Cooking in a small RV kitchen is totally possible. But why do it if you can grill outside?
There is just something relaxing and fun about grilling at the RV park. I know a lot of other full-time RVers say they hardly ever grill outside. But I think that is crazy. We do it all the time!
Seriously, it could be raining and I will ask Ed to fire up the grill for some chicken legs.
And as an RV grill type of lady, I’ve gathered up some information on the best grills for RVing and camping. You’re welcome.
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Best Portable Grill for RVing Under $100
Weber 10020 Smokey Joe 14-inch Charcoal Grill
This makes the list for it’s ease of use and price! In other words, it’s cheap and even the dimmest of campers can use it.
Usually only about $30, this Weber is a steal for all you folks out there who love to grill outside while camping, but hate to spend any money to make life convenient. #yourstruly
Honestly, this grill is perfect for a small family or couple renting an RV for a trip, or weekend warriors that only go RVing a few days at a time. If you’re a full-timer like me, or camp often, pony up the dough and get something nicer.
Pros:
This grill is simple; it is easy to carry and store. At 14 inches wide, it can feed around 4 people who don’t like to eat.
Cons:
It’s charcoal for Pete’s sake, It’s gonna be messy and annoying to clean up after. There are also no handles.
Seriously Weber? You couldn’t splurge on some handles so your consumers can move this thing a little easier?
Char-Broil 11000-BTU 187-sq in Portable Gas Grill
This is the first grill we bought when we started RVing. It was super light weight and easy on the wallet. For $30 at Lowe’s with a $5 replacement plan, this grill is a small but great investment for campers.
We used ours at 2-4 times a week for almost a year before it crapped out. It really was an awesome little grill for camping as a small family.
Pros:
I love this grill because it can sit right on the picnic table of your RV site and has handles when you need to move it.
It’s also a propane grill which means you don’t have to deal with messy charcoal, and you can buy little 1-liter propane tanks at Walmart or any big-box store. And bonus points! It fits very nicely in most RV outside storage bays.
Cons:
It will eventually give out and you will have to replace. That said, it may last longer than you think!
Side note: I would not recommend this grill for RVing with a large family.
Best Overall Grill for RVing
Coleman Road Trip Propane Portable Grill LXE
This grill’s name is the “Road Trip.” The people at Coleman sure know how to market, right?
Pros:
If you’re looking for a really sturdy and durable grill, this is the one for you. It has a built-in stand, wheels, and is very easy to assemble. It has a large cooking surface, so you can cook your whole meal on this grill or just a lot of hamburgers to store for snacking at a later date.
What?! Nobody else like cold hamburgers for breakfast! Come on!
Cons:
This bad boy is heavy. Seriously.
It weighs a little over 50 lbs. But some could argue this is a plus, as it’s not easily knocked over. This is great for when Uncle Jimmy comes stumbling over to your site asking for a “dog.”
Another thing this grill messed up on is the missing temperature gauge. If you get this unit, you’ll have to buy an external one if you want to know exactly how hot the grill is getting.
Or you know, just guess like the rest of us.
Weber 50060001 Q1000 Liquid Propane Grill
By far, this is the grill I see most people using at the campground or RV park. In especially perfect weather, I’ll see one at every turn during my evening walk; no kidding! Averaging a $170 price tag, it seems to be the absolute best grill for camping!
Pros:
Like the Coleman, this RV grill is durable! But even better, it is lightweight and portable for most RVers.
Except Mrs. Dorothy from site 68. You see her picking this up and ya better start running to help. She’s old and fragile.
It comes fully-assembled out of the box, and has a push button ignition. Also, with an RV adapter hose, you can hook it right up to your RV propane! #thegoodlife
Cons:
The stand is sold separately and there are no side shelves.
Best grills for RVing in the backwoods
The Big Green Egg
If you haven’t seen one of these bad boys, you’re missing out. They are super cool.
Dubbed the ultimate cooking experience, this grill is perfect for backwoods camping. It really does it all, meaning you can create your whole meal outside, just like a real woodsman.
Pros:
It’s very durable and can do a ton of crap you never knew you were missing out on.
It not only grills, but also boasts the ability to roast, smoke, and bake! It comes with a lifetime guarantee and is available in many different sizes. This makes it the perfect camping grill because you can pick the size that fits your rig the best!
Bonus: There are a ton of recipes created just for this grill!
Cons:
Because of its durability, the egg can be heavy. This can be a problem when considering it for your RV trip, as you need to be aware of how much weight you are towing.
The campfire
Alright, guys. If you’re deep in the woods or at an especially isolated campground, you’ve really got to do yourself a favor and have a true campfire. It’s the perfect way to experience an authentic RVing-in-the-woods experience.
Pros:
Creating a fire is a fun. Just ask a pyromaniac.
You can get everyone involved by finding firewood and tending to the fire as it burns. There are also really fun recipes you can try that will have a unique campfire flavor.
And of course, the best part of grilling on the campfire is s’mores. If you’re really looking to rock the campfire, try these unique and fun s’mores recipes.
Cons:
Obviously a campfire can suck sometimes. The smoke will never get out of your clothes and your RV will smell for days. And if you have little ones, they could trip into the fire when you’re staring at your cell phone instead of spending quality time with your kids like you said you were going to do.
But hell, give it a go! Live a little, would ya?!
Which RV grill do you have?
And what’s your favorite RV recipe? Let me know in the comments, would ya?
We have a Blackstone Combo Grill And Griddle. It is a bit heavy, but I can lift if comes apart. Can also buy bags that you can store it in when traveling. We use the griddle part more that the grill. Both work very good. Company is in Utah I thing Logan near Salt Lake. I purchased ours at Camping World it was less expensive than Amazon. Some Walmart stores carry them also. If you go to Blackstone’s web site you can see all their products
We have the road trip an older one no wheels waaaay too bulky and heavy so it’s now in our shed/ barn. Last one we bought was a Coleman sportster . We thought the regulator wasn’t working so we requested a new one we were traveling when we got home there was a new entire grill at our door. Guess we will see if it’s better we leave soon on our next trip. It starts well it’s light weight and is on wheels no thermometer tho.
I’m not in my RV yet (can’t wait!) but I have a mini Big Green Egg that I can’t wait to pack and use…. it’s big enough for four hamburgers or a couple steaks…. and the BGE is amazing!! I had a ‘small’ also, but that one went with the ‘ex’ – LOL. I kept the mini and I’m looking forward to using it more….
We have been using a camp chef 3 burner BBQ. I LOVE it! It’s not really lightweight which is ok because it’s so durable. We got a Costco special so it wasn’t crazy expensive, but all the attachments get costly and they have some really cool attachments for this bbq.
Thanks for sharing this Sarah! It sounds like a great grill for RVing and camping! And Costco special for the win!
I have the little Char-Broil (Several other have that same grill probably the same factory in China) I’ve used one for years. Love it. I camp in bear country and have had more than one that was destroyed by a bear. Cheep to replace…
lol! Cheap but useful. Can’t beat that! Thanks for the comment Phil. Helpful I’m sure to people wanting to buy their first grill!
Ok, I’ve been through the list and it doesn’t look like any of these grills are what I would call small. I believe I have the 14″ Weber and I know it’s bigger than I want (i’m not in an RV yet). I have a $20 hibachi and another grill that my mother had in her camper that are about 1/4 the size of the Weber or less. I’m just wondering if size had much influence on your ratings?
I have one of those 14″ grills in a different brand, and it’s such a pain that I have only used it a few times. I don’t like having to cook on the ground. Also, the grate for mine is misaligned and falls into the coals unless I clip it around the edges with metal binder clips.
ugh that’s annoying! Thanks for sharing that! Time for an upgrade Ashley!!
We have a Weber Q. Not sure of the model number, but yep, they’re pretty common.
I have the CharBroil portable and the Coleman Road trip. The CharBroil has traveled to everything with us: camping, picinics, events, etc.! LOVE IT!! I just got the Coleman this summer (because I’m not able to get to my CharBroil—long story!) I used it only once at a get-together with old friends. Work great, but a TOTAL pain in the butt to clean. OMGOSH! LOL It’s also awkward for me to roll around, and it fell over on my foot like 30 times before I finally moved it to the garage!! LOL (Another long story!)
Wow Karen! Thanks for the stories! Interesting about the Coleman Road Trip! But good to know when I go to buy my next grill, that’s for sure!
Also, if you ever want to share those long stories, please do! They sound like just the type of thing we love here at The Virtual Campground. haha!
Just won a Weber Q1200 in a raffle. (Only spent $20 for the tickets) can’t wait to try it out.
WHAT?! No way Jim. That is really cool! Let me know how you like it!!!
I love my blackstone.
Hmm I haven’t tried that one! I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing Erik. 🙂
Great info and I use the Weber Q1000 as well.
It’s so popular, Mark! I think I’m convinced I need one now.
We have a Colman Roadtrip grill. I got a half griddle for it also.
That seems to be a pretty popular choice as well. I bet the griddle for it is nice for cooking breakfast! UGH I need a better grill now. lol
Webber Q. Nothing else comes close. The Lodge grill fits perfectly.
It’s a popular choice for sure! Thanks for commenting, my friend. 🙂
We have been campers for over 30 some years so we have several options. We own a road trip still looks new cause it’s big and heavy cannt part with it cause it’s $200. At camping world. Our charbroil just crapped out I think we had it for 15 years . We replaced with a Coleman 9955 it’s light has a stand with wheels we pack it on our big utility box just strap it down . Has an electric start , propane . We will see how it holds up so far we are happy
Hmm I hope it lasts as long as the Charbroil! 15 years?! Wow! Most marriages don’t last that long. haha!
Hmm. Our Smokey Joe has handles. We have four ways we cook outdoors. Only occasionally do we bring the Smokey Joe with us because most of the campgrounds we frequent have fire rings and we have a stand and cooking grate that we place over the fire pit. If the campground doesn’t allow fires, we have a Weber table top propane grill and we have a grill attached with a swing arm to the back of our camper. Now I’m hungry for some campfire cooking.
Dang, Becky! You have thought of everything. Weird about the Smokey Joe handles!
I love cooking over the campfire with grates too, but I don’t think Ed is too thrilled and I am pathetic at starting a fire. I should really learn that!!
Hope you get your campfire cooking soon! And hope to see you at Tribe Conference in October as well. 🙂
LOL! Our barbeque of choice is a cast iron Lodge Sportsman hibachi grill. Although it is a bit of a boat anchor and on the smaller side, my husband loves it. The cast iron retains heat really well so you can cook more food than one would think, just not all at once.
I haven’t heard of that one Susan! I love cooking on cast iron! Thanks for the tip. 🙂
Aww…thanks, Liz. You’re so much fun! I love reading your blog posts.
I love when you read them. haha!!!
Awesome as usual, Liz! We have a Char-Broil too and it’s working great.
Julie, I just love you. Thanks for always reading and commenting! We really liked our little Char-Broil!