Blackstone 17 enhancements

Using the Blackstone

The Blackstone 17 has been bouncing around with us about 30K miles and a couple of years. The unit has received a fair amount of abuse. I know of at least 5 times it has been yanked from the table. Each time I was concerned it would never be the same. However each time I picked it up and brushed it off all seemed to work as expected. Since its first fall I noticed it was a fairly simple build, held together with rivets. I also determined it could easily be modified to support adjustable feet.

We use the (built in to our trailer) low pressure propane fuel supply line. (parts lists below)

The unit is a pain to level, historically I try to find sticks, rocks, paper towels, etc.. to prop up the table or wedge under the rubber legs of the Blackstone. I was determined to make leveling easier. The below parts list references M8 adjustable feet. The feet are awesome as they allow a screw mechanism to support leveling.

needs

General Clean up.
Replace loose and/or failed rivets.
Install adjustable feet to support leveling

Parts List

12 Foot Propane quick disconnect hose
90 Degree connector
Adjustable feet M8
M8 RivNuts

Notes

I keep a random assortment of aluminum and steel rivets in the garage. I did not list any rivets I replaced in the parts list as I consider them consumables. I drilled loose rivets and replaced. The assembly was mostly square and stable, after replacing rivets the unit remained mostly square and stable.
I removed the old rubber feet, slightly widened the fastening hole with a step bit and installed M8 rivnuts. Once installed, screwing in the adjustable feet is straightforward.

Outcome

Hopefully the unit will give us another 30K miles of use. The adjustable feet will be a welcome addition. I will no longer need to hunt for rocks/sticks to help level the table. The ability to level east to west and north to south puts a smile on my face. Nearly everybody I see with a blackstone I discuss how to do this mod with them. The discussion is always well received.

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