LavaLock Total Control Mod Kit Review: The $99 Upgrade

Updated 2026-08-21 Researched, not tested in person

Quick answer

Buy this kit if you own an Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn or Highland and you are frustrated by temperature swings, because leaks and an uncontained fire are almost always the cause. Skip it if your cooker is already well sealed with a basket fitted, in which case you are chasing a problem you do not have.

Gasket, latches and a charcoal basket, which is most of what a cheap offset is missing.

Best value upgrade for a cheap offset

LavaLock Total Control Mod Kit for Oklahoma Joe's Smokers

~$99

A gasket, lid latch and charcoal basket kit for Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn and Highland offsets, and other offsets of similar size.

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Gasket	XTR Xtreme self-adhesive high temperature seal, rated 1,000F, 15 ft
Basket	Heavy duty charcoal basket, 12 in by 10 in by 6 in
Latches	Two adjustable toggle lid latches
Compatibility	Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn and Highland, and other offsets of similar dimensions
Origin	Made in the USA

Specifications above come from LavaLock's published feature list. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

It fixes the actual problem. An offset controls temperature through airflow, and air entering through a leaking seam is air you cannot control.
The three parts address the three separate causes of a wandering temperature: leaks, a loose lid, and a fire spread across the firebox floor.
It costs a fraction of replacing the cooker, and a sealed cheap offset outperforms an unsealed expensive one.
Fifteen feet of gasket is enough for the lid and the firebox, which is where both leaks are.
The basket also improves fuel efficiency, because a contained fire burns what you lit rather than everything at once.

Where it falls short

It does not make thin steel thick. A modified budget offset still loses heat faster in wind and cold than a heavier cooker.
Gasket is a wear item and it will need redoing, particularly at the firebox where temperatures are highest.
Fitting takes time and patience: surfaces must be clean and dry, and gasket applied to a greasy seam peels away.
Fit is designed around specific Oklahoma Joe's models. On other cookers, measure before you buy rather than assuming.
If your problem is a badly warped lid rather than a missing seal, gasket will not close a gap that large.

What owners report

This is one of the few products in barbecue where the owner consensus is close to unanimous: sealing a cheap offset transforms it, and the charcoal basket is the second most valuable change. Owners who make both modifications describe a cooker that holds a temperature; owners who do not describe one that cannot. That is the argument of our smoker gasket versus a new smoker comparison, and the economics are not close at this price.

The specific mechanism matters if you want to understand why. A charcoal basket concentrates the fire so it burns as a controlled pile rather than creeping across the firebox floor, which is why a basket changes burn duration as well as temperature stability. Our charcoal basket versus stock firebox comparison covers it.

The practical caution from owners is preparation. Gasket sticks to clean, dry, cool metal and peels off greasy metal. Degrease the seam properly before fitting, or you will do the job twice.

Who it suits

Owners of an Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn or Highland who cannot hold a temperature.
Anyone who has just bought a budget offset and wants it to work from the first cook.
People who would rather modify a cooker than replace it.

Who should skip it

Owners of well sealed cookers such as a Weber Smokey Mountain, which does not need this.
Anyone whose lid is warped badly enough to leave a visible gap, which gasket cannot bridge.
People with a different brand of offset who have not measured the fit.

Alternatives worth considering

The Cooker This Fits

Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn Offset Charcoal Smoker and Grill

~$580

If you do not own an offset yet, this is the model the kit is designed for, and buying both together is the sensible order.

Check price on Amazon

Sealed From The Factory

Oklahoma Joe's Bronco 18 in Heavy Duty Charcoal Drum Smoker and Grill

~$430

Ships gasketed with a designed airflow system and a fuel door, so it needs none of these modifications.

Check price on Amazon

No Mods Needed

Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker, 22 inch

~$550

A cooker that holds temperature out of the box, if you would rather spend once than modify.

Check price on Amazon

Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need to gasket an offset smoker?

If you cannot hold a low temperature, almost certainly yes. Offsets control heat by controlling air, and any air entering through a leaking lid or firebox seam is uncontrolled. Sealing is the first modification worth making, before anything else.

Will this kit fit my smoker?

It is designed for the Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn and Highland and fits other offsets of similar dimensions. Measure your lid perimeter and firebox opening against the fifteen feet of gasket and the 12 by 10 by 6 inch basket before ordering.

How long does high temperature gasket last?

Depends on the cooker and how hot the firebox runs. Expect the firebox gasket to need replacing sooner than the cook chamber gasket. It is a consumable and it is cheap relative to what it fixes.

What does a charcoal basket actually change?

It keeps the fire as a controlled pile instead of letting fuel spread across the firebox floor and burn unevenly. That changes both how steady the temperature is and how long a load of fuel lasts.

Is it better to mod a cheap smoker or buy a good one?

A sealed cheap offset outperforms an unsealed expensive one, so modding first is usually the right economics. What modification cannot fix is thin steel in wind and cold, which is the reason to eventually buy heavier.

How we choose gear: we compare published manufacturer specifications, capacity and temperature ranges, materials, warranty terms and verified owner reviews. We do not test gear in person and we do not publish hands-on claims we cannot support.

Cook times and temperatures are researched guidance, not a food-safety authority. Every figure on this page is an estimate: smokers, ambient weather, humidity and the individual cut all move it. Food is safe when a calibrated instant-read thermometer says so, never when a clock or a chart does. Keep food out of the 40°F to 140°F danger zone, observe the 4 hour rule, and follow current USDA safe minimum internal temperatures. If you are cooking for anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or immunocompromised, cook to the USDA minimums rather than to a preference-based doneness temperature.

Keeping your own cook times, rubs and pit temperatures? The Smoking & Cook Planner is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.