Shopping for RV...Great options but where is the gas oven? Cooking alternatives?

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20FromNow

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Joined
Jun 4, 2013
Posts
48
We are newbies, and are shopping for our first Class A diesel pusher for full timing soon.
We're shopping in the < $40K range and finding many solid/reliable rigs.

However, many/most do not have LP gas ovens, but only a cook top and MW.
We prepare most of our food from scratch, and we don't use the microwave much.

Are there reasonable alternatives to a built-in LP oven...
1. Is it realistic to cook with a decent toaster oven? ...but I hate to suck up that much electricity...
2. Is there a super-cool camping oven that would be reasonable to haul out an use a few times per week?

Are there other options for oven capabilities on the road?
 
The Search button above will find numerous prior discussions on "gas oven".
 
For around 800 dollars and some carpentry work you should be able to install a gas range into any RV.  I know it sounds extreme, but that is the simple solution for an otherwise suitable rig.  Manufacturers of pushers think people who buy their products wont cook much.  Thats one reason i wont buy something like that.  As an alternative there are small ovens that sit on  a gas stove.  But they are pretty small and not real form of heat control.
 
I do most of my baking with a toaster oven, Specifically an AROMA rotisserie oven. I prefer it to the gas oven because... Well Electricity is included in the site but Gas. I pay for. (And that is the only reason I cook with electric.. I'd much rather cook with gas, but gas costs money).

The Aroma model I have (no longer made) is quite large however.  Large enough to put a full size cake pan in.. I know 9" round fits, I think 9x13 will too though I do not often cook that large a pan.  A FULL SIZE loaf pan fits just fine, 

Aroma now has a replacement model.. Will look up... Alas, they do not carry this product any more in their catalog.  Also checked a few outlet places without joy.

But I'd look for a very big toaster oven.. If you can find one.
 
Every cook has a style and baking without a conventional oven can be a problem for some. Convection oven/microwave combos have replaced many a conventional oven in RV's as has the crockpot and pressure cooker/steamer. There are numerous threads here on both methods.

The RV lifestyle tends to lend itself more to faster, easier, let's don't heat up the coach for hours on end and we for sure need the space a conventional oven takes up.

Others have discovered numerous outside solutions with electric, gas fired, and charcoal grills.

I suspect with a little looking, you will find a number of never been used, conventional RV ovens for sale, and you can swap out the cabinets under the stovetop for the oven. You are just customizing in reverse. I would not be suprised to find the gas lines and electricity already stubbed in on later model coaches.

And some of us never cooked with an oven, anyway...again, to each his own!
 
We find that our GE Spacemaker convection/microwave oven bakes fine.  We bake cookies & rolls, roast meats, and make casseroles  in the micro oven all the time. Some people say you have to adjust your recipes for different cook times, but we have not found that to be so.  It works well enough that we removed the gas oven (which is a poor quality oven anyway) to gain more storage space in the galley.

But if you don't mind losing the space, converting a gas cooktop to a gas oven of the same brand is straight-forward cabinet work.
 
DW's reaction was the same as yours when we got our first MH with a convection microwave/convection oven. After using it for a while, we had to get another microwave/convection for the stick house. Now she exclusively uses the M/C oven. Once you learn how to use them, they're great and you find you really don't need the gas oven.
 
If you look closer you will most likely find the microwave is also a convection.  We have both, but find the convection really works better and the oven stores extra cookware. 

If yu absolutely have to have a gas oven, most RV dealers will have 'takeouts' which are the combo oven range was taken out and replaced with storage.  Usually a fairly simple swap.
 
Thank you all very much.

I searched the "fulltiming" board for "oven" and got 1 post. I apologize or not broadening my search before posting, but I was assuming the concerns of a fulltimer are slightly different than other folks.

Nonetheless, I've demonstrated my ignorance...
I've seen plenty with "microwave convection oven" listings but I didn't realize they are dual distribution units that can cook with either microwave or hot air convection. ...so we could use the convection part without microwave.

I do apologize for such a basic question.
 
I don't think an apology is necessary - one of the main purposes of this Forum is to inform and assist.

For every question asked, there are at least several folks who wanted to ask but didn't. You never know what responses will come to a question, and there's always some nugget of information that'll make you scratch your head and say "well, who knew?".

Hope your continuing research gets you right where you want to be - out here with the rest of us!

Kim
 
While fulltimers do have some unique concerns, I would suggest that you do not restrict most searches to just the fulltimer board.  Oven-type cooking, for example, is likely to be of interest to anyone who spends more than occasional weekends in an RV, and many of us here are "longtimers" but not fulltimers. Besides, the fulltimer member post on many of the boards, not just the fulltimer portion.

As for convection/micros, the convection part works but not all are created equal. Those who seem happiest with them have the GE Spacemaker Profile or Advantium series. These are larger, high power convection micros with excellent performance in both modes and are big enough to handle most any roasting or baking chore.  Stainless steel interior as well.  I'm not saying that other brands may not work as well, but these two models get good reports from most owners and might be considered a plus when choosing the right rig for your needs.
 
our Rexall came with both a gas oven and the convection oven and we use both,
but I feel you could get away with just a convection microwave
 
Keep looking around at coaches. Not all have the oven removed. If you are buying new or nearly new, usually salesmen will do ANYTHING to get that rig out the exit including installing a full stove and oven for you too. So if you like everything about the coach, but the lack of oven, dump the idea on the salesman.

Mine came with a oven and 3 burner stove top. It's a Magic Chef and I use it with a thermometer inside. It cooks perfectly right on temp, once it's preheated. Some things don't need the preheat, others do. I don't know why they don't include the oven thermometer, but I find mine valuable to let me know when it it preheated. The oven is kind of small, so measure it carefully before buying pans and roasts.

My sailboat had an RV oven that was superior to the one I have now, I could fit a turkey in it. My current Magic Chef left a huge broiler at the bottom, they could have made it much smaller so the oven section would have been higher and held a turkey. But I discovered the boneless turkey roasts by Butterball and others. This does superbly well in a crockpot, especially on low all day. YUMMMY.

I've also enjoyed the crockpot so much, I have 2 in different sizes. I have experimented baking in them with great results. Baked potatoes in a crockpot are superior to those in an oven or microwave. Yes, it takes longer, but the advantage is, I often have the crockpot going while I am driving down the road.

For safety sakes, I put my crockpot in the sink on a rubber shelf liner and one comes with a special rubber band for the lid and the other one I use a bungee cord on.  That way if I am forced into a sudden stop, hopefully I won't be killed by a flying roast...

One of the joys of fulltiming in an RV is being able to cook at home all the time. It's a huge money saver (leaves more for the fuel tank!) and you know exactly what you are eating. So many franchise type restaurants now pour loads of chemicals and high fat sugar type ingredients into the food. They don't have to disclose all this on the menu, so it's frustrating. Much of the food is made hundreds if not thousands of miles away then "finished" at the restaurant.

Also, I like to camp in beautiful places and those tend to be remote, so cooking is preferred unless one likes hours spent in a car on roads hunting down restaurants (I prefer nature!)

I do use my oven often in the winter, not so much in the summer.  I wish my antique microwave had the convection option. I just haven't had the funding to switch it out. It works perfectly at 19 years old as a plain old fast microwave, which I do love steaming my veggies in there. Yum!

I store my pots and pans nesting style inside the oven with little cut sheets of  rubber shelf liner between them so they are quiet when I drive. When I want to bake, I put them all in the bed or shower or counter (if room) so I can use the oven.

I never found a nesting set I liked, so I built my own by buying one of each thing I needed and wanted that would nest the way I wanted and all fit in the oven, so my oven does multi-duty, it bakes, broils, toasts and stores.

At one point someone gave me a convection oven, so I used it outside on the patio, other times covered it with a garbage bag between uses to keep the rain out. But I had to always stow it for travel and one day I gave it to someone in severe need.  So no more patio oven for summer baking.

One distinct advantage to buying used RV over new RV, is that you can take all that extra  money to customize the coach to your lifestyle. In the past 3 years, I have slowly done this and that to my little old RV, especially the kitchen area. Like I added built-in spice racks, condiment units and so on. I have a tiny little galley, but I can pop out a gourmet meal for a crowd or just me. Much of my social life is spent over a dining table, either inside the rig or the folding one I travel with.

Ideally, I would love to have both a propane oven and a convection microwave combo.

If I were an RV designer, I would install a pass-through fridge and freezer that you could access inside or outside. I also have crazy ideas for a kitchen that would swing outside at will, so you could enjoy the great outdoors while cooking.
 
I wonder how long it would be after getting the gas oven that the OP will find out that it burns the bottom of most everything and a tile or pizza stone needs to be put in the oven to reduce the direct heat to the bottom of everything? Ah the joys of learning new things all the time. I can't wait for old timers to set in, when I can re-learn everything I once knew.

Ken
 
I wife just had to have a gas oven, so that was one of the things we had added to our "new" MH 10 years ago. At first she never used the convection oven. After my sister told her "that if she would read the directions she would love the convection oven". Wife got mad, read the directions to prove to sister that she could cook with convection oven. How wife very seldom uses the gas oven.

We did add cooking stone to gas oven to help with the "burning" the bottom of food.
 
Microwaves, convection ovens, crock pots toaster ovens and all of the other electricf cfoocing methods may be nice when on shore power, but when boondocking, they are real power hogs. I order my 5er with the optional oven, and I have never been sorry.

If you find a rig that you like, except for the lack of an oven, go for it. It is not difficult to remove the range top and the cabinet below the range top, and replace them with a range / oven combination that should be a perfect fit. Even if you can't find a used one, new ones are available under $400.

Jpel
 
DearMissMermaid said:
One of the joys of fulltiming in an RV is being able to cook at home all the time. It's a huge money saver (leaves more for the fuel tank!) and you know exactly what you are eating. So many franchise type restaurants now pour loads of chemicals and high fat sugar type ingredients into the food. They don't have to disclose all this on the menu, so it's frustrating. Much of the food is made hundreds if not thousands of miles away then "finished" at the restaurant.

Also, I like to camp in beautiful places and those tend to be remote, so cooking is preferred unless one likes hours spent in a car on roads hunting down restaurants (I prefer nature!)

This is so true, many people are not aware of all the poisons put in restaurant food; MSG, dyes, etc..  After struggling with headaches for years, a doctor told me that MSG, "flavorings" and chemical dyes used in foods were most likely the culprit.  After using a food diary to track when I got sick, or headaches, I found usually it came after eating out.  That's one of the main reasons I wanted many cooking options in my MH.  Now I read labels and prepare my food, "in house" with the exception of the few places I know I can eat without suffering.  As a "not a fulltimer yet," I need to make the most of my vacation days, so preparing my own food makes for many more days, riding the bike, hiking the trails, enjoying life. 

I also use a convection/toaster oven with a rotisserie.  But the portable type.  Also though my microwave is indispensable in my meal preparation.  My MH has an outdoor outlet, which works great as I put the oven on the picnic table outside.  The gas oven, has not been used by me, but friends that have stayed with me have used it, without complaints.  I've been told by many campers though, that the gas oven that comes with most MH's is not very good at keeping a constant temperature.  So as stated by others in this thread you may consider, buying the MH you like, then have installed in it the gas oven you really like.  That way you should experience the most pleasure with both.
 
It's so true having the propane oven and stove are super handy if boondocking or the power goes out. 

I haven't had the burning issue in my Magic Chef oven, nor the erratic heating and cooking problem. I know because I bought and use a thermometer that lives in the oven. However, when I bought my motorhome, I noticed one day soon after that the oven was put together wrong! 

I have no idea if that is how it arrived new or what happened. It had never been baked or broiled in at all by the former owners. I was able to take the errant parts out, then put them back in correctly. Otherwise, my stuff would have been burning up too.

After putting the oven back together, I went to test it out because I had company. I made my friend this awesome spinach-onion-garlic-mushroom-feta casserole to go with a big salad. As we dined al fresco, we felt real sad for the former owners and the joys they missed out on.

As for burning pizza...  certain recipes require preheating the oven, hence the addition of a thermometer . I always get my oven up to 425 before I put my pizza inside otherwise the crust will burn before the cheese melts.

Now you making me hungry for a pizza and I just discovered I have all the ingredients on hand. Oh my...
 
We use both the propane oven/range and the microwave/convection oven.  The propane is useful if you plan on boondocking a lot where you want to minimize generator usage.  I use it at rallies where we don't have hookups.  It's also nice when it's cool outside because it warms up the interior of the motorhome while we're cooking.  We use the convection oven when we've got electrical hookups.  If it's 30-amp though and you want the air conditioning on at the same time, you might have to use one or the other but not both.  Sometimes we use both the propane and convection ovens at the same time.  We also use the crockpot when we have electricity.  We're not much for outside grilling so ditched our BBQ because it took up room and wasn't used.  We also don't care much for microwave cooking except for veggies and warming things up so wouldn't depend on it alone.  Much depends on what you and your family like to eat and how you like to cook it.  We eat pretty much the same whether at home or in the motorhome which means I also cook pretty much like I do at home.

ArdraF
 
DearMissMermaid said:
It's so true having the propane oven and stove are super handy if boondocking or the power goes out. 

I haven't had the burning issue in my Magic Chef oven, nor the erratic heating and cooking problem. I know because I bought and use a thermometer that lives in the oven. However, when I bought my motorhome, I noticed one day soon after that the oven was put together wrong! 

I have no idea if that is how it arrived new or what happened. It had never been baked or broiled in at all by the former owners. I was able to take the errant parts out, then put them back in correctly. Otherwise, my stuff would have been burning up too.

After putting the oven back together, I went to test it out because I had company. I made my friend this awesome spinach-onion-garlic-mushroom-feta casserole to go with a big salad. As we dined al fresco, we felt real sad for the former owners and the joys they missed out on.

As for burning pizza...  certain recipes require preheating the oven, hence the addition of a thermometer . I always get my oven up to 425 before I put my pizza inside otherwise the crust will burn before the cheese melts.

Now you making me hungry for a pizza and I just discovered I have all the ingredients on hand. Oh my...

After reading the other posts on the issue of gas ovens burning the bottom of most things cooked in them the score is now 326 to 1. 326 ovens that burn and 1 that doesn't. Pizza at the Mermaids tonight.......

ken
 
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