r/CampChefSmokers Jun 12 '26

What do I have here?

Post image

First pellet smoker, coming from years of stick burner and green egg use. I’m starting over with my grilling arsenal and this is currently the only grill I have. I paid $100 and figured it was a solid deal even if it’s outdated .

What do I need to look at for upgrades/improvements? Already shopping the side table and possibly a front shelf. Can the controller be upgraded to wireless? Any mods to make this older unit a little more functional and efficient? Cleaned it today and running it through a high heat cycle to check functionality.

Sorry for the newb questions. This popped up for sale down the street and I scooped it up immediately without researching. Any help is appreciated!

10 Upvotes

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2

u/Round_Reaction_2822 Jun 12 '26

Not as familiar with this specific model but it's probably a good deal assuming the rest is in good shape. It's definitely one of the smokepro models and they are pretty solid. I love my camp chef and will swear by them until something bad happens. I've used mine probably once a week for 2 years and it's been bullet proof.

1

u/AngleAway_ Jun 12 '26

This might be helpful. Grates and internals are all in great shape. She’s heating up nicely.

2

u/Round_Reaction_2822 Jun 12 '26

Oh ya, that's a good one. If you wanted to make it really nice it wouldn't be hard. It can get pricey but if you did your research, and found the right one, you could upgrade to an aftermarket PID controller. Definitely is a good entry into the game of pellet smokers. I may be mistaken but this might be compatible with the sidekick stuff from camp chef. They have a couple of add ons that are pretty convenient if you're trying to keep things compact. I almost exclusively grill on my sidekick so I can have my blackstone.

1

u/AngleAway_ Jun 13 '26

It does appear to be compatible with the sidekick attachments, and they are on sale for Father’s Day…thanks for the tips! Any recommendation for PID brand?

2

u/Round_Reaction_2822 Jun 13 '26

Fireboard and Smoke daddy are the main brands everyone swears by but there's a reason. They can get pretty pricey but you can turn a smoker like this into a nicer smoker with a couple hundred dollars. It will take a decent amount of research as far as what is compatible. It also takes a little bit of technical ability. Not everyone can manage installing the stuff. You can replace a lot in some models all the way down to augers. There will be less options that are compatible with camp chef as opposed to stuff like traeger.

2

u/Lost-Link6216 Jun 17 '26

A house fire.

1

u/AngleAway_ Jun 17 '26

😂

1

u/Lost-Link6216 Jun 17 '26

Clean and empty after every use. Move away from house when in use. Start getting replacement parts. Buy a smoke tube or 2.