Epiphany!

[Sandra S]

THIS IS AN IDEA JUST TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE!!

Just this past spring, a light bulb lite up over my teeny head! I have been camping all my life, first in a tent and the last three years in our beautiful little Boler. We have always paid extra to get power for the Boler and considered ourselves as really fancy, compared to a lifetime of tenting. We get all set up, plug the trailer in, then get out our propane Coleman for cooking outside on the picnic table. What bozos we have been!!!!!

I saw an ad for an one burner electric hotplate and bingo!!!! They are pretty inexpensive. WHY NOT BUY ONE AND TAKE IT ALONG???? We are already paying extra for power, why not utilize it? Make coffee, fry breakfast, heat water, etc. on electricity instead of those expensive little propane bottles. I only just thought of it this year, and I have never seen anyone else doing it. WHY NOT! Probably because we didn't think of it. Well, we bought a hotplate and took it along all year. Not everything is appropriate over just one hotplate burner and we did take the propane Coleman too. We camped in our Boler about 5 full weeks this year, and only used one of those little propane bottles. WOO HOO.
The hotplate is small and light, easy to clean and cheap to buy. I expect it will last a good many years too. It more than paid for itself this year alone just in the savings of the propane bottles.

Okay, this is off the subject of hotplates, but fun to mention anyway. Last year we had the Boler repainted, new floor tiles, and hubby made a great screen door. It looks really great and "goes with" our SUV. So many people stopped us when we had it out; could they see inside, was it for sale, please let me buy it, how much does it weigh, it looks great, what do you have inside. All those type of questions. Once we were stopped at the side of the road, a truck screeched to a halt, backed up, the driver jumped out and asked if we wanted to sell it right now. At one rv park, the owner/manager of the park wanted to know all about the Boler and brought out his whole family to see inside. He must see literally thousands and thousands of rv's during the year, and yet he wanted to check out this one. We made quite the little sensation wherever we went with the egg. Hubby was pretty pleased and proud. (Nope, we didn't sell it). I am looking for a Boler stove cover that came with it originally to cover the two-burner propane inside stove. No luck so far, can anyone help, please?

Happy Halloween to All,
Regards
Sandra

[pjanits]

We carry an electric fry pan and new this year (thanks to a post on this board) a 32 cup coffee pot (AKA water heater!)

It's the Ritz for us.

[Kevin A]

We carry an electric fry pan and new this year (thanks to a post on this board) a 32 cup coffee pot (AKA water heater!)

It's the Ritz for us.

We also carry a slow cooker for all day meal cooking and group potluck dinners.

[Ron Wrighton]

We carry all that stuff and new this year an ice maker. Why an icemaker you ask?Because we can. Found it works great to keep the beer cold.

[Brian B-P]

Some people - including members of FGRV - have gone all the way to propane-free, which implies cooking and refrigerating (and space heating, and water heating, if you do those things) with electricity. If you know you will always have shore power, this is a cheaper (in terms of appliance purchase cost) and convenient way to go. I go the opposite way, and try to avoid anything that is useless without AC power.

I know a guy who always takes a microwave oven on his family's (poput/tent) trailer camping trips, primarily for popcorn. When I asked why not use a lighter and more compact electric hot-air popper (there's another idea for you...), he admitted they also cooked baked potatoes in it... so much for traditional campfire cooking!

In the end, it's whatever turns your crank... and that electric hotplate is relatively cheap and lightweight compared to some of the other luxury items.

[CliveAlive]

THIS IS AN IDEA JUST TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE!!

Just this past spring, a light bulb lite up over my teeny head! I have been camping all my life, first in a tent and the last three years in our beautiful little Boler. We have always paid extra to get power for the Boler and considered ourselves as really fancy, compared to a lifetime of tenting. We get all set up, plug the trailer in, then get out our propane Coleman for cooking outside on the picnic table. What bozos we have been!!!!!
...

Happy Halloween to All,
Regards
Sandra

It's funny you should post this at this time as I have started the re-fit on my Boler and interestingly enough it looks as if it never was fitted with Propane. It's fitted with a two ring electric stove. I had been thinking about what would be needed to install the Propane but decided I would leave it till we camped some and figured out what we needed.

My wife likes a certain level of amenity so I imagine we would be at electric sites for the most part as here in Florida I definitely plan on installing an A/C.

So thanks for the post. Sorry, can't help with the stove cover. Post back if you find a supplier for them as I would like one too!

[Rosemary Burrows]

We also take advantage of the shore power whenever we have it -- use a toaster oven and now have a little microwave that we will try out next trip. We also take along an electric heater and use it rather than the propane furnace anytime we can. We use very little hot water so find that just keeping the pilot light on the hot water heater generally gives us enough hot water, but if we need more we plug in the electric kettle for more. Helps keep us from having to unhook the propane tanks too often for refilling. Also, on a cold, rainy day using the propane stove just adds more moisture to the trailer -- really helping to fog up the windows.

Rosemary

[Roger H]

Let us not forget, however, that one of the nice things about these trailers is the ability to use them off-the-grid... it's really nice to have a place you can keep warm, refrigerate food, and cook in if necessary when the power's off.

Roger

[Gina D.]

It depends on how you cook too.

Growing up in Oregon, the Hydro electric capital of the states. (Big dams, lotsa water) almost EVERYTHING is electric. Stoves, heaters... only in some of the older inner city areas did I have gas for heat, and the stove and oven were always electric.

Then I moved to he.., er, southern california, and it's the opposite. NOTHING was electric but the lights. I learned all about cookin' with gas! And my cooking improved! No longer was I burning things, or waiting hours on end to get water to boil. (I don't even need to read the recipe for that anymore!)

So, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. I prefer the gas, even if my cooking still gives it to me.

I have a quick disconnect on my bottle, getting it filled is no longer a major endevure. I can run for many weekends on one tank. We even have a Joe and Bubbas ere that will take your bottle and actually fill it! No swapping.

[Sandra S]

Thank you so much, pjanits in Illinois, for the wonderful idea of using a 32 c. coffee maker as a hot water heater. That's brilliant! Hot water on tap for washing, instant soup, etc., dishes. It is indeed the Ritz. We will be sure to take one from now on.

We have always used a small microwave and stored it on top of the 2 burner propane stove in the Boler. (That's why I was looking for a stove cover). The fridge runs on propane or electricity and we have an installed electric heater as well as the installed propane heater, but this is just the first time I thought of using the hot plate. When I started this thread I should have mentioned that we usually use 5 of those little propane bottles in a camping year, compared to this year's one bottle. I may not use the other small appliances as much, but they are sure good ideas. Mostly we have always cooked outside, unless it is raining, with the Coleman on the picnic table, or my fave, right over the fire. Alas, not too many places allowing fires anymore though.

One little laugh.... we have a teeny little black and white 5" t.v. and had a good hee haw this summer at a couple of rv parks where we could hook it up to cable. We had so many cords, cable, hoses running to the side of the little egg, we looked just like the "big boys". I had to take a photo, when I stopped laughing.

[Kurt in BC]

We have had our Boler for three seasons now and have never used the propane stove or even the water tank!

In fact this was the first year I even got power (12 volt and 120) running into our Boler. Primarily because we do not camp where there is electricity....although I really like the 12 volt reading lights now.

For a stove I cook with my Coleman outside and for water we bring a portable water tank. I just like the idea of using a water tank I can properly clean and dry out. I never trust the 36 year old propane lines so thats why I never used the stove.....my propane tank up front is even expired!!!


Once I find a 3 way fridge and a furnace I will have new lines installed so I may make more use of the propane.....guess I will need a new tank too

[CharlynnT]

Re 32 cup coffeemaker/water heater: is that enough for a shower?

We rarely camp with shore power (we love the hiss and spit of our propane lantern, furnace, stove) but that would be very Ritzy! It takes a lot of time to heat water over the campfire for the kid's tupperware bath.

[Denis C]

If we are going to a campsite with shore power we take along an electric griddle for cooking the bacon and eggs, pop-up toaster, ceramic heater to name a few.
I suppose we could bring more but i like cooking outdoors with my old Coleman liquid fuel stove and associated stuff

[Alf S.]

If we are going to a campsite with shore power we take along an electric griddle for cooking the bacon and eggs, pop-up toaster, ceramic heater to name a few.
I suppose we could bring more but i like cooking outdoors with my old Coleman liquid fuel stove and associated stuff

Hi: We bought a portable BBQ from Home Building Centers and a xt. lg. tote on wheels to hold all BBQ stuff...cook most everything on it but "eggs over easy" are a challenge I was suprised to find out though...Provincial Parks have to pay $2.50 ea for disposal of the little green bottles as they are classified as "Hazardous Waste"..so they ask campers to take home the emptys Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie