Anyone choose no propane stove and use induction plate?

Runners

I was wondering if anyone has opted out of having the propane stove and use an induction plate instead? My husband and I plan on purchasing the T@B 400 in the 2020 season and we are having tons of discussions. I would like to have no stove on the counter and use the induction plate to cook. What are people's thoughts on this? 

pthomas745

My portable induction plate I use at home uses 1800 watts to cook (maximum).  If you are always plugged in, or running a generator, it would work.  From your batteries (I guess two of them for about 100 amp hours total)  the induction would draw 150 amps, (1800 watts divided by 12v) so you would be limited to at most about 45 minutes of use before having to recharge your battery bank.

I'm assuming the 1800 watts on the induction.....you may be discussing one that uses much less power, so you need to put the wattage number of any induction into your plan. 

Someone else will have to discuss whether a generator would let you run any other appliances while using the 1800 watt induction plate. 

And, welcome to the Forums!

Runners

pthomas745 thank you for the warm welcome. I’m so glad you commented! I never thought of all of that. I will show my husband your response. I appreciate you taking the time to give such a well thought out response. Thanks again!!

Verna

Omitting the gas stove would most likely affect the resale price. Most owners do not keep their campers forever . The national average a few years ago was 3 years before getting the urge to buy the next one. 

So, when trying to sell a 400 in a few years, the absence of the propane stove would definitely limit your buying audience.

The propane stove does have a sturdy glass top so you could just place your induction top on the glass for cooking, and just leave the propane stove where it is. 

ScottG

Wow. Buyers are fickle! I still have the motorcycles I bought eighteen years ago. I kept my last truck for thirteen years. The T@B is in its fifth season and I consider it barely broken in!  :-)

@Runners, you can do what you want with your camper. However, I would be hesitant to give up anything that can run on propane unless you intend to camp with shore power 100% of the time.

I'm not a big fan of generators. I don't want to lug one around, and I certainly don't want to listen to somebody else's--particularly if they are using it to do something that could be done much more quietly with gas.

Mouseketab

Yep, I'm in ScottGs camp, my T@B is 12 years old, my truck is 10 years old. I am considering doing the exact same thing to my T@B. I don't have a furnace either, so ripping out the stove will completely eliminate the propane use in my T@B, save me some weight, and gain some counter space. I do only camp at 100% places with service, so not an issue for me. We have used the gas cooktop maybe 3 or 4 times in the 12 years I've had the T@B, soooooo. Most of our cooking is grill, crockpot, toaster oven, instant hot water, and microwave. Why not make what you have fit your needs??

N7SHG_Ham

Wife = 39 in July, truck = 19, car = 14 (tomorrow), cargo trailer = 14, Tab = 2 months, I hang onto my stuff, 100,000's of thousands of dollars ahead in a lifetime!!!

If I get rid of the Tab it would be for the new Avia in a few years, only because full timing in a Tab may be limiting for use, although I know some do it.

As for as the OP, I highly recommend ditching the idea of a Tab minus the cooktop, if for no other reason weird mods are usually a killer on resale. The practical side isn't good either unless like mentioned you only camp with 30a shore service or lug a generator everyplace. Off grid could be done for limited use AFTER adding a 2000w or bigger inverter, but doesn't seem very practical.

Marceline

Runners said:

I was wondering if anyone has opted out of having the propane stove and use an induction plate instead? My husband and I plan on purchasing the T@B 400 in the 2020 season and we are having tons of discussions. I would like to have no stove on the counter and use the induction plate to cook. What are people's thoughts on this? 

I wouldn’t do it for the reasons stated:
1. Hard to power an induction cooktop without hookups or a generator
2. Bad for resale value

if you want to use an induction burner and you’re worried about breaking the glass cooktop cover you can have a piece of StarBoard (https://www.tapplastics.com/product/plastics/cut_to_size_plastic/king_starboard/526) or some other material cut to an appropriate size/shape to put over the glass. 

atlasb

We do use a induction type cooker , a 1100 w microwave plus a toaster oven .  I keep a large nylon type cutting block on top of the propane stove.  Would never consider deleting the propane stove (resale value). ( Also would never consider deleting the bath/ toilet, now that we have it).  Most of our cooking is with the above mentioned appliances and when the induction plate cooker is used most times it is outside on a small portable table plugged into the outside recpt.  I do not care to cook with the propane inside to prevent the spatter and cooking odors. Plus the additional counter space is welcomed. The  instructions with our induction cooker say not to place on top of another metal object (stove) because of the way they work.  I have used it inside between the sink and the stove with no problem.  Most of the time we precook and freeze meals and then reheat at the site.  Also find pre cooked items at grocery stores and make up our meals.  A lot of folks get really involved it preparing meals and that is good for them and what works best for you is the way to go.

bianda620

I read on one of these forum posts about using the nuWave induction cooktop, as a way to conserve the propane.  I have wanted one for several years, so owning my T@B was a great excuse.  I wouldn't do away with the propane (I have used it), but I have also used my nuWave several times and I love it.  I also have the Volcano collapsible grill that can use charcoal, propane or wood.  I guess I just like options.

Photomom

If you have the propane stove, you can still use an induction cooker, when you have hookups. 

peterjoce400

We have both, the propane cooktop for boondocking and the induction for serviced(your paying for electricity - use it), something important is that you need "cookware" constructed for induction( that's why the little magnet with your induction stove purchase)-this is important if you have all aluminum pots and pans! We tried no propane on our Boler (few trailers back), and used marine alcohol stove instead but that is like going back to tents on the ground!

LittleBoyBlue

I recently bought a single burner induction burner as an outside the T@B option.  I had been using an electric single burner hot plate but it was little slow in getting up to temp and cooking things. I only paid $20 for induction burner and will report in on it once I get some experience with it. I am thinking about using it as an option inside the T@B instead of the propane when the weather permits. I only use the burners when I'm hooked up to shore power. The one I bought only draws about 10 amps.

Mouseketab

I did it! I now have tons of counter space, and have a portable induction burner if I need it. 

Tampakayaker

On our maiden voyage we had shore power.  I used and induction cooker, and a Ninja Foodi Grill, both outside.  We have a lightweight collapsible Coleman kitchen I set them on.

rcarlson1957

Personally, we thought about it but we always cook outside (can count the number of times we've used the inside gas top on 1 hand). We usually camp where we have shore power. We use a portable induction plate (DUXTOP). Heats up and cools down quickly. A ton of temp and power settings. Between it and a 10 inch cast iron frypan and a nesting set of non stick cookware with removable handles (2.5 qt saucepan, 8 and 10 inch frypans) we can sear a great steak or chop at high temp or cook a good sauce all day at very low and all points in between. Simple, small footprint and extremely flexible as well as easy to clean. When boon docking we use a small low profile 2 burner portable camp stove. 

Denny16

We added a small single burner Induction Cooker to our TaB, and use it on top the glass cover over the stove or outside on a small portable table.  The induction cooker heats water in a kettle faster than the propane, and less moisture induced into the camper.  

As previously mentioned, needs to be hooked up to shore power for efficient use.  But, if just heating water for coffee or tea, it could run very efficiently on the Inverter, since it takes only around three minutes to heat the water.  I will try to test this soon and report back how much battery it takes to heat water.
 Cheers 

fstop32

I'm with @ScottG and @Mouseketab, my Tundra is 20 years old, the T@b is a 2015 and I won't mention my wife's age but we will celebrate our 50th next year (we were very very young when we got married 
On removing the cooktop, if you actually removed it from the countertop you'll have to build something to fill the hole or up the mod to a new countertop.  Seems like less work to just find a piece of cutting board material (or buy a large cutting board) and put rubber feet under it to lift it up to clear the stove.  Make sure to secure it for travel because things will fly around and that one would be a pretty heavy projectile.
We carry a 2 burner camp stove and cook outside and we also have a one burner induction unit we enjoy.

AnOldUR

This thread has got me thinking about an induction cook top. Now that we have and inverter, it's doable, but not sure if it would be worth carrying it. Like you, we do most of our cooking outside, but on a Blackstone griddle.

ETRADIO

we we use an induction cooktop in the center of the kitchen cabinet with a microwave to the left on top if the stove which has a butcher block across it protecting the stove cover, to the left is our toaster/oven. I installed an additional power supply to,power the kitchen separate from the main breaker panel, now we can cook and make coffee at the same time without popping breakers. 

Mickerly

We've had the '320CS for 3 years now. Started looking at a slightly larger trailer for when we retire, in 3 to 5 more years. So far, the current 'CS is at the top of the list for a retirement trailer. Should we choose to keep it, I will rebuild the kitchen to reduce wasted space. I will keep the propane stove.

There is always an electric water kettle. We augment the propane stove with a Dutch oven, toaster oven, or electric skillet. Sometimes the Coleman Road Trip grill comes with us. It all depends on the menu for the trip. I built a wood cover for the stove (2018) and put the electric appliance on top of the cover. Keeping the stove allows you to go backwards. Mods should never reduce usability.