Cooking While RV Camping
You chose an RV because you wanted to enjoy homelike luxuries when in the great outdoors. A few of these comforts include sleeping in a cozy bed, lounging in front of a tv at night, and maybe more than anything else, cooking fresh food. RVs like the Dutchmen Denali travel trailers make cooking easier than ever before when out vacationing, but you'll need to keep in mind that RV cooking will never be the same as home cooking. Even in the largest fifth wheels, storage, power, and space will always be in short supply, so you'll need to learn some best practices for easier, more efficient RV cooking. This guide will help you out on your next trip, but if you have any other questions, feel free to come by Herold Trailer Sales, serving the areas of Indianola, Des Moines, Clive, and Ankeny, Iowa. We also carry great floorplans of Dutchmen Denali fifth wheels and travel trailers, so don't hesitate to check them out if you're in the market for a quality RV!
Use Lightweight Dishes and Utensils
Remember that your home-on-wheels is, in fact, on wheels, which means that you'll be moving, cornering, and braking. No matter how well you tie everything down, stuff still finds a way to shift around, so don't count on fragile dishes and utensils making it to the campsite in one piece. Instead of porcelain and breakable tableware, go with plastic products for your kitchen. These will not break when moving around, they're cheaper, and they can frequently stack inside each other to save storage space.
Containers
Bringing your spices, seasonings, boxes and bags separately is going to make for a huge mess after long drives. The bags of food will open and scatter everywhere, and those spice bottles will roll all over the place to create the most unsightly of RV nightmares. To avoid these situations, pack everything up in baskets, cartons, and other containers, which you can wedge in corners or strap down with bungee cords to keep from moving around. Cupboard bars are extra convenient accessories that actually hold your food in place while you travel, so if you don't want to unpack all those spices and other food products, purchase a few of these to stabilize everything.
Choose Shelf-Life!
You might have a fridge, but that doesn't mean that you're always able to keep raw and perishable foods at the right temperature. If you're going on a long trip, or plan to leave the campsite in your RV frequently, that refrigerator will quickly warm up to room temperature. We recommend packing canned meats and veggies and other shelf stable food before embarking, then buying the raw foods from a nearby store after you arrive at camp.
Keep Efficiency in Mind
Even though RVs are equipped with microwaves, stoves, and ovens, you still need to be careful with how you cook. If you want to boil a bunch of potatoes for 30 minutes in a huge pot, keep in mind that involves running the burner for a long time, which uses up a bunch of propane. Also, running burners and the oven for long periods of time can heat travel trailers up pretty quick, and these smaller RVs don't cool off very fast on hot days. Try to use burners sparingly, and resort to the microwave as much as possible to preserve energy and comfort.
Try Some New Techniques
Cooking in an RV is better than trying to cook while tent-camping, but it's still not quite the same as cooking in your home. Because of this difference, you'll have a much easier time if you try different techniques and practices when camping in a travel trailer or fifth wheel. Just because you're not in a tent doesn't mean you can't utilize the campfire! Cooking eggs, bacon, or boiling water over the fire can save you a lot of propane, and frees up space to cook larger items inside your RV. Overall, try new things, and never be afraid to ask questions. Our experts at Herold Trailer Sales have plenty of experience cooking in the outdoors, so come on in and ask us for more recommendations. We also sell a variety of floorplans from the Dutchmen Denali model at our dealership in Indianola near Des Moines, Clive, and Ankeny, Iowa.