In a recent conversation around the campfire, folks began talking about their RV ovens. Surprising as it may seem, the oven conversation took up most of our s’mores time together. It seems that when it comes to RV ovens, people either love ‘em or hate ‘em. No matter how you feel about using your oven, I hope this article and poll will remind you: Don’t hate on your RV oven!
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What’s not to like about using your RV oven?
Kendall began, “Our RV oven is a magician. It can simultaneously under-cook and burn a casserole all at the same time!” Several folks nodded (and sighed) in agreement.
“Well,” Claire added, “I have the same problem, plus the fact that the oven takes up valuable space in our small trailer’s kitchen.”
“Our RV oven isn’t big enough to cook a pizza or much else either! My regular cake and muffin pans don’t fit inside!” Joan complained.
Joe joined the conversation. “Edwin Starr’s 1970 song about war pretty much describes the RV oven: What is it good for? Absolutely nothin’.”
“I agree,” Claire chimed in again. “Our rig has a combination microwave/convection oven. Who needs two ovens when camping?”
Alternative uses
I wondered how RVers used their ovens, if not for baking. Here are a few things that folks around the campfire suggested:
- Use it as is, and store pots and pans (or grilling necessities) inside.
- Remove the baking shelves and keep larger kitchen helpers like the slow cooker or Insta-Pot inside.
- Use the space to store canned and boxed foods.
- Hire a professional to remove the oven completely and cap the propane lines. Then install storage shelves, a coffee/wine bar, or even a place to stash your clothing/shoes. One family removed their RV oven and repurposed it as a sleeping space for their kitty.
Learn how to use it
If you’ve been RVing for long, you may have already heard about adding a pizza stone to your RV oven. It does help, with a few caveats.
- First, measure your oven carefully. You don’t want the stone you purchase to block the ventilation holes at the bottom of the oven, but you want the stone as large as possible.
- Secondly, place the pizza stone on the shelf closest to the heating element, under the wire baking rack.
- Finally, always remove the pizza stone on travel days. You don’t want an unforeseen bump or pothole to cause the stone to break! (Don’t ask me how I know. Sigh.)
What about you? Do you use your RV’s oven? Take the poll below and let us know.
##RVDT2136
We have had three different 5th wheel trailers. None of the ovens, even with different manufacturers, have functioned properly. My current one is okay up to 350 degrees. Anything over that and it goes crazy, once as high as 500 degrees when I checked it. I don’t understand why decent ovens can’t be put in RV’s!
We replaced our propane range with an induction cooktop. All cooking is done with the cooktop, microwave and portable gas grill.
Back when I ordered my 2017 Forester GTS, I had the choice of an Oven and Microwave or a Convection Microwave. Reseach led me to choose the Convection Microwave. Gained two large drawers and never missed the oven. DW actually baked something in the Microwave once and has used the gas cooktop a few times. Usually, we use a separate plug-in induction hotplate we bought. Wish that had been an option instead of the propane range. Now I’m looking at an AC/DC compressor refrigerator. Nope, not much of a camper!
Convert to wine storage? Must be a Harvest Host devotee!
I would have a use for an RV oven if it could fit something other than a small cookie sheet in it, or maybe if it were easier to light, possibly if the temperature remained at the setting I chose. I despise the dinky little thing called an oven in our RV. I do however use it when we get to a new campground. Prepare cookie dough the day before camping and throw it in the fridge. Once we have set up camp, I open the window and start baking those cookies. We meet all kinds of people in day one. That is the only thing this dinky oven is good for. We use the microwave, stovetop, crockpot and grill A LOT!
We have owned 5 different RVs over the years, and I have always used the ovens and had good luck baking and cooking. I’ve even made all the sides for a Thanksgiving dinner in the RV oven (The turkey was outside cooking on a rotisserie).
We lived in a Jayco 29RBS for 2.5 years after Hurricane Harvey. We used our 21” oven often.
I don’t have big problems with the oven but it can scorch foods. Keeping a pizza stone in helps or cooking foods on a cast iron surface.
When we bought our class A 13 years ago it didn’t have an oven and I had never used a convection oven before. I love cooking and full time in coach requires something to “bake” in. There was a learning curve and a lot of experiments, but I love my convection oven.
The poll is missing an answer for: “Use it rarely”
We probably used it in a few times a year. Ten or fifteen times in 5 years. Hard to light, uneven heating, etc.
I use our electric skillet for things like biscuits and cakes that need to be “baked.”
Love the oven. Do cinnamon buns, breakfast bake to pizza and cake. Great for taking the chill out during a fall hunt with the coffee pot brewing coffee and warming up some apple cider donuts in the oven.
We don’t even have a conventional oven and I don’t want one. We have a convection/microwave in our DP and we use the convection part often. We’ve even taught other RVers how to bake cakes, pies, cookies, and even a small roast in the convection part. Despite what some people think, you don’t need to carry an InstaPot® in a RV.
I took our young kids out for a hike. My wife stayed at the trailer. We returned to our trailer in a frantic, laughing run back to camp due to a rain storm. Kids were wet headed for sure. The beyond compare scent of cookies baking in a stove met our wet noses. A lovely, smiling Mom greeted us. We found seats inside the old trailer. We combed each other’s hair in outlandish styles for entertainment while the cookies finished baking. We were warmed by the heat of the oven. Laughing at each other’s hair style…as if each one were more funny than the other…I am sure the cookies were wonderful, but the moments leading up to taking a bite were sheer food for the soul which has lasted…let’s say 40 years. Ovens are marvelous memory makers!
Our 50yo Motorhome has a nice oven. We were the first to use it when we got it about 18 years ago. I know because the start up paper instructions were still on the pilot burner. We use it often, most recently to do Pizza at a boondock site (real boondock) several miles from the paved road. We had bought the “ready to cook” Pizza at a Sam’s when we stopped for fuel at midday. Of course it got added to before it went in the oven. It was a great evening.
We are full-timers and don’t have room for a lot of extra appliances such as an air fryer or instant pot. I use my small oven all the time with a pizza stone and a few other tricks I have learned. For meatloaf I place a disposable loaf pan inside a metal loaf pan with an air pocket in between. For baking muffins or a cake, I place the pan on an inverted cookie sheet to prevent the bottom of the cake or muffins from burning. I have found out that my casserole dishes need to be short in height and I must either cover with foil or invert the glass lid in the casserole dish for it to fit in my oven. I would be hard pressed to cook meals without using my oven!
Haven’t had a “traditional” oven in an RV since 2002. Always opted for more kitchen drawers instead. Convection/Microwave and I don’t think we have used the convection feature more than twice in twenty years.
We only have the convection oven and stovetop in our rig, which we use often. And we bring along a small toaster oven. This trip we also brought a new mid size air fryer which we love to use.
Love our oven! I voted yes to a 21” oven, but not sure since our trailer is 20+ miles away in storage as I write this. I do know it fits 14” pans. We travel a lot including to the SW for 3 months in the winter where it gets cold after dark. Using the oven helps heat up our trailer with very little propane & no need for hookups! We love sheet pan dinners – so easy & healthy! Tip – use a cast iron pizza pan on the oven shelf to dissipate the heat and it won’t break like the ceramic “stones”.
I love it. Best pizza every time. Now we have a truck camper and no oven so i bought a toaster oven and it’s big enough for a pizza but another thing to store.had a trailer a c and a fifth wheel. All had ovens.all got used.