For many people, vacationing with an RV (recreational vehicle) is still their preferred way to spend time away from home. An RV provides a sense of freedom which simply cannot be matched when compared to airports, hotels, and restaurants, all of which at some point will lock you down to someone else's schedule. In an RV, arrival/departure times, sleep/awake times, and meal times are all when you want them to be.
Speaking of meals, for many of us, our three squares a day are the best part of our waking hours. Sure, you could unhook everything and wheel the RV out to a restaurant (or take the dinghy vehicle if you're towing one), but isn't staying put the point of RV ownership? If you've committed to an RV, you're willing and able to tackle your own meals while at camp. Your RV may or may not have indoor cooking facilities, but if it's nice outside, who doesn't enjoy a meal cooked on an outdoor grill? We sure do, which is why we offer the plethora of grills you'll find at our CAMPERiD site.
We carry RV-specific grills from all the top brands, including Camco, Fleming Sales, Kuuma, Magma, and Springfield Marine. But before you plunk down your hard-earned dollars on just any grill, you have some decisions to make.
First, what heat source do you prefer: charcoal, propane, or electric? Another key decision point is, what size grill will suit your needs? Of course, that answer is partly driven by how many mouths there are to feed. If it's just you and the significant other, a smaller grill will do. If, on the other hand, you need to keep three ravenous teenagers at bay, then you'll need as much cooking space as you can muster.
Finally, think about a sturdy mount for your new portable cooker. If you are taking the word "portable" literally, then you might be satisfied with setting the thing on its own legs, on a table top or even the ground. If you're looking for a more semi-permanent set-up, we have grill mounts for rails, walls, or floors!
Fuel Types
Let's start by looking at fuel types, and we will first turn to that most popular choice, propane. It's fair to say that the majority of grills on our site are gas (propane) grills. There's no beating the convenience and versatility of gas. Propane is readily available, and it burns clean and hot. Just like a gas stove at home, you can fine-tune the flame between slow simmer and sizzling sear.
Some models we like include the Camco 550 Stainless Steel Grill, the Fleming Sales AD400 Sidekick Grill, and the Magma Marine Kettle 2 Combination Stove and Gas Grill. Note that many gas grills give you further options: you can run them off 1 lb. canisters, 20 lb. tanks, or hook them up to an existing propane supply if it exists within the RV. As you can see from the samples we selected, there are square ones, rectangular ones, and round ones. We'll get back to this in a bit when we discuss SIZE.
The next most popular fuel choice is charcoal. If time is less of a concern, and you're more of a traditionalist, then charcoal could be the way to go. It too is readily available, although you'll need to calculate some extra time to allow it to come up to full temperature (hey, you're RVing, what's the rush?). It goes without saying that you should NEVER burn charcoal in an enclosed area.
You'll be happily surprised to know that we carry a wide variety of charcoal grills. For starters, check out this rectangular Camco Kuuma Stow and Go 160 Grill (select 'charcoal' from within the Product Options drop-down menu). This Kuuma Kettle Charcoal Grill is nicely priced. Magma makes several grills in their charcoal line, including this Kettle Party Size Charcoal Grill, and this rectangular Adventurer Marine Cabo Charcoal Grill.
Electric grills may not be to everyone's taste (pun intended), but when propane or charcoal are not available, and electricity is… well, you gotta eat. The Magma Adventurer Marine Cabo Electric Grill, Kuuma Profile 150 Electric Grill, and Camco Olympian 3500-C Electric Grill are all great choices. Each of them plugs into a standard 110/120V socket, so what could be more convenient?
Speaking of convenient, don't make a final choice on your electric grill until you've investigated the Camco Olympian Hybrid Grill. That's right, we said hybrid, as in, your choice of gas OR electric. In electric mode, like the others we've featured, this one plugs into standard household current.
Square Inches Of Grill Space
Now that you've chosen your method of producing heat, you can turn your attention to the amount of food you'd like to cook at one time. Grill manufacturers advertise their available grilling area in square inches (sq.in.), so you will be comparing those numbers among the models you're considering.
To save you some time, we did a bit of research on your behalf (you're welcome), and found that our RV grills tend to start on the low end at around 125 sq.in., with many models in the 160-220 sq. in. range (which we'll call "the middle"). Bringing up the pack are the largest grills with dimensions between 315-420 sq. in. Of course, it's not just the size of your family which dictates the choice here. Shape, portability, set-up space, and storage space all play a role in determining how big or small the grill needs to be. And the larger units tend to be more feature-laden and will cost a bit more, natch.
Below is a selected sample of grills, listed in size order from small to large:
- Kuuma Stow and Go 125 Grill: 125 sq. in.
- Camco Kuuma Stow and Go 160 Grill: 160 sq. in.
- Springfield Marine Barbecue Grill: 189 sq. in.
- Fleming Sales Sidekick Grill: 214 sq. in.
- Magma Cataline 2 Gourmet Infrared Grill: 315 sq. in.
- Magma Monterey Gourmet Infrared Grill: 420 sq. in.
This will give you a good idea of what's available. Finally, whatever you do, trust me when I suggest that it's worth your time to grab a tape measure to be certain that the grill you want fits the space you have!
Grill Mounts
While you certainly can place your new grill on a table top, there are some complications to keep in mind with such a set-up. First, you need to grill outside; you might need to therefore carry a table; and the grill itself needs legs for it to be stable (some, but not all, RV grills are equipped with legs).
A much more sensible solution is a grill mount. Our RV Grills category offers you many variations on a theme, and some of them are ingenious in their simplicity. Take, for example, the Camco RV mounting rail. Eminently affordable, the mounting rail provides plenty of access to your appliance. The Magma Square/Flat Rail Side/Bulkhead Mount allows grill mounting to square rails, flat rails, or to any vertical flat surface. The Kuuma family of grill mounts includes a single-axis rail mount, quick-release rail mount, and inboard/outboard rail mount (make your selection within the Product Options drop-down).
If rails or vertical spaces are hard to come by, consider a pedestal mount, such as this one by Kuuma. If by necessity the grill must go on the ground, then you want to check out the Magma On Shore Grill Stand.
We would be remiss if we didn't mention the other grill accessories we offer to complete your RV grilling set-up, including aprons, utensils like spatulas and tongs, and meat thermometers. We also carry gas hoses, control valves, igniters, and other parts to keep your grill doing what it does best, which is cooking your meals!
We hope you found our RV grill overview to be enjoyable as well as educational. Just select your fuel type, grill size, and mounting style, and you will be all set. Should you have any questions about our grills, please reach out to us. We are here seven days a week to assist you.