Another cooker question, gimballing your own cooker

[Peter]

Had look at some of the caravan website and they seem to do cookers cheaper than the yachting websites, wonder why? As they are not gimballed anybody fitted gimbals to a non-gimballed cooker, i.e. same caravan cooker. And if yes does this fall foul of any gas safety regs etc. Another option I had thought about was a fixed oven/grill, current arrangement and making a gimballed cooker top with a standard hob in a “box” and gimballing the box. Again does this go against common sense and gas safety regs.

Peter

 

[DownWest]

A few points to note: Allow for full saucepans when setting your pivot points and if gimballing the whole unit, fit a lock so that when you open the oven door the whole thing doesn't lean forward and tip the casserole out. (and make sure the door has a positive lock)
Properly installed flex hoses are OK, sorry don't know about Corgi. Isn't that for inland waterways?
A

 

[Robin]

I'm pretty sure you can still buy gimbals separately or you could easily make your own which I did many years ago to fit a Flavel Vanessa stove with oven. I used a simple S/S bolt through a small S/S plate in the grill area with a nylon tube over the extended thread to pivot on a wooden block, diamond bearings aren't needed! You will need to do some careful experimentation to find the balance point and as another reply has said remember that a heavy pan on top will have a pronounced effect. I think the pivot point is best set as high as is practical but consistent with still having adequate room for the unit to swing through an adequate arc. A weight on the base of the cooker can help slow the swing too. Also as said a means of locking the cooker is essential as is a positive lock on the oven door, both are fairly easy to arrange. However some system of pan clamps is needed as well as gimbals and often these or at least a rail comes with proprietary gimbals, although I've seen net curtain wire (stripped of plastic cover!) used for this.

 

[ailsaboat]

Also, the cooker will look and work better(gimbal wise) if it pivots on it's centre line - more or less.
Then you may need to add a weight in the bottom(usually towards the rear - the door seems to be the heaviest bit!) to make it sit level. This also helps keep it more stable.
And don't forget - some of the caravan type ovens are made quite cheaply, with thin pressed tin sides -so when buying make sure you can get them off to add reinforcement to carry all the weight.

 

[ailsaboat]

I have also seen (but only on a small oven) where they made a 'cradle' for the whole thing to sit in - harder to make it look neat, but does away with the strengthening issuses

 

[Salty John]

I prefer to have a system that locks the cooker at a choice of angles rather than a fully gimballed unit. We found that vertical plus one position on each tack covered all needs.
I never liked the sensitivity of a fully gimballed cooker - open the oven door and the soups in your lap! I realise I'm probably in the minority on this.

Whatever you do fit a gimbal lock.

 

[Gordonmc]

I used to have a Parker two-burner-hob/oven/grill which was cheap as chips and the same size as a Plastimo, so would take its gimbals and pan-clamp assembly which can be bought separately.
It is still giving service in a friend's boat as I took the decision to get rid of gas, but found I had to lock the gimbals whenever I used the cooker. As others have said, opening the oven door threw the balance out. My present (alcohol) oven is fixed and I don't miss the drama.
Do you really need gimbals?