7 Best Side Burner Portable Grills For RV Prep Nomads Swear By

You’re parked in a perfect spot, the sun is setting, but your tiny RV stove is maxed out boiling pasta. The sauce isn’t even started, and the idea of searing steaks inside is a one-way ticket to a smoke-filled rig. This is the moment every RVer realizes their indoor kitchen has its limits, and the real cooking needs to happen outside. The right portable grill with a side burner isn’t just an accessory; it’s a complete kitchen expansion that fundamentally changes how you live and eat on the road.

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Why a Side Burner is an RV Kitchen Game-Changer

A side burner on your outdoor grill is the single biggest upgrade you can make to your camp kitchen. It’s not just about grilling burgers. It’s about having a second, powerful burner that frees you from the constraints of your cramped indoor stovetop.

Think about it. You can have a large pot of water boiling for corn on the cob while you grill chicken. You can simmer a chili or a pasta sauce without heating up your entire RV and leaving the smell to linger for days. This simple feature transforms a grill from a single-task appliance into a versatile outdoor cooking station.

Many nomads initially dismiss the need, thinking their two-burner RV stove is enough. That is, until they try to make one complex meal. The ability to keep greasy, steamy, or smelly cooking outside is a non-negotiable for long-term comfort in a small space. It keeps your interior cleaner, cooler, and more livable.

Camp Chef Pro 60X: The Ultimate Power & Versatility

When your cooking ambitions are bigger than your RV, the Pro 60X is the answer. This isn’t just a grill; it’s a modular cooking system built around two massive 30,000 BTU cast-aluminum burners. That kind of power means you can boil a huge pot of water for a crab boil in minutes, not half an hour.

The real magic of the Camp Chef system is its versatility. The base stove is your "side burner," and you can place a grill box on one side and a griddle on the other. Or a pizza oven. The combinations are nearly endless, allowing you to tailor your setup to exactly what you want to cook.

Of course, there are tradeoffs. The Pro 60X is a beast. It’s heavy and takes up significant space in a storage bay. This is not for the minimalist RVer. It’s for the dedicated camp chef who sees cooking as a core part of the travel experience and is willing to dedicate the space for uncompromising performance.

Blackstone Tailgater: Griddle & Grill Combo King

The Blackstone Tailgater directly answers the question: "Griddle or grill?" by giving you both in one clever package. One side features Blackstone’s legendary flat-top griddle, perfect for breakfast hash, smash burgers, and stir-fries. The other side is an open-flame grill box for getting that perfect sear on steaks and hot dogs.

This integrated design is its greatest strength. You can have bacon and eggs sizzling on the griddle while simultaneously grilling sausages. It’s a complete meal-making machine that doesn’t require you to buy and store separate accessories. The legs are adjustable, so you can level it on uneven ground—a common campsite reality.

While the burners aren’t as powerful as the Camp Chef Pro series, they are more than adequate for 95% of cooking tasks. The Tailgater hits a sweet spot between functionality and portability. It folds down surprisingly well, making it a favorite for those who want maximum cooking options without committing to a massive, heavy system.

Royal Gourmet GD401: Best All-in-One Solution

If you want the griddle and grill experience without the hassle of buying separate components, the Royal Gourmet GD401 is a compelling choice. It comes out of the box with both a griddle surface and a grilling surface, side-by-side, powered by four burners. It’s the closest you’ll get to a traditional backyard grill in a portable, RV-friendly format.

This unit is about convenience. It includes folding side tables for prep space, an integrated grease management system, and a built-in towel rack. These small details make a big difference when your "kitchen counter" is a picnic table. It’s designed to be a self-contained cooking station.

The main consideration here is size. Even when folded, it’s a large unit that will demand a significant chunk of your pass-through storage. It’s less of a "grab-and-go" grill and more of a "set-up-for-the-week" station. For full-timers who stay in one spot for a while, it’s an excellent way to create a serious outdoor kitchen.

Camp Chef Explorer: The Rugged, Go-Anywhere Classic

The Camp Chef Explorer is the original workhorse. For decades, this simple, bombproof two-burner stove has been the foundation of countless camp kitchens. It doesn’t come with a grill or griddle—it is the two powerful side burners, and you add whatever cooking surface you need on top.

Its beauty is in its simplicity. There are very few parts to fail. The all-steel construction can take a beating in the back of a truck or a dusty storage bay and keep working flawlessly. The detachable legs make it stable on any terrain, and the 30, a000 BTU burners provide the same incredible power as its more expensive siblings.

This is the choice for the practical RVer who values reliability over bells and whistles. You can pair it with a cheap cast iron pan or invest in Camp Chef’s high-end grill boxes. The Explorer provides the power and the platform; you provide the vision. It’s a lifetime purchase that will likely outlast your RV.

Royal Gourmet PD1301S: Top Tabletop Griddle Pick

Sometimes, you don’t need a massive, freestanding unit. The Royal Gourmet PD1301S is a tabletop griddle that serves as an excellent, ultra-portable "side burner" to complement whatever primary grill you already have. Or, for many, it becomes the primary outdoor cooker.

Its compact size is a huge advantage for smaller rigs like Class Bs or teardrop trailers where storage is at a premium. You can easily set it up on a picnic table or a small folding stand. Despite its size, it packs three burners and puts out enough heat to get a great sear on burgers or cook a huge batch of pancakes for a crowd.

This isn’t a traditional grill, and that’s the point. It excels at things an open-flame grill can’t do: fried rice, Philly cheesesteaks, and delicate items like fish or vegetables. Paired with a small, simple charcoal grill, this tabletop griddle creates an incredibly versatile and space-efficient outdoor kitchen.

Coleman FyreChampion: Superior Wind Resistance

Anyone who has tried to cook in the gusty plains of South Dakota or on a breezy beach knows that wind is the enemy of camp stoves. The Coleman FyreChampion is engineered specifically to solve this problem. Its unique HyperFlame burners and WindBlock pan supports create a low, wide, and well-protected flame.

Where other stoves sputter and lose heat, forcing you to create flimsy foil windscreens, the FyreChampion maintains a consistent temperature. This means faster boil times and, more importantly, less wasted propane. It’s an efficiency-focused design that pays off in real-world conditions.

The tradeoff for this incredible wind performance is a lower overall BTU output compared to the Camp Chef behemoths. You won’t be flash-searing a steak in 30 seconds. But for boiling, simmering, and general-purpose cooking in unpredictable weather, its reliability is unmatched. It’s for the RVer who prioritizes consistency over raw, fair-weather power.

GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540: Premium, Compact Design

For the RVer who appreciates thoughtful design and a compact form factor, the GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540 is a standout. It’s lighter and more packable than many of its competitors, but it doesn’t feel cheap. The build quality, from the stainless steel housing to the brass fittings, is immediately apparent.

The Selkirk is packed with user-friendly features. It has a push-button piezo igniter that actually works, and the wraparound windscreens on the lid provide excellent protection. The individual burner controls are very precise, allowing you to go from a roaring boil to a delicate simmer with ease.

This isn’t the most powerful stove on the list, but it’s a perfectly balanced machine. It’s powerful enough for any realistic camp meal, but small enough to fit in rigs with tight storage. It’s the ideal choice for van lifers, overlanders, or any RVer who wants a high-quality, reliable stove without the bulk of a full-size system.

Ultimately, the best grill is the one that matches your cooking style, your travel patterns, and the realities of your storage space. Moving your primary cooking outdoors with one of these versatile setups isn’t just about convenience; it’s about making your small mobile living space feel bigger and more capable. It’s one of the best quality-of-life improvements you can make on the road.