the heat is intense. With an insulated firebox, the firebox paint will last a LOT longer because the outside will not get as hot. You will have less maintenance to do.

10. Charcoal Grill Pan. The grill pan goes under the top cooking grate and holds charcoal for grilling burgers and steaks. It slides into the glide for the bottom cooking grate. Great for people who want a charcoal smoker with the option of grilling too.

11. Charcoal Slideout Basket. This steel basket slides in a track in the firebox. It holds the coals away from the firebox walls, which helps extend the life of your firebox and the paint outside the firebox.

12. Rib Rack. This rack holds ribs on edge so you can cook more at a time.

13. Stainless Steel Lid for Woodbox. Makes a great table top. Available with or without hinges.

Exceptions and Additions:

• Trim package is not available on the TS70P and TS120P; however, you can add a stainless steel smokestack on these models.
• Warming Box is an upgrade on the TS70P and TS120P; included on the other tank smokers.
• Vinyl cover on the TS500 is custom; price is not listed on our website.
• Tandem axle with brakes is available on the TS250 and TS500. We add a tandem axle to your trailer if your configuration gets too heavy for one. The upgrade price includes brakes for both axles.

There are even more ways you can customize your smoker with what we call “custom” options, upgrades with prices available upon request. These would include an aluminum toolbox, mounted spare tire, or stainless steel warming box. Beyond that, you can quote a trailer with a custom floor plan with a fold-down roof and any configuration of grills and smokers you want.

Getting back to decking out your Meadow Creek tank smoker, check out the barbecue smokers in our online store for prices and ordering information.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always happy to help you design a Meadow Creek trailer that fits your style!

Sizzling regards,

Lavern Gingerich