The only way this could get more ‘Murican is if it was being shot out of a t-shirt cannon by a scantily clad energy drink model into the stands of a monster truck rally while Grand Funk Railroad’s We’re An American Band discharged from the PA system at ear-bleeding decibels. “This” is a full-size pickup truck that comes with its own bar-b-que. Let me break that down for you into the important parts: Full-size. pickup truck. bar-b-que.
The irony here is that it’s a Nissan.
There’s an old saying: If you want to learn something about America, ask a foreigner. It’s amazing how much we don’t know about our own country, and even more embarrassing what we choose to actively ignore about it (see: Native Americans, genocide of; slavery, role in Civil War; etc.). So, like I said, leave it to a foreigner, in this case a Japanese manufacturer, to point this out to us in the most bodacious, cool, boss, and, let’s face it, most American way possible.
Nissan is debuting the world’s first fully integrated in-truck-bed smoker and mobile kitchen – a modified 2018 Titan XD King Cab dubbed “Smokin’ TITAN.” Photo: Nissan North America.
Even The Kitchen Sink
The fact that someone hasn’t done this before (and if they have, I’d be surprised that I missed it, so deep is my addiction to bar-b-que) is beyond me. The fact that an American truck company hasn’t done it before is a national humiliation. This, this would be the perfect thing to have at a tailgate party before the big game. Family gatherings? The perfect thing. 4th of July? The perfect thing. You get the picture.
This, to finally get to the point, is the Smokin’ TITAN! Unabashedly and accurately called by Nissan: “The ultimate tailgating and barbecuing pickup truck.” It is a full-size TITAN (all caps baby!) with a custom flatbed, built-in smoker, and fully functional mobile kitchen, including the kitchen sink. Or, at least attached to the trailer hitch.
Nissan just rolled the beast out during this year’s Geneva International Motor Show-I’m sorry, they actually just showed it at the 2018 Work Truck Show in Indianapolis (the largest work truck event in North America). But man, I’d pay real money to see the reactions if they had rolled this out in Switzerland. Shoot, I bet it would have violated several Swiss laws, not to mention that I bet the American Heart Association and vegetarians everywhere are looking at the Smokin’ TITAN like it’s a bug that must be squashed.
Photo: Nissan North America.
Cooking With Crisco
It all started out with a literal, run-of-the-mill stock Titan XD King Cab right from the Canton, Mississippi factory floor. Onto the Titan XD’s broad, metal shoulders was lumped all sorts of BBQ-related gear, starting with a custom CM Truck Beds aluminum flatbed. This allowed space for three food prep stations each featuring a Partner Steel aluminum double burner prep stove, alongside a Churrasco Brazilian Wood cutting board. There’s even a custom, Teton Steel on-board 24×24 sink with a water storage system.
Or, if cold storage is more of a priority, the sink and water system can be swapped for a Yeti Cooler. Since Titans have flat load floors, and that second row of seats in the King Cab, Nissan saw fit to include an ARB 50-quart Fridge Freezer with a custom spice rack.
Attached to the hitch of the Smokin’ TITAN is a B&S Custom trailer made from another Titan XD’s factory bed. Aesthetically, it works great. Culinarily, how could this possibly go wrong? The Smokin’ TITAN bed-trailer features two truck boxes as lockable dry storage for your smoker pellets and wood chips, which sit conveniently on either side of the smoker. A B&S Customizing sliding tray was designed to easily move the smoker in and out of the bed, and to support the Lang BBQ Smoker and Char Grill. For those heartbreaking times when the smoker is not in use, the whole trailer can be locked down with a steel Diamondback SE Tonneau cover.
The Smokin’ TITAN spices things up with an IF Signs Custom Flame wrap, 20-inch ICON Alloy Alpha wheels, and Nitto Terra Grappler tires. Photo: Nissan North America.
Availability
Is Nissan actually going to make a bunch of these ‘Smokin’ TITANs? Are you crazy? The liability release forms would take weeks to fill out, not to mention the sign offs you’d have to get from your team of cardiologists. So no, you can’t just go out and buy one. You can, however, always go out and buy your own bar-b-que. Which I highly recommend.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.
Photos & Source: Nissan North America.
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