Awesome, awesome, love it, love it, love it!!!
Bob and Susan Darr purchased my E-Z Built Hot Dog Cart Video and Plans Package (now included in my HotDogProfitsPremium.com membership) and learned how to build steam tables, make sinks, run plumbing and electric, and everything else they needed to build their own hot dog cart.
Except they didn’t build a hot dog cart. They built a super-cart!
Starting with an old pop up camper, the Darrs gutted it and transformed the shell into a hot dog cart on steroids. With a top that comes down to seal the interior, the Darrs can tow their hot dog trailer anywhere and store it without worries.
Bob writes…
Steve,
I used your cart building system almost to the letter. As you can see, I doubled the stove capacity inside the pop-up to satisfy the need to create the volume needed for festivals and still have the single use for other times by only using one side.
This area is a golf paradise (Pinehurst) and near Fort Bragg (huge military complex). I think the red, white and blue and the chosen name of “Victory Hot Dogs” will work well.
Bob
Ingenious, super cool, I totally dig it! I can hear a lot of mental gears turning out there in reader land, including my own.
You have sooo0 much room with this platform. You could add a fridge, flat top grill, BBQ grill, smoker, shave ice machine, generator, whatever you desire.
Old pop up campers are everywhere and the ones with trashed canvas and interiors can be had for a song. If you want to do what the Darrs did, grab a copy of my E-Z Built package here and get started.
Oh yeah – send me pics when you’re done!
Great Job Bob and Sue!
-Steve
Click the pics for a larger version.
WOW! That is SHWEEEET!
Woah Woah Wow is right! Looks so comfortable too, for taking a nap in!
You can’t nap! You have hot dogs to sell!
AWESOME CART , I have been wanting to try something for a long time , I had the dream about a Hot Dog Cart a while back and I wasn’t even thinking about it , It’s like God Gave me that dream for a reason but I’m still running my own painting business for know , This cart is a True Go Getter’s Hot Dog Cart , GOD BLESS & ( GOOD LUCK )
What a great idea! It looks great and I wish the best of luck to you.
Bob,
I love your cart. I would also like to hear from you privately if you have time.
I will keep it brief if possible.
As I said I love the cart. I wish you the best with it.
Horace
Bob and Susan,
your cart looks terriffic! Just one question, where are the sink faucet handles? I salute you on your name and choice of colors. My best to you in this business.
Tony
I absolutely LOVE IT!!!! Great job you two. Maybe your business expansion will be making and selling these!!!
THAT IS KICK AZZ!!!! TOTALLY AWESOME !!Good luck with the biz, I know u guys will do great with that rig!!!
Now that is SWEET! Great job!
KOOL…how do you get the top down?
as I see, the popup is like mine . Use the hand crank or simply install one. Any ideas.
not gay…gray
Awesome, Nice job!
Best of luck to you.
Very clever. You’ll be very successful with your determination and imagination.
The 2 steam tables is a great idea. I love that you can handle large festival volume using both sides of the cart. Brilliant!
It looks to be that the steam tables are to low….How high off the floor are they????
See what a little imagination can create….something great!
Best of luck!
Bob & Susan,
Great Idea! Love your cart. Best of luck & God Bless!
Mary & Mike
Fantastic job! Love that you have so much room and a roof over your head! Looks like great storage too. Best of luck to you!
O.K…we’re so going to have to do this. We’re breaking into the festivals and this setup would be sweet to work from! Great job…great imagination…just GREAT!
Wow! That is nice. Have Fun with that beauty
Very good job. I really like that cart and would love to have one.
Great ideas create great $$$$$$$. Good luck!!
I like the original cart better ;0)
Very RETRO…. Will it be registered push cart, food concession, or ??. Love the fact your re-cycling.
I love your cart ! There’s a lot of things I like about your cart, but the two things I like the best are , unlike a conventional concession trailers where your all closed except for you order window , your not closed in and can see out every side but still be inside. And the second thing is , being able to close it up completely and tow it easy.
Great conversion! We have tossed this idea around a bit with the pop up as the roof eliminates the need for an umbrella. The one issue we raised was that the height of the sides of a typical pop up are too short for a comfortable work surface. It looks like Bob extended the height of the sides by about 8 inches or so to bring the work surfaces up. It’s not very noticeable with this shape of pop up chassis which is pretty symmetrical (some have a sloped front or rear which would make this harder to do). I’m curious as to how the pop up works with the extensions. I’ve never had a pop up tent trailer before and don’t know how the roof supports extend/retract. Did he have to extend the roof supports too? Love the double steam tables. I wonder how a grill would work on this. Or if you could put a car top rack on the roof to carry coolers and other stuff. (I’m sure it would have to be unloaded to pop the roof up as I don’t think the roof supports could handle the extra weight.) Inquiring minds want to know.
OHHHHHHHHH, yeah! What a GREAT set-up for fairs and flea markets! Baseball games, town festivals…the possibilities are endless! A roof over your head (I’m seriously jealous of that!) Room to move around, plenty of workspace;
WAAAAAAAAAY COOL!
How Heavy is the trailer? Would it be pushable/pullable without much effort? Did you look into adding a grill or flattop? Would you need a hood? Great Idea I wish you all the best of luck Jim at Jims Hotdogs Sarasota FL
how does the top work?
That is awsome!!!
WOWZA! HAVE YOU BEEN INSPECTED YET?? HOW DID THE HEALTH DEPT RATE THIS? IS IT ENCLOSED OR OPEN? I AM TRULY IMPRESSED! YOU WILL BE MAKING A LOT OF MONEY WITH THE OPTIONS THIS ONE WILL AFORD YOU. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU, I AM TRULY AS JEALOUS AS THE GREEN WEENIE IS GREEN!!LOL
That is so SWEET! Great idea, best wishes for your rockin’ dog business.
It looks like you use that hand crank by the right tail light to raise and lower the roof. Those thick stantions that look like they hold up the roof look removable like they’re just to cover the roof poles.
That is a different way to sell food. I’ve seen it before at festivals. Nice job!!
Interesting – I did a search on my local Craigslist and found 2 “Pop up” vending carts for sale. I would have never thought of this – both are competitively priced with the traditional hot dog cart!
Once again someone beat me to it!!!!
I love it! 🙂 Great job. One day I will have mine.
Good luck Bob & Sue and go get em!!
HOOAAH!!
Great Idea…..like the idea of being under roof and have plenty of room to operate. Good luck with it.
I’m THAT SMART WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT LOLOLOLOLO WELL DONE
CONSTENT SHADE
I’mbuilding on now, thanks for the incentive to finish it. Way cool. Does the health dept want a hood?
WOW, What a great idea.
Isn’t it cool? I love it too Terry.
I have a camper I don’t have a title might just have to see if I can get one & get your plans nice project
Send me pics when you get it finished Tim!
I just saw a gutted pop up on Craigslist for $450 and was thinking I could do the same thing. What was your cost outside the camper?
I cannot agree more. Is there any contact information for the builder? I noticed the NC plates….what county are they in? I am in NC too.
Awesome cart, I’m gettin ready to do the same thing but mines gonna be a grill cart any pointers would be appreciated on how you raised the side height.
Could you do one for Snow Cones?? Maybe not quite as fancy?
Absolutely.
Wow! just as I was thinking of how to build my own hot dog cart, I was thinking of converting a class B rv into a stand in hot dog stand. This idea came from looking over a ice cream truck converted from a work van. Then I ran into this. I completely forgot about camper trailers. Which by the way would be much cheaper than even a used class B rv. The neat thing about this idea is that the plumbing for a sink, and the propane system for the refrigerator and stove all already there. All is needed is to do as Bob and Susan Darr had done. I am glad to have run across this. Now, I am more motivated than ever. All is needed is to draw-up the plans and have the county health department review and approve them before I begin the purchase and building/conversion process after the purchase of a camper trailer. I would also, thank Steve for his book, Carts of Cash.
Go for it Fred! Send pics when you finish it, I’d love to see it.
This is SOOOO cool! I have been re-inspired.
We were going to build our own cart with Steve’s original design, but now I think I’m going to have to do this! I think I found an old popup in my area for cheaper then the new trailer from harbor freight! He said everything worked last time he took it out (it’s been awhile), but the only things that are really shot are the cushions and the canvas. Well woo-hoo that’s just music to my ears! Going to look at it this weekend!
So Steve, how would you suggest I take the plans to the health dept. now? Do you think I could still show them your plans and then I could show them a picture like this one? And tell them that I will have the main components from your plans, but it will just be in a popup conversion instead?
Hi Sarah,
Yes, take the schematics to your inspector and tell him how you plan to modify them. He will guide you from there.
Send me pics when you finish it!!!!
-Steve
I paid $450 for a pop up camper last week and I’m going with this idea. I’ve been operating a hot dog cart about 15 months and want to grow. This trailer can also be used for other types of vending than just hot dogs. If an event already has a hot dog vendor, be a shaved ice vendor or funnel cake vendor. The secret is being able to do what’s necessary to pay your bills. I’ll post pics when mine is done.
Gunny Smitty’s Hot Dogs, Winston Salem, NC
Can’t wait to see it Gunny!
Calif that cart wont pass inspection first it would have to pass building code because your in it, then health dept, no fire.retardant system and no exhaust fan, there very strict here nowalso no nsf frig
I agree.
I also wondered about the sink handles and the number of sinks…I only noticed one sink??? It does though look like a very nice hotdog cart. Jim
toooo kewl!!
so what attributes should one look for when scouting out a pop up camper for this project?
Solid floor, no cracks in frame or axle, everything else you are going to tear out or refit anyways.
The cart looks great! But I have to echo Capt’n Mike’s concern. Most pop ups I’ve seen are pretty short. The work areas and steam tables look low. Serving for 8 + hours at a festival looks like it could be a real back breaker. Any chance you can add a photo with an adult inside “working” the steam table?
True, but you could build everything up to a comfortable level. I don’t have any more photos, sorry Sam.
Great looking cart! Fabulous building job! So many options. You could even add “curtains” on one, two, or three sides in inclement weather. Love the bright colors.
Love the curtains idea!
Any idea of the external dimensions?
Great idea ! Love the space allotted for this. So many possibilities.
It is cool, isn’t it?!!!
What would you estimate the value of the cart at righg now if you were to sell it?
I wish they had the blue prints for this food cart
That would be impossible. There are so many different pop ups that have been made over the years and they are all different. You can use the info in my cart building videos to install steam tables, plumbing, electrical, etc. Good luck!
Bob Darr how are you. Are you still in the hotdog business. Kay and myself was talking about how you was the best Boss I have ever had and would ever have. We were talking about this pop-up/hotdog Cart. I’ve been kicking around with the whole idea myself. Jordan is now big enough to help us with it and make him some money.. Would love to come over and look at it and semi copy the basic floor plan. Hope to hear from you soon. Jerald
I thought NC had to screen every thing in?
It really comes down to your local inspector. Sometimes they realize that some of the health codes are ridiculous and let it slide. Other times they stick to the book. A lot has to do with your relationship with them. You catch more bees with honey.
What about rain do u cover it up if so with whay
Hi Cal, If the seals are still good, you shouldn’t have to cover it to keep water out. However covering anything stored outside is a good idea. The sun beats the heck out of everything.
-Steve
Did you add any supports to the roof / arms holding roof up? When the canvas comes off the roof is very wobbly