The case for two caravan kitchens

An idyllic waterfront camping spot on a balmy night. Great food wine and company for dinner. Inside or outside?

‘Outside!’ you say. Then it clouds up; the wind freshens; the candles blow out and the mozzies swarm in for supper just before it rains. Inside!

If you’re in a camper trailer there’s really no alternative, but with many 'twin kitchen' pop top, full height and hybrid caravans sold these days, you have a choice, and that is a key attraction.

Few will disagree with the idyllic concept of outside dining under a starry sky, but sadly that’s not something that happens every night.

And what about breakfast. A morning ‘cuppa’ in bed is magnificent, but one outside watching the world wake is even better if wind and rain don’t spoil the moment.

This is why I reckon you need both: enough of a kitchen inside to boil the kettle, make toast and maybe cook eggs, and two burners and a portable BBQ outside for special meals.

These days a power point, a portable induction cooktop and a matching inverter for your lithium battery can take care of ‘inside’, while a gas cooktop and perhaps a Weber work best outside without compromising your dust sealing via gas venting holes. And you can also move the induction cooktop outside if you need more fire-power.

When it comes to cleaning up after a meal, ‘outside’ wins hands down. But you can’t leave edible items outside at night as you never know who might be coming to supper! At least if you're eating inside you can easily shut the door to block off your mess from the outside world until the morning.

One issue with inside cooking and eating (apart from the cooking smells) is that some hybrid vans these days have outside pantries and fridges where most of your meal essentials and utensils are kept. So once you’re outside, you might as well keep going, eh?

And unless your camper or caravan has a really good table set-up inside, you will probably be more comfortable outside with a folding table and comfy chairs. This also means that you can friends over more easily too.

If the night is cool, make sure you light a small fire near enough to your seats, but strategically placed so that the wind blows the inevitable smoke in the other direction.

Many campers and caravans with outside cooking facilities also have outside fridges, which is very convenient unless you're a red wine drinker. The only problem with cabinet-style outside fridges is that many of the things you want often end up at the bottom, which is why I prefer an upright under-bench inside fridge, ideally close to the entry door.

Music? Not everyone wants a background accompaniment to dinner, but the more expensive campers and caravans have inside and outside speakers, so a portable solution that you can relocate to the fire or river-side later once any neighbours go to bed is probably a better alternative.

But however you're doing it – inside or outside – congratulate yourself. You're living the dream...