A new product gives pull-out convenience for everything you need to cook, including (literally) the kitchen sink.
Backcountry chefs can rejoice. Announced last month at an overland-vehicle expo, the Overland Kitchen adds the “convenience and capability of your home kitchen” to your vehicle.
While the cost is sky-high (see below) the unit looks slick. For dedicated overlanders who have big budgets, the product is a streamlined solution to save space and truly take it all with you.
Made by California-based Scout Equipment Co., the multi-part product was built for cooks to prep, cook, serve, and wash up at each meal. The company includes surfaces, compartments, and appliances that pull out and nest together.
Full Kitchen Convenience Anywhere
The large main drawer sits in a truck bed as you travel. Pull it out and the unit can hold hundreds of pounds.
It can include a sink with running water; a front-loading fridge; drawers and organizational inserts for all cooking utensils; food-prep surfaces; LED lighting; USB charging ports; and even a magnetic paper-towel holder.
There’s a water pump for the sink and power, and it all runs on an electrical system separate from the car with its own battery and charging system.
Made with an aluminum frame and HDPE skin, each Overland Kitchen is custom-built to order. Buyers pick the features they need, with starting prices around $5,500.
‘Truck Kitchen’ Bolts In Place
The kitchen comes bolted to a vehicle-specific base plate. For now, the Overland Kitchen works with Toyota 4Runner trucks.
Soon, the company will add compatibility for Sprinter vans, full-size pickups, Tacomas, and Jeep JK models.
Said Scout Equipment Co. co-founder Ryan Tarver, “We’ve spent a lot of time learning how people store, pack, and travel with their gear, and nine times out of ten they use Rubbermaid bins with a second-hand set of pots, pans, utensils, and more tossed in.”
When they get to their campsite, Tarver said, “that bin explodes all over because they can’t find the ONE thing they are looking for, and there becomes a lack of usable work surfaces at their disposal because they have so many items.”
If you’re hoping to build an ultimate overlanding setup, look to the Scout Equipment product to have your kitchen covered. It’s a pricey but slick solution for cooking and serving meal after meal out there in the wilds.
