U-Haul cooktop replacement

[Jeanne and Steve]

We'd like to replace the cooktop in our U-Haul, but have discovered that our cutout size (17" X 12") is larger than most 2-burner cooktops use. Is anyone aware of a 2-burner cooktop that's a little bigger than most? The cooktop measurements would need to be at least 18 1/2 " X 13 1/2". (The 3-burner cooktops I've looked at are too big for our countertop.)

Also, does anyone know what brand of cooktop this is? I'd love to see if they make something that's the right size for us.




Thanks!
Jeanne

[Loren G. Hedahl]

If you can tolerate the cost, cooktops made for yachts are much higher in quality, material-wise than RV quality.

You didn't say why you want to replace it, but I expect it is because it has become ugly with use, rather than disfunctional. Unfortunately there isn't a good solution for refinishing a cook top. Any paints available might look OK for a short time, but certainly don't hold up to the heat and bumps that a cook top must take.

If I were designing a personal RV cook top, it would be made of 'black iron'. The stuff is hot rolled and pickled to produce ferrous oxide (black) rather than ferric oxide (red) rust. Then the style should be similar to cook tops found in restaurants with a black sheet metal pull-out tray underneath that catches crumbs as well as boil overs and can be cleaned occasionally.

[Jeanne and Steve]

Hi Loren,

You're right, our current cooktop works great, but it looks awful and I think any refurbishing we do to it would just result in rust reappearing ...

I investigated marine cooktops a bit online, and really appreciate their quality, but most seem to be electric or butane powered. I did see that the Force 10 uses propane, but the price of $350 gave me sticker shock!

Jeanne

[Donna D.]

Have you taken the top off to see if there's any brand name info inside the burner area?

It looks like it's a porcelein coated top . If you want to kill the rust completely, look for a "metal dipping" place in your area...the kind that dip car bodies. If you can get the rust completely eliminated, with some care...it won't come back.

[Jeanne and Steve]

Hi Donna,

That photo in my first post isn't our cooktop - it's from someone's Beachcomber that I saw on the Interiors thread. Ours is an old rusted chrome thing. Your metal dipping idea is an interesting one... I hadn't thought of that!

Jeanne

[pjanits]

Couldn't you fashion some sort of frame to make the space smaller?
Something cherry or oak would be nice. Or plastic (yech).

Be sure to coat it well with polyurathane so you can clean it easy.

[Jeanne and Steve]

Couldn't you fashion some sort of frame to make the space smaller?

Pete,

I think this is what we'll do if we can't properly refurbish our cooktop or find a new one that's the right size. Another option would be to make a whole new countertop out of a nice piece of wood, but our U-haul has a funny little raised section behind the cooktop, which makes things a little problematic...





Decisions, decisions!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this -
Jeanne

[Maggie O.]

Hi Jeanne,

We're in a similar situation with our cooktop. I think ours is a standard size, sort of, if there is such a thing. I'm frustrated there isn't more to choose from. I am dreaming of the day I find myself in an rv junkyard and find a nice top with an indestructible powder coat in some cool vintage color. I have seen seaward princess models on ebay that are high quality and may meet your size requirements. Happy hunting.

[Jeanne and Steve]

Maggie,

Thanks for the tip re. the Seaward Princess gas cooktops. I wasn't aware of them before. I think their 2-burner is too big for our space, but their 1-burner has me thinking in a whole new direction... a new countertop with a 1-burner cooktop, with lots more counter space leftover. Their cooktop is really elegant too. Now if only I can find it at a super-reduced price!





Best wishes,
Jeanne

[Brian B-P]

Maggie mentioned a powdercoated top - and that may be the solution. While ordinary paints won't last, powder coating has potential, as discussed in [b]Stainless steel stove.

By the way, in that discussion we were talking about Maggie's stove top, by Brown Stove Works, the same company that built my original-equipment range (oven and 4 burners). I was looking at the manual on the weekend, and it has a section about the stove top surface finish, which starts...

[b]Section XI
How To Care For Chrome Surfaces
When the top is finished in brushed chrome plate.

Since there is no section for other surfaces, I now believe that my top is brushed chrome-plated steel, and that there is no stainless version. I assume the other possibility would be some sort of enameled (painted) steel.

[Brian B-P]

A couple of on-line sources which are not yet in Helpful-Links under Appliances...

Atwood Mobile Products - Cooking Appliances
Suburban > Products > Cooktops

I have not checked their available sizes. I would guess from posts by others that Coleman is more typically the original equipment in eggs, and the original equipment in mine is that Brown Stove Works unit - they appear to be out of the RV supply business.

[Maggie O.]

I really like the one burner. I think it makes perfect sense. I don't want a black stove, but I might have to change my mind about that.

[Hutt]

I overlayed my entire U-HAUL camper countertop with 1/4" HDPE cutting board surface. Cutting out for new sink and stove. The original fiberglas was damaged and structuraly week. So far I have no heat warpage and looks great to.Cost was about $60.
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/variant.a...iant%5Fid=60078

[Maggie O.]

There is a slightly used princess one burner on ebay now. Starting bid $75.00. We decided to go with a new suburban almond color two burner.

[D Shubel]

Jeanne, I'm pretty sure the one pictured in that older Beachcomber is an Atwood. We have the same one that will be installed some day in our Burro. I bought it on Ebay and think I paid $75 or so with shipping.

[Jeanne and Steve]

Oooh... I guess I acted too quickly! We've already ordered the Princess one-burner from Fisheries Supply in Seattle, and should receive it soon. That's a great tip for someone else who may be thinking of having a smaller cooktop and more counter space though!

Jeanne