I live in my aluminium tent full time and my awning is a second room really. I love it but discovered cooking under it leaves above the cooker dirty and greasy. My baby Q is now just out from the awning and gets used many times a week. If I'm on power I now have a Airfryer for the wet or windy days. Between the two I eat like a king. Maybe that should be a retired chief.
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
We cook on a Baby Q under the awning with the lid closed no problem. The awning has no sides. When cooking in a frypan we use an induction cooker with no big issue with fat splatter. The only exception is when I cook duck breasts that do have a load of fat under the skin. A quick wipe down of the fold up table with Nifty spray solves the problem.
-- Edited by Geeco on Thursday 30th of December 2021 03:19:50 PM
I use a 'kitchen table' and a two burner butane canister cooker or an electric frypan, usually at the rear of the van & not under the awning. A waterproof BBQ cover keeps the weather & birds off it & the cooking utensils when not in use.
On occasion, when I am in cold or rainy weather, I will relocate the kitchen table to under the awning & sometimes will even use the inside gas range.
I have had the need to clean off fat splatter from the side of the van or the awning .. but rarely.
On even less frequent occasions we will use the gas oven .. a bit of a waste of space really as is the gas grill, used a handful of times over 20 years, but the microwave gets lots of use (we stay mostly in CPs).
-- Edited by Cupie on Friday 31st of December 2021 11:11:45 AM
Hi. I haven't bought a van yet - just doing my homework.
I'm pretty sure that I will be happy to cook outside no matter what the weather so an inside kitchen is just a 'maybe'.
I have a weber baby q and will use that often but I'm just wondering about bbq and general cooking outside the van under the verandah.
Does the roof get greasy with fat?
Thanks
Hi
We were on the road full time since may 2017 in our first van which did not have a oven and rarely cooked inside unless the elements forced us ie the wind at Wyalla the heat of a hot day in Loch SA or the flies in the Flinders ranges. Our new van has the oven and we use it lots but still cook outside as much as we can on the bbq which is on the front draw bar and I also use a fry pan on a butane burner under the awning.
I have had some residue from cooking in the old van on the awning due from being closer to the underside of awning as it was a road van and the current van being off road and the higher van not being a issue.
You will get lots of fat splatter on your walls and I keep a spray bottle with degreaser handy and clean after every cook up.
Dont be afraid to cook inside I know some say (oh we never cook inside) but we do but rarely meat unless in the oven and if you open up all your windows and air your van out the next day you wont have an issue with cooking smell
Cheers
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John
2017 dmax lovells upgrade full CSM trade aluminium canopy,3.5 m quintrex tinny and rear boat loader mangrove jack aluminium trailer
Yes we have oven,cook top . Mainly use BBQ outside . The big part is to control heat !! I keep most fat off plate! Using old bread etc to soak it up . Then splash some chopped vege as stir fry . Its steams a little . Keep lid on itll be fine !! Obviously if its cooking on high lid open ! Water and fat & steam can spread fat & crud ! So keep lid shut ! Cooks better anyway !!!
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Friday 31st of December 2021 09:29:18 AM