Is a full oven necessary when full time caravaning?

Sheba · Guru

Is a full oven necessary when full time caravaning?

buffy61 · Senior Member

Almost at the point of buying caravan.... The question is tho, will just a grill and stove top do it? I really enjoy throwing a batch of scones in the oven, making bread and muffins. Still plan to do that on the road. Guess that isn't going to be possible with just a grill! Those selling vans with just a grill assure me it is too hot to cook inside anyway! Which would certainly be true with the weather at the moment! But no doubt we will have cold, wet days when a nice roast or casserole will warm the ****les.... And the inside of van! So, if you don't have an oven, what can you do instead? Any other baking ideas? Would you buy a van without an oven? Buffy

Sylva · Veteran Member

Hi buffy

We have just ordered our van to live in for 12 months and I have added the oven as it does not come standard. Like you I want to be able to cook bread, scones, roasts and cakes. They added it in at not extra cost and I would rather have it then regret not having it.

Sylva

jimricho · Guru

buffy61 wrote:
Almost at the point of buying caravan.... The question is tho, will just a grill and stove top do it? I really enjoy throwing a batch of scones in the oven, making bread and muffins. Still plan to do that on the road. Guess that isn't going to be possible with just a grill!

I think, Buffy, you've answered your own question! smile

Jim

Kingsthorpedavid · Senior Member

We have a full oven in a campervan owned for three years and never used it.

Cooking is always done outside with a BBQ or camp oven.

Hope that helps................

KD

wendyv · Guru

We had a full oven in the caravan. Lived in it full time for 3 years and maybe used the oven 3 or 4 times for making bread and pasties. It made the van quite hot. Travelled part time for another ten years and rarely used oven,( except for storage.) When in caravan parks, used the electric frypan for roasts, casseroles etc. Some caravan parks have ovens in camp kitchens. Used the camp oven much more - makes great bread, things like toad in the hole, zucchini loaf, roasts.

When we were hunting for a bus to buy this year, I didn't want an oven - but ended up with one, anyway.

jandas fun · Guru

Don't know how big your caravan or tug is going to be, but an alternative is a Turbo Oven. Need to be hooked up to power or friends
used a honda 2kva gennie when we free camped with them.
Great meals but not to our liking, as it took up too much space when not in use.

Johnw

musketeer · Veteran Member

we have a full oven and we were advised not to get one but we did anyway and I wouldn't be without it ,we use ours constantly .

pauline · Guru

I agree with the turbo oven , they are great, we have an oven in the van and it is used for storage of frypans and the like, but I suppose it is always there if needed though we really have not needed it. Hope this helps

justcruisin01 · Guru

Why is it that people who have an oven never use it & those that don't have wish they did, same as a shower cant beleive how many wont use them just fill them up with other things. We would love to have both, next time.

JC.

jetj · Guru

A full oven won't help anyone who cooks like me. biggrin

Delta18 · Guru

We had a full oven fitted when we built our last van as we thought we would need it. Nup!

Anything that needs an oven can be done very well with the Webber BabyQ and the heat & smell is outside. Very good.

Cheers Neil

buffy61 · Senior Member

Thanks everyone!! Great help.
Liked the look of that fold up Colemans oven. That could do the trick!!!

Cheers
Vicki

neilnruth · Guru

We had an oven and used it once for cooking and thereafter stored the bread and cakes in it. Then we got a new gas stove top only. All along we had a toaster oven in the van - fitted - and it has been all I need for cakes, roasts, grills. If I don't have power I make do outside the van. And it seems the Cobb cooker could easily replace an oven.

barrie · Guru

Buffy 61
been on the road over 4 years and yes for the oven if your living in it full time ,also acts as a hearter in cold weather

Hylda&Jon · Guru

We have a full oven in our van and used it a lot in our travels (nothing matches the good old sunday roast in winter). It was already built in so it seemed silly to take anything else that would take up extra room yet do the same job. The exception was the Dreampot which is great for slow cooking with very little power plus it doubles as a spare saucepan and can be used to keep things hot or cold for picnics etc.

kiwi rainbow · Senior Member

Wew are on the road full time. I was told I would never use the oven. They were wrong. I have used the can oven as often as I used the oven in my home. It does not make the van over hot. It was my husband who insisted that we have the oven in the van and I am glad that he did

eureka · Senior Member

I bought a compact Lumina Convection Oven for use when in caravan parks. It does what a regular oven does, just learning to adjust temperature/times as it cooks quicker. It even cleans its self.

Edited as I just learnt a Convection Oven.......is a Turbo Oven, sorry.

Helen

-- Edited by eureka on Wednesday 9th of January 2013 12:42:06 PM

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Mr kiwi rainbow (kiwi-as) only has good ideas Buffy. I can vouch for the oven too, I have tasted some of the food that has come out of it, yummo. I reckon if you have the room make sure you get the full oven/stove. If I put one in my rig I wouldn't have any room left to use it. biggrin

the rocket · Guru

We have a turbo oven which is great. use it in the annexe and when cooking the smells coming from it are divine and attract lots of new friends. cheers.

tiger5 · Senior Member

Hi Buffy61,
It is like everything in life if you don't have one you will need one.We cook both in doors & out when the weather lets us.

valnrob · Guru

It all depends on how you like cooking. You like cooking with the oven so you better get one. Me, well I like outside cooking. Camp oven, baby q etc. I have a full o oven but as yet unused. Maybe in winter.

Cheers

buffy61 · Senior Member

That's cos they are kiwis, douge!! Haha The things we can do with no 12 fencing wire!!.... Apparently!

jetj · Guru

I use a turbo oven at home and it's great.

Nicholstones · Guru

We've been on the road for 4 years without an oven. I have an electric frypan which we use for roasts etc. If you are going to be making cakes, scones and so on you will need not just the oven but cake tins, beaters, baking supplies such as vanilla. While I enjoy cooking and when we settle back into a house this year will go back to doing lots of baking, we really didn't want to use up the extra space/weight in the van.

justcruisin01 · Guru

kiwi rainbow wrote:
Wew are on the road full time. I was told I would never use the oven. They were wrong. I have used the can oven as often as I used the oven in my home. It does not make the van over hot. It was my husband who insisted that we have the oven in the van and I am glad that he did

Many of us are glad you have the oven, & as they say the proof is in the pudding, (scones pav's).

JC.

jimricho · Guru

justcruisin01 wrote:
Many of us are glad you have the oven, & as they say the proof is in the pudding, (scones pav's).
JC.

And I thought I was the one that has a PhD in dreadful puns! biggrin wink

colsa · Senior Member

Been on the road for almost 7 years have a full oven, had to replace the stove (it had an oven )about 2 years ago and many people said it was a waste of time having an oven you won't use it, there was no way i would go without the oven i don't use it every week but it does get used a lot, have spoken to quite a few younger travellers who were convinced that wouldn't need one and they have all gone and got a new stove with oven, i also have a convection microwave but won't go without the oven.

deb-gary · Senior Member

my wife uses the baby q webber for making pies sausage rolls etc etc etc they are very versatile!!

lilly31 · Guru

Buffy if you have a bbq now with hood try to make some of your goodie in that you will be suprise how easy it is to make scones ..muffins ..ect in it only thing i have been able to manage is a sponge cake it fali evry time .. Then is you have bbq to travel with you can make up your mind then if you still need a oven or not I have to agree oven make van very hot, but good way to heat in winter