Camp Chef Stove and Oven Combo

[Hawkeye Ed]

Wondering whether a certain propane stove will work with your Escape's optional exterior propane quick connect? Here's what I've learned from this forum and a few other sources.

Propane tanks, including the bulk tanks for your Escape, as well as the little Coleman 1-pound bottles, store liquid propane that vaporizes to produce the gas used by stoves and other propane appliances. The vapor (gas) pressure in a tank varies widely, depending on the temperature of the tank.



At typical camping temperatures, the vapor pressure in a tank or propane bottle can vary from about 75-150 pounds per square inch (PSI). This pressure is too high for propane appliances so a device called a regulator is connected between the propane tank and the appliance to reduce the gas pressure to that needed by the appliance.

Your Escape has a regulator connected to your bulk tank that looks something like this:



Hoses from your bulk tank(s) are connected at the top of the regulator. After pressure is reduced by the round part of the regulator, gas passes out the bottom through the hoses that distribute the gas throughout your Escape to the stove, refrigerator, furnace, and, if you have one, to the quick-connect outlet located under your trailer near the entrance steps.

The regulator maintains the propane gas pressure in your system at a bit less than 0.5 PSI, normally referred to as 10-12 inches of water column.



There are lots of portable camp stoves that are designed for this 0.5 PSI propane pressure. This includes most, but not all, Camp Chef stoves, particularly the ones that are designed to only run on bulk propane tanks. You'll find all sorts of quick-connect adapters to connect these stoves to your Escape's propane system. Most of the propane fire pits sold these days also will run from your Escape's system.


Note large size of burner on stove designed for 0.5 PSI propane.

To complicate matters, however, there is another "low-pressure propane" standard that isn't all that low pressure. This 15 PSI propane is used by many camping stoves, lanterns and other appliances made by Coleman and other manufacturers. Yes, these devices use attached regulators to reduce the pressure inside the propane tank, but these regulators only reduce the pressure to 15 PSI which, you will note, is about 30 times the 0.5 PSI pressure used in your Escape's propane plumbing and appliances.


Typical Coleman-type 15 PSI regulator

Connecting your Escape's low-pressure quick connect to one of these 15 PSI stoves isn't going to work. Even if you were able to find the right adapters, you'd be delivering propane to a stove at only 1/30th of the stove's design pressure. Sure, you might get the burner to light, but you'd barely be able to warm your hands, let alone cook anything.

To complicate things further, Coleman makes some grills, particularly some Road Trip grills, that come with 0.5 PSI regulators. There are several adapters sold online that allow these, and only these Coleman grills, to run from your Escape's quick connect.


Coleman RoadTrip regulator

Several companies make stoves that will work with your Escape's quick connect. Blackstone is one that makes great griddles.


Blackstone 17" griddle. Will run on Escape's quick-connect with adapters sold online.

I hope this post explains why some portable propane stoves and appliances won't work on gas supplied by your Escape's propane quick connect: they're designed for much higher gas pressure. I wish there were an easy way to tell which ones work and which one's don't. The best way I've found is to search online for an adapter advertised for your particular stove. If it's compatible, someone probably makes and sells an adapter.

Questions? Comments?

Ed

[Rossue]

To throw another monkeywrech: I remember only one time did we pull one of the two propane tanks out to place the oven farther away from the trailer(quick connect hose wouldn't reach). And I forget exactly which hose I used, however had an end on it that screwed onto a 20# tank. After a bit the oven wouldn't keep temp and never could get it to work well.

Many have to convert appliances like a Weber Q to work with the low pressure Quick Connect option on the trailer. The three Camp Chef products we have all use the adapter we've attached to the Quick Connect hose and they work great with that connection. But not good going straight from 20# tank to appliance.

[cpaharley2008]

We have been using the Blackstone for years, love it's versatility.

[skyfree]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye Ed

Wondering whether a certain propane stove will work with your Escape's optional exterior propane quick connect? Here's what I've learned from this forum and a few other sources.

This is fantastic info. Thanks. I've been trying to figure out how to run my setup pictured above with a flexible hose and eliminate the regulator that came with the stove. My first try was a hose that fit but with a regulator that was probably only delivering the .5 psi you mentioned. As you said, it was only providing a very low flame that was useless so I returned it and went with the hose pictured.

[Lawrence A]

Very helpful, Ed. Thanks.

[RBRV]

I bought the camp chef explorer stove, and I love it. works well with regulated pressure on camper and is so handy I use it at home quite often too.

[John in Santa Cruz]

We use this as our outdoor camp oven... and grill... and griddle.


that has a 11" (water) regulator built into the bbq, the adapter hose I'm using screws in where you'd use a 1 lb bottle.


its fairly portable.


I bring a extra propane tank instead of borrowing one off the trailer. big truck, plenty of room.

[Akfishman]

We had one at our cabin and it worked fine but pretty bulky to move around. I bought the camp chef 2 burner combo unit wihich included a BBQ box and a flat top griddle. Bought it on sale at Dicks sporting goods for $199. Now we’ve added the artisan pizza oven accessory for $99. We can use it for any baking needs not only pizza, ie bread, lasagna etc, etc, all have carry bags available and super easy to convert to a quick release fitting so you can plug in to your trailer propane outlet if you have one. Unit is well built and very portable. All the accessories we have amounted to about 100lbs.

[Lawrence A]

I'm Taking it Back (sadly)

Ockham's razor, sometimes inaccurately paraphrased as "the simplest explanation is usually the best one."

Got too complicated for me, and I realized that maybe I could just try adding a griddle to my portable BBQ plus try using the BBQ as an oven as others successfully have. Also the CampChef is darn heavy, clocking in at 32 lbs. Don't need to throw out my back. Really nice unit though at a great price here in Canada ($199 in-store at Costco).

Thanks everyone for your input/advice. I've learned a lot. Before this didn't know there's a difference between 1/4" and 3/8" supply lines and that RV's run on 1/4" low pressure systems, didn't understand the function of a regulator and how they can vary, didn't understand how the pressure differences can affect different appliances, etc. Ed, I found your post so useful I printed it off and added it to my info binder.

Lawrence

[gbaglo]

I bought this griddle ( The Rock ) at Canadian Tire, but not at that price. Goes on sale for $29.99 from time to time. Made of aluminum so not heavy, like cast iron. I tossed my cast iron griddle. It weighed too much, had too much crown so oil and butter ran instantly to the gutter.

[Lawrence A]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I bought this griddle ( The Rock ) at Canadian Tire, but not at that price. Goes on sale for $29.99 from time to time. Made of aluminum so not heavy, like cast iron. I tossed my cast iron griddle. It weighed too much, had too much crown so oil and butter ran instantly to the gutter.

Thanks for the tip. Looks perfect! I'll keep my eye out for it on sale.

[cpaharley2008]

I still do not trust those teflon coated cooking items and carry a cast iron griddle, either stove top or the Blackstone......

[sunrisetrucker]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I bought this griddle ( The Rock ) at Canadian Tire, but not at that price. Goes on sale for $29.99 from time to time. Made of aluminum so not heavy, like cast iron. I tossed my cast iron griddle. It weighed too much, had too much crown so oil and butter ran instantly to the gutter.

You might want to look into the problems associated with aluminum cookware. We threw ours out 45 years ago. We only cook with stainless steel or cast iron. And I'm not worried about the extra weight, cause I'm sure the trailer can handle it.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by sunrisetrucker

You might want to look into the problems associated with aluminum cookware. We threw ours out 45 years ago. We only cook with stainless steel or cast iron. And I'm not worried about the extra weight, cause I'm sure the trailer can handle it.

said aluminum issues, I always wonder about using aluminum foil when grilling or baking or whatever.

[Donna D.]

Everyone who drinks beverages out of aluminum cans or uses antiperspirant deodorant raise your hands.

Occasional use aluminum cookware isn't a concern of mine. YMMV

[cpaharley2008]

Roll on and draft beer for me.........just have to remember which is which........

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Everyone who drinks beverages out of aluminum cans or uses antiperspirant deodorant raise your hands.

Occasional use aluminum cookware isn't a concern of mine. YMMV

the beverage cans are lined with a thin layer of plastic.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Everyone who drinks beverages out of aluminum cans or uses antiperspirant deodorant raise your hands.

Occasional use aluminum cookware isn't a concern of mine. YMMV

There's a thin coating on the inside of aluminum (and other) cans. And, of course, there are some who post warnings about the coating.

[sunrisetrucker]

I should have known all these thing would be brought up when I made that post. I can't answer to any of them nor would I try. I do know that when cooking with aluminum, the heat causes the the aluminum to react with the food. A simple way to show that is by taking two pots, one aluminum and the other stainless steel. Put a couple of tablespoons of baking soda in both pots add water and bring them both to a boil, then let them cool. When safe to do so pour the contents of each into two different drinking glasses. Then take a sip of the water from the stainless steel pot. All you'll taste is baking soda and water. Then take a sip of the water from the aluminum pot but when you do stand close to the sink because you'll want to spit out. The aluminum and baking soda have combined to formed some kind vile tasting fluid.



If you wish to continue with the experiment leave both glass out over night. In the morning you'll find the the aluminum water has noticeably pitted the inside of drinking glass. But the stainless steel water has done nothing to its glass. This and other factors convinced us to throw out our cheap aluminum cookware and buy good quality stainless steel cookware. In fact they were of such good quality that we are still using them today, 45 years later. Money well spent I think.



Oh by the way my deodorant proudly advertises that it's aluminum free.

But like Donna likes to say YMMV

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by skyfree

OK, I'm not familiar with low-pressure supply lines quick disconnect fittings on the trailer because mine doesn't have one. You are saying that those are regulated on Escape trailers?

Yes. All of the propane piping in and under the trailer is carrying propane at low pressure (11 inches of water or about 0.4 PSI), controlled by the regulator at the propane tanks (as Hawkeye Ed explained), and the optional quick-connect port connects to that supply.

Originally Posted by skyfree

The Amazon listing suggests that just plugging into an RV gas supply line would work, but I guess that already has a regulator in the line somewhere and the pressure is too low?

Appliances intended to plug directly into RV supplies are intended for low pressure. The Camp Chef outdoor oven/stove combos work this way, but using the hard-to-find adapter, not the regulator included with the appliance.

Originally Posted by skyfree

This is a picture of what my popup truck camper setup uses. That is a portable camping stove running off a 5-lb propane cylinder with adapter hose, utilizing the existing regulator that came with the stove.

In this case, propane at tank pressure is running inside the camper - that's not bad with a one-pound cylinder, but the potential for a leak to put a huge amount of propane into the camper interior makes this inadvisable with larger tanks and not permitted by standards for recreational vehicles.