Is the outside kitchen worth the money?

[5arnolds]

A 29L with quad bunks and no kitchen or a 29L with 3 bunks and a kitchen...these are my choices. Would love your feedback on how handy the outside kitchen is.

Dave

[higgywool]

5arnolds,

I have the 32BHDS and held out for the outside kitchen introduction for the 2011 model year, (Keystone had outdoor kitchens prior to this but I was concerned about reported roof issues).

Is the outdoor kitchen worth it?

It really comes down to your style of camping. Like I said, we held out for the for the 2011 Jayco 32BHDS specifically because we wanted the outdoor kitchen. We were upgrading from our pop-up and we still wanted to have outdoor and indoor cooking options.

If you already have standard outdoor cooking equipment like an QuickShade or EZ-up canopy, Coleman propane stove, folding table, etc., then the outdoor kitchen may not be worth it. The extra fridge outside is really nice to have for us.

Points to consider:
1. Can you tow the extra weight of the camp kitchen?
2. Number/age of kids and will they bring friends camping (do you need the extra bunk)?
3. Will loss of the lower bunk to the camp kitchen make you feel claustrophobic in the bunkhouse (our 32BHDS has a bunkhouse slide that really opens up the floorplan)?

Good Luck!

[CruizinKim]

5arnolds,

We also have the 32 BHDS w/outside kitchen, our first TT after years of tent camping. We never used a Coleman stove while camping. Did everything on campfire. While we will use the campfire as much as possible, we (well, me, a woman!) saw the outside kitchen as a plus because of the convenience, fridge (to hold drinks & outside cooking items) and that we can fry greasy items (bacon, sausage, burgers, etc...)on the outside stove and leave the mess & smell outside. We tend to use our home outdoor grill for same reasons.

I hope an opinion of a woman helps decide for you, one way or another. Enjoy!

Kim
2012 Jayflight 32 BHDS
2008 Ford F250 4x4 SuperDuty CrewCab 8ft bed

to TT camping

[Denise]

Originally Posted by CruizinKim

I hope an opinion of a woman helps decide for you, one way or another. Enjoy!

Kim
2012 Jayflight 32 BHDS
2008 Ford F250 4x4 SuperDuty CrewCab 8ft bed

to TT camping

LOL

Wulp!

I'm a girl, but I'm one of those boring practical ones... probably not typical but here goes....

I'm for sitting down and writing out your (you, family, guests) cooking plans/needs while camping/traveling for the length of time you will own your tt.
-How long do you plan to own it and for what type of camping? (For this last tt, we planned to own it for 10 years mainly to travel [we like to bbq and head inside during those humid rain storms back east], and for local camping [windy here in Summer and too cool in Winter] - for us that meant having the outdoor kitchen wouldn't be used a lot)
-Do you spend a lot of time hanging outside the tt?
-Will you have more than a family of four with you?
-Will you boondock?
-What kind of weather will you be camping in?
-What kind of food will you be cooking? (greasy doesn't work too well indoors LOL, don't ask me how I know)
-Are you concerned with having cold beverages available at the ready without having to go inside the tt or so many you have to take along a cooler (they have those portable electric coolers if you just need to keep extra cold drinks)?
-How much room do you need for kids and their stuff and their friends stuff etc etc

Lotsa things to consider... maybe others could add to this list and we can make it a 'sticky' somewhere

Also, I found a list of questions to ask yourself when considering an outdoor kitchen or the extra storage/sleeping area onine a while ago. I don't know where, but google it and you might find a great questionnaire to help you too

Happy shopping!!!

[usmc616]

We did not have the outside kitchen as an option when we ordered our TT, but we would not have sacrificed the outside storage as well as the additional weight. Also with 4 kids we wanted each kid to have their own bed.

[CampingGirl]

I am female - I guess that is obvious by my user nick lol, but when/if I buy another TT i will definitely get an outdoor kitchen. We only camp from spring to fall, and we spend the bulk of our time outside. Cooking inside is not an option unless it happens to be pouring down rain, and then honestly we'd probably just go out to eat. I think the outdoor kitchen concept is awesome. I would definitely suggest it if this is an option you have been considering, and if you don't need the bunk space. For me, outside under the awning is our "living room and kitchen" when camping so it would definitely be something I'd get next time around.

[Seann45]

Dave to me it would depend on where you are as to if it is worthwhile to you.. IN MOSQUITO COUNTRY?? FORGEABOUTIT

[5arnolds]

Originally Posted by Seann45

Dave to me it would depend on where you are as to if it is worthwhile to you.. IN MOSQUITO COUNTRY?? FORGEABOUTIT

I live in the Harrisburg/Lancaster, PA area and probably all of our camping will occur within 30 minutes - 3 hours of our home.

[heppdj2]

This is a "how will I use it" question. Take all the pro's and con's and use that to decide.

We have a 2011 jayco 32bhds. Wife really wanted the outdoor kitchen, I really didn't. As it turned out we could only find one equipped w the outdoor kitchen so we went with it. Sooooo glad we did. We use it so much. We spend a lot of time outside (pretty much unless it rains). We also have the outdoor bathroom entrance (second door) so it really compliments it because w kids and guest they really don't have to be in/out of the trailer. Especially nice at night when kids are asleep. Huge feature here.

Our trailer is parked seasonally. If we had to travel with it, the outdoor kitchen really kills the storage space (or 4th bunk depending on model). We have very little outdoor storage w the kitchen. So if we weren't seasonal it would be very tough. Consider your storage and bed space vs. how much you'll use the kitchen. Being seasonal, I always have electric so that's not an issue (and I hve 50amp service so I never have to worry about drawing too much at once. With AC, two fridge, elec hwh and micro running all at once you could overtax some parks systems, so you'd have to watch what you run simultaneously?.....

All in all, we really live it and would be dissapointed without it. The extra fridge space for drinks (outdoor kitchen) keeps the indoor kitchen mainly food and colder since we open less. We get many people who stop to look at it and hear a lot of "we are getting that in our next trailer". We think it's great.

Good luck with your choice!
Mike

[TexasA&M]

It is worth every penny for us. We have found ways to get around the loss of the outside storage (we keep a lot of stuff on the floor or on the bunks of the trailer when we're packed up). I don't believe Jayco offers a 4th bunk in any of their models either that have an outside kitchen, so you'd basically pick between the kitchen or storage.

Keep in mind that with the outside kitchen, you don't lose 100% of the space anyway... you get some extra cabinets, a drawer, and counter space, so you can still easily store some stuff there.

Having the second kitchen outside has really help us keep the inside of the trailer clean and tidy because people are in there less often. It is also very nice to have two fridges... the outside has all of the drinks and some snacks, and the inside has food. Having the drinks outside means that I have bring one less ice chest as well (I only bring one or two, instead of three). It is also great to just walk up and wash your hands in the sink instead of going around back to the hose, or going inside.

The outside kitchen is one of the biggest reasons we bought this particular trailer, and we wouldn't definitely do it again.

[Derek700]

I never cared for the outside kitchen. I cook on a three burner campchef stove. The ouside stove is just a small 2 burner camp stove. My camp chef has a griddle that covers one burner and a grill box that covers the other 2, both are removable. I just find this works for us. The kitchen wouldn't be the reason we bought the trailer.

[familybonding]

DAve, I live in Mt. Joy, PA and we bought our first TT last year. We do not have an outdoor kitchen, but I will get one with our next TT. Having 3 kids, (oldest is 8), Those little people can track a lot of dirt into the TT. Having the outside fridge, and cupboard space would cut down on a lot of the mess inside, which would keep the DW a lot happier.
We did 7 trips like you are talking about last year. We had a blast and can"t wait til spring gets here so we can start again.
Andy

[Wyotraveler]

We just throw an extra ice chest in the pickup. That sure comes in handy. I suspect if we were cooking all the high fat foods etc. that outdoor kitchen would be nice. We just have steak on the grill once in a while or if its high fat and eggs its over the campfire or off to a nice steak and eggs restaurant.

[Dadof4Girls]

I definitely like the outside kitchen for our camping style. We spend most time outside, and do not cook inside. It really became the party spot when I bought my wife the Margarita Maker. The counter space is great, and having the fridge and sink is great.

We have the J-cubes, so we have the two bunks and the sleeping space for the other two. The benefit of the J-cubes is that we actually slept 4 kids on it, and two more in bunks when there are extra.

[Denise]

Originally Posted by Dadof4Girls

. It really became the party spot when I bought my wife the Margarita Maker. .

(I wanta camp with them! LOL)

[cspade79]

My wife and I love our outdoor kitchen. I wouldn't by another camper without it. It keeps traffic down from going in and out of the camper. ecspecially at night when we are trying to get the girls down for bed. it gives you so much more storgae and cooking options for everything. All campfire food goes outside. I have my own BEER fridge. The only time it is bad if you are camping with no electric. The outdoor fridge only works on electric. And you may not like it, if you camp with a bunch of people and don't want them hanging around your camper. Our first camper didn't have one. We have had this for 2 years now and love it.

[lovecamping]

We love the outdoor kitchen, for the same reasons as everyone mentioned here. Another thing to consider is that the refrigerator in the outdoor kitchen does not run on gas. It is electric, which means that it only works when you are plugged in to shore power. When your traveling the fridge is basically a large ice chest. Something to keep in mind if you travel in warmer climates. Absolutely love everything else about the outdoor kitchen though.

[5arnolds]

In our inspection of the Jay Feather 29L outside kitchen, one thing that really bothers me about the design is the height of the door when it's open. When the kitchen door is opened up to its final resting position, my head is literally an inch or two from the door (I'm around 5' 8"). How can anyone taller than I even enjoy using the thing? I'm surprised they don't put longer shocks to allow it to swing up more than it does. At least for the type trailers I'm considering, short people certainly seem to have an advantage.

[cspade79]

You have to remember that most of the time you will have some boards under your wheels when you are parked. That will raise your camper up off the ground.

[Dadof4Girls]

Originally Posted by 5arnolds

In our inspection of the Jay Feather 29L outside kitchen, one thing that really bothers me about the design is the height of the door when it's open. When the kitchen door is opened up to its final resting position, my head is literally an inch or two from the door (I'm around 5' 8"). How can anyone taller than I even enjoy using the thing? I'm surprised they don't put longer shocks to allow it to swing up more than it does. At least for the type trailers I'm considering, short people certainly seem to have an advantage.

We had the other issue last year. If you park on uneven sights, where the sight drops off at the back, it puts the counter too high.