Is it just me, or does food taste better when it’s prepared outside? The sweet spot is when you still have running water, a propane-controlled cooking surface, and refrigeration. A camper with an outdoor kitchen enhances your camping experience in many ways, and it goes beyond the campground, too. Many of these RVs are also great options when tailgating.
Benefits of a Camper with an Outdoor Kitchen
Campers with outdoor kitchens offer many benefits, including:
- No smell or mess inside your RV. Cooking outside keeps your main living space cleaner.
- Who doesn’t enjoy cooking more when you have an amazing view? Outdoor kitchens help connect you to your surroundings.
- Cooking outside makes it easier to serve food on the picnic table. You won’t have to carry food out and dirt in.
- Many campers love cooking with grills or griddles, but storing them can be a problem due to their bulkiness. An outdoor kitchen often provides a dedicated spot for these appliances and your cooking tools.
- Plus, you have a second kitchen in case you need to use both to prepare a big meal.
Not sure where to start? Brush up on what to look for in an RV kitchen before diving into our favorite RVs with outdoor kitchens, including travel trailers, fifth wheels, toy haulers, and motorhomes.
Our Favorite Travel Trailers with an Outdoor Kitchen
If you’re convinced an outdoor cooking space is a must-have RV amenity, let’s begin with some of our favorite travel trailers with outdoor kitchens:
Forest River Grey Wolf 29TE
Specs
- Length: 36’8”
- Dry Weight: 6,428 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Griddle, Mini Fridge, Sink, and LP Quick Connect
Need room for the whole crew? The Grey Wolf 29TE is a bunkhouse travel trailer built for big families. The private rear bunk room has three bunk beds and a wardrobe, so the kids get their own space to sleep and store their gear. Up front, parents get a private bedroom with a king bed. In between, a U-shaped dinette, a sofa, and a kitchen with a spacious pantry make the main living area family-friendly. The dual-entry bathroom also lets everyone wash up after a day outside without walking through the whole camper.
The real star, though, is the outdoor kitchen. Forest River calls it an “outdoor bar and grill,” and it lives up to the name with a pull-out grill-griddle, a dedicated sink, countertop prep space, a sliding tray for a cutting board or wash bin, upper storage cabinets, and 5.6 cubic feet of cold storage. Because the kitchen sits off to the side instead of under the 15-foot power awning, there’s more room for camp chairs in the shade. An outdoor TV mount and a hot-and-cold outside shower round out the campsite setup, and the included 200-watt solar package helps when you’re camping off-grid.
Forest River Campsite Reserve 26CJ
Specs
- Length: 32’9”
- Dry Weight: 6,421 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Outdoor Grill, Mini Fridge, and LP Quick Connect
The family cook will love prepping foods both inside and outside of the Campsite Reserve 26CJ. The outside kitchen comes stocked with a small fridge and portable grill. Underneath a massive campside window, the interior kitchen offers a built-in Contoure convection oven/air fryer instead of the microwave and propane oven.
This family-friendly model offers double-over-double bunks and a private king bedroom. It also has many smart features, including a 100-watt solar power system, hidden pantry, electric fireplace, and under-bunk storage drawer.
Top Fifth Wheels with an Outdoor Kitchen
Large fifth wheels often have plenty of room for outdoor kitchens. Here are some fifth wheel floorplans with outdoor cooking space:
Forest River Arctic Wolf 331BH
Specs
- Length: 32’10”
- Dry Weight: 9,520 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Mini Fridge, Grill, Water Outlets, and LP Quick Connect
The Arctic Wolf 331BH packs a private bunk room into a surprisingly compact fifth wheel. In the rear, the kids get a bunk with a loft bunk overhead, built-in wardrobe storage, and their own half bath, so there’s no morning line for the bathroom. The center of the camper is built around an island kitchen with a butcher-block countertop, an undermount Workstation-Pro sink, a 12V refrigerator, a microwave, an oven, a hidden trash drawer, and a breakfast hutch, all under backlit pendant lighting.
Outside, the 331BH has one of the best outdoor kitchens in its class. Lift the strut-assisted door at the rear of the camper to find a sink with a faucet, a Contoure mini fridge, an ice maker for cold drinks, an upper cabinet for cooking gear, and a slide-out tray for extra prep space, all lit with LED lighting. Dual awnings give you shade for cooking and eating at the campsite, and Bluetooth exterior speakers keep the music going. Setup is easy with a one-touch four-point electric auto-leveling system, and a 200-watt solar panel helps keep your batteries charged off-grid. Other standard comforts include a tankless water heater, an electric fireplace, flush-floor slide-outs, an outside shower, and Starlink prep in the pass-through storage compartment.
Grand Design Influence 3904BH
Specs
- Length: 42’8”
- Dry Weight: 16,000 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Griddle, Sink, 3.2 CU FT fridge
The Grand Design Influence 3904BH is a luxury bunkhouse fifth wheel that gives everyone their own space. The private rear bunkhouse suite works like a second living area, with a tri-fold sofa, a fold-down bunk, extra bunk space, storage, and its own half bath. In the main living area, an L-shaped reclining sofa makes movie nights comfortable, and the kitchen has solid-surface countertops, a residential faucet with a pull-out sprayer, and a flip-up countertop extension for extra prep space. Up front, the main bedroom has a queen bed on a slide-out, and washer/dryer prep makes longer trips easier.
Outside, the outdoor kitchen has a griddle, a refrigerator, and a sink, so you can cook, chill drinks, and clean up without heading inside. A power patio awning with LED lighting plus exterior speakers sets the scene for evenings outdoors. The 3904BH is also built for all-season camping, with a fully enclosed, heated underbelly, five-sided aluminum cage construction, a walk-on roof, electric leveling, and a 330-watt solar panel with inverter prep.
Enticing Toy Haulers with an Outdoor Kitchen
Toy haulers are truly dedicated to outdoor living, and many offer outstanding outdoor kitchens, including these top picks:
Forest River Wolf Pack 350PACK15
Specs
- Length: 45’
- Dry Weight: 12,263 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Mini Fridge, Ice Maker, Griddle
Want to bring the toys and still cook outside? The Wolf Pack 350PACK15 pairs a 15-foot separate garage with incredible living space. Just keep in mind: that garage also doubles as a fantastic tailgating spot.
The rear ramp door folds down into a patio deck with a railing system, and sliding glass patio doors close off the garage from the living area. A Murphy-style bed pulls down in the garage for guests. Inside, theater seating faces an entertainment center with an electric fireplace and hidden pantry storage. The kitchen has a black stainless steel farm sink, a high-rise pull-down faucet with a glass rinser, a three-burner range, an air fryer/microwave/convection oven combo, and a double-door 12V refrigerator. Up front, the private bedroom has a king bed and washer/dryer prep.
Outside, the outdoor kitchen sits right by the entry door with a grill, a beverage fridge, and an ice maker, so cold drinks and burgers are always within reach after a day on the trails. Two power awnings with LED lighting shade the campsite, and an exterior TV and speakers keep the party going. Other handy features include dual entry doors, an outside shower with hot and cold water, a tankless water heater, and a 200-watt solar package.
Grand Design Momentum 25G
Specs
- Length: 30’11”
- Dry Weight: 8,600 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Griddle and Mini Fridge
The Grand Design Momentum G-Class 25G combines a 13-foot-6-inch garage with a comfortable, well-equipped living space. When the toys are unloaded, the rear ramp door converts into a patio, and the garage works as a lounge with rollover sofas and a table. Euro chairs give you another spot to relax. The kitchen has extra counter space, a deep stainless steel sink with a residential pull-down sprayer faucet, a three-burner range with an oven, a microwave, a double-door refrigerator, and residential cabinetry. Up front, the private bedroom has USB chargers, and the double-entry bathroom includes a walk-in shower with a skylight.
Outside, the outdoor kitchen sits under the 19-foot power awning, so you can cook in the shade. Drop the door to reveal a fold-down countertop with a griddle, a 1.6-cubic-foot refrigerator for cold drinks, and shelving for cooking gear and supplies. It’s the perfect setup for pancakes before hitting the trails or burgers after a long day of riding.
Honorable Mentions
Unique Motorhomes with an Outdoor Kitchen
If you prefer a motorized RV, there are many motorhomes with outdoor kitchens. Check out these top options:
Jayco Redhawk 26M
Specs
- Length: 28’8”
- Dry Weight: 14,500 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Mini Fridge and Grill
A Class C motorhome with a Murphy bed, like the Redhawk 26M, truly maximizes the cozy living space. Enjoy a 70-inch sofa and extra floor space by day and a queen bed by night. You can bring the kids or guests, too, since this motorhome has a convertible U-shaped dinette and a cabover bunk.
The family gourmet will appreciate the indoor and outdoor kitchens. Inside, you’ll find generous cabinetry and sleek appliances, while the outdoor kitchen features a mini fridge, a Capital Grille cooktop, and abundant storage.
Thor Motor Coach Eddie Bauer 28EB
Specs
- Length: 30’9”
- Dry Weight: 18,000 pounds
- Kitchen Features: Griddle and Plumbed Water
Not every RV needs a built-in outdoor kitchen to be great for cooking and entertaining outside. Some just need the right setup.
The Thor Eddie Bauer 28EB skips the outdoor kitchen, but it makes up for it with features that turn your motorhome into a mobile tailgate station. As a Class C built on a Ford E-Series chassis with a 7.3L V8, there’s no hitching or unhitching. Just drive to the stadium lot, park, and start setting up. The oversized pass-through storage is great for coolers, folding chairs, tables, cornhole boards, and a portable grill, so all your game-day gear rides along without crowding the living space. Built-in outlets in the storage compartment power a blender, slow cooker, speaker, or string lights right where you need them, and an exterior LP connection makes hooking up a portable grill quick and easy. Once the grill is going, turn on the outdoor TV so nobody misses a play from the early games.
When it’s time to step inside, the 28EB has everything a tailgate crew needs. The full kitchen handles snacks and backup supplies, and the bathroom means nobody has to brave the porta-potty line. When the weather turns or halftime drags on, everyone can head inside to warm up. After the final whistle, the cabover bunk and private queen bed in the back make it easy to stay overnight instead of fighting stadium traffic.
Honorable Mentions
Are RV Outdoor Kitchens Worth It?
Outdoor kitchens offer additional cooking appliances and reduce the mess in your indoor kitchen. They also help you keep your RV cool by reducing the amount of time you spend using your indoor cooktop. Many RVers love their outdoor kitchens so much that they won’t even consider models without one.
However, travelers who don’t cook at the campsite may consider this wasted space, so they’d likely prioritize other floorplans. All told, a camper with an outdoor kitchen is not only worth it, but many RVers consider this feature essential.
It truly depends on your cooking and lifestyle preferences.
Can You Add an Outdoor Kitchen to a Camper?
Even if you don’t have a dedicated spot for an outdoor kitchen in your RV, you can easily build one. Check out these posts for inspiration:
- DIY RV Outdoor Kitchen Ideas (features both renovation ideas and self-built kitchens)
- Blackstone 17″ Griddle Review (features a description of an outdoor kitchen renovation)
Check out Camping World’s Camping Cooking Gear department to find everything you need to equip the outdoor kitchen of your dreams.
Once you have your outdoor kitchen fired up, you may be ready for camp cooking inspiration. Check out these resources:
- A First-Hand Guide to RV Cooking
- Camper Kitchen Essentials You Need
- How To Cook for Large Groups in an RV Kitchen
- Camping Kitchen Gear You Need for Your RV
Where do you stand on the camper outdoor kitchen debate? Do you consider an outside kitchen a necessity or a waste of space? Tell us in the comments below.
The post Why Buy a Camper with an Outdoor Kitchen? appeared first on Camping World Blog.
