Caravan BBQ Options

I use This at the beach or when on a picnic.

Another vote for the Cadac Safari Chef.  Had mine for years and use it all the time when away in caravan.  It is versatile and gives you a good excuse for meeting passers by on site and having the obligatory beer when cooking.  Moreover, in warmer areas most sites ban charcoal BBQs so the gas  (Cadac) wins on all fronts; you don't, of course, get the charcoal flavour in your cooking.  A Gaz 907 cylinder lasts for ages and they are widely available if not cheap.

You could use a silicone sheet made specifically for a gas BBQ.  I don't know what they are like, but I've often wondered about them.....  Google Barbecue silicone mesh.  This is a High-Gear one from Milletts, but there are lots of different makes.

David

We were lucky enough to get a older Cadac cari-chef with our van when we bought it and I can't recommend them enough. 

The 'drip ring' on ours was rather rusty from being stored in the gas locker and the non-stick plate badly worn, but i bought replacements for these (nice that they were still available for a 10 year old BBQ) and we use ours all the time at home as well as when away. 

The 'BBQ' setup is good, the old one has a metal plate (not non-stick) and diverter, so a quick wire brush after use is all that's needed day to day with an occasional 'deep clean'.  We also have the enamelled skotel (great for 'stir frys') and the non stick plate flat side is perfect for a cooked brekkie.  I've never had an issue with ours lighting once the gas has bled through and bought the quick fit gas connector that i leave connected to a camping Gaz bottle (with the regulator turned off) so set up is super quick and easy.  I'd agree that they are pricey to buy new, but for me I'd say they are worth it - the older version at least is certainly lasting well, it's now 12ish years old and still going strong.

Another vote for the Cadac Carry Chef. I bought the full kit in 2011 when I started caravaning with young kids.  The chef had a standard BBQ kit and also a wok.  Between these parts there hasn’t been much I didn’t cook on it.  So everything from cooking meet on the BBQ plate, stir frying veg in the wok and even finishing it all off in the wok with a sauce added.  

a couple of years ago a family from the neighbouring pitch came over and said they had watched for several days at all the different meals I had cooked on it and really liked it as (weather permitting) it meant very little cooking inside the van.  They said they had just ordered one as a result.

10 years on it is still going strong so I agree it is definitely a case of getting what you pay  for and is indicative that so many people use them 

Instead of using a BBQ (Gas or otherwise) have you considered using an electric Teppanyaki. I've mentioned these on another post today but basically they are cheap to buy, very easy to use and clean. We use it a lot more than our gas BBQ now - they're especially good at cooking steaks. Bacon and eggs are a doddle too and ready very quickly.

When we caravanned, we had a selection of various bbqs; a Cadac being one of them and yes it was good. However, if you haven’t got an external gas supply you have to carry a bottle around, which I did for some time when we got the motorhome.

Now, I use either an electric griddle/ Gas griddle (with little gas bottles) or a good old fashioned foil tray bbq from the supermarket.

I truly don’t miss the bbq as the other things are so light and easy to stow away in the cupboard.

Artyboo, whilst I am sure you use foil type BBQs with care; living near the sea with a grass area adjacent to the beach during the summer months we find many scorch marks where the foil tray disposable BBQs have been used.  Furthermore many are just discarded on the beach for 'someone else' to clear up.  Am I not right that they are often blamed for the heath fires experienced in the dry spells.  You will gather that I am not a fan of these disposable BBQs and think they should be banned.  I'll stick with my Cadac or sometimes a small conventional charcoal BBQ.

I have looked at the electric plate type but they seem to use about 1500 - 2000W which on many continental sites (especially in Italy) would trip the circuit breaker on the supply bollard!