Setting off in your RV… The opportunity to go anywhere and do anything, all in your own rolling home from home. Part of the adventure is cooking up some tasty grilled food and maybe making some memories while you are at it?
The good news is that you can enjoy a little home luxury with a portable gas grill while out on the road. We want to show you some of the best portable gas grills for RV’s. We will talk about some great features, give you a few tips, and even offer a few suggestions.
What is a Portable Gas Grill?
There isn’t too much magic or thought required here. A portable gas grill is very similar, in principle, to their full-sized big brother. The main difference is that they have features that enable easy transportation.
It isn’t all about size however. Small grills aren’t always the most portable. And don’t forget a gas grill will need something that other cooking appliances do not, the clue is in the name, have you guessed it? That’s right, you are also going to need a gas bottle!
Let’s look at some features you’ll want to consider to find the best portable gas grill for your RV…
What Features to Look for in the Best Portable Gas Grills
Size
Ok, so we said it wasn’t all about size, but obviously, it plays an essential factor. This is for two reasons. First, unless you will be cooking inside your RV, which isn’t likely, you’ll want to move your grill. It has to be easy to handle.
Secondly, if you are on your vacation, with any luck, you are going to have company. You are going to want a cooking area that allows you to cook a decent amount of food.
Portability
The beauty of traveling in an RV is that you can go where you want, when you want. You don’t want a ‘portable’ gas grill to become an ‘anchor’ that dictates your day. An excellent portable gas grill for an RV should have features that make it easy to transport.
We are talking things like wheels and handles; these will make it portable. Of course, you may want a stand to be included too. Grilling on the ground isn’t the most comfortable experience. With certain models, you might find that they collapse down into nothing, look out for gas grills with included carry bags too!
Ease of Storage
Storage space is at a premium, even in the biggest RVs. You are going to have to strike a balance here. You want the most prominent cooking area you can get, but not at the cost of having one of the kids sleeping on the floor.
The best portable gas grills for RV’s offer a decent compromise between flexibility in cooking and space-saving.
Cleaning
If we are talking portable gas grill vs charcoal, then gas wins every time. But just like your grill at home, a portable gas grill can get a little dirty. Remember, you are out on the road, and water might be a scant resource.
By choosing an easy to clean portable gas grill, you will make life much more straightforward. Simply put, features that cause less mess equals less fuss!
If you want some tips for cleaning a grill on the go, we’ve found a handy video. Check this out for some quick and easy solutions.
Lighting
Knowing how to light a gas grill used to be something of a dark art… Matches, lighters, burning splints… A ‘knack’… However, you needn’t worry. Nowadays, most decent portable grills feature an electric ignition, meaning they can come with you on the road without requiring a power source!
What Are the Best Portable Gas Grills?
Ah, well, if you want to know that, then you are in the right place! Let’s take a look at some suggestions, we’ll tell you what makes them so great…
Weber Q2200
Best Portable Gas Grill for: –
- Simplicity
- Cleaning
- Ease of use
If you want rock-solid and consistent performance in one of the best small gas grills for an RV, this is it!
Weber is a household name when it comes to grilling, and with good reason. They offer quality and great value.
This portable gas grill is small enough to be stored away, yet the cooking area is large enough that you could even consider using it as your ‘home’ grill too! 280 square inches of cast iron cooking space means you’ll be able to fit around 15 burgers and get a decent sear on them too!
The unit is detachable from a lightweight plastic stand, giving you flexibility. The stand itself doesn’t fold down, but you can forego it entirely and place this grill ‘standalone’ on any flat surface.
An elegant feature is the removable (and disposable) drip tray. Along with the shape, this makes the grill a breeze to clean
Char-Broil Grill2Go TRU infrared
Best Small Gas Grill for: –
- Efficiency
- Consistent temperature
- Durability
The last American made thing that was this sturdy was the Sherman tank. For a compact and really portable solution, this gas grill is excellent.
The weight of this rugged little grill is kept down by the cast aluminum cooking chamber. Two substantial insulated handles make it easy to carry. Speaking of ease, there are no big gas bottles to lug around. An innovative feature is the ultra-portable propane gas bottle, which is around the size of a bottle of soda.
It performs well when cooking too. The stainless-steel grates ensure even heat distribution, making food cook easily and quickly, so much so that the unit uses 30% less gas! Efficiency is definitely something you want in a portable gas grill!
A fabulous additional feature is the included integrated lid thermometer.
Cuisinart CGT-180TS Portable Propane Grill
Best Portable Gas Grill for: –
- Compactness
- Small groups
- Storage
Maybe you don’t want to be grilling every night, or you have less company. If this is the case, then it seems a shame to be taking something unnecessarily big on the road. Here is the solution.
This Cuisinart portable gas grill is small and mighty. You won’t feed the five thousand on it, but with room for around 8 steaks, you should still have plenty of room to grill a moderate amount. If you want the numbers, that’s 145 square inches of cooking space.
As portable goes, this is one of the best. It’s small, lightweight, and compact. A sturdy handle and spill-resistant drip tray make it as easy to carry as a small satchel. When it comes time to set it up, fold down the legs, fire it up, and you are cooking on gas.
One fantastic feature is the porcelain-enameled grate. This has non-stick properties, which makes cleaning the grill straightforward.
Coleman RoadTrip 285 Portable Propane Grill
A Great Portable Gas Grill for: –
- All-round use
- Medium-large gatherings
This is nice, really nice. This is for those who grill on the go, but like some functionality typically found on a kitchen range. You can add stove grates and skillet plates to cook any way you can imagine with this grill.
This grill is certainly portable. The stand folds down flush with the underside of the grill and is mounted on two sturdy wheels. This allows you to pull the barbecue along ‘travel bag’ style making transportation really easy.
When the lid is down, this grill is actually super low profile and could easily be stowed in several locations.
When it comes to cooking, you have a range of options. The cooking surface is one of the largest on our list, coming in at a whopping 285 square inches. We really like that this grill has three burners. You can create a ‘hot’ side and a ‘cold’ side for different dishes and maintain excellent temperature control.
MARTIN Portable Propane BBQ Gas Grill
Best Largest Portable Gas Grill for: –
- Budget
- Large crowds
- Lots of food
Portable gas grills don’t need to cost the earth. Here’s proof. For the money, you are getting a lot of grill. This thing is enormous and has the largest cooking area on our list. 354 square inches, to be precise. If you’ve got a big grill, you’ll have big company, and no doubt a big RV too!
The grill comes with lots of goodies. An integrated hood thermometer will give you cooking consistency. The folding legs enable you to deploy it wherever the road takes you. We’ll be honest, it isn’t the most compact we’ve seen. But what you lose in space, you make up for in flexibility. This portable gas grill boasts two cooking zones.
The cooking grid is porcelain enamel, so regardless of how much you have grilled, the clean-up won’t be something to dread at the end of a great dinner!
Choosing the Best Portable Gas Grill for RV’s
As we’ve said, it is about striking a balance. Go too large, and you will have transport and storage issues. Go too small, and you are going to struggle to cook successfully. The best portable gas grills for RV’s will sit somewhere in the middle. Look for features that make life even more comfortable when you are on the road. Ease of cleaning gets the biggest tick in our book. Where do you put your gas grill in your RV? Let us know in the comments below. We love smart storage solutions!