Propane grills are fast and convenient, but you can’t beat the taste of cooking over a campfire. The last thing you want when camping is to struggle with the rusted up grill attached to the fire ring. Having a nice grill grate for cooking over the fire can make the experience much more enjoyable for you.

There are several main features to look for when selecting a grill. Size, mounting style, quality and additional features. When it comes to size you need to determine how many campers you will usually be cooking for and base your selection on that.

For mounting style, I prefer stake mounted. Stake mounted grills naturally have a height adjustment and can be swiveled away for the fire if needed. Tripod mounts allow more height adjustment, but you have to worry about a swinging grill. Lastly freestanding models are simple and easy to use, but allow not height adjustment to control the heat.

Lastly quality and additional features are just based on your preference and budget. Below are several great options for your next camping trip.

Best Campfire Grill Grate

The Perfect Campfire Grill, Pioneer

My pick for the best campfire grill is the Pioneer Perfect Campfire Grill. I love this grill for several reasons.

What You Get

The grill comes with the following pieces, Grill Grate, locking bolt, 2-piece pole, wrench set, pot holder and oven mitt and a storage bag. The grill and pole stores conveniently in the bag keeping everything together and preventing the grill from making a mess of anything else when not in use.

Campfire Grill Setup

Setting up the grill is quick and easy. The 2-piece pole simply screws together and is tightened with the included wrenches. One thing to note is you must use the wrenches, hand tightening is not enough to keep them securely locked when hammering the pole into the ground. If the sections do come lose they must be re-tightened or you can damage the threads, I learned this the hard way. I usually locate the pole just outside of the fire ring this should center the grill over the fire. Once the pole is tight in the ground the grill can be added. Just start the locking bolt in the threaded hole in the grill and slide it down the pole to the desired height then hand tighten the bolt to lock everything in place.

Cooking

If you need to adjust the height of the grill while cooking the bolt can be loosened slightly and the grill will stay not fall then all you need to do is lift up on the front and back at the same time and it will slide up and down the pole.

If you ever need to quickly get the food away from the heat the entire grill can be rotated and moved away from the fire. This is also helpful if you need to add more wood to the fire while cooking.

The 18” round cooking surface is large enough to cook for about 6 people. One great feature of this grill is the raised lip around the edge. This prevents hotdogs and brats from rolling of the side while you are cooking or flipping your food.

Cleanup and Storage

When we are done cooking I clean the grill with a wire brush then remove it from the post in a matter of seconds to open up the fire ring leaving the post ready to re-attach the grill next time you need it. We cook over the fire almost every day while camping. With this grill I setup the pole when we arrive and the grill is ready to go with only about a 1 minute setup when we need it.

When it’s time to head home I put the grill in the bag. Then remove the pole, separate the 2 pieces wipe them off with a paper towel and put them in the bag, and the grill is ready for the next trip.

Need something larger?

If you are looking for something a little larger the Original Perfect Campfire grill has a huge 20” x 25” grill grate. This grill has all the same features as the pioneer, but with a larger grill grate. This is the grill I currently use because we do a lot of camping with large groups. The large cooking surface is perfect if you are camping with a big group of people or if you want to cook several different things at the same time. I have cooked steaks for 10 people on this grill and still had some open space. The large rectangular space is also convenient when you need to get something right over the heat while keeping other items off to the side where it’s not quite a hot. One of our favorite camping meals is hot dogs and mac-n-cheese. We make the mac-n-cheese in individual foil pans that we start in the middle of the grill, then after they have cooked for a while there is plenty of room to move them off to the side to keep cooking while the hot dogs get put on the middle over the direct heat.

Grilling Accessories

Heat Resistant Gloves

When cooking over an open fire everything will get hot. A pair of heat resistant gloves makes it safe and easy to adjust your grill grate. This glove made from Dupont Nomex can withstand temperatures up to 480 degrees F. It also has a large cuff to protect your wrist while reaching out to adjust your grill or take it off the fire. The glove can be worn on your right or left hand, I recommend getting 1 for each hand.

Grill Brush

Keeping a grill brush in your RV is a must. Brush your grill off after every use to keep it ready to go and to keep your RV storage compartment clean. The Quality United 3-in-1 grill brush is a great choice. This brush has a long 18” handle to keep you away from the heat. The design has three brush heads for faster and more thorough cleaning of your campfire grill grate. Unlike some cheaper grill brushes this one is rustproof made from high quality plastic and stainless steel.

Adjust-A-Grill

The Adjust-A-Grill is another great option if you are looking for a stake mount grill grate. You get a 16” x 16” grill, support stake and a canvas storage bag. The grill is made from welded steel with a black heat resistant coating. The mounting stake is 24” long so don’t plan on getting this grill too high above the fire.

Setup and Use

Like the Perfect campfire grill, you need to hammer the stake into the ground next to your fire ring. After the stake is secured slide the grill grate over the stake and tighten the t-handle to lock it in place. Height adjustments and rotation is done by loosening the t-handle, moving the grill and tightening it back up. After the grill has cooled the included storage bag gives you a place to store everything for your next trip.

User Impressions

Pros:
• Storage bag
• Sturdy enough for a dutch oven
• Heavy gauge metal grate

Cons:
• Smaller grill area
• Mounting stake could be longer for more stability
• No edge to prevent food from rolling off the grill

Sunnydaze Tripod Grilling Set

The Sunnydaze Tripod Grill consists of a freestanding tripod frame, chain and grill grate. Three versions are available featuring either a 19, 22 or 24 inch diameter grill grate. For this review, I will focus on the 24 inch version which provides the most room for cooking. The tripod and grill grate are constructed from steel that has been coated with temperature resistant paint. The chain is zinc plated to prevent corrosion.

Setup and Use

Setting up the grill is quick and easy. To set the tripod simply snap the 2-piece legs together and connect them at the top. Then spread the legs over the fire ring. When setup the legs are about 37” apart fitting around most fire rings. Once setup the tripod is 55” tall. Next attach the long chain to the tripod and the 3 shorter chains from the bottom of the long chain to the grill grate. The height of the grill grate is adjustable from about 14” to 23” above the ground. Height adjustment is made where the chain connects to the tripod. When not grilling the tripod can also be used to hang a dutch oven over the campfire.

User Impressions

Pros:
• Easy to setup
• Compact storage with 2-piece leg design
• Large cooking surface

Cons:
• Legs can be wobbly
• Grill grate is not design to prevent food from falling off edges.
• Can be difficult to flip and move meat because hanging grate can swing

Texport Heavy Duty Barbecue Swivel Grill

This stake mounted campfire grill is sturdy, easy to setup and compact to store. All components are coated with a high temperature paint to protect the steel construction. The grill comes with a large 24” x 16” grill grate and a 24” vertical support stake.

Setup and Use

Setting up the grill is a simple as pressing the stake into the ground next to your fire ring and attaching the grate. The support stake features a wedge welded to the bottom that you can step on the secure the stake in the ground. The wedge also prevents the stake from moving when the grate is moved. The grill grate is attached to the stake using 2 quick release latches. These latches make it easy for you to adjust the height or rotate the grill away from the fire. The grate can be adjusted to any height on the stake allowing you to adjust the heat when cooking.

User Impressions

Pros:
• Sturdy, can hold a cast iron skillet or dutch oven
• Large cooking surface
• Easy setup and adjustment

Cons:
• Stake is not solid and can fail if placed in fire or bent
• Can be difficult to secure stake in hard ground
• No edge to prevent food from rolling off the grill

Texport Heavy Duty Over Fire Camp Grill

If you are looking for a simple freestanding campfire grill this is the one for you. This 24” x 16” grill grate features folding legs and is made of welded steel.

Setup and Use

There isn’t much to setting this grill up. Simply unfold the legs and place over your campfire. With the legs opened up the grill surface is about 8 to 9 inches above the ground. This grill grate can also be placed on top of a fire ring with the legs folded. The grill is sturdy enough to hold a large cast iron pot for more than just grilling.

User Impressions

Pros:
• Sturdy
• Large grill grate

Cons:
• Paint burns off
• Low height above ground

Coghlans Camp Grill

If you are looking for a low cost simple grill to place over your campfire the Coghlans Camp Grill has you covered. This 24” x 12” grill is light weight and constructed from nickel plated steel. The nickel-plated finish will not chip or burn off like some of the other painted grills. This grill has 2 legs that fold out, giving the grill a height of about 7” above the ground. With the low cost and light weight I would consider purchasing 2 of these and placing the side by side to give you a larger 24” x 24” grilling area.

Setup and Use

All you have to do to setup this grill is unfold the legs and place it over your campfire. Like similar grills this grill grate can also be placed on top of a fire ring with the legs folded, or placed on blocks to raise it higher above the fire. The grill is sturdy enough to hold a large cast iron pot for more than just grilling. One half of the grill grate has a closer spacing. When cooking hot dogs you have to use that side otherwise they will fall through and end up in the fire.

User Impressions

Pros:
• Low Cost
• Nickel-plated finish
• Compact and light weight

Cons:
• Small size
• No height adjustment
• No edge to prevent food from rolling off the grill

Conclusion

Once you grill that steak or those burgers to perfection you don’t want to put in on a flimsy paper plate do you, check out this article for my recommendations on some great dishes that will hold up while your RV bounces down the road.