Switch out oven in favor of Microwave

I never thought about it until now, but I think we use the TM oven more often than we use the oven at home.

Our 2005 2720SL has a factory installed microwave/convection oven combination. Initially we thought that would. Our camping is mostly in state parks and national recreation areas here in East Texas. The sites we use have always had hook-ups. One night trying to cook cornbread in the oven we found that the convection oven will not heat up to 450 degrees. It took a very long time to cook cornbread that night. Another time we had a similar experience trying to cook a peach cobbler. We have said that given the choice, we would have taken a conventional gas oven and purchased a separate, small microwave. The convection oven will do biscuits o.k., but anything requiring 400 degrees or more you really need to plan for a longer cook time. Also, unless you are familiar with a convection oven trying to figure out the length of cook time is frustrating.

Do others have this combiantion oven, and if so how do you manage problems like this?

Jmburg
2005/ 2720 SL
2004 Dodge 4.7 pick-up

We have the oven. I would not trade it. That opinion was reinforced just this past week. I just finished a three-week trip to the Maine coast and back. I had full hook-ups at every campground. Still, on my return, when I stopped at the campground in PA, a huge thunderstorm with high winds struck just as I was starting to set up and the girls and I actually had to wait it out in the car because the winds were so fierce. Once it died down enough that I could actually set up, I found that the electric was out - for the whole campground and the surrounding area - and it hadn't been restored by the time we pulled out the next morning. Still, I was able to cook dinner and even make a coffee cake for breakfast the next morning with the propane cooktop/oven combo and the fridge and water heater ran just fine on propane so, other than limiting the use of lights once it got dark, we weren't much put out by the lack of electricity even though we hadn't bothered bringing our generator along on the trip with us.

[B_and_D]

I wouldn't trade our oven for a microwave. We do bring along a microwave (we took out our side a/c and put a microwave in instead), but I'd much rather have the oven than the microwave. Our stove & oven are one single appliance. We do more dry camping than hookup camping, and a microwave won't work without an inverter and/or a generator (I do have one of each now, but I remember the good old days without either).

We have a factory installed combo unit, and wished we didn't. We echo the comments made by BobandKaren above. Ours crashed through the weak supports on our third trip out. That was fixed under warranty. Since then, I have attempted to fix it myself twice. I think that I have it supported from below enough, but being right over the axle, it still bounces a great deal and has started to break out the cross member cabinet piece above it.

It is also very underwhelming as an oven. I highly suspect that it gets no where near the 450 degrees the manufacturer claims.

We wish we had a conventional oven.

We agree with the oven brigade, and faced the same choice when we ordered our TM. We have a microwave on the counter and use it (when we have 110), but given the choice there is no way we would give up the oven. And our opinion doesn't even take into consideration the mounting problems apparent with the built in microwave.

If you do supplement with a walmart micro, test them for weight. Some are lighter than others.

Speaking of WalMart Microwave, I bought one of them cheapo's and it lasted 5 minutes before it smoked. Took it back for exchange and there was a nation wide recall on those. Another fine product from China!!

We have the microwave/combo, and find its operation confusing. This is the first time we have seen such an appliance and I vote for the old school oven with a carry on micro.

Well, I just took our factory-installed convection microwave out of the cabinet so hopefully no more cabinet repairs when we tow it from here (Johnson City, TN) to San Diego in about three weeks. It was easy to remove and we'll carry it on the floor and have gained some extra cabinet space.

Bob