RV Ovens, hate them, love them, or just meh?

[invmartyc]

At the risk of starting a battle here I have to ask what do people think of ovens in RVs?

I have read that they are notoriously hot on the bottom and cooking is not "even". Is that why they seem to have been taken over by convection ovens?

Or is it that they seldom get used and people look at them as unnecessary weight?

I am an old tent camper and have never owned an RV so I have no experience with there ovens. We are planning to get our RV next year and travel the country. My lady says that she has to have an oven and one that works like at home.

I would sure hate to have to leave her home while I travel. Can anyone let me know how I can solve this oven issue?

[Dog_Folks]

We full time so don't have a choice.

Some foods just have to be baked in an oven.

A pizza stone works well for us.

[Super_Dave]

davosfam wrote:
I want to broil garlic or cheese bread but when I did it, it basically just baked it. I want the top to get toasty with some color.

Was that with it under the flame?

[Francesca_Knowl]

Use my oven all the time! 'Course, it's a stovetop model...;)

[shadows4]

We use ours quite a bit. Pizza stone and all.
I do have a humorous story about ours though. On our last trailer, the stove was a bear to light. Rather it took awhile to heat the therma- couple so the pilot would stay lit. So I was sitting down in front of the oven with the propane lighter in one hand, holding the pilot knob in with the other. After a bit the pilot would stay lit but I had to hold the knob in till the therma-couple heated up.
I got tired of the balancing act so I set the lighter on the oven rack and placed my hand on the floor to brace myself. Finally the pilot stayed lit!!! I then set the oven temp and closed the door. Oops!!!
About 4-5 minutes later BOOM!!!
It's kind of funny now but Momma still doesn't trust me to light the oven without her watching over my shoulder. LOL

[davosfam]

I want to broil garlic or cheese bread but when I did it, it basically just baked it. I want the top to get toasty with some color.

[Ron3rd]

davosfam wrote:
I'll try the pizza stone. Any tips for using the broiler? Are we supposed to put the pan on the bottom of the oven (under the flame) or on the rack (above the flame)?

You can do it either way, just don't block the bottom holes on the sides of the metal shelf over the burner. I've done it both ways, ie, lower the bottom shelf as low as it can go and put the stone there. Then put your middle rack right above it. Seems to keep things from burning on the bottom. Some folks even use large ceramic floor tiles.

[gery_L]

Super_Dave wrote:

gery_L wrote:

K Charles wrote:
I put a lighter in the oven so it will light with a push of a button. We use the oven all the time and it works fine. The pilot in the oven only needs to be lit once and then can be left on, that's what it's there for. We don't leave it on when we travel.

This is a great idea. I have been thinking about it for a while, because as others have stated, you have to be a contortionist to attempt a pilot light ignition......

K Charles, do you have any details as to what ignitor you used, how the wiring was routed and where did you place the button? Or did you wire it into the existing ignitor button/knob?

I found this post that looks quite nice.
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24521274.cfm
Thanks,
Gery

This just leaves me scratching my head. I was told, or under the impression that the pilot light wouldn't light unless the thermacouple was hot. I guess you learn something new everyday.

The Pilot light will light and stay on if the knob is turned to pilot and pushed in. It will not stay on until the thermal-couple is hot.

[davosfam]

I'll try the pizza stone. Any tips for using the broiler? Are we supposed to put the pan on the bottom of the oven (under the flame) or on the rack (above the flame)?

[Super_Dave]

gery_L wrote:

K Charles wrote:
I put a lighter in the oven so it will light with a push of a button. We use the oven all the time and it works fine. The pilot in the oven only needs to be lit once and then can be left on, that's what it's there for. We don't leave it on when we travel.

This is a great idea. I have been thinking about it for a while, because as others have stated, you have to be a contortionist to attempt a pilot light ignition......

K Charles, do you have any details as to what ignitor you used, how the wiring was routed and where did you place the button? Or did you wire it into the existing ignitor button/knob?

I found this post that looks quite nice.
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24521274.cfm
Thanks,
Gery

This just leaves me scratching my head. I was told, or under the impression that the pilot light wouldn't light unless the thermacouple was hot. I guess you learn something new everyday.

[Us_out_West]

fla-gypsy wrote:
I use mine for storage

As do we.

Our microwave/convection oven works great...and you don't waste propane. :B

[gery_L]

K Charles wrote:
I put a lighter in the oven so it will light with a push of a button. We use the oven all the time and it works fine. The pilot in the oven only needs to be lit once and then can be left on, that's what it's there for. We don't leave it on when we travel.

This is a great idea. I have been thinking about it for a while, because as others have stated, you have to be a contortionist to attempt a pilot light ignition......

K Charles, do you have any details as to what ignitor you used, how the wiring was routed and where did you place the button? Or did you wire it into the existing ignitor button/knob?

I found this post that looks quite nice.
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24521274.cfm
Thanks,
Gery

[Ron3rd]

We use our oven all the time, for baking too. We use the pizza stone in the bottom to even out the heat or you tend to burn things on the bottom. Once you get used to it, it can come in handy.

[D_E_Bishop]

Super_Dave wrote:
As many times as this subject has been beaten into the ground, the Cooking forum should consider a FAQ sticky with links to threads. When the subject comes up on the actual RV specific forum, half the people don't use the oven at all and the other half of us love them. I wouldn't trade my oven for a convection oven.

I agree with my name sake(I an called Super Dave in our Submarine Association, and I'm older than this upstart but wise fella from Sacramento). The suggestions for dispersing the heat more evenly are good and we too use a pizza stone.

[PRodacy]

Ours works great without adding pizza stones or anything else. We mainly use it when the temperatures outside are cooler. Nothing like hit cinnamon rolls on a cold morning. In the summer we rarely use it as it heats up the camper too much ( no AC) as we usually boondock.

[1rickw]

I use an air-bake cookie tray over the burner. The Temps are usually perfect. I set the temp and time and ALWAYS comes out right. Without the cookie tray, everything burns.