Cooking in a SLX 212QBW

[MaryEllen164]

How do people manage basic cooking in the small kitchen in the SLX 212QBW? I can’t even figure out where I could set out my little electric coffee pot in the morning.

We love the floor plan because of the separation between the bed area and the living space. The storage is great but the counter and outlets seems lacking.

I would love to hear how people make it work before we buy one.

[LuckyDuck]

It’s tight, no doubt about it. DW complains regularly but she cooks great meals in there with a fair amount of organization and planning. First thing we did was get a plastic sink cover to add temporary “counter space.” Next, I installed a Camco flip-up shelf (see both in the photo.) The stovetop also can be a temporary counter for coffee pots etc. The dinette table gets plenty of use to place items temporarily, too. It’s a little bit of musical chairs, but you get used to it.

We’ve tried to organize the storage cabinets as efficiently as possible. Inside the cabinet above the sink are wire shelves to stack plates above cups etc. I put Command hooks on the back wall of the cabinet to hang coffee filter holders and light mugs. Breakfast cereal goes in the cabinet above, too.

You’ll develop routines to use the limited space efficiently. For couples, it works pretty well and we’ve managed more than a few multi-week trips. However if you’re planning a Thanksgiving dinner for the president and his cabinet, you’d best find a bigger trailer

[Tunce the traveler]

I removed the oven and added a cutting board and cook (simple) with Butane. Added a cutting board on the other end that gave me 7’.

[magshooter1]

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

It’s tight, no doubt about it. DW complains regularly but she cooks great meals in there with a fair amount of organization and planning. First thing we did was get a plastic sink cover to add temporary “counter space.” Next, I installed a Camco flip-up shelf (see both in the photo.) The stovetop also can be a temporary counter for coffee pots etc. The dinette table gets plenty of use to place items temporarily, too. It’s a little bit of musical chairs, but you get used to it.

We’ve tried to organize the storage cabinets as efficiently as possible. Inside the cabinet above the sink are wire shelves to stack plates above cups etc. I put Command hooks on the back wall of the cabinet to hang coffee filter holders and light mugs. Breakfast cereal goes in the cabinet above, too.

You’ll develop routines to use the limited space efficiently. For couples, it works pretty well and we’ve managed more than a few multi-week trips. However if you’re planning a Thanksgiving dinner for the president and his cabinet, you’d best find a bigger trailer

LD where did you find the sink cover? I'm already planning to add the flip up at the end of the counter.

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by magshooter1

LD where did you find the sink cover? I'm already planning to add the flip up at the end of the counter.

We noticed the Baja models came with it (and a few other minor things we didn’t really need). So, when we bought the trailer, we had our dealer order it from Jayco. I’ve known folks who made their own out of a large cutting board or marine plastic like Starboard. But I don’t have a router and I’m lazy, so we just ordered the OEM one.

[Kim Gass]

Hubby made wood sink covers ( two) for the two sinks . One can be a sink and the other for cook prep.. We do mise en place first as that makes galley cooking less stressful and less space using. The glass cook top I also find handy.. put another wood cover over that for prep.
The coffee pot sits on the end of the counter and the juicer too. They are in the cabinet when not in use to avoid getting knocked over.
We actually have way more cabinet space than we need.. But our fanciest meals are lobster mac and cheese. I find the oven very limiting; only accepts shallow pans. I won't be making lasagna. And any roast chicken will have to be run over and flattened first.
We use the over the dinette storage for food storage containers and things we don't use every day.

We had last week: Lobster mac and cheese
Shrimp po boys. A griddle is a god send as its true using an electric skillet just will not work. ( the proximity to water is a good reason for no outlets)
Crab melt sandwiches and soup.
Steak and salad
Bauernwurst and corn and potato salad

BbQ chicken ( outside) rice and raw veggies

Something else but I forget what

The most annoying thing is not the lack of space. Its the infernal smoke/ humidity detector.. Even with all the doors and windows open and the bathroom fan running making fried eggs sets it off..

[Gary207]

I have a 212 QBW I thought about a temp self from the stove to the table although you loose on seat at the table. Lucky Duck do find it blocks the door access ?

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by Gary207

I have a 212 QBW I thought about a temp self from the stove to the table although you loose on seat at the table. Lucky Duck do find it blocks the door access ?

No, the flip-up shelf often stays up much of the day. It’s not intrusive in entering or exiting, even carrying the small pooch. I’ve thought about how to put something similar at the other end of the kitchen but I don’t want to lose the dinette seat. Actually a lot goes under it, too, like paper plates, dog stuff, etc.

Kim’s menu sounds delicious but we learned the hard way never to cook seafood (shrimp in this case) inside the trailer. The smell attached to things for months. Sometimes in damper climes I still get a whiff!

[MaryEllen164]

Thanks for the ideas. I think that we will go with taking out the stove and then adding a new counter top with a smaller ikea sink. Since we don’t fry camp, We already have a little induction burner and an air fryer that we can pull out as needed. We mostly prep salads to go with grilled food so we value counter space over 3 burners.

[LuckyDuck]

I know some have pulled out the stove/oven for counter or cabinet space. I’ll admit we’ve only used our oven a couple of times but it was really handy when we did and the cornbread muffins this last trip were to die for. I know we aren’t going to have our trailer forever and so I’ve favored keeping the appliances there for resale value. Sounds like you have a good idea of what you want to do. Good luck with the new rig!

[24travel]

We have learned to love the size of the kitchen, yes it is small. But, we use all the features as intended. We cook a lot of the same meals from home just on a smaller scale. We have a rice/slow cooker in cabinet, keurig goes on upper shelf by TV at campsites (taken down during travel)and grill gets used outside.
The biggest thing is planning and organizing the cabinets.

[Gary207]

Gotta keep the oven for the Papa Murphys.

[LuckyDuck]

Absolutely! Although a pizza stone helps. Not the most even heat.

[Kim Gass]

Everyone has different cooking styles.. For me pulling the stove and oven is not in the stars.. We don't have electric often.. It was lovely when we did not want to eat during camp electric hours( six hours a day in the North Maine Woods at a serviced but remote site). At least we could still have COFFEE via boiling water on the propane stove.. and bacon...etc.

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by Gary207

Gotta keep the oven for the Papa Murphys.

You need to try cooking a pizza over hot coals (no fire) just the hot coals. We have a dome lid that’s just big enough for the pizza.
The oven is in storage just in case it ever goes up for sale.

[JFlightRisk]

I (try to) do all the cooking outside on the grill, and 2 burner stove I hang on the side. The stove gets a top cover for some space. The microwave gets used once in a great while. We haven't used the stove or oven in our last two campers.

[66lincoln]

We've been on three long weekend (4 day) trips now with ours since we bought it. We also like the floor plan as I wake up very early and I can do things at the far end while she still sleeps. No kids, just us only. A nice little weekender trailer for two.

My wife sits at the table and does all her food prep there. She doesn't food prep anything on the counter top. Whatever reaches the counter top is already prepped and ready to go.

Ours came with the white cutting board that covers the left side of the sink and ours came with a foldable metal grate that covers the right side of the sink. If there is anything she has to there, she does it on the board. Pots and pans are staged on the metal grate.

We don't bring a coffee machine. We both drink tea, so we just have a camp kettle to heat hot water on the burner. I suppose you could put your coffee pot at the end of the table at the window as there is an electrical outlet below that window. If there is only two of you, that should not take up much of your table space; we often place or XM satellite radio boom box in that spot.

Given the narrow access between the bathroom and kitchen, when she is prepping food I'll either sit outside, stretch out in bed or stretch out on the sofa. The sofa being the less desirable as once you are there you are trapped there...trying to squeeze past her if she's moving around the kitchen doesn't go over well.

[Kim Gass]

Yes I do all meal prep on the table. It is huge for two. And I prefer hubby to be ejected ( he believes bed is just for sleeping and the sofa too small) outside. His size 13 feet are a tripping hazard and the cook gets annoyed by squeeze by traffic as the bathroom juts out. ( and it's already tight in there!)

That is what awnings are for.. buttinski sitting place while meal is made.

The sofa is not usable by us humans.. The 53 lb dog has claimed it and yes he can fill all of it which he always does.

We do use a one cup coffee maker and also a small toaster. Neither lives on the counter between use.. So far I have not dumped the coffee maker on the floor. We have used our unit about 10 weeks between several trips.