Welcome to the PowerMod truck camper mod contest, sponsored by Goal Zero. One mod will be published in every Email Alert in January. At the end of the month, a reader vote will determine a winner. Click for information about the 2024 PowerMod Contest, including how to enter.
Frank Shucka, Portland, Oregon
Sliding BBQ Box
2016 Chevrolet 3500
2021 Cirrus 820
Above: The Cirrus bumper before the BBQ modification
Originally we carried a small barbecue in a box in the back seat of our truck. I wanted a better storage area and an improved ease of use.
I designed a box that would hold the barbecue and would fit the empty space on the back bumper of our Cirrus 820. I ordered heavy-duty 150-percent stainless steel slides and designed a tray that the barbecue would sit on.
I went to a good fabrication shop and had them fabricate the box out of diamond plate aluminum and the tray out of stainless steel sheet metal. I then took the box to a powder coating place and had them powder coat it to match the bumper.
Once the box was powder-coated, the rest was up to me. The box was set in place on the bumper. I drilled through the bumper and bolted the 150-percent stainless steel slides through the bottom of the box and through the bumper. I then bolted the tray and barbecue to the stainless steel slides.
The heavy-duty drawer slides were expensive because they are 150-percent extensions. I wanted the extension so the barbecue would be well clear of the box when I opened the lid.
The tray, barbecue, and slides all retract into the box. The door folds up from a piano hinge on the bottom and has a simple keyed lock latch for when we’re ready to travel.
A hose stored in the propane compartment hooks the barbecue into our external propane hook-up and we are good to go in a matter of minutes. An added benefit is a place to carry our LaFuma recliners on top of the barbecue box and strapped to our ladder.
We are extremely pleased with this modification. If I bought a new Cirrus tomorrow, this would be the first thing I would do to it.
It took me three to four hours to design and consult. Then, it took two hours for the installation. It was probably two weeks to get the project completed with the fabrication and powder coating. It cost me approximately $1000.
Disclaimer: The modifications above are submitted by Truck Camper Magazine readers. It is your responsibility to make sure that any do-it-yourself modification project you undertake is safe, effective, and legal for your situation.
Enter Your Mods Now!
If you’d like to enter a modification you’ve done on your truck camper, click here. You can enter as many mods as you want, at any time. Good luck mod makers!
