Mobile Oven design

[C5dad]

Hey all, could use some help on this one.

I was asked by my church to help put together a mobile pizza oven for youth events (summer camp, scouts, etc.) after some of the church leaders found out about my oven - I guess all the smoke coming out of the back yard during fire up has not helped. I need to keep the costs down and make it easy for me to build and store.

I am thinking a 48 inch oven would fit the bill. Would be cooking for up to 100+ (UGH!!!)

My thought would be to use a refractory shell to keep costs down. A floor of insulation, fire brick and soapstone.

For the trailer, I am unclear on where to go from here.

• How big of an axle (Single or double?) Other needs on the trailer.
  
• How best to tie the oven down
  
• Other considerations from those who have done it in the past

Thanks for the help!!

[sonomacast]

I don't live in USA but I believe that you can buy military surplus trailers with twin axles for under $200. As for an oven you can use normal bircks for the dome, Try a few in a fire to see which take the heat best. Use fire bricks on the oven floor though. I recommend russel jeavons book (Your Brick Oven: Building it and Baking in it )for good building and money saving advice. Under $10 US here in amazon uk. I built fantastic budget oven in a couple of days using his guide. Good luck

[nissanneill]

C5dad,
if you are planning on constant movement of the oven, then I would suggest that you look for a steel semicircular dome, then using castable or mortaring to the outer surface some brick for thermal mass.
These bricks could be reinforced onto [lace with steel straps clamped around their perimeter under the superwool insulation. The opening could be cut easily and either a castable or reinforced brick entrance with a stainless chimney secured to pins welded into the dome. See:

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f43/...oven-3717.html (Steel Dome Oven)

This would reduce your weight a little but give you immense strength and security from self destruction.
The semicircular domes could be sourced from lpg tanks, or old bouys from scrap yards. There have been a couple of well documented builds in this forum, so do a search.
As far as a trailer is concerned, a rocker suspension tandem axle trailer will carry the weight of a 48" oven a lot better than a single axle but most of all give it a much smoother and safer ride. I would also incorporate hydraulic disc brakes as the all up load will be around 1500kg.

Neill

[C5dad]

Thanks guys - both good tips. I will have to travel for getting the mil trailer -some good ones. One of the local trailer makers said he could build to spec inexpensively as well to help out.

Neill, thanks for pointing to the Wiley thread - I had totally forgotten about that - using a propane tank. And your point of a rocker suspension is well taken as I may be having to tow it offroad (maintained dirt roads).

Chris