One of the joys of pitching up at our campsite of choice is relaxing on a sunny day with a barbecue. For those of you who are looking for a new barbecue and grill, there are a wide number of products on the market, including budget-friendly and premium options. In this guide, we’re sharing our pick of the best motorhome barbecues, giving you a choice of portable BBQs and grills that will combine lightweight and compact builds with high performance cooking.
Just like the best air fryer for a motorhome, a good barbecue can be a great choice for ‘van owners who are going away for a night or two and have limited cooking facilities in their leisure vehicle. We’ve chosen to stick to gas or charcoal barbecues here. These will not only ensure you get that authentic barbecue taste but are also more straightforward to power than an electric grill would be after pitching up at one of the best motorhome sites.
When you’re choosing your motorhome bbq, you’ll want to ensure you factor in the size of it – particularly for those of you with smaller ‘vans, where you’ll also need to consider the weight. Be sure to think about how many of you you’re cooking for too. If it’s only going to be for two of you, a smaller grill is likely to do the job, saving you garage space for other tour-enhancing accessories too.
Don’t forget to pack some of the best motorhome crockery for your tour either – the right plates can enhance any mealtime experience when you’re pitched up.
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In a rush? We’ve put a handy list below, so you can quickly find the one for you.
Motorhome barbeques: our top picks
Campingaz PartyGrill 200
Crusader Products Portable Gas BBQ
Weber Traveler Portable Grill
George Foreman Portable Gas Barbecue
Cadac Carri Chef 2 BBQ and Chef Pan Combo
George Foreman Toolbox Charcoal barbecue
Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Barbeque Grill
Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Barbeque Grill
Ved Portable Barbecue Grill
Valiant Portable Folding Picnic and Camping BBQ
The best barbecues for a motorhome:
Campingaz PartyGrill 200
- Dimensions: L32 x W32 x H33cm
- Cooking area: 32cm diameter
- Weight: 2.84kg
- Fuel type: Campingaz gas cartridge
Reason to buy:
- Easy to ignite, decent build quality
Reason to avoid:
- Only offers a fairly small cooking surface
Providing a robust set up, this Campingaz is ideal for couples who are looking to enjoy a simple meal at the campsite. It comes with an aluminium plate, providing consistent heat distribution, and we like the simple to use Piezo ignition system.
It’s fuelled by gas cartridges, and we’ve found that they’re not difficult to source. Another handy feature is the fat collecting system.
Crusader Products Portable Gas BBQ
- Dimensions: L95 x W115 x H43cm
Cooking area: 43cm x 35cm
Weight: TBC
Fuel type: Propane or butane
Reason to buy:
- Reasonably priced in comparison to more expensive options
Reason to avoid:
- Could have a better build quality
Thanks to its wheels, this portable motorhome barbecue is easy to manoeuvre, and it comes with numerous features that we think make it an attractive product to consider. We appreciate that you don’t have to bend over it, as you have the option of detaching the grill and using it on a tabletop or alternatively using the trolley legs to get it to a reasonable height.
It comes with a large single stainless steel burner, with a variable heat control that offers 3.9kw of heat. Food preparation is simplified by the two fold-out shelves that come with it too.
Thanks to its larger size, we’d say it’s a good pick for families and larger groups. Considering its price, we think this is a worthy addition to our best motorhome barbecue guide.
Weber Traveler Portable Grill
Dimensions: L58.4 x W110.7 x H94.5cm
Cooking area: 2065 cm2
Weight: 22.2kg
Fuel type: 16oz gas canister or connect to larger tank with adapter hose
Reason to buy:
- Excellent build quality, plenty of features
Reason to avoid:
- Expensive, heaviest option on our list
Weber is a popular brand in the barbecue market, creating products that work well and look good. This particular model provides a large grill and an excellent overall performance.
It’s a heavier option than some of the other products in our guide, but we like the one handed setup and collapse, as well as the automatic lock and temperature gauge that the lid comes with.
We do think the lid is a bit low, but that’s the trade off for a sleeker and more compact finish.
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George Foreman Portable Gas BBQ
- Dimensions: 34 x 70 x 50 (H x W x D in cm)
- Cooking area: 22 x 50 x 37.5 (H x W x D in cm)
- Fuel: propane gas
- Weight: 7.5kg
Reason to buy:
- Integrated thermostat, relatively lightweight
Reason to avoid:
- Relatively pricey
This smart George Foreman option is a highly portable motorhome barbecue which uses Piezo ignition for easy cooking. We like the inclusion of an integrated thermostat, which will aid you when it comes to maintaining the right temperature for cooking.
Thanks to its fixed legs, it should offer plenty of stability, while the inclusion of an adjustable vent will control the airflow. At only 7.5kg it’s a fairly lightweight option too, although there are lighter barbecues available if you really need to watch your payload, such as the Campingaz.
Cadac Carri Chef 2 BBQ and Chef Pan Combo
- Dimensions: L27.6 x W27.6 x H36.6cm
- Cooking area: diameter 47cm
- Weight: 10.5kg
- Fuel type: Gas cylinder or cartridge
Reason to buy:
- Excellent spec, plenty of features
Reason to avoid:
- Fairly weighty, expensive
The Cadac may be one of the pricier options on our list, but what that gets you is a versatile motorhome bbq which can be used to barbecue, bake, fry, roast and more. The cooking function depends on whether you choose to use the BBQ Grid or Chef Pan.
It’s a solid option that is at a good height for cooking, equipped with lots of useful features that include a variable heat setting, Piezo ignition, and a dome with a stay-cool handle and thermometer.
The barbecue also comes with a pot stand and carry bag, but you can kit it out further by buying a paella pan and a pizza stone.
George Foreman Toolbox Charcoal barbecue
- Dimensions: L29 x W43 x H29cm
- Cooking area: 41.3cm x 26.5cm
- Weight: 4.2kg
- Fuel type: Charcoal
Reason to buy:
- Budget-friendly, easy to carry
Reason to avoid:
- Basic design
This may be one of the more basic barbecue options on our list, but it is a robust product that looks smart and is easy to carry, thanks to its heat-resistant handle (think toolbox here).
It will also be easy to add to a table or picnic bench, thanks to the foldable legs. We’d say this is one that is best suited to couples who are after a no-fuss barbecue that doesn’t take up much space.
Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Barbeque Grill
- Dimensions: H36.9 x W53.4 x D31cm
- Cooking area: 42 x 26cm cooking area
- Weight: 7.22kg
- Fuel type: Propane/butane canisters
Reason to buy:
- Easy to transport, smart
Reason to avoid:
- Pricey
This quality gas barbecue is travel-sized and adds some flair to proceedings, coming in a stylish black and silver. It provides useful features, including push-button ignition, a heat-resistant bowl and lid, a triple plated cooking grate and an instant heat up gas stove. A handle with heat shield is another handy addition.
It may not have the biggest cooking surface, but what you do get is a practical and easy-to-transport product, with the folding legs ideal for locking the lid in place – this is particularly useful when you’re carrying it.
Weber Go Anywhere Charcoal Barbeque Grill
- Dimensions: H36.9 x W53.4 x D31cm
- Cooking area: 42 x 26cm
- Weight: TBC
- Fuel type: Charcoal
Reason to buy:
- Portable, smart
Reason to avoid:
- Expensive
The charcoal-fuelled equivalent of the gas-powered Weber that features above, this product has the same black and silver design with a heat-resistant bowl and lid, as well as a handle with a heat shield and a triple plated cooking grate.
If you’d rather have a more authentic taste, you can also use lump wood or briquette.
Ved Portable Barbecue Grill
- Dimensions: L35 x W24 x H39cm
- Cooking area: TBC
- Weight: 1.5kg
- Fuel type: Charcoal
Reason to buy:
- Budget friendly, lightweight
Reason to avoid:
- Build quality suggests it’s not a long-term option
This lightweight grill looks neat and is easy to transport, folding down to around the size of a laptop,
We’d say this is more of a secondary barbecue – what we mean by that is it’s not really an option if you want to do some serious cooking, but if you’re looking for an option that can be used to cook a couple of burgers and some sausages, it could be ideal.
Something we will point out – we’d guess this isn’t going to be a long-term option, but would say instead it’s cheap and cheerful.
Valiant Portable Folding Picnic and Camping BBQ – Black
- Dimensions: L15.7 x W3.9 x H11.2cm
- Cooking area: 32 x 23cm
- Weight: 3.3kg
- Fuel type: Charcoal
Reason to buy:
- Budget friendly, compact
Reason to avoid:
- Build quality not as good as premium options on our list
This foldaway barbecue has a bit of a briefcase design, ideal for easy transportation. It only has a small cooking area, but if you want a budget-friendly, portable option that can be put together easily, it could be the motorhome barbecue for you. We like how the folding legs raise it off the ground too, helping to give the case a streamlined effect when it’s not being used.
How to choose the best motorhome barbecue
The best barbecue for a motorhome allows you to enjoy an alfresco feast when you’re pitched up at your chosen campsite, but before you can sit back and enjoy your food, you’ll need to make sure you’ve chosen the right product. Considering some simple points will help here.
Firstly, how much room do you actually have for it in your ‘van? If your garage space is limited, you’re not going to want to take one of the bigger options in our guide and would instead be better off with a more compact motorhome barbecue. Take a look at the product dimensions and see which would best fit the space you have, while leaving you room for the other accessories you want to take with you. Don’t forget to factor in the weight too, particularly if you have a smaller ‘van, where you may need to watch the payload more carefully.
Then consider how many of you will be staying in the ‘van and will require cooking for. A smaller grill will be less suited to family touring, but if it’s only for two of you, could be a better – and more space saving – option.
Think about the fuel type you’d like to use too – gas or charcoal? Once you’ve put all of the above together, you’ll be well on your way to finding the right barbecue for your motorhome.
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