Stove Folks Happy With Decision To Go Without Stove?

In chatting with Frank Poole about several topics, he convinced me to come out of the shadows and register. I had been lurking for a while and reading other folks opinions but hadn't registered. I'm about a year and a half away from purchase (will be empty nester after summer 2017). At this point I am thinking of ordering a 550 ultra for the cabinets/lights/doors but really want to keep it simple otherwise. I really don't want to deal with sink and water tanks and am thinking the same about the stove/propane.

The reasons for wanting a portable stove are several. First, I'd like the flexibility to cook in other locations such as on the park table or within a screened enclosure if the bugs are bad. Second, I like the ability to change out stove depending on usage (ie a robust stove for bigger groups/crab feast/beer brew versus a regular 2 burner when it's just me and my wife. Third, the less mechanical equipment there is, the less there is to break. I've definitely experienced this with previous boats. I like not worrying about propane leaks, rusting cast iron, and burn stains on the back of the galley. I plan to use refillable 1 pound propane tanks as I don't want to contribute to unnecessary waste in the landfills.

In chatting on line with Frank Poole, he thinks I should reconsider not going with the stove as it is such a good stove. I'm interested in hearing from folks who chose not to go with the stove and whether they are happy with the decision or have "not buyers remorse". I read a thread with many happy stove owners. Thanks! Ben H

 

Welcome to the forum. I like having the stove and a fixed place to use it. Last TD I had the stove was portable. Was hard to keep it secured properly.

Bob

 

Welcome to the Forum Ben. The Forum really helped me select options when I ordered my trailer. I know you would rather hear from non stove owners who are happy with that choice but I don't think there are very many of them. I do carry a one burner for those quick stops at a rest area for a cup of coffee because I don't want to move the fridge. It is stowed in the galley in the upper shelf and doesn't take up much room. The CampInn stove is unlike any camping stove that I have owned. It is a higher BTU and heats quickly. Easy to clean and stows out of the way. I lined the walls around mine with silicone to keep from getting the black marks. I understand that the walls clean off with a little work but thought I would try prevention first. I also thought about resale value when I ordered the trailer.
It is all just personal preference. It looks like most people are happy with the decisions they made. There is so much information on this forum that I am sure you will be able to take it all in and make the best decisions for yourself.

 

I'd never buy one without the stove. I understand why someone might not "need" one, but it's just so convenient and high quality, that I would not want to use a different approach to cooking.

But there are many different ways to camp, and we each have our preferences.

I can't believe you are also thinking of going without the sink and water tanks. That makes no sense to me. But, again, different strokes. Maybe I'd feel differently if I lived somewhere where freezing the water lines was a risk. I use the sink and water tanks on every trip, though I don't use the sink for major cleaning. But it sure is handy when you need to wash something quickly.

-Al

 

Ben, since I am where you are and have a few months to go before ordering my CI, my post will likely carry, well, very little to no weight compared to actual CI owners. But for what it's worth...

My thought from the start has been to order a 550 Special, no stove and no sink (and in fact I'm deleting the front window). Having CI not install the stove and sink is for several reasons:

1) I don't want the maintenance or upkeep for propane or water issues, as much or as little as that might be. For me, less is more. Routine checks on tires, trailer brakes, general maintenance that goes with owning any vehicle, that's enough for me to worry about and keep up with. I've never owned a trailer, and it all scares me just a little, lol.

2) I'm certainly not a minimalist but I do like keeping things simple. I've been tent camping for decades and have a way of doing things (ok, so admittedly a lot is my mom and dad's way of doing things, lol) that has worked just fine for me with cooking and dishes. I have a neat little portable camp sink that's very easily carried to a campground sink for dumping. I have a one-burner backpacking stove that folds up very small, a JetBoil for boiling water quickly and even a one burner electric hotplate. And I'm cooking for just me, so there aren't many dishes. I eat just fine but cook simply, and while I know CI's is a fabulous stove, it's overkill for my simple needs. And like you, I like being able to set up my stove anywhere. I will be adding the stainless backsplash in the galley center cooking/cooler storage area, so I will have no qualms about setting up my current stove there.

3) My tow vehicle is a sedan, and Cary and I agree I'll be fine (Craig apparently towed with a LeSabre for years) but right at my maximum tow capacity with the CI. Besides not wanting the added weight, I'm just really ok with not carrying propane and water on my CI. I'll keep carrying water in my car like I always have, and small canisters of fuel in the CI with my stoves.

If I had the sink and stove, sure, I'd use them. But what I have works, I'm a simple sort of gal, I can cut corners where I need to, and I'm certain I'll be just fine without. And if that makes my CI worth less in the resale world, well, I figure I'm buying it for me and not for the next guy. ;-) I have no doubt I'll get my money's worth out of it, because these little trailers are spectacular, even without every little option.

Nancy

 

Not sure why you wouldn't want the sink or water tanks either. I usually use the two tub method and rinse in CI sink or just spot washes of small items. I think there is a post somewhere that says you really don't gain any additional storage space without the water tanks. Maybe counter space without the sink. Love the stove. And it really is high btu so everything heats up quicker. Love that it stores away easily. My only pet peeve is that you have to reach so far back to use it. Can be straining on the back.
Just my two cents.

 

Thank you all for the input so far. I thought I might get a few questions about why no sink? A bit more about myself, I grew up tent camping. I did boy scouts through eagle with a good bit of canoe camping and back packing. As I've gotten older (mid 40s now), sleeping on the ground and hauling 40 pounds on my back just don't have the same appeal as the did 30 years ago. I like the idea of a teardrop as a way to haul my "kitchen" and provide an instantly set up hard sided tent with a comfy bed. I've never been an RVer so a minimalist teardrop is "luxury" from my perspective.

I also live in Baltimore with street parking. I will have to rent a garage to store the teardrop. Hence there is no easy way to fill the tanks at home and my favorite camping spot in this area is a "dispersed" camping (at least as dispersed as things get in the mid-Atlantic). At Green Ridge state forest, you have to haul in water - thus no way to fill tanks there. Also I like to winter camp and it freezes around here any time possibly between October through April. In terms of convenience, using a 5 gallon jug with spigot and a bucket underneath is pretty darn easy (again from a scout's perspective). I'm not knocking anyone else's choices or way of camping just trying to shed some light for those wondering why I'd make these choices.


In terms of the CampInn stove, I understand that it puts out a lot of heat. Does anyone know the BTUs per burner? Ben H

 

I hope my post didn't sound "critical." I didn't mean it that way. I truly do embrace the "different strokes for different folks" motto

except for generators. I hate generators. But I still don't get upset at the folks who use them....unless it's way too early or way too late

and the TD IS absolutely "luxury" - I agree 100%.
(even without a sink or stove)

 

A lot of us came from tent camping and really were happy to have a bed inside a closed area. That really is the main thing. It did take me a lot longer to pack up my kitchen when I was tent camping. My kitchen was really handy and well set up but everything had to be packed back into the car or truck and then unpacked when I got home and put away in the house or in the shop. I would pack up for the trip. Arrive at the campsite and unpack. Pack up again to go home. Unpack after arriving home and put everything away. That is what I love about my CampInn. Once it is packed for the summer I just have to replenish things when I get home and it is ready for the next trip. We each have to think about our own needs and make our choices from there. I don't have any regrets so far.

 

Hi! We full-time and chose to forego several options:

Sink: we use 5 WATERBRICKS (trade name) that each hold 3.5 gallons. This has worked perfectly for all needs. Didn't want to deal with the tanks either.

Stove: Like you, we want the freedom to locate the stove on a side table or picnic table. Plus we have a Dometic refrigerator, and we didn't want to constantly move it to access the stove. We use a Coleman propane stove.

We have been pretty good at following the seasons, so no AC or furnace. And no TV.

Lots to think about!

 

We're very similar to you: We're waiting another year or two to buy; that is, we want to buy at the point we become empty nesters, and with our youngest a college sophomore, that's on the horizon.

Like you, we have decided that we do not want the stove or the sink. We aren't interested in recreating a home kitchen (which is a different entity altogether -- what works in one place doesn't necessarily work in the other); rather, we've analyzed what we like and don't like while camping, and we are quite certain about this decision. We know this is a minority decision don't really care whether other people agree or disagree, but here's our reasoning:

- We have no interest in camping "off-grid" or in Walmart parking lots. Our comfort level is sleeping in an established campground with showers and toilets nearby. As such, we'll always have water available in the campsite. We have "nesting" water containers that we use now for camping; they will require little space /essentially no weight in the trailer.

- Water in the teardrop creates more work (refilling, emptying, hooking up, winterizing) and the possibility of leaks ... perhaps even the possibility of damage to the teardrop itself. In exchange for those negatives, you're using a tiny sink, its size making it of questionable value. We prefer to carry several larger water containers and use them in whatever place seems to make most sense at the moment. It's considerably less effort.

- We don't like the idea of cooking in the clamshell of the teardrop. We don't want to splatter grease, etc. onto the teardrop, requiring that we then wipe up all the surfaces in the teardrop ... and we really don't want to slide the used stove into a small and difficult to clean compartment. We think it's easier to use our grill on the picnic table. This also means the cook is at the table with the group, not stuck facing the teardrop.

- In our minds, the teardrop is for food storage, while cooking should be done on the campfire or on the grill. If you remove the stove and the sink, you gain fairly significant storage space.

- We are very into cooking on our MiniMax Big Green Egg grill (and, in fact, are attending EggtoberFest next weekend, a celebration of these fantastic grills), which is small enough to be portable in a heat-proof container. This will transport in the trunk of our tow vehicle. We also enjoy using our pudgie pie cookers over a campfire; we wrap them in aluminum foil before we cook, eliminating all dishwashing.

My best advice: Think about the type of camping meals you personally prefer to create, and mentally "walk through" the steps you'd take -- consider them both with and without the stove and sink. Only then will you be prepared to say with confidence what you want in your teardrop.

PBaker, I totally agree with you that one reason to buy a teardrop is that you can keep it "packed" all the time, so you're ready to camp on a moment's notice -- but I don't think this changes by removing the sink/stove. It just alters the tools you pack.

 

Bear, We also agree with you about the TV/DVD player. A decade ago, I would've said, "Yes, I want those items." Today we have iPads and cel phones that perform these functions more effectively -- and, as you say, without the possibility of damage from road vibration.

 

You are right that everyone has a right to their own opinion.

You are most definitely incorrect that you will gain any appreciable storage space by removing the sink and stove. Cary has talked about that in the past and I agree with him completely. Anything that isn't stowed in the galley ends up being something else that is crammed in your tow vehicle, possibly becoming a lethal projectile in the event of an accident. And inevitably you will find yourself unloading three or more things from your tow vehicle to get at the one thing you really need. That will get old very quick, unless your plan is to unpack everything and stay in one spot for several days or more at a time.

You might also consider the possible effect on resale value. The only couple that I know of that sold a similarly equipped camper is Diane and Michael. From the tone of there messages on the forum they seemed desperate to find a buyer, but perhaps I've misinterpreted those messages.

But it is great that you are trying to imagine how you will use the camper. We did so before we bought and that vision has evolved over many months on the road. I suspect we are not unique, that it is not possible figure everything out ahead of time. I will say that we did nearly all of our cooking on our grill for about three years. We plan to drop it off at our storage unit the time we pass by it.

As far as attempting to recreate your home kitchen in Camp Inn's galley, that is pretty much impossible given the amount of cold storage space that you will have to work with.

 

We don't have a water system and can say we don't miss it. However, we could not live without the cast iron grill. It's the best I've ever seen on any type of camper. We love our 550!

 

We recently purchased a 2009 550 Classic with stove and sink...happy to have both. Sometimes we don't want to use the stove, but having the quick connect on the side gives us the option to connect a BBQ grill or small burner to place near or a distance from the trailer...ours came with both a short and long hose. We already bought a small grill for steaks...we're recently empty nester, hot dogs only go so far! The stove has held up well, as has the cabinetry around it, and it heats up much faster than the Coleman's I've used for many years. I'm often fishing as the sun goes down so cooking in the dark...it's nice to have the stove ready so quickly. We like having the sink, but use will depend on where we go. I suspect you'll find having a CI makes camping easy enough you'll expand the places you'll camp. A hose isn't required to fill it, so the street parking situation doesn't impact ability to fill.

 

Hi,
It did take us about a month or so to sell our teardrop, but we don't believe the lack of stove or sink was the mitigating factor. The two couples who looked at the trailer stated they didn't want to deal with water tanks. The lack of a stove wasn't a deterrent with them either. One of these couples did end up buying the trailer . Bottom line, to each their own!

 

And inevitably you will find yourself unloading three or more things from your tow vehicle to get at the one thing you really need. That will get old very quick, unless your plan is to unpack everything and stay in one spot for several days or more at a time.

Nah, 'cause I already own the best-ever camp box, which is lightweight and which fits nicely in the trunk of my car. At a campsite, we just lift it out and set it on a picnic table, and everything's out of the car in one fell swoop -- I tend to use it for my foodstuff because it is critter-proof. Alternately, it could be placed on a Camp Inn side table.

As far as attempting to recreate your home kitchen in Camp Inn's galley, that is pretty much impossible given the amount of cold storage space that you will have to work with.

I think you missed my point: Installing a sink and stove are an attempt to recreate a home kitchen at camp -- yet camp cooking isn't at all like home cooking, so we're actually in agreement on this subject.

You might also consider the possible effect on resale value. The only couple that I know of that sold a similarly equipped camper is Diane and Michael. From the tone of there messages on the forum they seemed desperate to find a buyer, but perhaps I've misinterpreted those messages.

Yes, since most people like the sink and stove, I agree that resale would be more difficult. However, while none of us know what might happen to us in the future, I don't see the point in buying something I don't want on the off chance that I might have trouble recouping the money later.

I use a large Big Green Egg at home and my wife is already saying we need a portable BGE for camping. What "heat-proof container" do you use to transport the MiniMax?

They're pretty common at Big Green Egg gatherings, though heat-proof wasn't a good word choice. They're metal containers sized to hold the smaller Eggs. They're metal so they can hold a hot Egg, and they have wooden handles so you can lift the Egg and move it to another location. They're quite simple contraptions, though I really don't know whether they have a real name. We have all sorts of Eggcessories, and I don't remember their sources -- though most are after-market accessories purchased at EggFests.

Another reason I don't want the water/sink is that I live in the city without a garage and park on the street. I will have to rent a garage space and I'm sure won't have water (not sure if I will find a garage with electricity or not)

While that doesn't apply to me, it's a good reason to avoid water in your teardrop.

 

Could you share the info on your best ever camp box? Was it purchased or built? Would love to hear more about it and see photos if you care to share!