OT: RV Grill Selection

[Jeffreauxdawg]

This one is right in the SPS wheelhouse. I'm getting ready to buy a small propane grill of some type for RVing. I have 2-30 lbs propane tanks and a quick connect rated for up to 25k btus.

I already have an Inferno steak broiler that is small enough to travel if we want to cook steaks or fish. But I need something to do everything else. We will do a lot of dry camping, so there's a premium on waterless cleanup.

Boiled it down to 3 options. Coleman portable grill, Weber Q, and Blackstone tabletop griddle.


I'm heavily leaning towards the griddle, but can be sold on another option with a good argument that consists of more than "Brand x, end of story." Looking at you McDawg... I'm not lugging around a 400lb recteq.***

Coleman
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Weber Q
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Blackstone tabletop
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[DesotoCountyDawg]

I have the next size up black stone adventure ready and it has two burners. I keep it on my back patio but it is portable with legs but can also be placed on a tabletop without the legs. Works great for for just about anything. It’s really good for breakfast while you’re camping.

 

[HailStout]

I have the Weber Q and the black stone. I would definitely recommend the blackstone over the Weber. The Weber in somewhat unwieldy. It takes up a ton of space. I was never really impressed with it. I got the smaller one and honestly it was too small as far as cooking area, but the larger model is monstrous and really hard to pack. If you have used a black stone you know what you are getting. There is just so much more you can do with it. Now the other grill you listed does have options for replacing your grill grates with skillet surfaces, but I think I would still get the blackstone.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

That’s what makes the black stone perfect for camping…you can use it for every meal. It’s more versatile than just a grill.

 

[ronpolk]

I have that small black stone. I don’t do any camping but I love it for having on the back porch.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Thanks gents. I'm going to get the 22" Blackstone without a lid to cut the weight down. Dual zones and extra griddle space look handy.

Prolly skip the stand and use my grilling cart at home and my tailgate/rolltop/ picnic table while camping.

Any must have accessories?

 

[Nunya.sixpack]

Are you sleeping in parking outside for tailgates or "camping"?

 

[Dawgbite]

Grilling with gas is like 17ing with rubbers. Charcoal or order pizza. Akorn Jr.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

To season it good when you first get it, buy the jar of griddle seasoning they sell. I’ve found it works better than anything else. Two of the flat griddle spatulas are a must.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Camping out in the mountains, mostly boondocking, but even the campgrounds are limited in services out here. Sawtooths, Glacier, and Vancouver are the big trips this summer with a little fly fishing mixed in closer to home.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Akorns are for squirrels. Get a Kamado Joe or BGE.***

If you camp out west on public lands, a lot of times it will be under severe fire restrictions and you cannot have open flames of any kind, even charcoal. Also, I have no interest in starting a grill for 45 minutes to cook breakfast. And when I leave I want it to be cool enough to put inside the RV and lock it it up. My KJ takes 12 hours to cool enough to touch.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Snowflake**

 

[PBRME]

https://www.recteq.com/products/rt-340-wood-pellet-grill

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Lol. Recteq is undefeated on SPS. Nothing like waking up at 3am to unload the 100# smoker to smoke some pancakes before we go fishing at 6:30.

 

[HailStout]

Thanks gents. I'm going to get the 22" Blackstone without a lid to cut the weight down. Dual zones and extra griddle space look handy.

Prolly skip the stand and use my grilling cart at home and my tailgate/rolltop/ picnic table while camping.

Any must have accessories?

Agree with skipping the stand. It’s a waste of money and space.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Grilling with gas is like 17ing with rubbers. Charcoal or order pizza. Akorn Jr.

Usually gas grills come with purse holders. Charcoal 'er nuttin'

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

After you get done stroking one off about your charcoal grill, go read the OP again.

 

[aTotal360]

Recteq has the bullseye which is a small grill/smoker. Still too big and bulky for what you need. It does get up to temp almost as fast as a gas grill.

https://www.recteq.com/products/rt-b380-wood-pellet-grill

 

[PBRME]

Only reason I mentioned it is because they sell a griddle top. It would eliminate the need to transport 2 modes of cooking.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Gotcha. Not really the kinda camping where I will need or use a smoker. Out fishing, hiking, kayaking, and mountain biking sort of thing all day. Some trips may last a few days and others a couple weeks and with 2 kids, a dog, and all of our gear space is going to be at a premium.

 

[ckDOG]

Which trailer and tow vehicle set up did you go with?

Don't remember if you ever decided after your thread a year or so ago.

Echo the blackstone comments. We just use a cheap coleman when need to cook with gas outside of the trailer, but everyone I know that has the blackstone thinks it's a solid setup. It's what I'll buy whenever we get tired of the cheap coleman stove.

 

[Treemydawg]

Go with the blackstone table top. We have one that we leave in our horse trailer to take with us on rodeo weekends. The meals you can cook on them are almost limitless, and clean up is simple. Grab a six inch sheet rock finishing knife from the hardware store to scrape and clean it with, it does so much better of a job than the flat griddle spatulas.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

We ordered an Airstream. Local dealer wasn't budging on an MSRP and was difficult to work with. Called around ended up ordering a 22' from the dealership in SLC. Order in August and just picked up in March, but worth the wait. 20% off MSRP blew away everyone else. Highly recommend if anyone is ever in the market.

Pulling it with a 6.2 L gas F250. I didn't feel like I needed a diesel and I was right. It handles like a dream with the weight distributing hitch, but I towed it across town without it and it's pretty jerky. My truck gets about 14-15 miles a gallon normally and towing it through the mountains 500 miles I got about 11 mpg. Thought it would be more like 8-9 mpg. Big fan of the gas 3/4 ton if you are towing 7-10k.

Here's the rig. Call it the Flying *********.

View attachment 24330

View attachment 24331

ETA. Have a full hookup at the house and it's now become my man cave for watching games.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

10-4 on the drywall knife. Might stock up.

 

[ckDOG]

Congrats. She's a beaut.

Looks like you got the bunk model there. Good thing about airstreams, aside from be rolling works of art, is that your kids (assuming that's who the bunk is for) will be able to use that same trailer and it'll still be in excellent shape. Justifies a bit of the price.

Good to know the mpg pulling that with the 6.2. I currently have a Titan (only it an the Tundra fit in my garage) and it pulls our trailer just fine, but runs at about 7-9 mpg on the highway depending on wind and terrain. Trailer is about 20 ft and 4k lbs loaded up and a little north 500lbs on tongue weight when you account for tanks and the hitch. The thing I've learned quickly is that payload goes fast when pulling these trailers, family, and gear. Even if I had a higher payload half ton, I'm realistically looking at 1500-1700 in payload. 500-700 pounds of tongue weight on a bumper pull, 2 adults including my fatass, kids, stuff, firewood, and some tools and you start thinking worrying about how much room you have left. At least I do. I've seen some shady setups rolling down the highway. I'm not putting my family into a stupid situation because I'm too cheap to not to buy a truck with a chassis meant to carry all that payload. Fine if you are loading a bed full of mulch or whatever around town, but not the family running down the highway.

Side topic, Ford needs to make a hybrid out of the 6.2 F-250 like they've done with the F-150 powerboost. Having a 3/4 ton running north of 20 mpg without the diesel maintenance costs would be huge.

 

[dorndawg]

10-4 on the drywall knife. Might stock up.

Add one more to the supply shortage*

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

After you get done stroking one off about your charcoal grill, go read the OP again.

Easy snowflake, jut funnin'

 

[Crazy Cotton]

Weber Q is my favorite gas grill. It is all aluminum, except for the stainless burner and the cast-iron grates. It sips propane but will get really, really hot if you need it to. NO RUST. Mine's 15 years old now and looks the same as the day I bought it. The grease pan underneath is below a large hole in the bottom of the grill, and is designed to take a small aluminum tray that is disposable. So cleanup is like this - scrape the big stuff off the grates, heat up the grill for 5 minutes, take a soaking wet rag and wipe down the hot grate and interior. All the water and crap runs down into the aluminum pan below, which you take out and throw away and you're done, and it is clean. The newer ones have multiple grates, including a griddle. I cook on mine multiple times a week and I own 4 other high end grills/smokers.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

That's intriguing. I looked at them at the hardware store today. The small one is fairly small cooking area and the big one was very bulky. I think it would be great for the house or if I had a 5th wheel with tons of storage. It just won't fit anywhere in the AS. Thanks for the feedback though.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

While not ideal for camping I have the 36" blackstone and I love that thing. I look for a reason to use it. The cool fall and spring Saturday mornings nothing better than being out on the patio cooking breakfast on it.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

My kids call it “the bacon cooker”. Beats stinking up the house with bacon.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

So was I sweetheart.