Is it just me, or does food taste better when it’s prepared outside? Spending time in the great outdoors is an amazing part of the camping experience. Who wants to be trapped indoors preparing meals? A camper with an outdoor kitchen enhances your camping experience in many ways.
Benefits of a Camper with an Outdoor Kitchen
Campers with outdoor kitchens offer many benefits, including:
- No smell or mess inside your RV. Cooking outside keeps your main living space cleaner.
- Who doesn’t enjoy cooking more when you have an amazing view? Outdoor kitchens help connect you to your surroundings.
- Cooking outside makes it easier to serve food on the picnic table. You won’t have to carry food out and dirt in.
- Many campers love cooking with grills or griddles, but storing them can be a problem due to their bulkiness. An outdoor kitchen often provides a dedicated spot for these appliances and your cooking tools.
- Plus, you have a second kitchen in case you need to use both to prepare a big meal.
Let’s take a look at great RVs with outdoor kitchens, including travel trailers, fifth wheels, toy haulers, and motorhomes.
Our Favorite Travel Trailers with an Outdoor Kitchen
If you’re convinced an outdoor cooking space is a must-have RV amenity, let’s begin with some of our favorite travel trailers with outdoor kitchens:
Forest River Campsite Reserve 26CJ
Specs
- Length: 32’7”
- Dry Weight: 6,348 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Outdoor Grill, Mini Fridge, and LP Quick Connect
The family cook will love prepping foods both inside and outside of the Campsite Reserve 26CJ. The outside kitchen comes stocked with a small fridge and portable grill. Underneath a massive campside window, the interior kitchen offers a built-in Contoure convection oven/air fryer instead of the microwave and propane oven.
This family-friendly model offers double-over-double bunks and a private king bedroom. It also has many smart features, including a 100-watt solar power system, hidden pantry, electric fireplace, and under-bunk storage drawer.
Keystone Bullet Crossfire 1890RB
Specs
- Length: 22’11”
- Dry Weight: 4,860 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Griddle, Mini Fridge, and LP Quick Connect
Who says bigger is better? Small travel trailers with outdoor kitchens are also available. The Bullet Crossfire 1890RB packs many impressive features into a 23-foot trailer, starting with a front Murphy bed that converts to a sofa. The camper comes standard with a U-shaped dinette, which can be upgraded to a theater dinette with comfortable chairs and a pop up table.
The outdoor kitchen offers a griddle and mini fridge, and the indoor kitchen features a countertop extension, pull-out faucet, and a large stainless steel sink. For camping and cooking off-grid, the standard package includes a 200-watt solar power system, which can be upgraded to include over 400 watts of solar and/or two 100 amp-hour Dragonfly lithium batteries.
Honorable Mentions
Top Fifth Wheels with an Outdoor Kitchen
Large fifth wheels often have plenty of room for outdoor kitchens. Here are some fifth wheel floorplans with outdoor cooking space:
Keystone Cougar 368MBI
Specs
- Length: 39’3”
- Dry Weight: 11,847 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Griddle
Does the Cougar 368MBI have a bedroom for the kids or guests, a second living space, or an office? You decide. Though it’s called a bunk room, the spare room off the kitchen offers a tri-fold sofa instead of bunks. If you’d like to use the space as an office, the entertainment center has a platform that could possibly be adapted into a desk.
Other cool features include a loft above the bunk room for sleeping or storage and a massive rear living space with two sofas and a booth dinette. The goodies continue outside with lighted underbelly storage, a slide-out griddle, a telescoping safety rail, and a solar power package.
Jayco Eagle 28.5RSTS
Specs
- Length: 32’10”
- Dry Weight: 9,520 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Mini Fridge, Grill, Water Outlets, and LP Quick Connect
The Eagle 28.5RSTS aims to impress with its huge outdoor kitchen. The strut-lift door reveals a mini fridge, storage, and prep to mount an outdoor television. Nearby, Jayco’s unique Jayport offers a versatile hitch for setting up your grill stand in whatever layout suits your outside cooking needs.
Inside, you’ll find a large family gathering space with the choice between a booth dinette, a freestanding table and chairs, or a unique bench setup. The table can also pivot and extend to create a desk for remote work.
Honorable Mentions
Enticing Toy Haulers with an Outdoor Kitchen
Toy haulers are truly dedicated to outdoor living, and many offer outstanding outdoor kitchens, including these top picks:
Forest River Wolf Pack 365PACK16
Specs
- Length: 45’3”
- Dry Weight: 12,943 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Mini Fridge, Ice Maker, Plumbed Sink, and LP Quick Connect
The Wolf Pack 365PACK16 has room for everything and everyone, starting with the 16-foot garage and a rear ramp that converts to a comfortable outdoor patio. The garage features moveable walls that can enclose the half bath or flatten against the side walls to expand the toy storage.
Forest River’s outdoor kitchen includes a unique feature: an ice maker to accompany the sink and mini fridge. No grill or griddle is included, but the propane quick connect makes it easy to set up your own under the awning. The interior kitchen is also impressive, with a massive 16-cubic-foot refrigerator, storage pantry, extensive countertops, and a unique single-side dinette.
Forest River Salem FSX 290RTK
Specs
- Length: 36’6”
- Dry Weight: 7,348 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Griddle and Mini Fridge
The Salem FSX 290RTK is a shorter toy hauler with a spacious, private garage. The sleeping setup features unique sofas that can be two twins or a single, extra-large bed. Add the optional flip-down bunks to increase the sleep capacity.
The indoor kitchen features a breakfast bar with stools, an 11-cubic-foot fridge, and a built-in convection oven/air fryer. Head outside to find a griddle and mini fridge. The outdoor living space is enhanced with a rear patio.
Honorable Mentions
Unique Motorhomes with an Outdoor Kitchen
If you prefer a motorized RV, there are many motorhomes with outdoor kitchens. Check out these top options:
Jayco Redhawk 26M
Specs
- Length: 28’8”
- Dry Weight: 14,500 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Mini Fridge and Grill
A Class C motorhome with a Murphy bed, like the Redhawk 26M, truly maximizes the cozy living space. Enjoy a 70-inch sofa and extra floor space by day and a queen bed by night. You can bring the kids or guests, too, since this motorhome has a convertible U-shaped dinette and a cabover bunk.
The family gourmet will appreciate the indoor and outdoor kitchens. Inside, you’ll find generous cabinetry and sleek appliances, while the outdoor kitchen features a mini fridge, a Capital Grille cooktop, and abundant storage.
Thor A.C.E. 29D
Specs
- Length: 30’9”
- Dry Weight: 18,000 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Griddle and Plumbed Water
Thanks to its full-wall slide, the A.C.E. 29D Class A motorhome offers a roomy interior. The interior kitchen offers upgrades like a sink cover and a high-rise faucet with a pull-down sprayer set against modern decor, including solid-surface countertops and a glass tile backsplash. Head into the bedroom to find a king bed and a pull-out Kibble Station that helps hide the pet bowls away.
When you’re hungry, grab your cooking gear and head to the outdoor kitchen, which includes a sink, a two-burner griddle, and ample prep and storage space. The nearby 37-inch exterior television swivels for great views all around the campsite.
Honorable Mentions
Are RV Outdoor Kitchens Worth It?
Outdoor kitchens offer additional cooking appliances and reduce the mess in your indoor kitchen. They also help you keep your RV cool by reducing the amount of time you spend using your indoor cooktop. Many RVers love their outdoor kitchens so much that they won’t even consider models without one.
However, travelers who don’t cook at the campsite may consider this wasted space, so they’d likely prioritize other floorplans. All told, a camper with an outdoor kitchen is not only worth it, but many RVers consider this feature essential.
It truly depends on your cooking and lifestyle preferences.
Can You Add an Outdoor Kitchen to a Camper?
Even if you don’t have a dedicated spot for an outdoor kitchen in your RV, you can easily build one. Check out these posts for inspiration:
- DIY RV Outdoor Kitchen Ideas (features both renovation ideas and self-built kitchens)
- Blackstone 17″ Griddle Review (features a description of an outdoor kitchen renovation)
Check out Camping World’s Camping Cooking Gear department to find everything you need to equip the outdoor kitchen of your dreams.
Once you have your outdoor kitchen fired up, you may be ready for camp cooking inspiration. Check out these resources:
- A First-Hand Guide to RV Cooking
- 9 Delicious Recipes for Your RV Cookout
- How To Cook for Large Groups in an RV Kitchen
- Camping Kitchen Gear You Need for Your RV
Where do you stand on the camper outdoor kitchen debate? Do you consider an outside kitchen a necessity or a waste of space? Tell us in the comments below.
