How to carry large grill

[NCMODELA]

Hi all. I found a new grill for my house and would like to take it camping with us. We are a family of 11 so there is a lot of food to cook. The grill is 5’ long and collapses to 24” high or so. I tow with a 12 passenger van so putting it inside is not feasible. Has anyone put anything under camper? Can this go on bumper? It folds down to fit in a truck bed.

https://m.samsclub.com/ip/event-grill/prod10840020?xid=plp_product_1_1

[NCMODELA]

Thank you guys for all of the responses. I think I’m going to settle for a smaller 4 burner not an 8 burner for just ease of transport.

[downtheroad]

With a family of 11 and as you say you are already maxed out on tongue weight and tow rating...maybe it's time for a 2nd vehicle. ...something like truck. Your grill would go nicely in the bed along with lots more gear...

[el_jefe1]

NCMODELA wrote:
Yes. Another crazy family with 11. I have a ladder rack to put bikes etc. I could put something on the rear but I have heard that increases sway considerably. I could also put a hitch up front and put it up there. Looking for any other options or suggestions. It may just have to stay home

To be fair, we normally have 9 kids, but when we do longer trips we can't bring the foster kids along out of state so there are only 8 of us on those long distance trips. So much more manageable! But for all our weekends and shorter stuff we have all 11 of us. And then some of the old foster kids come back for visits and respite and we end up with 13 of us in the camper, like we're doing this weekend.

The reason I asked about bikes, you're probably carrying a lot of them and I wonder if they would offset the weight of the grill. With the big van, you could probably get those bikes up onto roof racks. That's kind of a pain to get them up and down, but I'm sure less of a main than trying to get that grill up there. Maybe that would free up enough weight on the rear for a welded hitch receiver mounted shelf that could hold the grill?

It wouldn't be terribly convenient, but we have to pick and choose which conveniences mean the most to us.

[Lwiddis]

Why give a full description except for the weight? Weight is the first consideration.

[afidel]

NCMODELA wrote:
2017 bullet. 35’ front to bumper. I am already max on tounge weight and rgawr. I thought about putting it inside but I don’t think I can get it through the front storage door. I don’t think I can get it into the front door either. Unless someone knows some tricks.

Then your only option is over the rear axle inside if you have room and axle rating left on the trailer axles and tires. Or maybe on a welded bumper mount IF 300+ pounds on the rear doesn't put you under 10% tongue weight.

[NCMODELA]

Yes. Another crazy family with 11. I have a ladder rack to put bikes etc. I could put something on the rear but I have heard that increases sway considerably. I could also put a hitch up front and put it up there. Looking for any other options or suggestions. It may just have to stay home

[GordonThree]

Cargo shelf welded to the front of the van's frame? Sounds like the giant grill is staying home.

[el_jefe1]

Family of 11 here also. Maybe a giant tote to keep it clean and put it inside the camper? Roof rack for the van would be a bear to get it up and down.
For me, at least for the moment, I'm just using the small outback grill that mounts on the bumper and cooking in smaller batches.
Do you carry bikes for everyone? What's your solution for that look like? If not on the rear, I'd wonder about having a hitch receiver welded to the rear of the camper and using that to mount a cargo shelf.

[NCMODELA]

2017 bullet. 35’ front to bumper. I am already max on tounge weight and rgawr. I thought about putting it inside but I don’t think I can get it through the front storage door. I don’t think I can get it into the front door either. Unless someone knows some tricks.

[boosTT]

Put it inside the camper...

[Terryallan]

With 11 people. the camper has to be good sized. Will it 1. Fit into a outside storage compartment? Or 2.. Be able to lay in the floor of the camper while traveling.


Putting it under the camper, as it is 24" high, could cause it to drag. A lot of campers aren't 24" off the ground anyway. And I would think it is too high, and too heavy to put on top. Inside the camper would be your best bet

[Bumpyroad]

there have been posts with a carrier that mounts on the front over the propane tanks, might be able to modify it? wouldn't bounce around as much as mounted on the rear of trailer.
bumpy

[GordonThree]

How much capacity do you have in your van's RAWR after subtracting 11 people and gear in the van, plus the tongue weight of a loaded camper (I presume a camper is involved?)

Some sort of framework attached to the A-Frame of the trailer might work, but adding an extra 270 lbs anywhere externally is a lot to add. Most trailer frames I've seen up close seem to be engineered to barely handle the factory configuration and little else.

[Dennis12]

If your van has a hitch use a carrier in the hitch

[afidel]

At 270 pounds you're looking at a custom mount no matter where you put it. My recommendation would be to have a metal fabrication shop create something like the BAL Hide a Spare but built to the dimensions and weight of the grill.