Shopping the Fulltime Rig: In the Galley
Not everyone already has an RV when the begin their "fulltime career." Well, I guess we did--it was a large truck camper, but it didn't take long to figure out that fulltiming in a slide-in camper just wasn't going to cut it. So we started shopping for a "new" home. Maybe you're in the same position. There are many areas of concern when evaluating an RV for fulltime-ability, and we'll touch on them now and then. To get started, let's talk about the galley:
Weekend RV users don't need to worry much about their galley--after all, it is just a weekend, or an occasional week or two. But when fulltiming, you can't always rely on hitting Burger Doodle, when the cook has had enough of cramped cooking spaces. One of the first things to examine is counter space. If there isn't enough of it, your cook will soon go batty. Where will you put those little appliances? Toaster, coffee maker, (for us, bread maker), et al? And once they're in place, will there be enough space left over to work in the kitchen? Since most fulltimers go without a dishwasher, where will you put the dishes to dry?
Sure, RV builders are clever: "See this neat sink cover? Need more room, just toss the cover on!" Fine, as long as you don't need the other half of the sink. We don't find the need of a "residential" size kitchen sink in our galley, we'd rather have those extra inches of space in counter tops. And speaking of that, what material is best for an RV counter top? Granite and Corian looks great! But my, oh my, consider the weight--it all adds up, and you've got to drag that weight around. Consider those two little big words: fuel economy. We eventually added a "dog leg" counter top extension that folds down beside a kitchen cabinet when not in use. It helped a lot.
When evaluating rigs, end kitchens usually have more counter space by virtue of the design. Some rigs with slide out kitchens have tacked on "islands" in the kitchen. Whenever you evaluate, make sure she (or he) who does the cooking spends a few minutes really looking the place over. Is there sufficient (and handy) cabinet space for what you keep in your kitchen? Getting down on your "prayer bones" to get supplies out gets old in a hurry.
While you're on those bones, consider the galley floor covering. Our "new" old rig came with carpet throughout, living room, bathroom, and kitchen. It didn't take long for us to give most of that carpet the heave-ho, and replace it with something we could really live with: Laminate flooring, light weight, durable, and good looking. Ever broken an egg on carpet?
Finally, consider the galley appliances: Some cooks really want four-burner stoves--and they're hard to find. Some motorhome builders apparently figure you don't need an oven--they give you a microwave oven and a 3-burner stove top (if you're fortunate). Again, is that really going to satisfy the real roving cook? And carefully consider the RV refrigerator--make sure it's big enough and configured to meet your needs.
Weekend RV users don't need to worry much about their galley--after all, it is just a weekend, or an occasional week or two. But when fulltiming, you can't always rely on hitting Burger Doodle, when the cook has had enough of cramped cooking spaces. One of the first things to examine is counter space. If there isn't enough of it, your cook will soon go batty. Where will you put those little appliances? Toaster, coffee maker, (for us, bread maker), et al? And once they're in place, will there be enough space left over to work in the kitchen? Since most fulltimers go without a dishwasher, where will you put the dishes to dry?
Sure, RV builders are clever: "See this neat sink cover? Need more room, just toss the cover on!" Fine, as long as you don't need the other half of the sink. We don't find the need of a "residential" size kitchen sink in our galley, we'd rather have those extra inches of space in counter tops. And speaking of that, what material is best for an RV counter top? Granite and Corian looks great! But my, oh my, consider the weight--it all adds up, and you've got to drag that weight around. Consider those two little big words: fuel economy. We eventually added a "dog leg" counter top extension that folds down beside a kitchen cabinet when not in use. It helped a lot.
When evaluating rigs, end kitchens usually have more counter space by virtue of the design. Some rigs with slide out kitchens have tacked on "islands" in the kitchen. Whenever you evaluate, make sure she (or he) who does the cooking spends a few minutes really looking the place over. Is there sufficient (and handy) cabinet space for what you keep in your kitchen? Getting down on your "prayer bones" to get supplies out gets old in a hurry.
While you're on those bones, consider the galley floor covering. Our "new" old rig came with carpet throughout, living room, bathroom, and kitchen. It didn't take long for us to give most of that carpet the heave-ho, and replace it with something we could really live with: Laminate flooring, light weight, durable, and good looking. Ever broken an egg on carpet?
Finally, consider the galley appliances: Some cooks really want four-burner stoves--and they're hard to find. Some motorhome builders apparently figure you don't need an oven--they give you a microwave oven and a 3-burner stove top (if you're fortunate). Again, is that really going to satisfy the real roving cook? And carefully consider the RV refrigerator--make sure it's big enough and configured to meet your needs.
Labels: galley, rv evaluation, rv shopping
2 Comments:
If a motor home kitchen doesn't pass my inspection, we don't buy it. I am an avid cook, and I prepare full meals just as I would at home. Counter space is paramount, and as the article mentioned, be wary of what appears to be a lot of counter space. Once the sink covers and stovetop cover are removed, what is left? I am a firm believer in having the sink run parallel to the wall or at a right angle - a sink angled at 90 degrees eats up what little counter space might be available. A kitchen with a pop-up counter or roll-out counter is great. Another test is to look for the specific location for your particular appliances and accessories. Where will you store the big pasta kettle, serving trays and wine glasses? And I would never settle for a stove without an oven!
By Ken and Helen, at June 16, 2007 9:28 AM
We had a 5th wheel at first and found out what would work and what would not. We find that our motorhome kitchen is adequate and for the budget we had to take it without the oven I really miss to this day. I have learned to use the Micro/Convection very well for most things but have NOT attempted a cake yet in the full convection mode. If we ever trade out (only a 2006) we will be looking at things a lot differentlly.
rayandmarsha.blogspot.com
By Ray, Marsha, & Mitzy, at September 9, 2007 3:21 PM
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