Folks who know me understand that cooking is one of my favorite activities. This is true whether I’m at home or in the wilderness. That’s why I recently published a feature on the best overlanding cooking accessories!
Cooking is a relaxing and enjoyable experience – provided you have the appropriate tools and space. Ticking those boxes when you’re at home is a pretty straightforward process; doing so while you’re overlanding is a bit of a different story, with limited space in your rig for cooking essentials.
That’s where the top overland kitchens of 2024 come in!
In the guide below, I dive deep into five of the best overland kitchens on the market today. While this isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, the kitchen units I’ve included have the specs, features, functionality, and ease of use that you need to satisfy your chef tendencies no matter where you’re camping.
With that, let’s get to the list!
Table of Contents
- CargoKits
- Goose Gear Ultimate Chef Package
- Overland Kitchen EXL Truck & Van Kitchen
- Nomad Kitchen Company CV Kit
- Goose Gear Ultimate Chef and Sleep Package
Top Overland Kitchens of 2024: CargoKits
If you’ve spent any amount of time overlanding in your Jeep, 4Runner, or another SUV, you know that space is at a premium. You also know that your gear can get very disorganized very quickly!
But that’s where having an overland kitchen in your vehicle can come in handy…
Not only does something like a CargoKit offer you a much more functional cooking space for your adventures, but it also helps you keep your kitchen items, food, and related accessories neatly organized and stored out of the way. In that regard, it’s a win-win!
But not all overland kitchens are made alike…
What caught my eye with CargoKits is that they’re made with aluminum (to save weight without sacrificing strength) and composite HDPE panels. Using composite panels like this eliminates the use of coated plywood and all the problems associated with that material, like the propensity for rot and mold.
Aside from the top-notch choice of materials, these overland kitchens are impeccably made, as you’d expect from a family-owned and veteran-owned business! The attention to detail really is impressive, with a level of functionality that you don’t see in all kitchen modules.
For example, the CargoKitchen is designed and built for specific vehicles, so it fits like a glove. Its setup and teardown take just seconds, so you can grab what you need, cook dinner, or wash dishes, then put everything away quickly so you can get back to adventuring.
Moreover, the CargoKitchen boasts all sorts of amenities to improve camp life. For example, the 5th-Gen 4Runner kit features storage space (with customizable foam inserts) for your kitchen accessories, a two-burner cooktop for getting your dinner cooked, and a five-gallon potable water tank. Additionally, this kit includes all sorts of other essentials:
- A pop-down basin sink with a quick-connect water port, a faucet, and hand spray adapters
- A heavy-duty refrigerator or cooler slide-out (the unit is prewired with a standard 12V socket and a 2-pin locking socket, so you can add your own fridge or cooler)
- An integrated amber courtesy lighting
- A USB outlet with a voltmeter
This unit is also compatible with a transfer pump, so you can use a tankless water heater for showering or transferring water from another vessel into the onboard five-gallon tank. If you have a Jeep or Bronco, your CargoKitchen is virtually identical to the 5th-Gen 4Runner model. The primary difference is that it includes a three-gallon onboard water tank.Â
CargoKits has a CargoKitchen II as well. It features all the same goodies as the original CargoKitchen but adds the flexibility of a drawer system. This gives you far more storage space while also doubling how much water you can carry.
Standard features include a storage drawer, Dometic Go Hydration water faucet, and an easy-fill water system that enables you to fill the water tank from any potable spigot.
Additionally, the CargoKitchen II offers up to 15 gallons of water storage, depending on your vehicle. And with an auto shutoff safety system, you don’t have to worry about overflowing the water tank! You can supplement these standard features with a host of options, too, including a Dometic drawer refrigerator, a lithium auxiliary battery system, and a sleeping platform.
The CargoKitchen is available for 4Runners, LandCruisers, and Jeeps. But, because CargoKits aims to please, you can contact them to have a custom kitchen built for your rig. In other words, you can get a well-designed, beautifully made overland kitchen while supporting made-in-the-USA products from a family-run, veteran-owned business. What’s not to like about that?!
Top Overland Kitchens of 2024: Goose Gear Ultimate Chef Package
Another top option for your overland kitchen needs in 2024 is the Goose Gear Ultimate Chef Package. The model shown above and below is specifically for 2015-2018 Jeep JKU models available at BTR Outfitters. However, various other models are also available from BTR Outfitters, including 5th Generation Subaru Outbacks, 6th Generation Outbacks, 5th Generation 4Runners, and 5th Generation RAV4s, to name a few.
If you’re old-school, there’s an Ultimate Chef Package for you, too! You can get one of these kitchens for your 100-Series Land Cruiser and 200-Series ‘Cruiser as well.
But the big question is this: what comes with this overland kitchen setup?
Going back to the Jeep JKU package, the base of the kit is the JKU Rear Plate System. This plate is engineered to support the kitchen setup while also maximizing the available storage space. What’s more, the rear plate provides a stable and secure platform for the Ultimate Chef Package; that way, things aren’t rocking and rolling while you’re preparing your food.
On the one hand, this overland kitchen has a right-side slide with space for a stove and a cooler. On the other hand, Goose Gear includes a drop-down table with a pull-out cutting board to give you the necessary prep space for whatever campsite meal you want to prepare.
A moment ago, I noted this kitchen offers tons of storage space. That’s no joke! There’s a Double Drawer Module that provides room for cookware, utensils, pantry items, and whatever other goodies you need for your overland kitchen setup.
On top of that, Goose Gear includes JKU Cubbies, which offer compact storage for small items like spices. Alongside the larger drawers, these cubbies help you keep your overland kitchen neatly organized with everything within easy reach.
In other words, this kitchen setup is one of my top picks because of its compact footprint, huge amounts of storage, and a high level of functionality that makes cooking all the easier. It’s just what you want for cooking while overlanding!
Learn more about the Goose Gear Ultimate Chef Package
Top Overland Kitchens of 2024: Overland Kitchen EXL Truck & Van Kitchen
Thankfully, all overland kitchen modules are for SUVs…
If you travel in a truck or a van, Overland Kitchen has what you need with its EXL kitchen unit. As the name notes, this model fits perfectly in trucks or vans with five feet or more space. So, whether you have a Jeep Gladiator like me, a campervan, or a full-size truck, this robust kitchen could be exactly what you’re looking for.
The central component of the EXL kitchen unit is a monstrous 58-inch pull-out drawer. The drawer features a seamless telescoping mechanism, so the kitchen effortlessly extends to give you all the kitchen cooking space and storage you could ever need.
The workspace is made of food-grade stainless steel. The non-porous surface makes it easy to clean and sanitize while also eliminating the risk of lingering food odors.
The EXL kitchen has tons of other notable features as well. For example, there are dedicated compartments for a stove and fridge. In addition to that, you’ll find storage cubbies and cabinets for other necessities, like your pots, pans, cutlery, and cooking utensils.
Of course, all this storage space and functionality comes with impeccable durability, too. The unit’s drawer is made of cold-rolled carbon steel with a black powder-coated finish to enhance durability that much more.
On top of all that, Overland Kitchen built this unit with dust-proof sealing. So, even if your overland trips take you on dusty trails or the desert, the interior of the EXL kitchen will remain clean.
Add in heavy-duty latches, washable metal dust filters, and adjustable slides to the mix, and you have a recipe for the ultimate overland kitchen for your truck or van!
Learn more about the Overland Kitchen EXL
Top Overland Kitchens of 2024: Nomad Kitchen Company CV Kit
The Nomad Kitchen Company CV Kit is their most versatile, low-profile unit. Given its compact size (it’s just 25″ deep x 33.25″ wide x 7.75″ high), it’s an ideal option if your overlanding vehicle is a small crossover or wagon, subcompact SUV, or small van. You can also put this overland kitchen in a trailer!
The CV kit comes with a host of standard features that make cooking while you’re overlanding a much easier task. For example, the kitchen comes with a GSI Selkirk 540 two-burner stove, a utensil roll, and a propane tank bag. What’s more, you get a packing cube basket for organizing small kitchen items.
On top of that, Nomad Kitchen gives you all the components you need for a water setup:
- Packing cube washbasin
- Dometic water faucet
- 11-liter Dometic water jug
And to ensure the kitchen unit stays put, you get a proprietary universal mounting strap system and all the necessary hardware to strap the kitchen down. This unit also comes with heavy-duty locks that keep the unit closed, even if the terrain you’re navigating is really rough.
Despite its small size, the Nomad Kitchen CV offers the durability and functionality to support up to 200 pounds. The exterior shell does even better – it’s rated to support up to 400 pounds on top.
In other words, this system is yet another excellent option for your cooking needs while you’re out discovering this big, beautiful world we live in!
Learn more about the Nomad Kitchen Company CV Kit
Top Overland Kitchens of 2024: Goose Gear Ultimate Chef and Sleep Package
If you prefer to split the space in your vehicle between cooking and sleeping, the Goose Gear Ultimate Chef and Sleep Package is right up your alley…
As with the Ultimate Chef Package described earlier, BTR Outfitters is the place to go for one of these rigs. They have numerous options available:
- 5th Generation Subaru Outback
- 6th Generation Subaru Outback
- 80-Series Toyota Land Cruiser
- 200-Series Toyota Land Cruiser
- 5th Generation Toyota RAV4
Obviously, what makes this overland kitchen attractive is that it’s a comprehensive solution for cooking and sleeping while you’re traveling. Goose Gear achieves this by focusing on the extreme use of space and efficiency.
For example, the 80-Series Land Cruiser kitchen starts with a plate system that secures the various components of the unit in place. One of those components is the CampKitchen 2.2, which offers a versatile cooking station with room for a stove and fridge alike. In fact, the CampKitchen 2.2 boasts a slide-out tray designed to house your favorite single or double-burner stove.
This unit also features a Single Drawer Module. This module gives you a space that’s both wide and deep for storing your cooking essentials. Not only that, but it’s storage space beneath the sleeping platform to pull double duty.
Behind the CampKitchen 2.2 is a mini-module featuring lockable storage. Keep your valuables inside and out of sight for added security when you’re biking, or tackling other adventures.
This overland kitchen extends into the back of the vehicle, thanks to the Second Row Delete Platforms and Storage. So, you get additional flat space for sleeping. You also get improved storage capacity. Nice!
If you love to cook and sleep (who doesn’t?!), this overland kitchen-sleeping platform hybrid could be just what the doctor ordered for your 2024 overlanding adventures!
Learn more about the Goose Gear Ultimate Chef and Sleep Package
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