6 Best Easy-Clean Grills For Frequent RV Moves That Nomads Swear By

You’ve just pulled into a dusty BLM spot after a long drive, and the last thing you want is to spend an hour scrubbing last night’s chicken grease out of your grill before you can even think about dinner. For a full-time RVer, a grill isn’t a weekend toy; it’s an essential part of your mobile kitchen that gets used constantly. A grill that’s a pain to clean or stow becomes a boat anchor, quickly relegated to a deep storage bay and forgotten.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

Key Features for an Easy-Clean RV Travel Grill

What makes a grill "easy to clean" on the road is different from at home. You don’t have a power washer or a big slop sink. You have limited water, limited space, and a need to pack everything away without attracting critters or making a greasy mess in your storage bay.

The two biggest factors are the cooking surface and the grease management system. Porcelain-coated cast iron grates, like those on a Weber Q, offer a great balance of heat retention and non-stick properties, making them easier to scrape clean than raw cast iron or flimsy wire grates. Stainless steel is also excellent but often comes at a higher price point.

Even more important is the grease trap. A tiny, shallow drip pan that can overflow during a long cook is a recipe for disaster. Look for a deep, easily accessible, and removable grease collection system. The goal is to contain the mess so you can dispose of it cleanly, not smear it all over your hands and the side of your rig.

Finally, consider how the grill breaks down. A grill with removable grates that can fit into a small basin or RV sink is far easier to deep clean than a single, monolithic unit. The ability to separate the dirty parts from the clean parts is a massive advantage when you’re moving every few days.

Weber Q1200: The Classic All-Around Performer

There’s a reason you see a Weber Q at almost every other campsite. It’s the Toyota Camry of portable grills: reliable, well-built, and does its job exceptionally well without any unnecessary frills. It’s a true grill, designed to deliver excellent heat control and those classic sear marks.

The cleaning process is where the Q series truly shines for RV life. The split porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates are heavy enough to hold heat but smooth enough that a quick scrape with a good brush removes 95% of the gunk. For a deeper clean, they are small enough to be washed one at a time. Below them, the firebox is shaped to funnel all drippings into a simple, disposable aluminum tray that you can swap out at any gas station. No greasy water, no scrubbing a built-in pan.

The only real tradeoff is its shape. The clamshell design is a bit bulky and awkward to pack compared to a flat griddle. But for nomads who want a pure, no-fuss grilling experience, the Weber Q1200’s durability and ridiculously easy cleanup make it the undisputed champion. It just works.

Blackstone 22" Griddle: Ultimate Versatility

The Blackstone isn’t a grill at all, and that’s precisely its strength. A flat-top griddle opens up a world of cooking possibilities that a traditional grill can’t touch, from pancakes and bacon in the morning to smash burgers and fried rice for dinner. For many RVers, this versatility means it can replace multiple pans and appliances, saving precious interior storage space.

Cleaning a griddle is a different process, but it’s incredibly fast. While the grill is still hot, you just scrape everything into the rear grease trap, squirt on some water to steam-clean the surface, and wipe it down with a paper towel. A final thin coat of oil and it’s seasoned and ready for the next meal. The whole process takes about 60 seconds. This is a game-changer for frequent moves.

The key is its patented rear grease management system. It’s a simple but effective channel that funnels everything into a large, removable cup. It’s far superior to front-facing grease traps that get in your way and are prone to spilling. The main consideration is that you have to maintain the seasoned surface, and you don’t get that open-flame flavor. But for speed, versatility, and easy cleanup, the Blackstone is in a class of its own.

Coleman RoadTrip 285: The Most Portable Design

The Coleman RoadTrip series is built around one core concept: portability. Its integrated folding stand with wheels means you can roll it from your storage bay to your campsite without having to find a level spot on a rickety picnic table. For those who move daily or have limited table space, this all-in-one design is a huge advantage.

When it comes to cleaning, the RoadTrip has a clever but divisive feature: a removable water pan. You fill the tray with water before cooking, and it catches all the grease drippings, preventing flare-ups and making the firebox easier to wipe down. The porcelain-coated cast-iron grates are also removable and clean up well.

The tradeoff is the water pan itself. You now have a tray of greasy water to dispose of, which can be a real pain, especially when boondocking. It’s also a heavier and more mechanically complex unit than a simple tabletop grill, meaning more things can potentially break. It’s the perfect solution for the weekend warrior, but for the full-timer, dealing with that greasy water every few days can get old.

Cuisinart Petit Gourmet: Compact & Efficient

If your RV is a Class B van or a small travel trailer, every inch of storage counts. The Cuisinart Petit Gourmet is designed for exactly this scenario. It’s incredibly small and lightweight, allowing you to tuck it away in a cabinet or small external bay where no other grill would fit.

Its small size is its best cleaning feature. The entire porcelain-enameled grate can easily fit flat in any RV sink for a proper scrubbing. The drip tray is small, simple, and easy to wipe out. There are no complex systems or large components to wrestle with. It’s a minimalist’s dream.

Of course, the compact size comes with limitations. The 145-square-inch cooking surface is only suitable for two people, maybe three in a pinch. Its lightweight construction also makes it more susceptible to wind, which can affect temperature consistency. This isn’t the grill for hosting a campsite cookout, but for a solo traveler or couple who prioritizes space and simplicity, it’s a brilliant and easy-to-maintain option.

Pit Boss Navigator 150: Portable Pellet Smoking

For some nomads, giving up the smoky flavor of a pellet grill is a non-starter. The Pit Boss Navigator 150 (or similar models like the Traeger Ranger) packages that wood-fired experience into a portable, "tabletop" form factor. It lets you smoke ribs, brisket, and pork shoulder right at your campsite.

Cleaning a pellet grill is a different beast. It’s a multi-step process: you scrape the porcelain-coated grates, clean out the grease trap, and, most importantly, vacuum out the leftover ash from the fire pot. It’s not a simple "wipe-and-go" operation. However, for a pellet grill, the process is streamlined and manageable. It’s the easiest-to-clean pellet grill, not the easiest-to-clean grill overall.

The real-world tradeoffs are significant. You need a power source (like a battery bank with an inverter) to run the auger and fan. You also have to haul around a bag of wood pellets, which takes up valuable space and can be messy. This grill is for the dedicated food enthusiast who is willing to accept a more involved cleaning process and logistical challenges in exchange for unparalleled flavor.

Solaire Anywhere: Infrared Power for Easy Cleanup

The Solaire Anywhere is a different type of grill entirely, and it’s a favorite among serious steak lovers. It uses an infrared burner that gets incredibly hot—over 1000°F—in just a few minutes. This intense heat sears meat perfectly, locking in juices and creating a steakhouse-quality crust.

This extreme heat is also the secret to its effortless cleaning. Most food drippings are instantly vaporized when they hit the ceramic burner. Anything that hits the V-shaped stainless steel grates is channeled away. After you’re done cooking, you just let the grill run on high for five minutes, and it essentially self-cleans, turning any remaining residue into a fine white ash that you can simply brush away. It’s the fastest and most effective cleaning process of any grill on this list.

The Solaire is a specialized tool with a high price tag. It excels at high-heat searing but has a steeper learning curve for delicate items or low-and-slow cooking. It’s also built from heavy-gauge stainless steel, making it durable but heavier than it looks. For the RVer who values a perfect sear and wants to spend zero time scrubbing, the Solaire is a high-performance investment that pays off at every meal.

Final Verdict: Matching a Grill to Your RV Style

After years on the road, one thing is clear: there is no single "best" grill for every RVer. Your travel style, cooking preferences, and storage constraints will dictate the right choice for you. Don’t just buy the most popular model; buy the one that removes the most friction from your daily life.

Here’s a simple framework to guide your decision:

• The All-Arounder: For classic, reliable grilling with foolproof cleanup, get the Weber Q1200. It’s the benchmark for a reason.
• The Versatile Chef: If you cook a wide variety of meals and value speed, the Blackstone 22" Griddle is your mobile kitchen.
• The Weekend Warrior: If you prioritize an all-in-one setup and don’t mind a bit of extra cleanup, the Coleman RoadTrip 285 is a solid choice.
• The Space-Saver: For van lifers and minimalists, the Cuisinart Petit Gourmet delivers solid performance in the smallest package.

The specialty grills fit specific lifestyles. The Pit Boss Navigator 150 is for the dedicated smoker who won’t compromise on flavor. The Solaire Anywhere is for the grilling purist who wants steakhouse performance and a burn-off clean. Analyze how you actually cook and travel, and the right choice will become obvious.

Ultimately, the best grill is the one you use most often, and in the world of constant travel, ease of cleaning and packing is the biggest factor in that decision.