A stove for our 2001 Starcraft PUP?

[ADK_ Adventures]

Hey all! I know this is a noob questions, but..... We have a new to us 2001 Starcraft PUP. This camper has an interior and an exterior LP quick connect for a stove, but our camper did not include a stove. We are new camper owners, but we have tent camped for ages, everything from backpacking and canoeing, to the big Coleman family tents. I am also an avid home cook, and I have A LOT of camp kitchen gear I bring, including stoves, grills, BBQ's, griddles, a hot dog fork, and more but I'm toying with the idea of replacing the original camper stove just to have it. Unfortunately, I have no idea what to search for to find this kind of stove. This is not the kind of portable camp stove that runs on 1 pound cylinders, and it's not a drop-in RV stove either. It connects with the quick connect fittings, and can be placed on the counter inside the camper, or it can attach to the exterior side of the camper via the track. You guys know what I mean ;-)

So what kind of stove is this? Can someone please link an example? Or, can I use any camp stove and just get some kind of adapter? I am a total noob with the quick connects lol!

I also want to ask, are these stoves even "worth it"? We really don't want to cook much of anything inside the camper, except maybe to boil water for the occasional cup of hot cocoa or to heat a can of soup in all but the most extreme rainy conditions (and I hate canned soup lol!). I have a decent Stansport 2 burner camp stove I carry now and setup separately from the camper, but sometimes I really wish I had three or four burners. I thought I could get a second stove of some kind so I had more burners, and was wondering if it would be best to look for a new "original style" stove, or just get a solid stand-a-lone camp stove. As far as "real" cooking, this stove would mostly be for simmering or keeping things hot, a backup to my Stansport two burner.

Any recommendations?

Thanks for your help!

-Amos

 

[Johneliot]

If you can find a stove that’ll work, go for it. I never cooked inside my first trailer but it was always hooked on the outside of the trailer. I also had a coleman propane on the table for greasy stuff. Five burners were great! Unfortunately the one I have now doesn’t have that option. Keep an eye on craigslist and others for someone that’s parting out a trailer. You might get lucky!

 

[ADK_ Adventures]

If you can find a stove that’ll work, go for it. I never cooked inside my first trailer but it was always hooked on the outside of the trailer. I also had a coleman propane on the table for greasy stuff. Five burners were great! Unfortunately the one I have now doesn’t have that option. Keep an eye on craigslist and others for someone that’s parting out a trailer. You might get lucky!

Hi! Thank you so much for your reply! So if I wanted one, what kind of stove is this?? What do I need to use my quick connects?

-Amos

 

[kitphantom]

It may take some searching, but quite a few popups had the indoor/outdoor stove set up, and variations on the theme. (e.g. our 2010 Coleman Cobalt had the permanent inside stove, and the outside quick connect, the outside stove had been optional and we didn't have it.) This is just one example I found, which was for a Coleman, although I suspect most are suitable for any RV: https://colemanpopupparts.com/collections/stoves/products/indoor-outside-low-pressure-stove-used-3
When we renovated our first popup, we had to replace the stove, so just bought a new one, but that was plumbed in, not quick connect. You could always make a countertop and plumb in a new one, since you have outside stoves already.
It may take some dedicated searching, since some RV supplies are still in short supply, although things seem to be becoming available again.
[We were long time tent campers and still did much of our cooking outside with the popups, but having an inside option was a huge step up. Crouching behind a windbreak to cook a meal, even occasionally, had gotten very old. We still do some cooking or baking outside with our small TT, depending on the trip. We planned to do a lot on our first trip this year, but someone forgot the camp stove. it was so windy the first week, we didn't notice it had been left behind until we were in a calmer campsite where we wanted to cook outside the second week.]

 

[ADK_ Adventures]

Thank you for the reply! I’ll take a look at that link later today, maybe that’s what I’m looking for. I do have a counter, and was considering putting a small area of tile in for the stove to sit on inside the camper. Not completely necessary, but I thought it would look good if it doesn’t crack.

Is it possible to add some kind of adapter to make a regular camp stove (1 pound cylinders) connect to the quick connect fitting?

Thank you!

-Amos

 

[Johneliot]

I would imagine that you or a propane dealer would be able to make a hose.

 

[KeizerTrailer]

Thank you for the reply! I’ll take a look at that link later today, maybe that’s what I’m looking for. I do have a counter, and was considering putting a small area of tile in for the stove to sit on inside the camper. Not completely necessary, but I thought it would look good if it doesn’t crack.

Is it possible to add some kind of adapter to make a regular camp stove (1 pound cylinders) connect to the quick connect fitting?

Thank you!

-Amos

This is dependent on the operating pressure of the stove itself. Some are low pressure systems and others are high pressure. Our old Coleman camp stove won't work due to it being high pressure. You can get the adaptors that will allow the stove to accept the low pressure line from your trailer, on Amazon. You might get lucky searching your particular stove and seeing if there are adaptors available to convert.

 

[ADK_ Adventures]

This is dependent on the operating pressure of the stove itself. Some are low pressure systems and others are high pressure. Our old Coleman camp stove won't work due to it being high pressure. You can get the adaptors that will allow the stove to accept the low pressure line from your trailer, on Amazon. You might get lucky searching your particular stove and seeing if there are adaptors available to convert.

Hello and thank you! Yes, this is all after the main regulator on the camper, so low pressure for sure. I hadn't thought about that.

I had really thought this was an easy question, but obviously these stoves are not that popular. And looking at the price of the one linked above, considering it's used and probably not the best stove ever, it might be better for me to use the track on the camper for a shelf that could be used for a stove if needed.

Thanks again!

-Amos

 

[KeizerTrailer]

Yeah, it can be hit and miss. The stove that camp with my PUP is long gone as we are the third or fourth owners. That being said, I built a table to attach to the mounting rail on the outside of the PUP that's big enough for our 22" Blackstone or our camp stove(that runs on 1# greenies). There are a number of stoves that are low pressure and can be easily adapted. I definitely get how this subject, at first seems simple, but definitely is more complex when you start researching. I had this same question a few years ago.

 

[ADK_ Adventures]

Yeah, it can be hit and miss. The stove that camp with my PUP is long gone as we are the third or fourth owners. That being said, I built a table to attach to the mounting rail on the outside of the PUP that's big enough for our 22" Blackstone or our camp stove(that runs on 1# greenies). There are a number of stoves that are low pressure and can be easily adapted. I definitely get how this subject, at first seems simple, but definitely is more complex when you start researching. I had this same question a few years ago.

Thank you for the reply. I am thinking more and more about building a shelf. Then, I can use it for anything I want lol!

-Amos

 

[KeizerTrailer]

Yup! Helps a lot during meal prep/clean up and whatnot, a lot less in and out of the PUP.

 

[bupkis]

RV drop in stove

P-U makers would take these low pressure drop in stoves and add some sort of box so they sat higher up (on the inside counter) and had attachment to hang on the outside. They would add the hose and quick disconnect.

Here is mine being used as a support for a high pressure coleman.

 

[ADK_ Adventures]

Thank you for the replies. At this point, I’m leaning more to just making a shelf that I can use for anything. We have lots of folding tables and stove stands and what not, but a shelf right on the camper would be very handy.

-Amos

 

[kitphantom]

Thank you for the replies. At this point, I’m leaning more to just making a shelf that I can use for anything. We have lots of folding tables and stove stands and what not, but a shelf right on the camper would be very handy.

-Amos

We just used a folding table next to our popup, we have had them that adjust to counter height. That was much more flexible than having a shelf on the side of the popup, although we thought about making a shelf to use with the rail that was on ours. It would actually have been a bit high for me to cook on, since the pup was raised a bit.
Now that we're in the TT, we set up the outdoor kitchen somewhere in the campsite, since our rain/shade shelter or screen house(seldom used) gives better protection from rain than the not-very-useful awning on our trailer. (If it's too windy, we just cook inside anyway, but being able to bake or cook outside is very nice.)

 

[ADK_ Adventures]

We just used a folding table next to our popup, we have had them that adjust to counter height. That was much more flexible than having a shelf on the side of the popup, although we thought about making a shelf to use with the rail that was on ours. It would actually have been a bit high for me to cook on, since the pup was raised a bit.
Now that we're in the TT, we set up the outdoor kitchen somewhere in the campsite, since our rain/shade shelter or screen house(seldom used) gives better protection from rain than the not-very-useful awning on our trailer. (If it's too windy, we just cook inside anyway, but being able to bake or cook outside is very nice.)

Hi! Thank you for your reply! Honestly, you kind of sound like us. After years of tent camping, we have collected a lot of folding tables, folding kitchen "islands", and stands for grills, coolers, etc. We recently replaced out kitchen screen tent with a very nice, large version, and we set up quite the kitchen under that. I don't actually need the stove or shelf at the camper, I'm just trying to get the camper to be at it's best, and I had erroneously thought getting a replacement stove would be super simple.

I see your point about the shelf height for cooking, but I think that's another reason to just make a shelf out of it. That shelf could be used for nearly anything, really, doesn't have to be cooking related.

Thank you again for your help!

-Amos

 

[Sneezer]

I used to have an indoor/outdoor stove in mine. It was a 3 burner I think, but If you put a large skillet on one burner it prevented you from using the other two unless you had a small skinny pot. It was abysmal in even the lightest breeze, underpowered and heavy. I reclaimed the galley for a countertop and ditched the factory stove. I do all my cooking outside anyway - I set up a full kitchen under the awning usually.

Most camping stoves that use the green 1 lb tanks tend to be high pressure. All the classic green Coleman 2-burners, the Camp Chef mountain series (Everest, Rainier, etc) and others. I keep a small 1-burner for emergencies if I need to cook something inside for some reason. Depending on the stove I bring with me it could also use the inside quick disconnect if I make room for it.

The stoves that I have used off the quick disconnect are as follows:

Camp Chef Weekender - I think it has been discontinued, but it was an excellent stove if you could keep it out of the wind. Super powerful, good simmer control, and plenty of room for 2 large skillets. I didn’t bother with the legs it came with - I just used it on top of my chuck box or on the table. I see them used all the time on FB as well.

Coleman Road Trip - most of these are low pressure and can be adapted to work, but many of the newer ones are high pressure so do your research. I had the original blue one with the separate stand. I always felt it was one of the best since the others had integrated folding stands and were harder to pack due to their larger size. However, I did have to cut the hose off my factory stove and cut the regulator off the Coleman and combine the two parts. It worked for several years with no issues. I had the grill, griddle and stove inserts, and the 2 burner griddle. However, it was slow to cook and didn’t like the wind at all. I got mine for cheap off FB, so it was great for me at the time. I have since sold it. THe other Road Trip versions use a threaded connector for the regulator and you can buy an adapter fitting easily.

Weber Q series portable bbq pit. I have the Q1200, and it is a great little grill. Got mine on end of season clearance at Target many years ago, and removed the Weber regulator to install some fittings that allow me to use the standard threaded hose that Camp Chef uses. You can also buy adapters, but my solution was cheaper.

Blackstone portable griddle - I have both the original 17” and the 2 burner 22” one. Both can be adapted with a fitting to work on the quick disconnect. I like the 22” better for cooking, but I found that it was too heavy and bulky for my use. Mine has the hood, so it takes up a fair bit of space. The included stand, while collapsible, also takes up more room that it should. The 17” is a better fit for my needs, but others have more room to pack and thus can make better use of the 22” I use mine at home now instead.

Camp Chef Pro 60X 2 burner stove. Uses the same hose as the Weekender. I got mine from roadside rescue when a neighbor cleaned out their back yard. The knobs were bad, the shelves were tweaked a bit, the legs no longer locked in place and it was filthy. Little effort though with a few new parts from Camp Chef and it is running nicely. There was a single burner BBQ box with it, and I went ahead and bought a single burner griddle for it, and a windscreen since it was missing that as well. I have to say I am really happy with it. It is big and heavy, but takes up less room than the Weber, Blackstone and Weekender combined. I now take that and a high pressure Coleman 3 burner camp stove, which pretty much addresses almost all of my possible cooking needs. Hoping to snag a pizza oven for it one of these days too, mainly for backyard use.

 

[Sjm9911]

Quick conects mean low pressure stoves. Thats what you need. They dont heat up as fast as high pressure ( green bottles).

 

[ADK_ Adventures]

Hi guys! Thanks again for all the replies and advice. At this point I'm leaning away from trying to replace that original stove, but I'm hopefully going today to see a guy who parts out old campers and says he has a lot of stuff. Maybe if I can score a cheap stove Ill try it, but otherwise I'm leaning toward keeping what we have and setting up and outside kitchen like we have been for years.

-Amos