Caravan BBQ Swing Arm

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Our Caravan BBQ Swing Arm came about when we seen the great invention of the BBQ Arm. I asked Larry if he could make something similar for us. Of course he could! We had used tables over the years but storage was an issue.

Over a few weeks we had a chat about how and where we wanted it. Deciding on the materials for the swing out as well as the table part.

We decided to use wood for the table as it was easy to attach and looked nice in my opinion.

BBQ Swing Arm Materials

Being on a farm and having the use of a welder and grinder obviously made the job cheaper and easier. Larry also found a couple of pieces of scrap metal around the farm that we were able to use.

First though, was a trip to good old Bunnings. A couple of different size galvanised square tubes were needed for our main swing arm.

Then, 4x tri corner braces were needed for the table, so the BBQ doesn’t slide off. Not forgetting the Jockey wheel clamp to attach it to the van.

Lastly, spray paint, as I wanted it all sprayed black so it looked a bit more sleek. Oh’ yes, also, we got some furniture oil, to keep the wood table looking nice outside.

Larry decided to buy a nutsert set to attach the bbq swing arm to the A frame of the van. He will also use this set for other things he has in mind in the future.

How We Made It

1. Larry welded a short bit of metal pipe he found on the farm to one end of the larger 40mm steel. This sits in the clamp connected to the A frame of the van.
2. On the other end he welded a small piece of 25mm steel. The table will slide in and out of this when needed.

3. For the table part, Larry found a flat square of metal. He welded this to a short bit of 20mm steel. Eventually this would be screwed to the table.

4. After all the parts were welded together. Certain parts were ground to make it look and work right.

On To My Small Part

After Larry had put all the pieces together, we hung them on a tree. I gave all the parts a couple of coats of black paint. Then on to sanding and oiling the BBQ table.

Once the parts were dry I screwed the four corner braces to the table. Lastly, I also screwed the square metal table base plate to the table underside.

Larry then used his drill and the nutsert gun so we could attach the wheel clamp to the van’s drawbar, without welding it. For more strength we decided to attach the clamp in four locations instead of the normal two.

Finally, the BBQ swing arm was attached to the caravan and the table was slid into place. Our Weber Baby Q was then plugged into the Jayco gas bayonet fitting and the BBQ was sat on the table.

I personally think it looks bloody great! we can move it either side of the awning arm.

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We can also use it as a side table without the Barbie on it if we want to. Handy if we have guests over.

Now, please, if you’re thinking of making one, remember we are not professionals. We are just showing you how we made it. There are many ways to make one and different places to put your BBQ swing arm.

Seek professional help or buy a ready made product if you have any doubts. Caravan RV Camping has the origional which you can see here.

Buy A BBQ swing arm.

The original BBQ Arm can be purchased If you don’t have the resources to make one. Or, you can buy individual parts such as the arm only, the table only or the universal drawbar mount (no drilling or welding needed) See the original one here

We had fun making one ourselves and are happy we gave it a go! We are very happy with it!

Our total was $158.88 I have heard someone else say they made one for around $30 as they already had stuff lying around.

How We Made It Video…

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