Hybrids - inside or outside kitchen

[MarkVS]

When Kerry and I sit down over a wine and dream about our next camper, we keep thinking about the Hybrids....those that are a cross between the camper trailer and a caravan.....they are quick and easy to set up, but also can go the places you want to, and don't weigh as much as a caravan...eg...Ultimates, Vista Crossover, Kimberley Karavan, Conqueror Commander etc.

When we walk around the camping spots looking at others setups, and also at the shows, one of the things that we keeping looking at as a real preference for us, is whether the kitchen is on the inside or the outside. For us, this seems to be a real factor.

Are we alone in this ? Is it a case of 'you get used to' having an inside kitchen..... and its just we're used to having the outside kitchen with the camper..?

Or are there others like us that do have a 'real' preference to cooking outdoors ? Has anyone else decided which one they were going to buy based on whether the kitchen was inside or outside ?


MarkVS

[KingBilly]

Several friends have Jayco style CTs.  All of them do 90% or better of their cooking outside on a BBQ or camp fire.  I guess inside would be good for wet and windy days or the morning cuppa.

KB

[TOPNDR]

G'day Mark,

You missed the crossover King, the AOR Quantum.  As it happens Mrs T and I have one, and the outside kitchen was one of the strong selling points for us. 

Essentially the Quantum is an ensuite bedroom on wheels.  A queen bed, a couple of chairs, drawers and a shower & dunny, that we use to sleep in.  Who wants to cook inside such a small area and then try to sleep with the cooking pongs than permeate?

[GeoffA]

When we had our TrakShak, we had the option of leaving the kitchen on the tail gate and cooking inside, or setting it up outside.
It was nice to have the option, especially when the weather turned sour, but it was left on the tail gate most of the time anyway. Cooking smells were never an issue......

[UIZ733]

Kitchen outside is essential for us.

[Just some guy]

We have a Jayco Penguin and very much utilize the inside kitchen.  When its cold or wet - its absolutely fabulous to be able to keep warm and dry inside.  We are cautions not to cook anything stinky inside.  When the weather is nice, we use those butane cookers / webber baby Q or camp fire and cook (and clean up) outside.  Best of both worlds!

[Barry G]

Camping = cooking OUTSIDE.   End of story IMO.

With even a minimal awning rain shouldn't be an issue.

I agree with you 100 percent.

Couldn't ever see me getting used to an internal kitchen, but then I'm not a SWMBO with several young kids!   

[kiva]

Outside cooking was essential for us. When we had our Ultimate, although it had an internal kitchen, we might have used it perhaps twice - ever - to boil some water for a coffee. We always set up an outside kitchen on a table etc.

Camping for us is an outdoors thing. Inside the tent/camper is only for sleeping / getting changed etc. With our camper, the layout of the kitchen was essential to SWMBO who somewhat (tongue-in-cheek) calls the camper our "bed box", as that is effectively what it is.

There's nothing quite like cooking and enjoying a meal outside. This was our breakfast cooking last Sunday morning ... in the great outdoors.

[austastar]

Hi,
   I guess it depends on where and when you go travelling.
We have an internal kitchen and a slide out kitchen. Often both are used e.g. Mrs in side with some veges and I'll pan fry some fish out side.
Ours is not our own design, options were limited. It was workable, so we bought it.


Video of slide-out kitchen


Video of internals, inc kitchen


My preference would have been cooking space out side, with may be a coleman dual fuel stove (which could be used any where out side) and a cut out space for a plastic tub for the sink.
(So much more practical than a fixed SS sink for heat retention and ease of emptying.)


I like the options,
    any thing stinky gets cooked out side, even if it is freezing;
    warm weather, every thing gets cooked out side;
    cold weather, soup or a few veges on a cold wet night is cozy inside.


cheers

[DannyG]

Mark we are at the same point in time ourselves as to deciding a few things about a hybrid type design and have put a lot of thought into it, here are our thoughts.......

Kitchen....

Like you we think cooking is for outside, thats what its all about. Having said that we like to put a corner wall up around our awning for that little bit of extra shelter and privacy, even when the weather is beautiful. It is still obviously outside but for us it means the hybrid needs to have a good awning with the ability to enclose sections of it.
So we are keen on a good slide out and swing around style of cooker and sink/bench with a good slide out pantry and a fridge slide all in the same area so its a well organised complete kitchen similiar to the aussie swag campers or even kiva's exodus.
BUT then we thought wouldnt it be nice to be able to have all the kitchen packed up ready to go so when you get up in the morning your ready to travel (on an overnighter) so it would be nice to have a little cook top inside for boiling a jug?? But after thinking about it we decided the slide out kitchens are so fast and easy to use we need not worry about an internal cooker. If its shocking weather and the awning is not out then we just go with out our morning coffee?
What we do want inside is a little mini bar style fridge. The main fridge is on the slide outside but just a small drinks fridge inside for those nights when you retire inside and you are having a night cap if you know what i mean

I was going to explain our design having a nice comfy lounge and easily accessible bar fridge under a convenient bar top type bench with the tv/dvd in view but I wont go off topic......ill leave it to kitchen

[4wd26]

currently have a caravan (expanda type) and we do use the inside stove and sink quite a bit, indeed I'm designing up a hybrid and will maintain a small cooktop and sink on the inside.

It is nice to clean the dishes after dark inside away from the bities.  Also nice to cook something quick in miserable weather.

Will still have a outside slide out- designing sink, cooktop and weber provision.  Will also maintain a fridge inside and out.

Our preference is for outside cooking and eating- just you don't always get the weather to make this enjoyable.  The more enjoyable the whole experience the more likely you are to go away- regardless of the forecast/ conditions especially extended holidays

[chester ver2.0]

Have both in the goldstream

Inside kitchen with oven and we also have an outside roll out BBQ burner.

Sausages bbqs and most things get cooked outside but in bad weather or when we want to do a roas or Pizzas they get cooked inside open up the roof hatch and a few windows keeps the smell away

[KingBilly]

when we want to do a roas or Pizzas they get cooked inside open up the roof hatch and a few windows keeps the smell away

Don't want to start any sort of argument as everybody does it differently and there is no right or wrong way but as an alternative, we do both roasts and pizzas in the Weber.  Used it in the rain without any dramas also.  Just a suggestion for the OP, that's all 

KB

[jetcrew]

if we get a hybrid or van it will def have an inside kitchen. This does not mean for cooking. But more for all the other kitchen duties , cereal for kids , cup of coffee etc when we had the Kimberley I hated going outside at 5.30am in the cold and rain just o get a bowl of cereal for the little fella . Same thing now with trackie , inside kitchen all the way for me but not for cooking.
Bloody nice to sit in side and have breaky when is raining or freezing cold.
Jet

[Kit_e_kat9]

So where do you do all your cooking now? 
So where do you go camping now?

In winter I can see a positive to helping warm the interior.
In summer I can see a negative to helping warm the interior.

At least 50% of the time it will be worth it, which ever way you go.

Kit_e

[gronk]

We have a Lifestyle AT10 and although it is available with an inside kitchen...and I was thinking of adding one myself....I'm glad I didn't.
Maybe once or twice a year it would've been handy, but for those rare times ( that hasn't happened yet ) a single burner portable stove on the benchtop would do the job..

[sol]

We have a Lifestyle AT10 and although it is available with an inside kitchen...and I was thinking of adding one myself....I'm glad I didn't.
Maybe once or twice a year it would've been handy, but for those rare times ( that hasn't happened yet ) a single burner portable stove on the benchtop would do the job..

Hey gronk, do you have any more pics of your camper.
Good looking unit mate

     

[gronk]

Hey gronk, do you have any more pics of your camper.
Good looking unit mate

     

Yeh mate, I have a few.....a poor mans Vista !!   

[sol]

Top stuff mate
I like it

       

[kylarama]

We've got a Jayco Eagle, but still do all our cooking outside.  The inside kitchen is way too small for the mess we generate!

I have found the inside kitchen handy for some things.  The girls like sitting at the table for breakfast, so the stove has been handy for toast and boiling the kettle.  Also hand for a hot day to retreat inside and make a sandwich with everything you need at your fingertips to make and then wash up.

Other than the above and maybe a bit of indoor food prep away from the flies, we are all geared up for cooking outside.