We do not like cooking inside a caravan. Heating up some soup or boiling an egg is fine, but you’d rather not fry meat or fish. Partly because of the greasy residue it leaves in the interior, and partly because you have to sleep in the lingering cooking smells shortly afterwards.

To enable cooking outdoors or in the awning, we are building a collapsible outdoor kitchen. After some searching, we found a camping cupboard and a gas hob that we could combine while keeping the entire unit collapsible.

We are using a 'Redwood' brand camping cupboard and a hob named CAN FRN369.

There are a few things to consider. We finished off the underside of the hob, as that is where the delicate gas lines and flame guards are located. We made a cutout into the fabric of the kitchen unit's top surface so the hob fits perfectly into it. To ensure the glass lid doesn't fly open during transport, we used two super-strong magnets: one on the underside and another (backed with soft felt) that holds a locking screw in place.

The following photos provide an overview of the hob installation and the addition of windbreaks.

The camping cupboard comes with a sturdy canvas bag.

The countertop rests loosely on the frame. We use the cutout of the top to make the wind protectors.

To ensure the glass cover doesn't open during transport, we used two super-strong magnets: one on the underside of the gashob and one with felt padding that accommodates a locking screw for the hole. The cutout in the canvas has been trimmed and the edges sealed with adhesive to prevent fraying.

Magneet kookplaat
Magneet kookplaat

Even with the gas hob included, the entire unit still fits into the supplied bag. We also want to use the outdoor kitchen when we don't have an awning with us.

That is why we are adding side panels for wind protection and a cover to protect against the rain.

We are making the wind prtotectors from the piece of countertop material cut out to install the cooktop. These side panels attach to the cooktop lid using an aluminum profile and Velcro, and are secured at the front with magnets. (This keeps the top surface of the countertop completely smooth.) Also, if the kitchen is actually kept outdoors, a rain cover is very useful; we are making this from waterproof canvas. The cover is secured with Velcro. Here is an impression of the final result.

Velcro on the back of the wind flaps. Magnets at the front.

Waterproof cover that attaches to the frame with Velcro to prevent it from blowing off.