Issues with RT-2500 BFG Cart bending

[tgunsalus]

Has anyone had any success reinforcing the cart for their BFG? I noticed that the wheels started leaning and thought I was having an issue with the wheels or maybe loose bolts, but when I went to replace the wheels, I found that that the base of the cart had actually bent on the underside. I am thinking about straightening and then reinforcing with 1" steel angle, but wanted to see if anyone else had this issue and was able to fix it. Thanks!

 

[larry4406]

My RT1250 competition cart has the same bending issue. I had posted about it previously and response was crickets.

Hope this bumps things along.

 

[Waterboy]

What does Recteq have to say?

 

[larry4406]

What does Recteq have to say?

I have not contacted Recteq regarding my bent RT1250 competition cart.

Link to my post from 8/31/24

Thread 'Competition Cart RT1250 - Bending Wheel Support Locations'

Aug 31, 2024

Last week when I wheeled my RT1250 with smoke box out of the garage and on to the patio, I noticed that the wheels looked crooked. I assumed that some bolts had loosened and that would be that.

After the cook, I lifted the unit off the ground with a jack and noticed that the bottom sheet metal frame where the caster plates bolt to are all bent inward from the corners. Sorry no pictures.

My garage is concrete, my driveway is asphalt, and my patio is stone paver. There is a slight vertical elevation change at each transition that I go slow over. This is the primary reason I upgraded to...

• larry4406
• Replies: 2
• Forum: Rec Teq Lounge

 

[Greg Jones]

My RT1250 competition cart has the same bending issue. I had posted about it previously and response was crickets.

Hope this bumps things along.

Just curious as the competition cart on my RT-700 is going on 6 years old and works fine (thus crickets from me), but if recteq hasn’t been contacted, how is posting here going to bump things along?

 

[rhouser]

Wow, I have not noticed ANY bending on the cart (or any where else) on my BFG.

It is generally loaded with between 175 and 200 pounds of meat per cook.

Last year alone (2024) it was subjected to three major hurricanes with Milton being a direct hit (123 MPH steady recorded a block from my house when the backside came through),

Only thing I did for the hurricanes was to make sure the wheels were locked, tie down the cover to the grill and lash the grill to the fence around my patio. It rode out all three Majors with no issues.

My BFG cover will need to be replaced before the next Hurricane Season because anywhere there was a sharp corner, the cover is now shredded. I do have to point out that it is still very functional, just a pain to get off because all the shredded parts now snag the corners when I am pulling it off.

I will have to check to see if my cart is still "square" but I would think I would have noticed. (Doing about 180 pounds of Butts this weekend.)

v/r r

 

[larry4406]

Just curious as the competition cart on my RT-700 is going on 6 years old and works fine (thus crickets from me), but if recteq hasn’t been contacted, how is posting here going to bump things along?

I will contact them to see if there is a remedy for my cart.

1. Did you go 4-wheeling? - no
2. Did you go mud bogging? - no
3. Did you strap it down excessively? - no
4. Do you transport it on a trailer? - no
5. How did you break it? - You tell me, you designed it.

"Bumping along" helps to determine (assuming if others respond) if there is a near 100% failure rate or if it is a 1 in a million type thing. Should be self evident but who knows with today's world.

Glad to hear your 6 year cart is pristine. How often does it get moved? Mine moves every single time for garage to patio for cooking, and then back to garage.

 

[Greg Jones]

I will contact them to see if there is a remedy for my cart.

1. Did you go 4-wheeling? - no
2. Did you go mud bogging? - no
3. Did you strap it down excessively? - no
4. Do you transport it on a trailer? - no
5. How did you break it? - You tell me, you designed it.

"Bumping along" helps to determine (assuming if others respond) if there is a near 100% failure rate or if it is a 1 in a million type thing. Should be self evident but who knows with today's world.

Glad to hear your 6 year cart is pristine. How often does it get moved? Mine moves every single time for garage to patio for cooking, and then back to garage.

You have absolutely no clue WTF I’ve done or not done with my equipment. None, so don’t pretend that you do. Don’t make this about other people who are happy with their competition cart. You are not happy with your cart-I can respect that. But do your due diligence first and pick up the phone or send an email. Coming on this user supported forum with no affiliation/support from rectec and complaining that perhaps this will ‘bump things along’ is pretty rich.

 

[Greg Jones]

I will respond directly to one of your questions. Does this look like a piece of kit that gets babied moving from a garage to a patio. Actual photo taken 5 minutes ago. I use my stuff, and I use it hard. If I have an issue, I reach out to the folks that made it, not to the ones that didn’t.

 

[TheRicker]

Has anyone had any success reinforcing the cart for their BFG? I noticed that the wheels started leaning and thought I was having an issue with the wheels or maybe loose bolts, but when I went to replace the wheels, I found that that the base of the cart had actually bent on the underside. I am thinking about straightening and then reinforcing with 1" steel angle, but wanted to see if anyone else had this issue and was able to fix it. Thanks!

I don’t have a competition cart but I’ve got an old RT-700 that I’ve replaced two of the wheels on twice.

I move mine from my screen porch to the patio and back every time I use it. It’s all on concrete…same level. However, there’s an expansion gap just as I pull it through the doorway and turn almost a 90 degree right turn. It’s there that I believe those two right-side wheels take the beating. The bearings start coming out.

The 700 is heavy but probably not as heavy as the BFG. So if you’re rolling across any expansion gaps in the concrete or uneven pavers, that could be causing that wear & tear. I’m not sure if there’s a good suggestion for fixing the bent footing of your grill but you may want to consider putting some sort of silicon (?) putty in the gaps to reduce the the potential problems causing the footer or wheel damage. Just a thought.

 

[Greg Jones]

I move mine from my screen porch to the patio and back every time I use it. It’s all on concrete…same level. However, there’s an expansion gap just as I pull it through the doorway and turn almost a 90 degree right turn. It’s there that I believe those two right-side wheels take the beating. The bearings start coming out.

I never used the OEM wheels on my grill, but I can absolutely appreciate that they were not designed to be used for mobility durability. I went with the competition cart from day one with the expectation that it would hold up to more than average use. You can see where in my pictures that the path from uneven pavers on sand to the quonset hut home base is not exactly a smooth ride. We’ve not been here long (5 months now), and no pictures of its environment for the last 5 years, but no complaints at this point. If I have an issue, I’ll reach out to recteq. Bottom line, IMO and not speaking for anyone else, if you have an issue, call recteq. Posting issues here with the hope of ‘bumping things along’ without reaching out to recteq is non-productive and tiresome for some of us folks that come here for the enjoyment of, as example, beautiful stuffed poblanos.

 

[Greg Jones]

Off topic, but I will add that if there is ever a nuclear holocaust, the only things remaining will be cockroaches… and PK Grills. This warrior hasn’t even seen the inside of the Quonset hut yet.

 

[Motodad1776]

Mr. Franklin would approve.......