Visit our Popular Forums

ChitownMike · 07-22-2019, 06:25 PM

As I continue to do research on buying my first Airstream, I have now stumbled onto food prep options. I was leaning towards a standard microwave with a propane oven as my wife and I have never really used our convection oven at home. Though are now considering passing on the propane oven in favor or using a pellet smoker in order to get the extra storage. Traeger appears to have two good options in both the Ranger and Scout. You can also get an inverter to run it off your car battery for dry camping. I have a regular Traeger at home and love it. I’ve used it for the usual stuff like ribs and chicken but have also made things like garlic bread, corn on the cob, and chocolate chip cookies. Has anyone gone down this path when camping? I would love to hear your thoughts.

waninae39 · 07-22-2019, 07:08 PM

you can get a simple kit to convert the existing gas outlet so that it can run a BBQ

a smoker on the road is another matter. it often takes a long time to cool down and they tend to be heavy

two items to consider

CWSWine · 07-22-2019, 07:15 PM

I also have a Traeger at home and love it and wouldn't trade for any other brand but I not impress with the smaller pellet grills. I have my eye on the Davy Crockett by Green Mountain. I like the way the legs fold up and turn into handles. Here is a review on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm-nVIRdvUI

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChitownMike

As I continue to do research on buying my first Airstream, I have now stumbled onto food prep options. I was leaning towards a standard microwave with a propane oven as my wife and I have never really used our convection oven at home. Though are now considering passing on the propane oven in favor or using a pellet smoker in order to get the extra storage. Traeger appears to have two good options in both the Ranger and Scout. You can also get an inverter to run it off your car battery for dry camping. I have a regular Traeger at home and love it. I’ve used it for the usual stuff like ribs and chicken but have also made things like garlic bread, corn on the cob, and chocolate chip cookies. Has anyone gone down this path when camping? I would love to hear your thoughts.

bweybright · 07-22-2019, 07:39 PM

I love my smoked and grilled meat. Cookies on a Traeger sounds interesting....haven't tried it.
One consideration for not having an oven and relying on the Traeger is are you cool with doing it on cooler, windy, or rainy days if that is what your meal plan calls for? We use our trailer edge seasons to avoid crowds and have had a number of times where the oven in the trailer with the heater cranking and a movie on the tv is pretty darn nice.
Bottom line is that you may need both!!

Bigventure · 07-22-2019, 07:47 PM

I had a Traeger PTG. I sold it and picked up a Green Mountain Davey Crockett. The PTG, Ranger and Scout are two small. They hold about one portion. They don’t regulate the heat well either.

ChitownMike · 07-22-2019, 08:43 PM

Thanks for the tip on the Davy Crockett. I hadn’t heard of that brand. Watched the video and it’s definitely worth considering. I am also considering the Traeger Tailgater with the foldable legs as it’s bigger. I bought it for my Dad as he has a fifth wheel and has more room to store it. He loves it but the legs are kind of a pain as they don’t fold/unfold all that easily.

mpbiagi · 07-23-2019, 09:09 AM

With all due respect to Bigventure above, I have a Traeger Ranger. It cooks evenly and it will cook enough meat for four people. The only downside is that it is heavy, around 65 pounds. At this point in my life I can still pick it up and put it in the back of the truck from the table where it sits next to our Airstream, but as I age that process will get more difficult (I’m 56). Just something to think about when spending that kind of money on a “portable” smoker.

Mike

SilverFire · 07-23-2019, 09:44 AM

Another off-grid option (why buy fuel?):

Biomass Stove (14 lbs.) Wok, boil, fry, smoke with sticks, twigs, or kindling.

https://www.silverfire.us/hunter-chimney-stove

Ziv's Portable flat-pack smoker:

http://zivsmoker.com/

lsbrodsky · 07-23-2019, 09:58 AM

I just looked at these grills and their weights are about 65 lbs; Traeger has some others that are 40-45 lbs. My gosh, I would never haul around a grill that weighs that much; it would be a deterrent to taking it out of the truck and using it. I am very happy with my Dickenson Marine grill at about 15 lbs.

Larry

judyjudy · 07-23-2019, 10:37 AM

We have a CampChef we travel with for cooking outside including the pizza oven and love it. I love the oven inside for the bad weather days. I would give up the microwave before I gave up my oven.

Tomfeury · 07-23-2019, 11:19 AM

I love the biolite firepit and grill combo I recently got. In fact, since getting it, we no longer even use the coleman roadmaster propane grill that we converted to run off the low pressure Airstream propane port.

This biolite heats up and burns out in 10 minutes because it uses a fan propelled aeration system that is recharged via usb or solar. This makes it work like a fireplace insert, causing the fire to burn efficiently and smokeless. You can control the burn by controlling the fan speed. Runs about $200

Check it out:
https://www.bioliteenergy.com/products#power

GatorDave · 07-23-2019, 11:50 AM

That that is a sweet set up. I have used a propane fire pit for years. Like this one also.

CWSWine · 07-23-2019, 01:03 PM

On this thread we discussing two complete different grills - one is a gas grill that cooks food using manly heat and a pellet grill that uses heat but also adds flavor with smoke. I currently have three grills on the shelf that I use for camping - Weber gas grill - Blackstone Griddle, and old small charcoal grill and each one adds a unique flavor/use. Now I want to add a smoker to the mix and probably be the Davey Crocket that linked to above. I select the grill for the type of camping we going do and what we are going to be doing. The Blackstone if we have a large group or what to cooking eggs, bacon, and pancakes for breakfast. The Weber if it is me and the wife and cook hamburgers in the evening. The smoker I plan to use when going somewhere and hang around the AS and not be out sightseeing every day. Notice I didn't mention the charcoal grill and that because I can't remember the last time I used it.

WaLee · 07-23-2019, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChitownMike

As I continue to do research on buying my first Airstream, I have now stumbled onto food prep options. I was leaning towards a standard microwave with a propane oven as my wife and I have never really used our convection oven at home. Though are now considering passing on the propane oven in favor or using a pellet smoker in order to get the extra storage. Traeger appears to have two good options in both the Ranger and Scout. You can also get an inverter to run it off your car battery for dry camping. I have a regular Traeger at home and love it. I’ve used it for the usual stuff like ribs and chicken but have also made things like garlic bread, corn on the cob, and chocolate chip cookies. Has anyone gone down this path when camping? I would love to hear your thoughts.

I have the little Traeger with the inverter. I also have a tailgater and a larger one at home. They never disappoint. I use the little one at home a lot. Saves on pellets!

gypsydad · 07-23-2019, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWSWine

I also have a Traeger at home and love it and wouldn't trade for any other brand but I not impress with the smaller pellet grills. I have my eye on the Davy Crockett by Green Mountain. I like the way the legs fold up and turn into handles. Here is a review on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm-nVIRdvUI

I have had the small Trager for 5 years, and I hate it for smoking; I have to put foil in the rear slots to control smoke and heat (no smoke stack on this model). Lots of money for what it does also...

I purchased the GMG Davy Crockett 2 years ago and love it! Portable, runs on DC or AC, has computer controlled heat temp probe for meat, and all with control from your cell phone. (assuming you have wifi service or use phone for "hotspot") Just did ribs and pulled pork this past weekend...very easy to control and no worries of overcooking when you program and use the electronics!

I also have the O-Grill propane which I use 80% of the time and I have the "Volcano" charcoal which I use for cooking steaks. mostly..amazing grill! for steaks! I don't always take all these along; mostly keep the O-grill and the Volcano grill in my truck bed and only bring the Davey Crocket when a bigger venue is planned...

uncle_bob · 07-23-2019, 05:02 PM

Hi

Ok, getting back to the original question: Microwave / propane oven / outdoor gizmo?

Both the microwave and the stock oven work fine when there is a massive thunderstorm outside. They also work at a site that has no level area outside the pad the RV is parked on. Pull into a site ( ... Walmart ??? ....) and you can be cooking in minutes with the propane stove.

I do a lot of smoking of various stuff at home. I have a variety of gear to do it with. Trying to take it all on the road / set it up / heat it up / smoke this or that for 20 hours / cool it down clean it up / pack it away ..... yikes !!!! No argument about being able to fix a full meal that way, you most certainly can. You can use it a number of ways.

Microwave vs propane stove? I'd go with the propane stove. If you are off grid, you can still cook..... The microwave will not run off of the stock inverter. If you upgrade the inverter, you would also need to upgrade batteries. A generator will run the microwave, that's going to take setup / teardown / fuel. More complexity when all I really want is dinner now

Bob

davidrrand · 07-23-2019, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChitownMike

As I continue to do research on buying my first Airstream, I have now stumbled onto food prep options. I was leaning towards a standard microwave with a propane oven as my wife and I have never really used our convection oven at home. Though are now considering passing on the propane oven in favor or using a pellet smoker in order to get the extra storage. Traeger appears to have two good options in both the Ranger and Scout. You can also get an inverter to run it off your car battery for dry camping. I have a regular Traeger at home and love it. I’ve used it for the usual stuff like ribs and chicken but have also made things like garlic bread, corn on the cob, and chocolate chip cookies. Has anyone gone down this path when camping? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Can’t help you with your outdoor cooking choices but the rear bed twin in at least the 25 FC gives you both the oven and an optional convection microwave along with a larger bathroom and more outside storage for whatever you choose to carry.

uncle_bob · 07-24-2019, 08:01 AM

Hi

It *is* well worth the time to head over to a dealer and spend a day sitting in each of the various models. That's really the only way to work out what is what. There are lots of little issues that are impossible to figure out from the internet. (can I sit here comfortably, how big *is* that drawer, how much can I store in here, can all of us sit at this table, ......).

Bob

gypsydad · 07-24-2019, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidrrand

Can’t help you with your outdoor cooking choices but the rear bed twin in at least the 25 FC gives you both the oven and an optional convection microwave along with a larger bathroom and more outside storage for whatever you choose to carry.

I second the recommendation of the "twin" beds....in addition to more room inside and more sleeping surface vs the queen, you get 2 extra outside storage compartments for your "stuff". As for microwave/convection vs propane oven, we have had both. We seldom used the propane oven on any of our 4 AS's over the past 15 years...we selected only the microwave/convection on our current AS. It works fine either on shore power or with the generator...nice to have the microwave option with some items (baked potatoes, popcorn, re-heating) also we use the convection oven to cook some dishes.

You can get an outside grill that will work with the external AS LP connections...if you want to carry extra smoker, as I sometimes do, that can work also...just more "stuff"; if you have the room, go for it!

ChitownMike · 07-24-2019, 11:45 AM

Thanks Bob. I have been to a few dealers but only to walk through a few models. I agree I need to do more of a deep dive. I'm going to try to do that at Hershey but it will be hard given that it is a RV show. Hopefully I can figure it out. It can be tough as most dealers don't have every model I am considering.