Appliances - What do you bring? - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Me | General Topics > General Escape
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 11-11-2011, 08:53 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Jim Bennett's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
Appliances - What do you bring?

Following discussions in a few other threads over time, I am curious to see peoples thoughts on the following questions.

What electrical appliances do people bring along?
What do you do alternatively in lieu of not having appliances you might use at home?

Also curious to know, if you do bring larger appliances, where to you store them when not in use?


__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
Jim Bennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-11-2011, 08:56 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Jim Bennett's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
Re: Appliances - What do you bring?

To answer my own questions.

The only electrical appliances that stay in my trailer are a small kettle, and a small cube heater. These are for the times I might be hooked to shore power and can save on propane use, plus the kettle is a bit faster than my outside stove, but not much, and the heater is quieter than the furnace. Neither one weighs very much.

I have brought a laptop a couple times and used the plug I have at the dinette to use it as a computer, TV or DVD player. Alternatively I can use a 300W inverter to use it.

One thing to note is that we do at least 75% of our cooking outside, using a Coleman 2 burner stove, the BBQ, or on a campfire.

In lieu of certain appliances I use at home, I employ the following;
-Toaster - I use the good old Coghlan's Camp Stove Toaster. It works great on the camp stove we bring along. LINK
-Coffee maker - First to be fair, I make coffee a few different ways at home, and none use a coffee maker (See THIS thread for details). All methods can use the stoves.
-Coffee Grinder - I use a Porlex manual one. LINK
-Oven - I bring along a backpacking oven from Outback Oven. I like to make risen crust pizzas, cinnamon buns, and so on. And if lazy will just make up a packaged type cake. LINK
-Microwave - just don't feel I need one, at home it is mostly used for reheating things, and camping we tend to cook an appropriate amount that leaves no leftovers.
-We really don't use a lot of other electric appliances at home that are not replaced by propane ones in the trailer. WE have gotten rid of the electric fry pan, popcorn maker, food processor, quesadila maker, and a few others that saw limited use. My wife's Kitchenaide mixer might be the only exception, and elbow grease is used while camping.

As well, I am very comfortable surviving on multi-day trips into the backcountry using nothing but a single burner stove to sustain me.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
Jim Bennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2011, 08:04 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia
Trailer: 2008 Escape 17b
Posts: 1,868
Re: Appliances - What do you bring?

We bring a Dewalt shop radio/battery charger that we plug in outside. The Dewalt battery pack powers our drill for setting the stabilizers and powers the radio when boondocking. We use an Ipad touch for recorded music and movies on the TV as well as WiFi. The Ipad touch batteries last for a long time between charges if used just for music or movies We bought a small electric frypan and coffee drip. We leave the electric melon baller at home.
J Mac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2011, 11:18 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Vermilye's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,363
Re: Appliances - What do you bring?

Although I can live without them (well, not the cameras or laptop!), I carry a cube heater, a large Cruisinart toaster oven (in place of a microwave), a 4 cup coffee maker & Grinder, battery chargers for my cameras & laptop, and a Sony iPod Dock. I have 12V power supplies for the battery chargers & iPod Dock as well as my laptop when I'm boondocking. I prefer to grind my coffee as I use it so I also have a 250 watt inverter I use to power the coffee grinder and a Melita filter cone I use when I don't have AC available.

I maintain a fairly active set of web pages that I try to post to every day while traveling so I also have a 12v powered cell phone amp & a WiFi Ranger router that provides a WiFi signal for my iPhone & laptop.

Since I do most of my cooking outdoors on a combined grill/1 burner propane stove I don't need much in the way of kitchen appliances. I do like the toaster oven for a "no prep" meal when I'm too lazy to cook. Although the Cruisinart toaster oven is expensive (and big), it is one of the few toaster ovens I've found that cooks evenly & will take a 12" Pizza or bake a whole chicken, etc.

The smaller "stuff" stores in the overhead cabinets when I'm moving, the toaster oven on the front floor, and the laptop in a case on the bed (rear dinette).

None of this is necessary - I tent camped for many years all over the country, but with the Escape 17B, life is far more comfortable!
__________________
Jon Vermilye My Travel Blog
Travel and Photo Web Page ... My Collection of RV Blogs 2018 F150 3.5EB, 2017 21
Vermilye is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2011, 12:11 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Jim Bennett's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
Re: Appliances - What do you bring?

Jim, making melon balls by had is great exercise, and the resultant is healthy too.

Jon, the idea of a toaster oven for baking and toasting does sound like it could get a fair bit of use. Not something I would want now, but when I retire and use the trailer more, it might be an option. Storing it when not in use would seem to be a challenge though, where do you keep yours?
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
Jim Bennett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-12-2011, 02:28 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Vermilye's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,363
Re: Appliances - What do you bring?

Since this toaster oven is larger than many microwaves (it is a Cruisinart TOB 155 - the TOB195 adds convection cooking, but I have one at home & never use the convection feature) I can't fit it in any of the easily accessible storage areas (it would fit in the front passenger under seating area but I already have stuff there) so I just put it on the floor under the front table. When in use, it is either outside on a table or on top of the wardrobe cabinet.

It is a large item, but since I usually travel long trips with a mix of sites with & without hookups, it is handy to have. So far I've baked pies, roasted chicken & beef, and a variety of frozen "quick meals".
__________________
Jon Vermilye My Travel Blog
Travel and Photo Web Page ... My Collection of RV Blogs 2018 F150 3.5EB, 2017 21
Vermilye is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-13-2011, 06:46 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
Re: Appliances - What do you bring?

While talking appliances, a good reason to bring a crock pot ( I'm told, since I haven't listened to it yet ). This from CBC radio.

Sous-vide is all about cooking food sealed in plastic bags in hot water for long periods of time. It was once something only found in pricey restaurants or the homes of foodies willing to shell out big bucks for special equipment. Now do-it-yourselfers have figured out how to rig up simple and inexpensive sous-vide cooking systems by using old appliances. Spark’s guide to the DIY world, Jon Kalish, gives us the lowdown. (Runs 9:14)

Go to:

http://www.cbc.ca/spark/2011/11/spar...er-13-16-2011/

to hear the podcast

baglo


__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:12 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.