RV Grills FAQ

Fire remains a leading cause of RV loss (and larger catastrophes), so grilling under your camper’s awning is a pretty bad idea. Beyond the unsightly and unhealthy troubles of smoke damage and airborne grease, most owner’s manuals will outright refuse the idea — and chances are, the liability rules of whatever property or jurisdiction you’re in won’t be any laxer.

We’ll be explicit: camper grill or otherwise, do not operate anything that produces fire, smoke and carbon monoxide inside an enclosed space, period. This includes a camper, whether the door is open or shut. You probably won’t find an owner’s manual on the market that doesn’t outright forbid the practice. Best case scenario? You’re on the hook for a new RV (and a surprise, expensive hotel stay). We’ll leave the further possible consequences up to your imagination.

Most electric grills on the market aren’t rated for indoor use. As a general rule of thumb, manufacturers don’t allow you to use your electric grill indoors (whether you’re in a confined RV camper or not). Our recommendation is to consult that owner’s manual — it continues to be your best friend against liability.

Hooking up your gas grill to your RV’s gas line is a situational call. Your biggest hurdle will be your propane regulators: your RV has one, but does that gas grill? (If so, this is your “hard mode” path.) With only one regulator between them, your options boil down to connecting directly with a Quick Connect fitting or teeing into your RV’s propane system with a T-fitting. Either way, you must always match propane pressures. If the pressure’s too low, you’ll likely struggle to light the grill, let alone get it hot enough for cooking. If too high, the rushing fuel will overwhelm your lighter, and that’s a recipe for disaster.

Cleaning your grill before returning it to your RV will always be the right call, and it’s the one we recommend. Not only does this guarantee you don’t wind up with any food gunk and debris in your RV, but anything with such residue can attract wild animals — including the ones bigger than you. We recommend cleaning your grill following your owner’s manual, and doing a deeper dive before you store it between trips.

As stated before, never travel with your propane gas bottle or tank attached to the grill. Once you’ve separated them, always securely store the cylinder upright, such as in a plastic storage bin or a milk crate. When it comes to maintaining it during (and between) your adventures, we can teach you all about how to care for a propane tank.

Many camper grills are compatible with conversion kits and adaptor hoses perfect for connecting a 20-lb propane tank. This offers the benefit of probable savings over time: buying generally non-refillable 1-lb bottle at local retailers will rapidly outpace container refills. At time of writing, a looming propane shortage necessitates learning ways to conserve propane and save money while you grill. But the first and easiest cost-saving method will be storing it in bulk, such as in that 20-lb container. Just remember: they’re 40 pounds apiece when filled!

We’re always going to recommend grill covers for quality maintenance, and you won’t find us breaking tradition here. Camper grill covers offer defense from debris while the grill is out, and they offer another layer of protection during transit. They help keep your prized investment in dashing condition, ready to perform well and look incredible doing it — which, in turn, may possibly inspire friendly jealousy in your rival RV grillers.

Once cooled down, stow your camping grill in your RV overnight. We’re going to tread some familiar ground: keeping your cookout compadre as fresh as possible generally means limited exposure to the elements. Will once hurt it? Possibly not, but we don’t know your impending weather conditions. But if you’ve brought one onto your RV, “once” isn’t exactly the game plan, now is it?