Cooktop Mods for Indoor/Outdoor Use

[David_h]

I am interested to see if there are any good ideas for a modified cooktop that can be used in the camper or can be removed for cooking outside. A saw such a mod on a VW camper years ago, but I cannot remember the details. I would imagine using a new appliance that sits into a recess in the counter top, and some type of quick disconnect gas lines. Maybe the outside source would be from a tee off the propane bottle. For those times where it might be preferable to cook outside on warm days or not to fry bacon in the camper.
Thanks
Dave
'06 Hawk

 

[the fisherman]

I am interested to see if there are any good ideas for a modified cooktop that can be used in the camper or can be removed for cooking outside. A saw such a mod on a VW camper years ago, but I cannot remember the details. I would imagine using a new appliance that sits into a recess in the counter top, and some type of quick disconnect gas lines. Maybe the outside source would be from a tee off the propane bottle. For those times where it might be preferable to cook outside on warm days or not to fry bacon in the camper.
Thanks
Dave
'06 Hawk

Dave if you do a web search you will find that there are units both for the RV crowd and boaters there are many different types of devices, both cook tops and barbacues, some fixed some portable, almost all are propane fueled. The gas connection would be easy.

 

[fish more]

Propane BBQ'S

There are alot of propane fired bbq's on the market, look into marine style bbq's. You can tee of your propane adaptor and use the propane units from the back of your camper. Check out marine supplies for some neat mounting set-ups, I.E. fishing rod holder mounts and side rail mounting methods. You would be surprised on how many marine items are out there for propane bbq's and accessories. Camping World has all the adaptors and hoses for the job. Throw one on the barbee !!

 

[the fisherman]

Dave if you do a web search you will find that there are units both for the RV crowd and boaters there are many different types of devices, both cook tops and barbacues, some fixed some portable, almost all are propane fueled. The gas connection would be easy.

Check out Magma, they probably have what you want

 

[Rockjok]

In my Falcon shell I use a two burner camping stove that uses the small bottles of propane. It's similar to those available from Coleman. It sits atop a piece of plywood that in turn is mounted to a plastic two drawer setup from walmart. I drilled four holes thru' the base of the stove and made slots in the plywood and "drawer" top it sits on. Four bolts go thru the stove fastened by wing nuts accessed by opening the top plastic drawer. It fits tightly under the small stock cabinet and slides out for use in the camper or is easily removed for use outside. I tee'd into a propane line with a shutoff valve and adapter but have found it to be simpler just to use the small bottles.

In the next couple of weeks I'm going to modify this setup using drawer slides on the sides rather than bolts thru' the bottom. Shoulda done this at first. If space in this shell weren't so limited I'd put in a permanent stove but the ones available all seem to be a couple inches too wide.

Rob

 

[pods8]

Just a heads up, a normal small bottle propane tank type outdoor grill is not designed to be used inside the camper. If you choose to go forward with that then vent well and make sure you have a good CO detector. Instead try and find a stove designed for RV use...

 

[Rockjok]

Yeah, guess I shoulda mentioned that. Noxious fumes build up almost immediately so I always have the door and roof vent open with use. When it's raining outside tho......

Rob

 

[pods8]

For the record I don't see any reason you couldn't take the stock stove which is basically a metal box and a build small wooden box to put it in (support and just in case the bottom of the stove gets hot at all) and then add a quick disconnect propane fitting the input. Then add the corresponding fittings in and out of you camper. You could arrange your counter top in multiple ways to either have this drop in line a normal stove or just have it sit on the counter with some tabs keeping it from moving around.

Doing it this way you'd have an RV rated stove and would just need to add the disconnect fittings to the stock stove to plumb it up.

 

[David_h]

Thanks for the great ideas! I likely do something in the near future.
Regards
David

 

[cruiser62]

I am interested to see if there are any good ideas for a modified cooktop that can be used in the camper or can be removed for cooking outside. A saw such a mod on a VW camper years ago, but I cannot remember the details. I would imagine using a new appliance that sits into a recess in the counter top, and some type of quick disconnect gas lines. Maybe the outside source would be from a tee off the propane bottle. For those times where it might be preferable to cook outside on warm days or not to fry bacon in the camper.
Thanks
Dave
'06 Hawk

We just bought a light weight flat Coleman propane stove for outside use,
leaving the camper cook top where it is. They're cheap and don't take up
much storage space. Propane bottles are cheap too, you can get them
almost anywhere. Sometimes you can over engineer things that are
more expensive, less convenient in the long run, and in your case possibly
less safe. Now, if you will be living in the camper for months at a time,
that's another story.

 

[David_h]

We just bought a light weight flat Coleman propane stove for outside use,
leaving the camper cook top where it is. They're cheap and don't take up
much storage space. Propane bottles are cheap too, you can get them
almost anywhere. Sometimes you can over engineer things that are
more expensive, less convenient in the long run, and in your case possibly
less safe. Now, if you will be living in the camper for months at a time,
that's another story.
I went and got a Coleman "Fold N Go" single burner stove/grill. It works great to do the grilling outside.