Many road trippers live by the motto: Home is Where You Park It. We like to modify that time-honored mission statement to include this saucy take… home is where you can get your grill on.

We love traveling to beautiful places, and when you can cook and dine outdoors in these amazing locations, the RV travel lifestyle becomes deeper and more meaningful.

Here are a few of the essential grilling tools to take on the road:

An electric grill. While some might roll their eyes at the thought, we’ve been so pleased with how our well-seasoned smokeless grill performs. Plug it in, crank up the heat and dinner’s done in 10 minutes. Leslie’s favorite technique involves slapping a thick chop or steak on the surface at medium and cooking it slowly before finishing it on high. The reverse sear is a game changer! We’re looking to upgrade to a Weber Lumin.

Chipping in. Want to add some smoke to foods cooked on electric, gas or charcoal? Wood chips are brilliant. We lean towards hickory when pork’s on the grill, alder for salmon and apple for chicken. The debate rages on whether to soak or not before using. Dry wood burns faster, obviously, but some barbecuers soak the chips, even using beer or some type of flavored liquid. Not sure it’s worth the effort, but we’re open to hearing advice on this burning question.

Rubs, marinades and mops, oh, my. There are so many seasoning mixes out there, which is wonderful but can be kind of confusing. Most of the time, Leslie uses straight-up salt and pepper 10 minutes before cooking for a “quick cure” and then adds a little more for a finish. The process of mopping with a marinade usually applies to cooking meat low-and-slow, but it’s fun to play around with it on a variety of proteins.

Don’t forget the veggies. Chef Leslie sometimes starts veggies like potatoes and carrots and quartered onions on foil before moving them onto the high heat to add that caramelized quality. Season as you would the meat, before and after.

Classic sides: Whenever we gather for a cookout with friends and family, we invite everyone to bring their favorite accompaniments. For many years, that’s been Nana’s Potato Salad. This old-fashioned preparation is a tribute to Leslie’s grandmother, who wrote recipes out by hand on scraps of paper, even check deposit slips. The ingredients are simple and straightforward, but somehow when they’re combined, it’s extra special. If only someone in the crew could recreate her famous baked beans. (Check out our Facebook page for the potato salad recipe: https://www.facebook.com/goingmobiletravel.)

Yes, there will be s’mores: Nothing brings out the kid in everyone like hanging out by the campfire and toasting marshmallows, boasting about the proper technique. Do you have the patience to go for the golden hue or is it about lighting that sweet glob on fire? We recently introduced an upgrade to our s’mores formula, swapping out Hershey’s bars for Fran’s Dark Chocolate Sauce. That’s a deeply satisfying spread that takes the summer treat to the next level.

Serving with style:[1] [2]  While most al fresco feasts default to the easy paper plate scenario, we’ve been so happy we invested in some melamine plates that are sturdy enough to support our goal of using our laps as a table if necessary. We also are devoted to a colorful picnic tablecloth that’s waterproof and provides a eye-popping backdrop for our steady stream of food photos posted on our Going Mobile Travel Instagram story.

What’s on your grill this summer? We’d love to share your menus with fellow travelers and food fans. Drop your pics onto our Facebook page or tag us on Insta @jkn.nelson@gmail.com

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