# How comes no oven in the foreign motorhomes?



## danas (Apr 3, 2009)

Now we are on the lookout for something bigger we have done some research into left hand drive motorhomes. Most if not all seem to only have a two ring stove and no grill or oven. Not that it matters a great deal to us 

Anyone else on here just got the two ring hob set up and what do you do with regards to cooking?

Cheers :wink:


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Oven*

Wee have got a German Jobby.

Separate oven & grill + 4 burner hob.

TM


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

when you are on site you will see all the kitchen tents next to the van, which have an array of gadgets, including washing machines, all of which are electric. who wants to cook indoors when the sun shines.

cabby


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## danas (Apr 3, 2009)

*Re: Oven*



teemyob said:


> Wee have got a German Jobby.
> 
> Separate oven & grill + 4 burner hob.
> 
> TM


Ah ok nearly all!


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## danas (Apr 3, 2009)

cabby said:


> when you are on site you will see all the kitchen tents next to the van, which have an array of gadgets, including washing machines, all of which are electric. who wants to cook indoors when the sun shines.
> 
> cabby


I agree. Its usually bbq or eat out for us 

I see a few with microwave ovens installed too


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

*Re: Oven*



danas said:


> teemyob said:
> 
> 
> > Wee have got a German Jobby.
> ...


My Rapido has a full oven but my Chausson had a SMEV grill, which was only fitted for the UK market.


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## Caggsie (Aug 19, 2008)

We have a German MH, with oven and grill. We also have a remouska,which we use the majority of the time as usually on EH. A cheaply toaster from tesco, the £5 range which does what we need. Find neither the grill or the oven too effective for anything other than warmiing through, or crisping the bacon. When abroad the weather has been generally very good infact far to hot to cook anything in the van.


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## danas (Apr 3, 2009)

Whats the remouska like?


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## clive1821 (Mar 27, 2010)

Yes it dose seem to be the case that there's no oven but only for the uk market, ours has a oven and grill, it is usefull however for storing the bread in :roll: :lol: unless we are in the uk and then we have to stay inside all the time, I guess the oven might be usefull? but in the EU we are able to bbq etc outside in the wormer climates......


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## Dinks123 (Apr 20, 2010)

clive1821 said:


> Yes it dose seem to be the case that there's no oven but only for the uk market, ours has a oven and grill, it is usefull however for storing the bread in :roll: :lol: unless we are in the uk and then we have to stay inside all the time, I guess the oven might be usefull? but in the EU we are able to bbq etc outside in the wormer climates......


Says who does the cooking in our van!!!! I do use the oven when we do not have EH and food has been bought out from the supermarkets that need heating. But then if the belly is full....who cares how we achieve this! 
EH is not always available on the continent all the time!


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

We opted NOT to have the oven, I had had one in the Hymer and we never used it, as the only time I tried I thought it was hopeless and I hate gas anyway. So we have a three ring Cramer hob and a skillet and a BBQ. Which isn't used much in France as we are on aires and eat a lot of salad

Carol


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## cocoa (Feb 28, 2008)

Our german van has a three ring hob, I don't miss an oven at all but use a remoska when on EHU and a double skillet on gas. Can produce all the meals I would use an oven for, baking, roasting reheating etc.


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

All the grill does in our van is cook the knobs (the cooker's knobs!!!!!!) and make them so hot you need oven gloves to turn them off.

Stupid design, so we use it as little as possible.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

danas said:


> Whats the remouska like?


Not to be pedantic, but it's a Remoska.

Suggest you do a search - there's quite a lot of posts about them on here, and some cracking good recipes.

Dave


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## danas (Apr 3, 2009)

Zebedee said:


> danas said:
> 
> 
> > Whats the remouska like?
> ...


Thanks

I will google it


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

We have an oven in our Adria

Haven't used it much, but love the fact we have it

Abroad we exclusively BBQ, breakfast outdoors

ps I don't do BBQ cooking, its not my job   

Belong to the old school, definite jobs each, things look good for me

Care for all indoor tasks

Anything that can be done outside, water, cassette BBQ , Gas, Dog walking, etc is HIS

About time too

Aldra


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

danas said:


> Thanks
> I will google it


Don't be put off by the price.

They are very expensive, but extremely versatile and IMHO worth the money for use in the van - and at handy at home too.

Only sold by Lakeland Plastics and their customer support is second to none.

I think it was Grizzly who dropped her pan and dented it. When she went in to buy a new one, they insisted on giving her a replacement, even though she was honest and admitted it was her own fault.

(Apologies if I have this wrong Grizz - but that's what I would expect from Lakeland anyway.)

Have a drool over >> this recipe <<

Dave


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## danas (Apr 3, 2009)

Zebedee said:


> danas said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks
> ...


Thanks for the Info.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

True you don' need an oven

A remoska is brilliant if on an electric hookup, or an inverter when travelling

I always carry a small pressure cooker- great for all manner of meals

Our BBQ, a Cadac, will also double up as an oven

Aldra


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Hi Danas, it really depends on when and how you intend to travel. If in the summer then you can cook outside or if always on EHU then use a Remoska. They are brilliant. 

I have a German MH and it does have a very very small gas oven which I use all the time (more than I cook outside) as I am rarely on EHU and use the van through the winter. So much so that I gave the Remoska away. 

Very few continental MHs have ovens but you can add one if you want. Mine is under the sink in place of a cupboard. It is so small it doesn't have a grill so I use a toaster on an inverter. 

Otherwise look at Cobb and Double Skillet threads. I don't have experience of these but they come recommended.

Good luck with your search.


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## drcotts (Feb 23, 2006)

My missus insisted on a van with a full size oven as she uses the oven a lot. Our autorcruise came with that so we were well in.

We like having an oven if its a good one and the one in our auto cruise is. we cook christmas dinner in it when we are on my mates pub car park over christmas and it does a small turkey and a leg of pork fine. 

If you use the MH in the cooler months or over christmas/new year a bbq isnt really an option but there are loads of cooking devices for cooking on only ring burners. My van is full of em...Got to go a lot to beat the skillet though which is used most every day.

Phill


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

I am in the AndrewBall camp as I want to use my MH in all seasons and without EHU.

As to devices to use on the hob for 'oven functions' it is worth bearing in mind that a pressure cooker doe save on gas because it cooks quicker. It can also be used as a normal pan so no extra storage required.

If you are looking at LHD are you only looking in UK? If so limited choice, but probably cheaper than RHD. If you also look in Belgium and Germany you may find good prices and enough saving to retrofit an oven. Although a cupboard is lost it can be used for storage in transit - with judicious use of bubbly-wrap to stop rattles AND a sticker on the control knob to remember to remove it before lighting!!


Geoff


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

nicholsong said:


> . . . with judicious use of bubbly-wrap to stop rattles AND a sticker on the control knob to remember to remove it before lighting!! Geoff


Just as a (pedantic :wink: ) aside Geoff, that's the reason I would not suggest using bubble wrap in the oven or grill. _(Not getting at you in any way, of course.  )_

Fortunately we were not using it when Mrs Zeb lit the oven!! 8O We easily could have been 8O 8O and we would have had a hell of a mess and possibly a fire!!

She had made felt bags and wrappers for the noisy bits, and although the stink was vile, there was no flame. Being made of wool, felt is more or less self extinguishing, and safer than bubble wrap which melts and sticks to everything . . . and creates toxic fumes when it burns. 8O

_(Mrs Zeb is a felt maker so knows about these things 8) .)_

Just a thought.

Dave


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Dave

Does Mrs Zeb make hats with the felt? As in 'Mad as a hatter'?

If you ever quote me I shall deny it! [as if MHF was a secret society, to which the 'other half' does not have access]

Geoff


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## SNandJA (Aug 22, 2008)

We have a LHD Italian Van and that came with 3 ring hob, no grill, no microwave. We bought for £15 a small portable electric oven which spends most of its days in the garage under the bed! We also have a Cadac and toyed with the idea of a Remoska or microwave. In the end the Cadac and the hob are the main means of cooking and the oven/grill comes out of the garage a couple of times a year!

So the options are mostly covered in previous posts, I don't think we miss out on an oven. I think the lack of oven and microwave and tall fridge freezer gives more of a feeling of open space in the van, fewer floor to ceiling obstructions compared to some of the British vans perhaps?


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## Bob45 (Jan 22, 2007)

We have 3 ring gas hob plus Remoska and barbecue which is fine for us as we spend more time abroad in better weather than in Uk.
We never miss an oven and like others we can cook most things wit h our equipment. Cooking outside is part of motorhoming.
Ovens tend to be heavy too so you will have more carrying weight without one.
Bob


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## Scattycat (Mar 29, 2011)

Our Fleurette Grebe has a full oven with a spit roaster  

It was one of the reasons we chose it.

Having said that, we bought it in May this year, spent nearly 3 weeks trundling around France and Spain plus another couple of weeks or so on more local shorter trips and haven't used the oven once :roll: 

We've looked at loads of vans over here and many have either a small oven or microwave at head height and the door opens downwards. In our opinion making it a really dangerous bit of kit.


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## Addie (Aug 5, 2008)

We've been 8-9 months away so far in our 'European' Adria Twin which has a Smev 2-ring hob and a Smev Grill fitted only for the UK market.

We never use an oven anyway and only missed having one in Norway when bread was expensive - we could have used part-baked bread. 

We have been using the grill with great results for fish, sausage, home seekh kebabs or burgers, tandori chicken, sauteed potatoes (part boiled and finished off under the grill with salt / garlic / herbs). A lot of people don't rate the grill but I think they're not using it properly or allowing it to heat up prior to use. 

Two rings are fine and the only thing we struggle with is where to put the kettle when using pans on both rings. We have a griddle pan, small wok which are used frequently.

Meal wise we often to huge pan or say bolognese which we add fresh chilli and beans the next day. We eat a lot of omlets (finished off under the grill), try out recipes etc - never felt inconvenienced by our cooking setup overall.


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## Hymervanman (Aug 20, 2010)

Gas ovens and grill very versatile for pizza, cheese on toast, oven chips etc. WOW, beginning to sound like a health freak.. :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Depends on your circumstance and need to please all; 10 year olds have needs too!!


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Horses for courses. We just could not manage without an oven, never a day passes without it being used at least once.

Most of our German friends say they would have no use at all for an oven in their vans, Alan.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

There has been lots of advice re oven/alternatives/BBQ, but nobody has addressed the primary Q in the topic subject - why do continental MHs not fit ovens as standard?

They now do for RHD UK models - even back to my 2003 model. 

Geoff


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

nicholsong said:


> . . . but nobody has addressed the primary Q in the topic subject - why do continental MHs not fit ovens as standard?
> Geoff


Yes - I noticed that Geoff. :wink:

There's plenty of speculation around, but no definitive answer that I've ever heard.

Do the Continental vanners not want them . . . or are they not offered them, so maybe just accept it and don't realise what they might be missing?

Dave


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## dragonflyer (Nov 4, 2007)

*No oven on continental vans*

We have a very compact Italian motorhome with just two gas rings.

We cook using large frying pan, remoska, pressure cooker and two saucepans. We also have a gas cannister gas ring for cooking outside.

From our observations on the continent, other motorhomers eat out a great deal.

They also do not consume heavy meals like we do. They eat salads and other delicatessen items both savoury and sweet - thus little cooking.

We noticed one Dutch couple who always seemed to be eating sandwiches.

Joyce


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## bozzer (Jul 22, 2009)

In our Allegro 83 we have the Thetford Fridge/Freezer with oven above. I can, at 5ft 6in use the oven but if you are much shorter i do think it would be difficult. I have to say I don't use the oven often - it takes a long time to get up to temp. and if it's warm outside the interior of the Motorhome gets very hot. 

Perhaps continental mhomes don't have ovens because it does get very hot in the Mhome when the oven is on.

I have to say I use Remoska when on EHU and Skillet when not along with pan and steamer.

Jan


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## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

We hardly ever use our oven, apart from heating up the odd pie or pasty. The Continentals are not big on pies and pasties . . .


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Our German Hobby 750 has a built in gas oven and 3 ring hob.

Ray.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

erneboy said:


> Horses for courses. .......Most of our German friends say they would have no use at all for an oven in their vans, Alan.


I think I answered it chaps, Alan.


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## danas (Apr 3, 2009)

Seems the remoska, skillet and the good old bbq are the way to go then.


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