Removing Hinge to remove lid

Eggger

HI All,

I'm looking to purchase a Large Green Egg and hope to attend a few bbq events with it. I drive a small Honda Fit and the height on the Egg is 1 inch to high to easily roll it in and out (minus the nest). My only solution will be to remove the lid once to go and once on the way  back. Which I think will be a drag...

Here's my question:

Would it not be easier to simply remove the hinge and leave the top and lower bands screwed on. The hinge seems to have 4 screws on each side. I would put on the safety bars on the hinge (so it would not fly open) and unscrew the the 8 screws and I think it would be a whole lot easier than messing with the bands every time. Is this feasible?  For clarity purposes I've attached an image displaying the screws I would remove. Thanks.

Doc_Eggerton

Can it take a hitch?  There is a trailer hitch carrier, although the thought scares me.  I would love to take one of mine to social events to cook, but the cool down time would be a pain.

Eggger

I'm not sure. I'm planning to travel some long distances, I'd like to find a way to put it inside the car. If I could remove the lid, it would be okay. However, I'm told when you take it off and on, the bands misalign. So I am thinking of leaving them alone and just take off the hinge. Before I tried it, I thought I'd get someone's opinion or find someone who's done it that way. There may be a reason, I have not found someone that's done it that way, because I have not found anyone. Everyone states to remove both top and bottom bands. 

Lit

All youhave to do is loosen the top carriage bolt on the band and the ceramic top slides out. Then when you get where you are going sit the ceramic top back on and tighten. Takes about a minute to get the top off.

Lit

Nm

Flamethrower

Egger,If ya goona do as Lit said Do yourself a favor and get some extra nuts and bolts. Sounds easy enuf fer me.

Eggger

Thanks Lit and Flamethrower (will certainly get some extra nuts and bolts). 

It was someone from BigGreenEgg that said, taking the bands on and off was not a good idea. I figured taking off the hinge and leaving the bands in place (as the hinge connects the bands) might be a work around. I wonder if there is anyone out there who frequently removes the lids on their eggs.

Flamethrower

My XL is to big to jift and move around.

 

Lit

I take mine apart a decent amount and have had them not line back up exactly when removing the whole band. What I described above you don't remove the bands at all you just remove the ceramic from the band. Make sure you use the white plastic piece to secure the band closed before you remove the ceramic top.

LarryEdwards50

I want to post an idea to get the hinges and springs off safely, especially when the little white plastic pieces no longer will fit over the bolts.  Somehow the bolts that the plastic retainers fit over got farther apart, and I had heard stories of the danger the springs present.  I had some washers about the diameter of the springs, and with the lid closed (and the springs stretched out) I pushed a washer between each spring section, maybe 6-7 washers on each spring.  To keep them in place I ran a tie wrap through the whole thing on each spring.  Open the lid, and the springs can just be pulled off because they are held open by the washers.  Same thing putting them back on - with the lid closed, hook the springs into place.

SemolinaPilchard

I assume you mean the egg is 1 inch taller than the height of the hatchback. If so, you can tilt the egg enough to get through the hatch and then set it down standing up. If I remember correctly, the Fit has magic seats. If so, you could flip the back seat up and possibly set the egg there. Even if it fits, setting it that low will take a couple of beefy boys to take it out. If you take the dome off I strongly recommend you do as Larry Edwards said. Those white plastic pieces can slip off, and you would have a major problem.

SemolinaPilchard

If you need to take the dome off I think the easiest way would be to run a very long tie-rap, or hook a bunch of smaller ones together, and run it thru the bottom vent, then between the dome and the base, then over the top of the handle, then back down and fasten it to itself. Then you could loosen the top band and take out the dome.
If I am missing something, someone please correct me.

Dobie

I just slip the springs off by using a large screwdriver under the top loop of the spring and lifting up off the hinge out of the holes. Goes back on in reverse. Pretty easy after a couple times.