6 Best Gas Grills With Side Burners For RV Prep Nomads Swear By

You’re parked in a perfect boondocking spot, the sun is setting, but your tiny RV kitchen is already a sauna from boiling water for pasta. Meanwhile, the steaks you planned to grill are waiting, forcing you to choose between cooking inside or out, but not both at once. This is the daily juggle that pushes so many RVers to find a better way to cook.

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

Why a Side Burner is an RV Kitchen Game-Changer

Let’s be direct: an outdoor grill without a side burner is only half a solution. A side burner transforms a simple grill into a complete outdoor kitchen, and for an RVer, that’s everything. It’s about more than just convenience; it’s about managing your small space effectively.

Think about it. Searing a steak on the grill while simultaneously sautéing onions and mushrooms on the side burner. Brewing your morning coffee outside without heating up your rig. Frying bacon without making your entire living space smell like a diner for three days. The side burner is the key to multitasking, allowing you to cook a complete, complex meal entirely outdoors.

This isn’t just a luxury. On hot days, running a stove inside can overwhelm your AC unit, wasting precious power or propane. A side burner keeps the heat, the grease, and the potent smells where they belong—outside. It frees up your indoor kitchen for prep work or for someone else to use, effectively doubling your cooking capacity.

Blackstone 22" Griddle with Integrated Side Burner

The Blackstone griddle is a legend in the overlanding and RV community for a reason, but the model with the integrated side burner is the real MVP. It combines a spacious 22-inch flat-top with a single, powerful burner right next to it. This setup is perfect for the RVer who values versatility.

Forget grill grates. The griddle surface excels at everything from pancakes and eggs in the morning to smash burgers and hibachi-style dinners at night. While you’re cooking on the flat-top, you can have a pot of water boiling for corn on the cob or a pan of sauce simmering right alongside it. It’s an incredibly efficient workflow.

The main tradeoff here is the lack of traditional grill grates for that classic flame-broiled flavor. But for many nomads, the sheer utility of the griddle surface far outweighs that. It’s a self-contained breakfast, lunch, and dinner station that packs down relatively small for its capability.

Camp Chef Rainier: The All-in-One Grill & Stove

If you want a dead-simple, all-in-one unit that just works, the Camp Chef Rainier is a classic choice. This compact tabletop unit features a grill box on one side and a standard stove burner on the other. It’s the most straightforward interpretation of the grill-and-burner combo.

The beauty of the Rainier is its simplicity and portability. It’s lightweight, comes with a carry bag, and sets up in seconds on any picnic table or tailgate. You can grill burgers while you heat up a can of beans, all in one compact footprint. It runs on a 1lb propane canister, making it easy to fuel up anywhere.

This isn’t a powerhouse meant to feed a huge crowd. The grill area is modest, and the burner is solid but not a jet engine. It’s the perfect solution for solo travelers, couples, or small families who need a reliable, no-fuss outdoor cooking setup without dedicating a huge amount of storage space to it.

Camp Chef Pro 60X: A Modular Cooking Powerhouse

For the serious RV chef who refuses to compromise, the Camp Chef Pro 60X is less of a grill and more of a professional-grade outdoor kitchen platform. This is a freestanding, two-burner stove with serious power (30,000 BTU per burner) that serves as a base for a whole ecosystem of accessories.

You start with the powerful two-burner base. Then you can add a grill box over one or both burners. You can add a griddle. You can even add a pizza oven. This modularity means you can build the exact cooking station you need, whether you’re grilling, boiling a huge pot of shrimp, or searing steaks on cast iron.

The obvious tradeoff is size and weight. This is not a small unit. It’s designed for RVers with a large passthrough storage bay or a truck bed to haul it in. But if outdoor cooking is a central part of your nomadic life, the Pro 60X offers unmatched power and versatility. It’s the closest you’ll get to a home kitchen experience in the wild.

Royal Gourmet GD401: For Grilling and Griddling

Can’t decide between a grill and a griddle? The Royal Gourmet GD401 says you don’t have to. This portable, folding-cart-style unit offers both a grill section and a griddle section, side-by-side, with a single side burner on the end. It’s a true multi-function machine.

This setup is ideal for cooking variety. You can have bacon and eggs going on the griddle while you toast buns on the grill grate. For dinner, grill steaks on one side and sauté vegetables on the other, all while your sauce simmers on the side burner. It eliminates the need to choose your cooking surface before you even start.

The GD401 is larger and heavier than tabletop models like the Camp Chef Rainier, but its folding cart design makes it surprisingly manageable. It’s a fantastic middle-ground option for those who want more capability than a simple combo unit but don’t want to invest in a full modular system like the Pro 60X.

Flame King YSN-310: The Mountable Grill Combo

Storage space is the ultimate currency in an RV. The Flame King YSN-310 addresses this head-on by getting your grill out of the storage bay entirely. This unit is designed to mount directly to your RV’s mounting rail, turning a patch of empty wall into a cooking station.

The grill itself is a complete package, featuring a primary grilling area, an upper warming rack, and—crucially—a built-in stove burner on the side. It connects directly to your RV’s onboard propane system, so you don’t have to carry separate 1lb canisters. This is the ultimate in integrated convenience.

The downside is a lack of portability. Your grill is fixed to one spot on your rig, so you can’t move it to a picnic table or a more scenic spot. Installation also requires that your RV has the appropriate mounting rail. But for RVers who prioritize maximizing every inch of storage, a mountable grill is a brilliant space-saving solution.

GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540: Premium Stove Option

Sometimes, the best "grill with a side burner" isn’t a grill at all. Many nomads already have a portable grill they love, like a Weber Q. The problem is they still need burners for pots and pans. Instead of replacing a perfectly good grill, consider adding a high-quality, standalone two-burner stove like the GSI Outdoors Selkirk 540.

This isn’t your flimsy, old-school camp stove. The Selkirk is built tough, with powerful burners that offer incredible simmer control—something notoriously lacking in cheaper models. The push-button ignition is reliable, and the wraparound windscreens make it functional even in breezy conditions.

Pairing a premium stove like this with your favorite portable grill gives you a modular, best-of-both-worlds setup. You get a top-tier grilling experience and a top-tier stove experience, rather than a single unit that might compromise on both. This approach offers maximum flexibility, allowing you to bring just the grill, just the stove, or both, depending on the trip.

Choosing Your Perfect RV Outdoor Cooking Station

There is no single "best" grill. The right choice depends entirely on how you travel, cook, and live. Instead of looking for a perfect product, focus on the perfect fit for your specific needs.

Start by asking yourself these questions:

• What’s my cooking style? Are you a griddle-all-day person (Blackstone), a traditional griller (Camp Chef Rainier), or do you need the power for big pots and pans (Camp Chef Pro 60X)?
• How much space can I sacrifice? Be realistic. A huge, powerful setup is useless if you can’t store it. This is where a tabletop model (Rainier) or a mountable grill (Flame King) can be a smarter choice than a massive freestanding unit.
• Do I want all-in-one or modular? An all-in-one unit is simple and self-contained. A modular system offers more power and flexibility but requires more space and investment.
• What’s my fuel situation? Are you happy using 1lb canisters, or do you want to tap into your RV’s main propane tank? This can influence which models and connection kits you look at.

Ultimately, the goal is to find a system that removes friction from your daily life on the road. The less you have to struggle with your gear, the more you can enjoy the freedom that RV life is all about. Choose the setup that makes you excited to cook outside.

Your outdoor kitchen is more than an accessory; it’s a core component of a functional and enjoyable RV lifestyle. By choosing a setup with a side burner, you’re not just buying a grill—you’re reclaiming your indoor space, expanding your culinary options, and making life on the road that much better.