Added outside cooktop

[MikeS2]

Our N2U Rockwood pup came with the RVQ grill for the outside, and having a Weber Q we really didn't need it but wished that we had a removable cooktop like our old Jayco 1006 had. So I ordered a 2-burner Stainless Steel Attwood drop-in cooktop and cover and picked up a pre-formed countertop at HD and cut it down, making it large enough to have some workspace, room for coffee maker and small enough to handle and stow beneath the dinette table. We are enjoying this mod as we have never and do not want to cook inside the pup.


IMG_3484_no broom by mjs1979549, on Flickr


Cooktop2 by mjs1979549, on Flickr



IMG_3483 by mjs1979549, on Flickr

 

[bupkis]

Nice job.

Happy cooking/camping.

 

[Harvardroger]

Very nice. I'm thinking of doing something similar. What kind of hardware did you use so it mounts on the rail on the Pup?

 

[MikeS2]

I got a piece of the same channel that came on the side of the pup from a local RV store to hang the counter top from, the support brace is a stainless steel swim platform support from a marine surplus parts store and that attaches to the underside of the counter unit and to the side of the pup with a screen door catch. This is very similar to the way my old Jayco was made.

 

[surgipat]

Really nice. We have the Jayco setup where you can move the stove outside. We love it. Just curious, though. How did you run the gas line?

 

[MikeS2]

Gas line was already there on the side of the pup from the factory for the RVQ grill, same set-up as the Jayco had with a plastic hatch, just took the quick release nipple from the RVQ to use on this cooktop so the gas line coupler could connect to it.

 

[Bjune]

Really good job. We have a spot to hook our stove from inside to the outside, just don't like taking it in and out. Thought about doing something like you have, as we do not cook inside either. We usually use our old Coleman camp stove we have had since our tenting days. Just set it on the available picnic table, and cook there. We do plan to pick up a quick set up gazebo type cover as we don't have an awning. your cook top looks great.

 

[salsa]

Nice job! I have been thinking of doing something similar, although I haven't settled on the design/size aspects yet. Just curious, which surplus store did you get the bracket?

 

[tjcamp]

looks good

 

[Luv2hikeAR]

Love it! The outside stove is a gotta-have for me.

 

[clay]

Why don't you want to enjoy the convenience of cooking in your PUP?

 

[PDieter]

Rocking the G7 too I see. (I had a 5 and now the 12)

The outdoor kitchen is a big deal for me. I'm almost tempted to remove the inside stove altogether but I'm going to wait and see what uses I have for it. Hot coffee/drink water is about all I anticipate. Not sure what removing it does to the resale but don't know if that's a concern I care about and don't know whether my outdoor kitchen mod would make up the resale diff. Ultimately I think I'll just mod the thing the way I want it...I just traded 20hrs of work to get it in the first place.

 

[Unstable_Tripod]

Well, I'll be the rat in the woodpile and raise one of the concerns that I constantly harp about on this forum: If you camp in bear country you should not cook, eat or keep food or cooking equipment in your PUP. Cooking outside on the outer wall of the PUP is not much different from cooking inside because the smells and smoke would go on and/or in the PUP anyway. Cooking and eating should be done as far away from the PUP as possible given the size of the campsite you have to work with. In bear country all food and food-related items are supposed to bestowed out of sight in the TV or in a bear box if one is present any time they are not actually being used. Outdoor kitchens like that would have to be disassembled and stowed in the TV between uses. There are many parks where you would be fined or ejected for leaving all of that stuff up overnight or if you were away from the site.

 

[PDieter]

Well since I've camped in the NW my whole life I think I know what to do where, but thanks for the warning....again. Not sure but I think the OP is pretty safe in Florida too.

 

[Wrenchgear]

Great job on the cooktop.

I love those wheels you have on that Pup. They'd look great on my 2002 Rockwood. I know that you got your Pup used, but do you know if they are aftermarket? I think they probably are. Could you let me know the size of the tires? I'm looking for something just like that.

Thanks

 

[MikeS2]

Thanks Wrenchgear, here is a link to the wheels and tires combo I bought locally, when I got the pup it had the original 12" radials and the tires had some dry rot cracking on the sidewalls though the tread was fine. I always wanted aluminum rims and saw these that included center caps and s/s lugs. The same model Rockwoods a couple years newer came with 13's and after calling around and looking online I decided to go for it and they fit fine and tow great. Would have liked to have kept radials but the package they had was a bias tire. They asked me if I wear out tires with mileage or do they dry rot first, I said dry rot and they said bias are what I want then.

http://www.sturdybuiltonline.com/ST17580D13-Tire-Mounted-on-a-7-Spoke-Aluminum-Wheel_p_480.html

 

[MikeS2]

PDieter, I like your kitchen set-up, does that shelf slide out of your pup? Bears not too much of a concern in coastal Florida State Parks, I will take advice into consideration if I ever make my way to the northwest. Worst beast I have dealt with are the pesky raccoons if you forget to make the trash run before bed ! Have got lots of use from the G7 - G12 must be awesome....

 

[PDieter]

yea the sliding outdoor stove shelf is a feature of the 92 williamsburg and a few other models of that day. Stove stores underneath.

 

[MikeS2]

Thanks salsa - here is where I got the bracket: http://www.marinesurplusinc.com/servlet/the-template/about/Page
It was kida pricey at $20.00 but it is heavy stainless steel meant to support a boat's swim platform in salt water, it was the right size for the job, I just had to chamfer the corners on the bench grinder to make them fit into the catches ( http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100136436/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053) that I used on the side of the pup and beneath the cooktop.

 

[bud121156]

Nice work!