Exterior Kitchens

maytag

New member
I've been playing with designs for a fairly compact camper, and realized that if you really like to cook, having a kitchen inside take up a ton of space. I found a few exterior kitchens, like the Kimberly Kampers Trailer
kimberley-lightweight-off-road-camper-trailer-u-shaped-kitchen-0124-BL.jpg


or this one from Conqueror4x4
commander10big.jpg


Any other's you have seen or any other thoughts on this?

Having more fold out counter space and easy access to storage is important, but also making it easy to access for a quick bite on the road. I would still have an electric hot plate inside for when I don't want to go outside, and the interior sink would be shared with the bathroom. Trying to maximize living and storage space inside, while making the kitchen as user friendly as possible.

:chef:
 

tarditi

Explorer
Some teardrops have nice kitchen setups in a very compact fashion... may get some inspiration there

Look at partner stoves, too
 

pappawheely

Autonomous4X4
I saw a set-up somewhere that had the kitchen accessible from the inside and also slid out to be used outside too.
 

Coachgeo

Explorer
I saw a set-up somewhere that had the kitchen accessible from the inside and also slid out to be used outside too.
Sweet idea but does nothing for increasing interior space.

....Any other's you have seen or any other thoughts on this?...


IMHO.......... Tear Drops and other small campers with slide-out or other form of exterior kitchens do it not to create interior space..... but cause a kitchen/cooking area needs space to move about when using it.... and cause heat created when cooking makes a small space uncomfortably hot. As a child who camped many a times with my family in Trailers and small Motorhomes..... my Mom always complained of how awefull it was to cook in a trailer cause of space and the heat. Which is probably why she made dad grill outside all the time lol.


Also no matter what...... the kitchen is (most) always inside. Rather you use it inside exclusive or outside exclusive or both...... in the end still it (most) always takes up interior space. Any space used to store it will remain in the interior. The box, cabinet, under seat space etc. it was stored in will remain using up space even when the kitchen is unfolded outdoors. thus interior space.... does not change once unfolded. If you want to create more interrior space you have to do some Oragamy where you unfold things out in unique ways and fold them back up tightly compacted when done. Which was eluded too by Maytag

Then there is the "most" refered to above....... the rare times the kitchen does not take up interior space.

Most #1. when kitchen is NOT part of the camper but a separate box on the bumper.
Most #2 when kitchen Pivots from indoor to outdoor. Van saw with this is the only kitchen I've ever seen that when pivoted/unfolded outdoor created more interior space. That kitchen pivoted out the van door at one corner. Van's though have a crash engineering design around the door already. In modifying an existing a camper that design won't have this. Seems to me that even in a build from scratch...... having a large section of a camper wall made to pivot the kitchen outdoor through, is going to create a huge weakspot on that wall,; thus a design nightmare.

Then there is a Slide-Out like typical camper slide-outs. Not the outdoor thing, but an enclosed box that slides out creating more interior space. Sure that could be a kitchen Buttt... why in a design would you create a slide-out with one of the most complex things? (plumbing, electric etc.) Just slide out something simple like a couch and table..... Open up interior space without the complexity. This is why campers rarely, have a slide out kitchen.
 
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Coachgeo

Explorer
....
:chef:
Sharing sink is a wise move as is keeping in mind of quick bite to eat on the road. Make sure it slides AWAY from traffic flow. IMHO a fold or slide out kitchen definitely makes the task of quick bite to eat much harder.
 

pappawheely

Autonomous4X4
Sharing sink is a wise move as is keeping in mind of quick bite to eat on the road. Make sure it slides AWAY from traffic flow. IMHO a fold or slide out kitchen definitely makes the task of quick bite to eat much harder.

And what do you do when it's raining, or a windstorm, etc? I would gladly sacrifice interior space to be able to make a meal when it's nasty outside. I guess you can always eat pop tarts. :coffee:
 

maytag

New member
And what do you do when it's raining, or a windstorm, etc?

I'm from Oregon, if you don't go outside when it's raining or windy, you don't go outside.


I would leave the coffee maker inside, and the table with a hot plate would still allow interior cooking. But like you guys are saying, it's the overall space to move and work that takes up a lot of space. Outside, there it lots of space. It also keeps the interior from smelling like food all the time.


I'm looking into a vehicle like the one below. With a bench seat along the back interior wall, the kitchen would slide out from underneath it. Using Snow Peak type setups for the kitchen equipment.

Isuzu NPS Camper 1.jpg
 

spencyg

This Space For Rent
One other thing about interior cooking is the amount of heat driven into your sleeping space during the summer months. I have a full galley inside and never use it during the summer for this very reason. During the spring and fall it is nice because cooking keeps the cabin warm, but bringing the interior from upwards of 100 degrees post-cooking down to a comfortable sleeping temp between dinner and bedtime is seldom possible.

SG
 

hoser

Explorer
For me, this would be the ideal set-up... keeping the back area free. And if you wanted, you could make it accessible from the interior.

2011_Bush_Camper_003.JPGCruise_4x4_poptop_004.JPG
 
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DUTCH

Curmudgeon
One other thing about interior cooking is the amount of heat driven into your sleeping space during the summer months.

SG

Also the cooking smell remains inside, which I do not like. My Kimberley Karavan has a diesel ceramic cooktop, sink and ample counter top inside IMG_0596_DxO.jpg
and a propane stove, sink and counter top outsideIMG_1070_DxO.jpg.

The one on the outside gets used a whole heckuva lot more than the one on the inside.

DUTCH
 

Rando

Explorer
I am also strongly in favor of having some sort of outside cooking facilities, even if it is just a chuck box type thing you can put on a picnic table. In addition to all the other advantages brought up - the biggest one for me is that you get to be outside! While I appreciate indoor cooking facilities for the colder and darker half of the year - the other half of the year you often miss the best part of the day if you have to cook inside.
 

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