When we bought our Grand Design Reflection 312BHTS, the outdoor kitchen felt like such a bonus feature. It had upper cabinets (woohoo more storage area!), a mini fridge (who couldn’t use more fridge space?), a small sink, and a pull-out stovetop (not making a mess inside, yes please!) — the kind of setup that looks amazing in photos and campground tours.
But after taking it out on a few trips and actually using our trailer the way we travel, we realized something:
We weren’t using it. At all. And it was taking up some of the most valuable storage space on the entire rig.
So, we removed it completely — and turned it into what we now call our RV garage.
And honestly? It’s one of the best modifications we’ve made.
What Our Outdoor Kitchen Originally Included
Our Reflection 312BHTS outdoor kitchen came with:
- Upper cabinets
- A mini fridge (110 power only — no propane option — huge downside)
- A small sink
- A pull-out two-burner stovetop
It’s a great setup for the right family. If you spend most of your time in RV parks, enjoy hosting friends outside, and cook outdoors regularly, this is probably a feature you’d love.
But that’s not us.
Why It Didn’t Work for Our Lifestyle
We do a lot of dry camping and boondocking, and the fridge only ran off 110 power. That meant unless we were hooked up to shore power, the fridge was useless.
And it took up a lot of space.
On top of that, we already cook outside on our Blackstone (which we love and use constantly), and we rarely ever used the sink. We needed more practical storage for the way we actually travel.
We dirt bike often, and Dustin brings tools. We carry helmets, riding gear, oils, lubricants, extra plumbing supplies, and all the random “RV life” items that add up quickly.
The outdoor kitchen just didn’t make sense for us anymore.
How We Turned Our Outdoor Kitchen into an RV Garage
So, we decided to take it all out. Everything.
Not just modify it. Not work around it. Remove it completely. It’s a little bit of a scary thought when you think about “What if we ever want to sell the trailer and someone is going to want all of this?”
But we couldn’t think that way. We had to do what felt right for us, for our trailer.
Once everything was stripped down, we were left with a wide, empty compartment — and suddenly we could actually see the potential.
We built sturdy shelving that ran the full width of the space with a vertical divider in the center for extra reinforcement. Then we stained the wood to match the interior tones of our trailer so it didn’t look like a random add-on — it looks intentional, like it was always meant to be there.
We sold the mini fridge, cabinets, and stove for a small amount, which helped offset the cost of the wood, screws, and stain. Overall, it came out to not be a huge expense — especially considering how much more functional the space is for us now.
What We Store in Our RV Garage Now
What we once called the outdoor kitchen, we now call our garage. And we absolutely love it. It holds our helmets and motorcycle gear, tools, the Blackstone, oils and lubricants, extra plumbing supplies, life jackets, river inner tubes, even our mini artificial Christmas tree and other random things we carry but don’t regularly use.
It’s even equipped with tool organizers, hooks for backpacks, a chemical cubby, and a charging station. It’s pretty awesome.
It’s functional.
It’s organized (for a garage).
It actually fits our lifestyle.
And we use it every single trip.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Do This
You might want to keep your outdoor kitchen if:
- You primarily stay in RV parks
- You cook outside often
- You enjoy socializing around your rig
- You use your outdoor fridge regularly
But if you:
- Dry camp often
- Boondock
- Travel full-time
- Carry gear-heavy hobbies (like dirt biking)
- Feel like you never use your outdoor kitchen (and could really use the extra storage)
It might be worth reconsidering how that space is serving you. For us, it was a huge waste of square footage and turning it into a garage was a complete game changer!
The Hall Family Travels Blog 
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