Gone are the days when a camping kitchen consisted of a small pot on a Coleman propane stove. Today’s modern RVs have kitchens equipped with many of the amenities you enjoy in your home. You don’t have to “rough it” in the back country anymore. Almost any amenity that you might find in your kitchen at home is also available in a new RV kitchen, albeit sometimes in a scaled-down model.
One appliance that you don’t have to use a scaled-down version of in a new RV is the refrigerator. When RVs first became common, it was not unusual to find that they were either supplied with an ice box or a tiny refrigerator capable of holding only enough food for a day or two. The less expensive RVs may come with small-apartment-sized propane refrigerators, but some of the more luxurious RVs made today come outfitted with full-sized residential electric refrigerators, complete with ice maker, electronic temperature monitoring, and even built-in wine storage.
But if a simple wine rack just isn’t enough for you, higher-end motorhomes sometimes include electric wine coolers capable of holding plenty of wine to see you and any potential dinner guests through a “camping” trip. Any luxury RVs that don’t have wine coolers may have dishwashers in their place. These generally are small drawer-style versions of residential dishwashers, and they are designed to be able to wash as many dishes as you might typically use for one family meal.
It’s common today to find convection ovens installed in RVs. These frequently double as microwaves, and are large enough to fit a small turkey in them. If you happen to find yourself camping on Thanksgiving, you’ll be able to prepare a turkey breast or chicken in the oven, while the rest of the meal is prepared on the cooktop, which could be powered either by electricity or propane, depending on that particular RV’s options.
The health conscious RVers don’t have to deprive themselves, either. Many RVs have high-powered blenders pre-installed in them, and those that don’t are sure to have an abundance of outlets in which to plug in a Vitamix if you have one. Simply fill the container with all the fruits and vegetables that you’d normally enjoy at home, and blend them into a delicious smoothie (or perhaps whip up some fruity mixed drinks for those dinner guests).
You don’t have to restrict yourself to cooking on the inside of the RV while camping any more. Even many of the inexpensive travel trailers and fifth-wheels come with outside camping kitchens built into them. Just lift up a door built into the side of the RV, and you’ll reveal a tiny outdoor kitchen compartment, complete with small overhead cabinets, a mini-fridge, a pull-out countertop, a camp stove or barbecue, and a small sink!
Some outdoor kitchens even squeeze in a small microwave. If your mini kitchen doesn’t come with a small TV on a swing-out arm to enjoy the game while you barbecue, it probably has a full-sized TV in its own compartment just a few steps away, complete with waterproof speakers and connections to plug in gaming systems, DVD players, or other devices. And if your rig is a luxury motorhome, you can serve ice-cold sodas, cold water, or beer to your guests, by pulling out one of the underbay compartment sliding trays to access a built-in electric cooler that can be adjusted to be either a mini-fridge or a deep freeze!
There is something to be said for roasting marshmallows over a campfire, but beyond that, there is no reason to sacrifice in the kitchen. Camping kitchens have certainly entered the modern era. You are limited only by what you choose to have in yours. Even older RVs have the ability to be upgraded and outfitted with contemporary kitchen conveniences.
Perhaps your grandfather might have grumbled at this modern-day version of “roughing it,” but your grandma might have appreciated the ability to whip up some food indoors in a fraction of the time, in air conditioned comfort, while the bugs were biting on a 90 degree day in Florida!
