Better Cooktop?

[Jack]

We have the stock Eagle cooktop (first picture). The main problem is that it is designed for two 3qt sauce pots. A 10" fry pan can not be centered over the burner. The flame adjustment is also poor. For cleaning, we just removed the clips on the rack so that it just comes out, since the lid did a nice job of keeping it in place even on the worst of roads.

Does anyone have experience with the Wedgewood (2nd picture), Atwood, Suburban or other 2-burner cooktops? These seem to at least solve the fry pan problem. How are they for flame adjustment and cleaning?

 

[Marc]

Jack,

I have the Wedgewood I believe in my ATC Couger and it works great.

marc

 

[bobg333]

cooktop

It sounds like you are maybe a more attentive cook than i am but my wife and i just got back from 4 weeks in Baja mostly cooking in the camper on the same cooktop you have. We used a 10" frypan and when necessary "cheated" an addl pot in next to it on the adjacent burner with a flamespreader under it which seemed to work OK. Our flame adjustment is acceptable which suggests that perhaps yours could be adjusted. I do not have any experience with the other cooktops you showed. Suburban makes some three-burner models which might handle the 10" pan.

 

[Barko1]

We have the stock Eagle cooktop (first picture).

Looks like what I have, a Travelstar by Atwood, 302-20. I need a new valve for one burner and can't seem to find one. If you do go for something else I'll buy your spares Ebay has new cootops like you are looking t for $100 delivered.

 

[Chel]

Suburban works well

The stock Suburban 2 burner in my 2008 Hawk works great. It is a little fussy about adjustment to low simmer but holds a very low flame nicely. A 10" fry pan fits OK with a 2 L saucepan on the other burner.

 

[winter200]

Would you gain much more room with the wedgewood? Are the burners bigger on the wedgewood? Your flame problem could be a bad regulator!

 

[pods8]

I just ordered a flush fitting 2 burner but they make a three burner that would give you more room for the fry pan if that is what you desire.

 

[Alex]

I just ordered a flush fitting 2 burner but they make a three burner that would give you more room for the fry pan if that is what you desire.

Looks really nice, where did you get it?

 

[oly884]

That's the stove I have.

I really like it though I have no experience with the factory stove.

Pics:

 

[pods8]

Looks really nice, where did you get it?

I really liked the idea of getting these covered flush mount units to maximize use able counter space (ie the stove isn't in use that often so being able to use it as counter space in the meantime seemed like a big bonus). Took me a while to figure out who manufactured these but the name your looking for is SMEV. State side a company called AeryCorp who distributes for them and sells via ebay under that name, they have buy it now sales available most of the time but if you are patient you can get a better deal in the auctions they run.

 

[Scootr74]

Neat Range

Pods8 - really neat range. Thanks for the info!

 

[Alex]

Pods8, thanks for the info!
Did you replace the stock 2 burner with the SMEV? Does the stock opening fit the SMEV 2 burners? I'm very tempted to do the swap to get the counter top space back. Thanks again for the great find.

 

[pods8]

Pods8, thanks for the info!
Did you replace the stock 2 burner with the SMEV? Does the stock opening fit the SMEV 2 burners? I'm very tempted to do the swap to get the counter top space back. Thanks again for the great find.

Its a more convoluted path than that. A couple weeks ago I moved the cooktop above the fridge, so it wouldn't be under the bed pullout I built, to see how I liked that (I did). I need to replace the counter top to fix the cutout where the old stove was (right now the cut out from the new location is affixed in that spot with some wood cross braces underneath to seal up the hole temporarily). Additionally my counter has some water damage so I didn't mind needing to replace it. I also wanted a cover for the stove (protect the pop up material as a flame screeen and have a flat spot to set things on) anyways which was going to cost a few bucks so I just spent a little more for the new stove too. So when the new stove (and sink) get here I'll build a new counter top to install them fresh.

Details of my ever evolving progress are here: http://wanderthewest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1789&page=3