Side of RV Mounted BBQ OR Carry a Blackstone?

[DutchmenSport]

I have a Coleman propane camp stove, but the pressure to run the thing is different than my camper (and Lord knows I've tried EVERYTHING to make it work). My solution was to continue using those little 1 pound disposable propane tanks. But, one day I purchased a 30 pound tank (an extra one) for the Montana as an extra tank. I started using it for the Coleman camp stove since it has it's own regulator and been doing it that way ever since. I used the one pounders and now just use the extra 30 pound RV (extra) tank. The extra tank gets used a lot in the winter months when we are running propane for heat. With 3 tanks, that gives me 90 gallons all together. In the summer, one tank will last for months and months. In the winter, I'll go through 1 tank for heat ever 2 days. But, that extra tank works VERY well for the Coleman stove.... and I'm not restricted to keeping it so close to the camper. It can be set up anywhere.... even at home in the back yard .... comes in REAL handy when we have power outages at home, especially since our house is all 100% electric!

 

[rlh1957]

I have been carrying a 22" Blackstone (with built in folding hood) and a Lifetime Table that is half plastic and half metal. Nice table, but heavy. And the Blackstone....heavy at approx. 38#! The table and Blackstone do take up some floor space in my pick up. In the back of my truck I also carry four of the black and yellow top storage boxes with all sorts of stuff...emergency supplies, tarps, hazard cones, small Viar compressor, tools, ratcheting straps, etc. That doesn't leave much room in a 6'9" truck bed.

That being said.....I am wondering if using a side of RV mounted BBQ may be a simpler and easier option. Previous owner used one (mount is still attached to side of trailer) and loved it so much that he did not include it in the sale! Now, original owner used the BBQ and this was before (2011) Blackstone hit the market. He also added a T fitting where OEM quick connects for propane are located so that he can use the OEM two burner stove that is a fold down built in unit AND the added side mounted BBQ.

I have never used the OEM built in fold down stove...why..because I use the Blackstone.

The original owner used the OEM fold down kitchen/2 burner stove and the added side mounted BBQ and did most of his cooking on these two appliances.

Now, as I get older, and I do 90% of all set up/take down alone, I am looking for simpler ways to cook, store, and handle outside cooking appliances/tools.

How many of use the side mounted BBQ and/or Blackstone? Do you prefer one over the other? Is weight, storage, and hassle a concern for you?

Thanks!

I’ve used both mounts on two rigs. Never had an issue or warping.
The side mount rail has to let grill rest against the camper on the lower where your picture is.
Never had a problem with smoke or soot. But I’m not a flame up & smoke cook.

 

[rlh1957]

I have a Coleman propane camp stove, but the pressure to run the thing is different than my camper (and Lord knows I've tried EVERYTHING to make it work). My solution was to continue using those little 1 pound disposable propane tanks. But, one day I purchased a 30 pound tank (an extra one) for the Montana as an extra tank. I started using it for the Coleman camp stove since it has it's own regulator and been doing it that way ever since. I used the one pounders and now just use the extra 30 pound RV (extra) tank. The extra tank gets used a lot in the winter months when we are running propane for heat. With 3 tanks, that gives me 90 gallons all together. In the summer, one tank will last for months and months. In the winter, I'll go through 1 tank for heat ever 2 days. But, that extra tank works VERY well for the Coleman stove.... and I'm not restricted to keeping it so close to the camper. It can be set up anywhere.... even at home in the back yard .... comes in REAL handy when we have power outages at home, especially since our house is all 100% electric!

You have to get a converter valve for the Coleman to changeover. There is even a quick change valve you can still use bottles or switch to camper LP.
Coleman bottle It is High Pressure and your camper connection is already regulated to low pressure.
I did it with my Weber Q1200.

 

[Peto]

People mention hoses etc.. being trip hazards. I get the cheap bright yellow pool noodles from the dollar store, slice them open and cut them into short segment that I can place over any hose or cord on the ground just enough so people see them. Also have segments for low hanging head banging items (slide out corners etc...).....

My wife calls me noodle head since I have a hundred different uses for them

 

[rlh1957]

People mention hoses etc.. being trip hazards. I get the cheap bright yellow pool noodles from the dollar store, slice them open and cut them into short segment that I can place over any hose or cord on the ground just enough so people see them. Also have segments for low hanging head banging items (slide out corners etc...).....

My wife calls me noodle head since I have a hundred different uses for them

No hoses to trip over. Plumb in and secure a quick connect/disconnect underneath where it’s easy to get to. Get a hose with quick connect one end and quick disconnect other end.
No trip hazard and looks professional.

There’s always NaySayers on everything.

 

[Off_we_go]

My 2018 came with this ‘cheapo’. The rack connects it to the side of the RV or you can use it as a stand. I figured it would last maybe a year. I did replace the original wire grill with a better one, but going into year seven it is still cooking fine. No problem with it messing up the wall or awning because when I use it, I stay close by, for safety. Three or four years ago I dug deep into the bowels of the internet and managed to find a new one. I bookmarked it for when mine dies. Hoping to get a few more years out of it.

 

[bareftn]

I dont go camping so I can eat like a king I can do without doing steaks or any fancy stuff I just use a small George Forman grill to save space and weight

 

[NH_Bulldog]

We had a Jayco quite a while ago and it came with the mounting rail on the side with a frame to hold a grill. While grilling out of the rain was nice, it wasn't long before there was grease on the side of the camper and the under side of the awning.

Our Passport had an outside kitchen with a 2-burner cooktop which we liked, but we wanted a grill so we bought a small lightweight folding table that fit in the outdoor kitchen storage that we could set up our NexGrill on and connect to the camper propane quick connect with a splitter to run the stove and the grill at the same time. Then we picked up our 22" Blackstone (with it's own separate folding frame), so then we could run any combination of 2 of the 3 appliances from the camper connection without issue.

Our current Cougar came with a Capital griddle in the outdoor kitchen, which was pretty pathetic compared to the Blackstone, so I removed the griddle and installed a 2 burner cooktop in it's place, and that also gives me storage for my folding table in the same space. I carry the Blackstone and its legs in the front passthrough, and have gotten to the point where we leave the NexGrill at home and either cook on the open fire or on the Blackstone.

This past winter we picked up a Blackstone pizza oven conversion kit that sits on the 22" griddle base (lift off the griddle, set aside, place the pizza oven on the base) so this year we are making breakfast pizzas, dinner pizzas, calzones, and other goodies in the Blackstone oven. The NexGrill and the pizza oven are about the same size, so I didn't lose any space. We just returned from an 1,800 mile trip from NH, through VT, NY, PA, WV, and VA before heading home and I have to so that having pizza from our own pizza oven while camping was incredible!

 

[SoCalAngler]

No hoses to trip over. Plumb in and secure a quick connect/disconnect underneath where it’s easy to get to. Get a hose with quick connect one end and quick disconnect other end.
No trip hazard and looks professional.

There’s always NaySayers on everything.

I have a 24' quick connect hose and the factory quick connects are just in front of forward wheel (awning side). It has two connections. One is original for drop down oem outside stove (in my pic) and original owner made a T and added a second quick connect for the side of trailer mounted BBQ. I was considering using the long hose and run it to a table away from awning. However, there would be 10'-15' of hose laying on ground between trailer and my cooking table with Blackstone.

 

[DutchmenSport]

I dont go camping so I can eat like a king I can do without doing steaks or any fancy stuff I just use a small George Forman grill to save space and weight

I know I've always said, There is no right or wrong way to do camping, it's just "different" for ever person.

When my wife and I first started camper in our first (rented) pop-up and then our own first tent from the back of the pick-up truck, we had the same mind set... keep it simple, hotdogs on a stick was good enough.

Fast forward a few years to our first hard sided travel trailer and "mentally" things changed. As my wife and I don't do a LOT of things that others do (like go to bars or Pubs, sports events, movie theaters, theme parks (only when the kids were little), cruises, or anything (basically).... that costs money, we made the decision that our camper would be our "luxury retreat!" So, we started outfitting it with higher quality items, like nice looking dinner service
wear and silverware, really comfy bedding and pillows, plush bath towels, and all the artifacts in the camper were 5 star bed-and-breakfast quality. We made our camper our "love shack" .... conducive to making it as "romantic" as possible and it became our "vacation resort." With that said, we "upped" our food to items we would not "normally" have at home, making every meal something special. This is easy to do when traveling across the country, to experiment with different local cultural foods and such.

My wife figured out the oven in our current camper and bakes some magnificent pies, pastries, and cakes. We have everything from T-bone steak smothered with onions and peppers, to Ramon with a hot dog. It's also my wife's "experimental" shop where she throws new foods at me and new recipes.

In short, the camper is our luxury suite, our "love shack" with just the right amount of "sexual inuendo" going on, along with class and style.

We did the "rough and ready, sleeping on the ground, in mud and rain" in our formative years. Now, it's all about the luxury, comfort, and enjoyment the camper and it's comforts bring us. So, in short, we eat well when we use the camper.

We are about as "full time" as one can get, and over the last year and a half, we've eaten very, very, very well. Food is special! It makes the camping lifestyle "special" and being away from home "special!"

Sometimes, we have simple popcorn. Other times grilled ribs with fried potatoes and pecan pie! But one thing is certain, we don't eat like that at home!

 

[Stircrazy]

I have been carrying a 22" Blackstone (with built in folding hood) and a Lifetime Table that is half plastic and half metal. Nice table, but heavy. And the Blackstone....heavy at approx. 38#! The table and Blackstone do take up some floor space in my pick up. In the back of my truck I also carry four of the black and yellow top storage boxes with all sorts of stuff...emergency supplies, tarps, hazard cones, small Viar compressor, tools, ratcheting straps, etc. That doesn't leave much room in a 6'9" truck bed.

That being said.....I am wondering if using a side of RV mounted BBQ may be a simpler and easier option. Previous owner used one (mount is still attached to side of trailer) and loved it so much that he did not include it in the sale! Now, original owner used the BBQ and this was before (2011) Blackstone hit the market. He also added a T fitting where OEM quick connects for propane are located so that he can use the OEM two burner stove that is a fold down built in unit AND the added side mounted BBQ.

I have never used the OEM built in fold down stove...why..because I use the Blackstone.

The original owner used the OEM fold down kitchen/2 burner stove and the added side mounted BBQ and did most of his cooking on these two appliances.

Now, as I get older, and I do 90% of all set up/take down alone, I am looking for simpler ways to cook, store, and handle outside cooking appliances/tools.

How many of use the side mounted BBQ and/or Blackstone? Do you prefer one over the other? Is weight, storage, and hassle a concern for you?

Thanks!

I don't have a side mounted BBQ, and if I did it would probably go in a garage sale and I would buy a better one that didn't attach to the rv. what I do have is a webber Q that runs off the rv propane, and I have a 21" griddle, the pull out two burner stove in the outdoor kitchen, and a smoker (GMG Davy Crockett) they all do different things and really I only use the griddle for breakfast then it gets put away. we can't leave cooking appliances out in most of the places I camp because of bears, so I am used to pulling it out cooking breakfast then putting it away after its cleaned, same goes for the BBQ and smoker, if I use them they get put away after they cool down. when I am not in bear country the only thing that gets left setup is the BBQ. if I had to chose between just one appliance due to storage it would be a good BBQ.

 

[Gearhead]

Not to stir the pot, but to stir the pot. Y’all ain’t talking BBQing you’re talking grilling. I noticed Sourdough and Flybouy didn’t mention BBQing. Nobody from Texas or Memphis would mention BBQ and gas grill in the same conversation.
We sometimes get a chuckle from Californians or New Yorkers BBQing hamburgers.
No ill feelings intended, just joking around.
As you were….

 

[Peto]

No hoses to trip over. Plumb in and secure a quick connect/disconnect underneath where it’s easy to get to. Get a hose with quick connect one end and quick disconnect other end.
No trip hazard and looks professional.

There’s always NaySayers on everything.

I do have QD hoses but my grill is usually situated about 5-6 feet from the trailer. I try to set up so no one walks between it so not really an issue.

 

[Peto]

Not to stir the pot, but to stir the pot. Y’all ain’t talking BBQing you’re talking grilling. I noticed Sourdough and Flybouy didn’t mention BBQing. Nobody from Texas or Memphis would mention BBQ and gas grill in the same conversation.
We sometimes get a chuckle from Californians or New Yorkers BBQing hamburgers.
No ill feelings intended, just joking around.
As you were….

geeze....

 

[PF2025]

Soooooo, thank you all for the informative and entertaining posts above. I am new to this way of life and have a quick connect for the LP to the BS. I have had the BS connected and it does fire and generate heat but the flame appears to be low compared to the 1# bottle. Is there any way around the low pressure in the trailer or is the solution to carry an independent supply?

 

[flybouy]

If your griddle has a regulator it will need to be removed. To answer your question. There are several options you can pursue to use high pressure LP that the 1 lb bottles provide. Years ago when we used camping cooking gear without a qd connection we carried a seperate 20 lb tank. I connected an lp "tree to that which had several valves that allowed me to connect a stove, a grill, and a smoker. On top of that tree is a fitting that a Coleman lp lanter would screw on. It made for a nice outdoor setup.


Lp tanks are available in varying capacities. You can get them as small as 5 lb IIRC. Another option is an lp adapter that screws in-between the tank valve and the pig tail. The adapter has a high pressure outlet that you can connect an application to. If you go that route it comes with 2 disadvantages. First, your lp tanks are located at the front of the trailer and most folks like cooking near the other end, i.e. long hoses to the back end. Second, the hoses need to be high pressure lp hose and they do cost more than the low pressure lp hoses.

 

[sourdough]

Soooooo, thank you all for the informative and entertaining posts above. I am new to this way of life and have a quick connect for the LP to the BS. I have had the BS connected and it does fire and generate heat but the flame appears to be low compared to the 1# bottle. Is there any way around the low pressure in the trailer or is the solution to carry an independent supply?

I like to cook outside almost exclusively. I found the QD on the trailer inadequate for my kind of cooking with nearly everything I used other than a small gas grill with a 8-10k btu burner (Charbroil Grill 2 Go, Coleman NXT, Weber Q2200). Tried it on a Blackstone, Camp Chef Pro 14 and another unit I can't recall off the top of my head and every one of them did as you describe. The Blackstone was OK if I was very patient and let it heat up for a long period - by then I'd made something else. In addition, using the QD required a hose that was always in the way and a tripping hazard. I carry a spare 20# tank now for the Camp Chef and a 1 lb. for the Charbroil Grill2Go and things work perfectly....and I can fire up those dual 30k btu burners on the Camp Chef and have a "roaring" good time.

If you really want to use the QD do as others recommended and make sure the regulator that came on the Blackstone is removed. It requires an adapter hose (can't remember if I got mine at Walmart or Amazon).

 

[PF2025]

The BS I have doesn't have a regulator, except on the bottle adapter. So I will be patient or adopt one of the methods described above. Once again I appreciate the feedback. Y'all have a great day.

 

[NH_Bulldog]

I can run my NexGrill (16,000 btu) and my 22” Blackstone (24,000 btu) at the same time with no degrading of performance. If your gas supply is being throttled, I would look at the regulator on the camper tanks and also the size of your quick connects.

I added a QC nipple to both the grill and the griddle and use a splitter at the camper QC and use standard QC hoses.

 

[flybouy]

I just hade a brain burst. I forgot that our trailer has 2 different size QC on the gas. The fitting for the swing out 2 burner stove is the common 1/4" QC fitting. The gas line terminates at the rear bumper with a 3/8" fitting for the grill. At first I couldn't understand why the factory would do this.

Over the years I've gone thru several grills, getting larger grills with higher btu ratings each time. I've never had an issue with the gas supply from that line. I've connected everything from a large smoker to a patio heater without a problem. I think the factory used the larger fitting and hose with a higher flow rate in mind.