Induction Cook Top

[ROCOMO]

1~ If power was not an issue would you exchange the propane cooktop for an induction cooktop?
 

2 ~ With the 2021 introduction of the 3000w inverter are there other limitations to an Oliver build that in boon docking mode would prevent offering a factory induction cooktop option?

Currently using a portable induction cooktop when on shore power.  It takes a little manual power management awareness.  In the winter months have not used the propane cooktop inside due to the extra moisture.  Would like an induction option on the next OTT however it sounds like they are not going to offer it even with the enhanced lithium power package with 3000w inverter.  Depending on feedback to #1 above it may be due to lack of interest.

 

 

[Ray and Susan Huff]

35 minutes ago, ROCOMO said:

1~ If power was not an issue would you exchange the propane cooktop for an induction cooktop?
 

2 ~ With the 2021 introduction of the 3000w inverter are there other limitations to an Oliver build that in boon docking mode would prevent offering a factory induction cooktop option?

Currently using a portable induction cooktop when on shore power.  It takes a little manual power management awareness.  In the winter months have not used the propane cooktop inside due to the extra moisture.  Would like an induction option on the next OTT however it sounds like they are not going to offer it even with the enhanced lithium power package with 3000w inverter.  Depending on feedback to #1 above it may be due to lack of interest.

 

 

We have a portable single "burner" induction cooktop that I use at home that we plan to use in the Oliver.  With our Lithium pro pkg and a generator, this is entirely possible.  However, I would not want to give up the propane cooktop as I like having as many options as possible, especially when it comes to cooking.  Examples: we generally carry a small portable LP tank, a Jet Boil Genesis Base Camp two burner stove, and a portable gas grill - appliances we have accumulated for various camping situations. It's nice to be able to cook outdoors, especially in warmer weather.  

We chose the no microwave option for our Elite II; instead we have a Breville Mini Smart toaster oven, which serves as an oven and can be used in an outdoor kitchen setup.  We have yet to camp in warm enough climate to cook outside and have not experienced a moisture problem cooking inside with the propane cooktop.  Ventilation is key and the Maxair fan is more than sufficient to remove any moisture resulting from cooking indoors.  It is an improvement over the Fantastic rain-sensor Fan in our Leisure Travel Van.  It was not reversible so only pulled air in, and the rain sensing function was annoying.

We are very happy with our Oliver as outfitted.  I wouldn't anticipate Oliver adding many new options as they streamline production during high demand so as not to compromise quality and customer service.  Perhaps when the pandemic subsides and the RV market returns to "normal" upgrades such as induction cooktops and compressor fridges will be offered.  

Edit: I'd like to add that even on shore power, you have to be aware of how many high wattage appliances you use concurrently.  Sometimes this can be tricky.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Ray and Susan Huff

[SeaDawg]

8 hours ago, ROCOMO said:

If power was not an issue would you exchange the propane cooktop for an induction cooktop?

Yes, of course.  I have an induction cooktop at home, and I  love it. But, for us, power is always an issue,  as we rarely have hookups.

2008 Elite shorty, two 105 amp hour agm batteries.  No inverter. So, an induction burner isn't a possibility for us. 

Edited March 29, 2021 by SeaDawg
Typos

[Mattnan]

I would consider it for the Ollie.  We also have an induction range at home for daily use.  It took a little practice, but we really like it.  It cools down so fast.  It also boils water very fast.  I know induction is becoming more common in the marine industry including sail boats.  One of the sailing YouTube channels, SV Delos changed to induction and run it mostly from solar and lithium batteries.  They do have a back up generator.  

[Overland]

An induction cooktop was in fact a brief option at one time though I don’t know if anyone ever ordered it. This was before lithium batteries and of course the larger inverter.

We considered it but ultimately decided that the combination of a gas cooktop plus a portable induction burner was the better option. However at the time, we were turned off by the quality of the more affordable portable units and opted to wait for the price of the better ones to come down. Still waiting.

But while we were waiting we realized that with the larger propane tanks, we can go for weeks even in mid winter running the furnace.  We also learned just how much of a battery suck our toaster oven is, and I assume an induction burner would be the same.  So induction isn’t really something on our list anymore, except that they’re just cool and I’d like to have one for the house at some point, just to have.

Heres a thread from way back then discussing the benefits of induction -

 

Edited March 29, 2021 by Overland

[SeaDawg]

19 hours ago, Mattnan said:

One of the sailing YouTube channels, SV Delos changed to induction and run it mostly from solar and lithium batteries.  They do have a back up generator.  

They also have 800 amp hours of lithium batteries on Delos. And other boats I've followed have even more battery power. And, they live full time on the boat.

I was skeptical about induction on sailboats, at the beginning. Worried that the magnetic field would mess with expensive electronics. And, also worried about non-gimballed, slippery ceramic cooktop underway. Wondered about the amp hours consumed. 

Several boats I've watched have added a slim silicon sheet for non-skid on the cooktop. Some have added a fiddle (railing), and some have re-used the gimbal of their old propane stove for a new electric/induction stove.

None of these are important in Ollies, where we only use the stove when stationary, of course. And ah consumption,  as reported, has been not as high as I would have expected. 

I could definitely see a good induction cooktop in an Ollie that had a way to power it. I love cooking with induction.  Fast, clean, minimal extra heat, no fumes, etc.

 

Edited March 29, 2021 by SeaDawg

[JRK]

I would not want a propane stovetop to be replaced with an induction cook surface, but I do use a portable induction cooktop whenever I had electricity. 

I will be cooking outdoors frequently. 

What I would like is for a decent propane cooktop to have been provided. I am afraid to use the provided cooktop as it is exceptionally lightweight and fragile. I am looking for a replacement. 

[SeaDawg]

Jrk, what cooktop is in the Elite these days? 

I don't think the SMEV from the first gen is available anymore. It's not much of a looker, but it sure has been reliable. Even with the skinny spider grates. I repainted them for the first time last week. 

Edited April 6, 2021 by SeaDawg

[Mike and Carol]

1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:

I don't think the SMEV from the first gen is available anymore. It's not much of a looker, but it sure has been reliable. Even with the skinny spider grates. I repainted them for the first time last week. 

I think the SMEV in our trailer is the same as yours.  Works well for us.

[JRK]

I have a dometic. It is different than the model listed in the user manual, but still dometic. 

John

[Mike and Carol]

9 hours ago, JRK said:

I have a dometic. It is different than the model listed in the user manual, but still dometic. 

John

Ours is Dometic also.

[SeaDawg]

Dometic bought SMEV over a decade ago. Dometic owns a lot of rv and marine companies that were once independent.  Big umbrella, now.

Edited April 6, 2021 by SeaDawg

[Mountainman198]

We are planning to keep the LP cooktop inside the camper.  It will only be used to heat water for coffee, tea and hot cereal as meal cooking will be done outside.  No plans on upgrading to portable induction as our current single and double burner portable electric cooktops work just fine.  It is always nice to have multiple methods and fuels with which to cook.  In addition to indoor propane and portable electric, we are also carrying a double burner propane stove, Weber Q series grill, wood-fired BioLite stoves and a small multi-fuel Primus stove.  Having not only a plan A and B but also C, D and maybe even E gives us peace of mind that hot drinks and meals are never far away.

 

[John Welte]

On 3/29/2021 at 6:36 AM, Overland said:

An induction cooktop was in fact a brief option at one time though I don’t know if anyone ever ordered it. This was before lithium batteries and of course the larger inverter.

We considered it but ultimately decided that the combination of a gas cooktop plus a portable induction burner was the better option. However at the time, we were turned off by the quality of the more affordable portable units and opted to wait for the price of the better ones to come down. Still waiting.

But while we were waiting we realized that with the larger propane tanks, we can go for weeks even in mid winter running the furnace.  We also learned just how much of a battery suck our toaster oven is, and I assume an induction burner would be the same.  So induction isn’t really something on our list anymore, except that they’re just cool and I’d like to have one for the house at some point, just to have.

Heres a thread from way back then discussing the benefits of induction -

 

We just got a Frigidaire 4 burner induction cook top for the house after our Amana halogen unit failed.   It's insanely fast.   This model was $900, but there were many in the $2000 range.   I like it.   I was thinking of getting a portable induction burner for the Ollie.   It looks like it might only be feasible with shore power.