Electric Cooker

blabley · 19-04-2015 5:41pm #1

Greetings, Going to be doing a self-build conversion shortly and wondered if it was a good idea to stick with an electric cooker rather than gas to save work. We will always be hooked up to power when cooking and we can always just have a backup camping stove if needed.

Thoughts?

niloc1951 · 19-04-2015 7:25pm

blabley wrote: »

Greetings, Going to be doing a self-build conversion shortly and wondered if it was a good idea to stick with an electric cooker rather than gas to save work. We will always be hooked up to power when cooking and we can always just have a backup camping stove if needed.

Thoughts?

The power supply to pitches on camp-sites usually controlled by an MCB which trips out of too much load is applied.

The Max is a C16 MCB which will trip out if the load exceeds 16 ah, but more common are C10 and C6 (10ah and 6ah).

If you fit an electric cooker you will be only able to operate either one ring or the grill or the oven ant any one time, which defeats the purpose.

If the pitch has a C6 trip it'll have to be cold food and drinks.

spaceHopper · 19-04-2015 7:52pm

Total waste of time putting one in you could put something like this in
http://www.thecaravancommunity.com/classifieds/camping-14/cooking-supplies-17/camping-transat-twin-burner-stove-2425.htm

blabley · 19-04-2015 7:54pm

That makes sense niloc1951, cheers... Just a case of finding a local RGI person to sign off on the install then really.

Another question then if i may, I've read different reports that each country in each have a different gas connector, how would i get a refill while away?

Nekarsulm · 20-04-2015 12:23am

Will you be mostly travelling in ireland? If so use bottles with our type connection. If going abroad, two full bottles will last for months of cooking. Don't know how long they would last in a cold climate and using heater, however.

niloc1951 · 20-04-2015 9:45am

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Will you be mostly travelling in ireland? If so use bottles with our type connection. If going abroad, two full bottles will last for months of cooking. Don't know how long they would last in a cold climate and using heater, however.

We got through a 13kg bottle of propane in 6 days last December while touring in The Alsace doing the Christmas Markets.

Be aware also that The Revenue have their own minimum specification for the cooker needed to have the vehicle re-categorised as a motor caravan for road tax purposes.
Have a look HERE

moodrater · 20-04-2015 12:07pm

For cooking, boiling the kettle an 11kg bottle will last at least 3months and will work our 10 times cheaper than paying hookup.

blabley · 20-04-2015 9:28pm

Thanks all for feedback and suggestions, as you can tell it's all new to me.

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Will you be mostly travelling in ireland? If so use bottles with our type connection. If going abroad, two full bottles will last for months of cooking. Don't know how long they would last in a cold climate and using heater, however.

Bit of both tbh, so yeah just working out best option of fixed refill or swap out as want to do it for long term travels

20-04-2015 11:07pm

This guy does quite a good take on the ins an outs of gas on the road. (half way down page).

http://www.silkroute.org.uk/equipment/choosevan.htm

Macy0161 · 23-04-2015 11:36am

I didn't think Revenue specified cooking had to be gas? Just that it had to have cooking facilities.

We normally stay on sites, always with hook up (there are more reasons than just cooking facilities that you might want gas, so I'm not convinced about cost of hook up v cost of gas thing tbh). We have portable electric rings that we use. At various times we've also used a portable electric oven and a mid-size george foreman grill. We would be paying for hook up anyway, rather than because of food. Hence with the cost, we try to maximise.

We've never had an issue with tripping hook ups - we'd just try and minimise other loads on the hookup. Most hook ups have the trip switch at the hook up, so it's not normally a big deal if it's tripped, is it? Never tripped it to know!

We have the gas system as a back up in the motorhome, but you could always have a portable gas hob as an emergency back up?

moodrater · 23-04-2015 12:25pm

We have a gas hob at home an 11kg bottle lasts 4-6 months cooking daily for 5 people. Obviously the kettle will reduce that in a camper but even if you boiled a full liter kettle of water 4 times a day, cooked a kilo of rice/pasta and a dinner for 4 people the gas cost would be well under a euro. 3 weeks is our longest away and we used about 1/3 of a cylinder.

Campingas is a different story refill is 4-6 times the price of 11kg bottles.

spaceHopper · 23-04-2015 2:20pm

Don't put in an electric cooker, you'll find it almost impossible to sell the van at a later date. Also while you might say on a campsite there will be times when you want to pull over and make something to eat, nice picnic spot, need a rest... or stuck in horrible BH weekend traffic... Sure you could cay a portable gas stove but how much stuff do you want to carry?

*Kol* · 23-04-2015 4:32pm

Something like this would be nice. http://charlescamping.ie/store/index.php/accessories/sinks/kitchen-sink/smev-9222-combination-unit-rh.html

It's something you make use of every single day so start out right. You can also use the gas for a water heater and space heater. I use it for the barbecue too.

blabley · 23-04-2015 5:22pm

*Kol* wrote: »

Something like this would be nice. http://charlescamping.ie/store/index.php/accessories/sinks/kitchen-sink/smev-9222-combination-unit-rh.html

It's something you make use of every single day so start out right. You can also use the gas for a water heater and space heater. I use it for the barbecue too.

yeah, that's the sort of thing we were looking at as would prefer to use a cooker unit then just as bowl as a sink but there really isn't much 'that much' saving by doing that way.

Electric Cooker

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