Camp Chef stove/oven

[fraz627]

Does anybody out there have one or know any thing good or bad about them.
The price seems reasonable, however the oven does not have a thermostat.

 

[lenny flank]

If you drop in at the Reddit Vandwellers forum, I am pretty sure that the moderator there, SunnySouthTexas, has one.

 

[highdesertranger]

I have one and I reviewed it here. here's what I think,

I love mine, however mine has not been trouble free.

the no thermostat thing is a little inconvenient but not a deal breaker as I used a stove top Coleman oven before this one so I was used to that.

the 2 burners on top adjust real well better than any stove I have ever had. it simmers real well because you can turn them down so easily.

it's works fairly well in the wind. the oven works real good in the wind because it's insulated and double wall. my old Coleman stove top oven was next to impossible to use in the wind.

now for the bad. it has not been trouble free. I have had to replace a valve and the regulator. all out of warranty. the regulator was not a problem but the valve was a PITA.

Camp Chef really pissed me off on the valves. remember this stove/oven is made in China like most of their products today. their quality control and durability has no doubt suffered when they moved production to China more on that later.

so on the valves,

the first replacement I received was the wrong part. the box had the right part number on it but it was the wrong part, bad quality control.

second valve I received was not fully machined this time it was the right part but you couldn't install it because the holes that mount it were not threaded. bad quality control

third valve, this one the mounting holes were not even drilled. bad quality control.

fourth valve, was obviously used. you could tell it had been in use before and it wouldn't turn. this was just plain old sloppy BS on Camp Chef's part.

by this time I was smoking mad and asked the lady who was handling my issues, "why did you guy's ever move production to China." she told me it was because "nobody in the USA could cast the valves." I told her that was the "biggest BS story I have ever heard." I would like to point out that eventually they did get me a valve that worked. I do cringe thinking of the day I need another valve.

I would like to point out I have one of Camp Chef big stoves I can't tell you which one when I bought it they only had one, now the have several. mine was made in the USA, says so right on it. this stove is like 35 years old and do you know what I have never had any issues with it.

so in retrospect my overall assessment is Camp Chef is not what it once was but it is still the best portable oven out there next to Dutch Ovens. however you can't use Dutch Ovens when there is a burn ban.

highdesertranger

 

[Travelmonkey]

My parents have one for use at their home; they don't move it. It works well the past 3-4 years w/o issues.

 

[HalfShadows]

I have 5 month use with one.  Love cooking with the burners, nice range top. The only issue I have is the oven tends to get hotter on one side burning the bottom of my biscuits,pizza, rolls etc.... I have found I have to rotate the cookie sheet during the baking process and keep a eye on it.
I did some research and found others with the same issue. Their resolution is placing a pizza stone on the bottom rack to even out the heat. Also the added bonus of a pizza stone is it retains most of the heat when opening the oven door during checks. 

I ordered a pizza stone today and will test it. I love my gravy and biscuits

 

[fraz627]

Thanks for everbody's input.. I was thinking of getting one or a used RV stove oven combo. will try the Camp chef first.