Don & Christi's 6 x 10 Cargo Conversion

[Wolfscout]

yeah I don't think I'd go back to not having that sink available.
I've been thinking about a wall cabinet over my "galley" as well. I can' t go full width cause the microwave and toaster oven stack go too high. And I like my free counter top space. so... I'll need a cabinet custom built to go on the right side and take down that wire shelf I have there now to put stuff on while camping. I've also been considering one of those glass top electrical stoves mounted into my top. Reason is.. we been thinking about longer term camp trips of weeks not just a week or long weekend. Those tops are pricey but would really be nice to have.
Something along the lines of this:
http://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-Smoothtop-Electric-Controls-Textured/dp/B0011YNIF8/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&qid=1325932870&sr=8-32
or maybe this sit on top version single burner
http://www.amazon.com/Max-Burton-6000-1800-Watt-Induction/dp/B000MVN1M6/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1325932870&sr=8-20

[d30gaijin]

yeah I don't think I'd go back to not having that sink available.
I've been thinking about a wall cabinet over my "galley" as well. I can' t go full width cause the microwave and toaster oven stack go too high. And I like my free counter top space. so... I'll need a cabinet custom built to go on the right side and take down that wire shelf I have there now to put stuff on while camping. I've also been considering one of those glass top electrical stoves mounted into my top. Reason is.. we been thinking about longer term camp trips of weeks not just a week or long weekend. Those tops are pricey but would really be nice to have.
Something along the lines of this:
http://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-Smoothtop-Electric-Controls-Textured/dp/B0011YNIF8/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&qid=1325932870&sr=8-32
or maybe this sit on top version single burner
http://www.amazon.com/Max-Burton-6000-1800-Watt-Induction/dp/B000MVN1M6/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1325932870&sr=8-20

Wolfscout,

Thank you for the links! Those are some very interesting stoves, especially the two burner. We take along a simple hotplate but it is rather limited in its capabilities i.e., tips over easy with a big pan or pot on it and uses a rudimentery rehostat as a temp control. The single glass top unit would be a nice replacement for our hot plate with considerably more features, and it isn't all that expensive.

The two burner built in is really interesting. Last year we replaced the range in our home with a four burner glass top range. We really like it. The entire surface is flat so when not in use for cooking it can be used to temporarily stack things on, such as grocery bags when we come home from the store, and because the entire top surface is flat it is easy to clean.

Unfortunately for us we don't have the galley countertop space in our CT to embed the two burner model, as much as we'd like to. It would be nice to have a built in flush glass top stove but it's not possible in my CT galley. Be that as it may, I might just spring for the single burner glass top. It is so far of a cut above our hotplate that I believe it would be even more useful when combined with our microwave and our Brunton two burner propane camp stove.

Thank you for some interesting thoughts and links. I am now seriously thinking about that single burner glass top stove.

Don

[Wolfscout]

I've been torn between the two for awhile. I do like the glass top for the same reasons you mentioned. It's a definite improvement for those of us who use 110v shore power.
I'm not getting rid of my microwave and toaster/oven... nope. How'd I get my nice fluffy biscuits? LOL

[Mark519]

If you act quickly you can have a Vollrath Drop-In Induction cooktop for less than half of the retail price. It says they are lightly used and there are two units available.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170758157171

[d30gaijin]

If you act quickly you can have a Vollrath Drop-In Induction cooktop for less than half of the retail price. It says they are lightly used and there are two units available.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170758157171

Mark,

I failed to move quickly enough but thank you for the tip, none the less.

Don

[d30gaijin]

Ok, making slight progress on the 6x10 CT. The wife got the cardboard I need to make a template for the over the galley cabinet front face. Went out to the Habitat for Humanity store (I believe they call it the "ReStore Resale Outlet") and found a pair of small cabinet doors, $2 each.

Weather here has been a bit inhospitable i.e., we were slammed with the same storm that hit most of the Northwest last week. We woke last Wednesday, 1/18, at 0600 and the temp was 38 degrees with no snow. That lasted briefly. By 0730 there was 3" of snow built up on the roof of my Jeep Cherokee and no sign of it abating anytime soon, and it didn't. By the end of the day we had close to 6" at my house. Be that as it may, it was mostly gone within 24 hours and is actually now in the upper 40 degree range, which means if it stays that way I can get out Monday and start on the cardboard template and get back into cutting wood and making the overhead cabinets.

Completing the overhead galley cabinets is something I see as significant to complete before I can get on with task of final insulation installation (upper corners) and paneling the rest of the CT interior. I need to move on the cabinets and make some progress because we have a number of birding/camping trips planned for 2012 (2011 was not a good year for us, one camping trip the whole year, but we hope to make up for a lost time from last year this year). Our first trip is planned for late February to the Carson Valley NV. area to witness the annual gathering of Eagles (winter weather travel permitting, of course), a significant birding event we'd really like to experience first hand.

Don

[d30gaijin]

We picked up a new item for our CT (and home) use, a Nesco Roaster Oven: http://www.nesco.com/category_774b5b98e066/session_bbedc9f4d691/

We bought the 18 quart model through Walmart for $49 (see photo below) but there are smaller 5, 6, & 12 quart Nesco models available (see the Nesco web site above), each heats to 450 degrees internally so you can pretty much bake anything.

For more info please see the Nesco website but do an on-line search for the model you might like to get for better pricing than you'll get from the Nesco web site (the 18 quart we bought currently lists for $65, on sale, on the Nesco site. We bought it for $49 and no shipping cost via the Walmart web site for local pick-up).

The Nesco Roaster Oven will do everything your home oven will do but on a smaller, more energy efficient scale. The 18 quart model we bought will cook up to a 22 pound Turkey. We find that incredible in such a small package.

Needless to say they require 120v ac so you'll need hook-ups or run your generator.

In our CT conversion we previously relied on our microwave and a two burner propane stove for all of our cooking needs. Originally we figured we'd plan work arounds for not having an oven in each trip's planning stages. We no longer have to plan our trips sans oven. The Nesco gives us an oven in a small package (we may end up getting a smaller 6 or 12 quart Nesco roaster oven dedicated specifically to the CT). In the meantime we'll take the 18 quart roaster with us (it isn't that big) and see how it works out for us in the CT. Be that as it may, a Nesco roaster oven will be a fixture in our home and CT. In home because of its energy savings over using our big stove oven for smaller baking needs and in the CT because it provides us the take along oven option.

OOPS! Forgot to mention that the Nesco roaster ovens can also double as slow cookers (crockpots) thanks to their temperature control dial that allows cooking in the crockpot temp range of 200 to 250 degrees. The Nesco is a very versitle cooking utensil (no I do not work for Nesco nor have any affiliation with them).

Don

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

Don

I can see that thing can cook 20 lbs of my favorite potatoes,
So I may be coming sooner then latter to your house.

OverTheTopCargoTrailer.

[Wolfscout]

I went a bit differently few months back and bought a GE Rotisserie Convection Oven. model 899691 53. http://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-0.75-cu-ft-Toaster-and-Convection-Oven-Black-Chrome/19406214 Walmart had it on sale at the time... I think it was $39.99 then... back before christmas. regular $49.99.
not only do I have the rotisserie option,, I have a range of 150 to 450* for oven warm, baking, toasting, broiling.
I've brought it in the house over the winter to use the smaller oven over the home built in oven cause I think it's better on power too.

[Martiangod]

We have the Fridgidair cooktop.
Good working little induction burner, just remember when buying one, if your a magnet won't stick to your pots amd pans it wont work

http://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-FGIC13-Portable-Induction-Cooktop/dp/B002YEI8WM

[d30gaijin]

Been off-site for a while dealing with other stuff but am back. Not much progress on the CT but did get a cardboard template cut for the overhead galley cabinet facia wood I need to cut, but progress stops there because we're taking the CT to California the week after next. Will be gone 10 or so days to visit in-laws and grandkids. Son will be home to shoot anyone trying to rip us off while gone. This will be the first outing of the year for us and the CT, one of hopefully, many more to come this year. last year sucked in terms of getting out camping i.e., we were only able to make one trip. This year we intend to correct that. Our CT is no where near finished but it is campable, and camping we will go.

Don

[Engineer Guy]

I got a giggle a few months ago at the RV Show in Quartzsite AZ. Having worked a bazillion High Tech Trade Shows, I'm always attuned to sundry Trade Booth goings on.

This Gal was selling Induction Cooktops, as shown above, and explaining how only Pots to which Magnets stick were useful. To overcome this 'shortcoming', she also sold a Metal Disc [ferrous] that one could use with non-ferrous Pans. The drawback to this Disc, she explained to a Customer, was 'that it got really hot' [the point of it; to heat up and transfer that heat to non-ferrous Cookware]. The 'drawback' to this Disc Accessory just really hit my Funny Bone somehow.

But, it did illuminate that there's an Accessory out there - easily homemade, I'm sure - that allows using non-Ferrous Cookware on Induction Cooktops.

[BC_Explorer]

Don:

Nice to see you back on the forum and looking forward to some more build narratives and photos of your CT!

[d30gaijin]

Don:

Nice to see you back on the forum and looking forward to some more build narratives and photos of your CT!

BC,

It's nice to be back. Once we get this California trip under our belts we hope to be back and be a lot more active getting our CT galley complete then moving on to paneling the interior. We have a lot of camping to do this year, hopefully boondocking will be most of it, to make up for what we missed out on last year. Our first stop this innitial trip will be a Wal-Mart parking lot in Wennemucca Nevada as an overnighter on our way to California.

We've bought a brand new set of wheels and tires for our CT, had them balanced, and I will be installing them tomorrow. I lubed the wheel hubs, and we only need to pack our kit and get on the road. This will be our longest trip in our used but new to us 2001 vintage CT. I'll take plenty of photos and post them when we return.

Christi has been on a workout routine so we'll be taking along a small (18") flat screen TV with built in DVD player so she can do her workout inside the CT, which thanks to our interior redesign, leaves plenty of room for her to do her workout... Best move we made was that redesign to allow floor space for our hobbies.

Since we bought the 6x10 CT and went through a couple of designs we have learned a lot about what will actually work for us. It as been a true learning experience and I would encourage others to do the same before they attempt to complete their build. Figure out what you think you'd like, get part way there, then go camp in it to see if it will actually work for you. We have learned so much by doing that.

Don

[d30gaijin]

We have the Fridgidair cooktop.
Good working little induction burner, just remember when buying one, if your a magnet won't stick to your pots amd pans it wont work

http://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-FGIC13-Portable-Induction-Cooktop/dp/B002YEI8WM

Chris,

Other than my cast iron I don't own a pot or pan that a magnet will stick to, and who does these days?

Don