A real stove in my airstream

[Clarity]

Anyone upgrade to an apartment sized (20") gas range and oven? I plan on living full time and I plan to cook.

[FreshAir]

The stoves that are installed by the Airstream factory are propane. Residential stoves are natural gas.....which need to be connected to a utility gas line. That's ok if you park the trailer and not travel with it.

Neil

[Al and Missy]

I'm pretty sure that residential stoves can be jetted for either natural gas or propane.

Al

[slowmover]

A trailer of this sort is rather a double-walled beer can. Without the thermal mass of a house or apartment or their heating or cooling system plus range ventilation, one can overpower the small space quickly.

There are better quality marine ranges that will fit the space more easily. And work with existing range ventilation more easily.

Maybe someone has done it. I would be quite cautious in this.

I full time, but it wouldn't occur to me to use such a big range even for six people. RVs of our size and type have compromises. I think of it rather like the refrigerator/freezer: I must more often re-supply; that is, I may not be able to cook in the quantities I did previously.

FWIW, we many of us wind up with too much cooking gear even though it is already a reduction from previous living arrangements.

[dwightdi]

For larger cooking surfaces, an outside portable camp stove would allow more flexibility, Unless the weather prohibits it, outside cooking ia preferred for larger groups. Yes you can re-jet existing natural gas stoves.

[Minno]

Originally Posted by Clarity

Anyone upgrade to an apartment sized (20") gas range and oven? I plan on living full time and I plan to cook.

Hey Clarity,

Vallejo, huh? I lived there for 4 1/2 years while stationed at Mare Island, which I know is closed now. Brings back good memories though. Three of those years we were newlyweds (with Kay). Our oldest son was born at Travis AFB. But, I digress...

Most household gas appliances can be re-jetted for either propane or natural gas. Check on the model that you're looking at to see if it has a propane jet kit available. To help save a bit on propane, make sure it has electronic ignition, at least on the stove top burners.

Have you considered a larger RV range? Assuming that you have a 17 inch range now, Atwood makes a 21" range that might work:
Atwood High Output Ranges Black Stainless Steel Door Piezo Ignition Electronic Ignition R-A2135 BSP R-A1735 BGPA R-A1735 BGEA R-A2121 BSP R-A1721 BGP R-A1721 BGE Trailer Camper RV American RV

You'll have to modify the cabinets for it to fit, but you would for an apartment range anyway.

Good luck on whatever you decide to use!

Chris

[pattydoug]

Originally Posted by Clarity

Anyone upgrade to an apartment sized (20") gas range and oven? I plan on living full time and I plan to cook.

This could be done but you would have to do some serious remodeling. We fulltime and do serious cooking using the 22" RV stove that came in the unit. Additionally we use several electrical appliances when we aren't boondocking or paying for electric. Other than securing the stove so that it didn't move while traveling there is no reason you couldn't use a residential range.

As far as " residential stoves only being setup for natural gas" don't say that in front of a propane dealer: they will have a hard time trying not to burst out laughing!

[cwf]

Conversion is possible...actually done myself...for my home. and our hunting camp.. Converting Gas Appliances - Propane and Natural Gas Appliance Conversions

It actually is an adjustment of the amount of fuel/air mixture and pressures.

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by Clarity

Anyone upgrade to an apartment sized (20") gas range and oven? I plan on living full time and I plan to cook.

I've fulltimed since 2005 and I cook. An apartment stove? Why bother? Seriously, every time I moved homes, the new stove was "different" than the old one, and I had to get used to it. TRY using what's in your Airstream. You may be pleasantly surprised. The burners - very similar to most gas stoves you've had in the past. The propane oven OR a convection/microwave - are both smaller, but work on the same principle and unless you're cooking for the congregation, are quite usable.

If you have Airstream's propane oven, you won't be able to cook a 30 lb. turkey in it (but of course you'd have a hard time getting a turkey that big into your Airstream, and prepping it. Where could you brine it?) You might have trouble opening the oven door on a 20 inch apartment stove without hitting the dinette or couch opposite. I successfully cooked a 10 lb turkey in my newest Airstream which has a convection-microwave oven. I'd never used one of those before, but I read the directions, followed them diligently and guess what, I LIKE it. You need a round pan or two with the carousal but it works fine. Cooking three or four pies, or two full sized sheets of cookies at a time - not gonna happen. But how often do you really do that?

Before you make changes to your Airstream - go to a mega-camping store and look at their cooking department. The stuff that you can haul around when you camp - wow. I didn't know camp ovens existed 8 years ago, but they do, and if want one you can cook right on the tailgate of your truck with one, and do six full size loaves of bread in some of them. There are many many options. Take your time, something that you think you must have before you camp one day will probably seem like "why bother?" shortly after your third outing.

I've also learned quite a bit about Dutch oven cooking since I got my first Airstream - baking is a challenge due to the importance of temperature regulation (I did make quite a few hockey pucks that started life as biscuits), but I'm getting there. Soup and stew and spaghetti sauce are fine. I'm not going to venture a souffle though.

Cooking INSIDE has a real disadvantage... broiled salmon is a smell that will live with you for days. Outside cooking is real cooking, too. Camp oven, induction burner, campfire, Dutch oven, whatever!

I'd never used an induction burner, but it took me about 3 minutes to fall in love. And if you want to socialize, grind fresh coffee beans and making a pot outside early in the morning. Just have lots of paper cups ready for folks who walk by saying - wow, that smells terrific!

PS: you can use the induction burner under the awning, but it won't like being on a metal table - just put a cutting board under it if you use one. I must confess that even as a brand new camper it seemed obvious to me that no one would be stupid enough to try campfire cooking under an awning - but OH yes, sometimes there ARE scenes in a campground that make Robin Williams adventures in RV'ing look tame. Showed ME why they always mount the extinguisher by the Airstream door as I ran to assist.

Paula

[cameront120]

When I full timed in my Airstream, I really enjoyed the stove and oven that came with my trailer. 4 burners worked well and controlled temperature easily. The oven temperature was accurate and consistent. No complaints at all. I wouldn't have thought of swapping it for an apartment size range - reconfiguring air intake and exhaust would have been a real headache, not to mention making room for a larger appliance.

[Alcoa Roller]

You might find the required supply line for a home stove is larger than the lines on the trailer. not that you couldnt use the linees on the trailer but the btu rating of the stove and elements would be off.

[dannydimitt]

Dixie was the maker of thousands of 20 inch apartment size stoves that came in house trailers in the 40s and 50s such as Lucy's Long Long Trailer . They all ran on butane or propane and sure could cook up a great meal or bake a scrumptious Dewberry Cobbler . My Great Granny lived in a 52 year model , New Moon , trailer back in the fiftys . I have been fortunate to have obtained a few old trailers like this that all had the original Dixie stoves in them . And after a good cleaning , they al worked perfectly. None had pilot lights on the burners or ovens and a match would lite the burners . At least the 60 year old oven in the Dixie would lite with a match from the front of the oven and not have to lay on the floor and lite the pilot light in our 2005 Airstream.
Our Kitchen Range in our home is gas and burns propane .
My vote is to " GO For It ! "

[Clarity]

wow, thanks for all the great feedback! My big concern is that I like to bake. Mostly bread and pizza, and the occasional cupcake. Beyond that having a broiler would be great! Who doesn't love bacon done in a broiler?

I am planning a seriously customized kitchen because of this. I'm a cook by trade, so I have some minimum requirements. also, I do plan to mostly park, as this will be my home.

thanks again for all the feedback!

[cwf]

Originally Posted by Clarity

wow, thanks for all the great feedback! My big concern is that I like to bake. Mostly bread and pizza, and the occasional cupcake. Beyond that having a broiler would be great! Who doesn't love bacon done in a broiler?

I am planning a seriously customized kitchen because of this. I'm a cook by trade, so I have some minimum requirements. also, I do plan to mostly park, as this will be my home.

thanks again for all the feedback!

MMMMM..Baconnnnn... why did you not mention this before! hahaha

Great! Our future DIL is also a professional Chef... graduated C.I.A. (I think)

Adding the bigger stove will use more OXYGEN... and will need good ducting and Propane capacity/use improvements. Is it possible to set up your 'stove' outside the AS first and 'test'? This will give you some serious experience with propane consumption and working out the setting of the regulator(s) and work out the piping requirements.

When installing in a home there us usually a 'flex' line connection... do NOT use that in your AS. The reason is 'movement'. A 'flex' line is not meant to continuously 'flex'. There are some heavy duty Propane lines which are intended for that purpose. However, AS doesn't use the flex and the longevity of the hard line is a 'proven' application.

The Oxygen/AIR supply and 'exhaust' for the new home stove will need to be worked out. The concern is obvious.

My point here... while you may be able to 'change' things and they 'work' at install, there are other issues to consider.

It is 'doable'... please, please, be careful.

[Clarity]

Thank cfw, I will be very careful, and I have an appliance guy who can help me out. In fact it's his AS I may be buying.

[J. Morgan]

Yep.

It works great, and converts to propane in about fifteen minutes with no additional parts required.




The brand is Premier, and can be bought at Lowe's or HD, cant remember which one carries them.

If I remember it cost about &400.

So far it works great. (About 18 months)

A 3/8" supply line works fine, securement was done with two screws running through the left side of the range into the counter top.

1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[Paddledipper]

[QUOTE=Clarity;1565421]wow, thanks for all the great feedback! My big concern is that I like to bake. Mostly bread and pizza, and the occasional cupcake. Beyond that having a broiler would be great!



I not a professional cook but I do have 4 kids and a husband, none of which have ever starved on my watch. We have the original stove in our '77 and just this weekend we've baked 3 cakes, 2 homemade pizzas and several items on the stove top. We cook our bacon in the microwave or in cast iron over the fire when we are not home. The stove is functional enough for us :-)

[cwf]

We bake our bacon (meat candy) at home... till nearly done.. freeze..... quick trip to the microwave and it's yummy time.

Kewl to know about your success J. Morgan... Don't know if I'll ever do that... but, hey, time will tell.

We did install full size in our camp we had.. It was on a barge... we could 'drive' it wherever we wanted to hunt or camp.

One thing that happened... we nearly died when one day when they had the doors closed because it was cold... and we all got terribly dizzy, tired and headaches...

Don't do that.