The Perfect Portable RV Fire Pit & Grill Exists…And I’ve Seen It

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Man cooks brats and vegetables on Firebrand RV fire pit and grill.

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The Firebrand Portable RV Fire Pit And Grill Has A Clever Design

Sometimes you see something that is so clever and interesting you just have to know more. Such is the case with the portable RV fire pit and grill by Firebrand, dubbed the Crucible, which I discovered at the recent Fun Town RV show. After observing the representative demonstrate this unique RV fire pit and grill to a few interested showgoers, I finally walked over to see this new wonder for myself. 

The product was designed and engineered in New Zealand, but the materials are cut and assembled in Dallas, Texas, thus accounting for their presence here at the RV show in Arlington, Texas. I was able to see and handle the Firebrand Crucible, and I walked away fairly impressed, particularly by the ingenuity on display.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one interested. By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, Fireband had sold off all of their show demo stock, traveling home with nothing but a few brochures and a fistful of additional orders.

Crucible by Firebrand – Clever, functional, and attractive

The Crucible cleverly uses trapezoidal “leaves” that can be used as feet for the grill, wind guards to protect the fire, and grill plate supports. These leaves also come with their own handy carrying bag, one of two which allow you to store and carry the portable RV fire pit and grill in a space just three-inches thick. Finished in matte black, the leaves are precision cut but with pristine edges that won’t have you searching for a Band-Aid.

These leaves fit into the round base of the Crucible grill. Insert three leaves on the bottom, and you have a sturdy, raised foundation for the base. The rest of the finely machined leaves that come with the portable RV fire pit are used in varying combinations to create smokeless heat, shield portions of the fire from the wind, provide multiple tiered cooking surfaces at varying points around the fire, and of course, provide a wonderful campfire. 

Top view of the firebrand crucible with leaves expanded and grill plates added.
Top view of the Firebrand Crucible with leaves expanded and grill plates added

Not cooking? No problem. The Crucible Portable RV Fire Pit and Grill is a fantastic place to create that perfect campfire. By angling and adjusting the leaves, you can create wind-free hot spots to create the perfect s’more or comfortably redirect heat from those that want to be close to the action but have less tolerance for the flames. You’ll find a myriad of combinations of opened leaves, closed leaves, and grill platters to customize your cooking preference and/or your RV fire pit experience.

Up to three easy-to-clean carbon steel grill plates, offering a total of 340 square inches of surface area, can rest on individual leaves at two different heights to get that perfect sear or simmer on your campfire goodies. You can also close them all and perch a single grill plate on the top to create a smoke-like cook for your favorite dishes.

Who is the portable RV fire pit and grill for?

Campers looking for an RV fire pit they can count on, rather than relying on the omg-what-did-the-last-camper-burn-here fire pit already at their campsite, will appreciate knowing what they are getting into (or perhaps not getting into). Cleaning out someone else’s trash so you can use the fire pit is no fun.

Savvy outdoor chefs wanting the additional space and temperature flexibility of the Crucible will appreciate the ability to fine-tune various spots for tailoring the heat or smoke to their particular needs. These same chefs also prefer not to cook dinner over someone else’s cigarette butts or pull tabs. Bringing your own RV grill and fire pit to the campsite ensures you can enjoy only your cooking.

Off-grid enthusiasts and boondockers will appreciate having a full-featured RV fire pit with them wherever they go. These RVers especially will like the fully flattened storage profile that the Firebrand Crucible presents.

Portability 

RVers need portability. Any quality grill or fire pit is going to have some weight to it. The fully loaded Crucible with all the fixin’s runs around 52 lbs, but when packed up in its two carrying cases, it is only three-inches thick, and that weight is dispersed between the two cases. This portability comes with the convenience of assembling and disassembling this RV fire pit using no tools.

This also means you can set up the Crucible wherever you want. Not every RV is the same, and if a fire pit is in an inconvenient location at your campsite, there’s not much you can do about it. With this portable RV fire pit, however, you set it up wherever you want.

The Crucible is expandable and versatile, showing burning coals and grill plates with food in ad-form.
The Crucible is expandable and versatile.

Durability of the Crucible RV fire pit

One thing I was concerned about with this RV fire pit was the heat. Specifically, can the fire get hot enough to warp the leaves, and how long does it take the Crucible to cool down? Given the name, I had high expectations. It was time to find out the real numbers. I asked Firebrand the representative these two questions. 

Will a hot fire warp the Crucible?

Firebrand created the Crucible RV fire pit and grill from corten steel. Corten steel is unique in that it is incredibly strong and heat resistant and can sustain a light surface rust with no appreciable degradation at all.

It was originally designed for railroad coal wagons, and it’s often used for outdoor metal structures. This means that even if you leave your grill outside for a few weeks and it gets a layer of surface rust, no harm done. 

Of course, this great strength lends itself to exceptional heat resistance, so you can enjoy that hot fire without worrying about warping your grill. The grill plates you cook on are made from carbon steel and should be treated with a little cooking oil and wiped down after each use. 

How fast does the Crucible cool down?

Because all of the Crucible’s parts are flat, once you have removed the heat source (i.e. putting out the fire or letting it die), the grill should cool very quickly. Properly putting out your campfire in the evening will allow you to pack up the RV fire pit in the morning when you are ready to hit the road.

Accessories

One of the most interesting accessories hanging around the Firebrand booth was their trident-like fire poker, officially dubbed The Infernorator. With the heft and spearlike qualities that Aquaman would enjoy, this seemingly innocuous tool offered more than just a way to stir coals or poke wood. The two tines at the end of the poker fit into the leaves, allowing you to manipulate them, regardless of their temperature. 

The firebrand infernorator fire poker
The Infernorator is Firebrand’s unique take on a hi-tech fire poker.

We all love blowing on dying embers to get them flaming again, but high heat and respect for our eyebrows usually keeps us in check. The Infernorator has a tapered blow-through hole running through its marine-grade stainless steel, and a trumpet-esque flange at the end of the Austrailan-wrapped saddle leather handle, allowing you to blow forcefully into the fire, stoking up the embers from a safe 30 inches away.

Comparison

Although the Firebrand rep handed me a handy comparison sheet, in my own research it seemed that the competition focused mainly on non-collapsible devices that were more expensive with none of the same portability.

As an RV owner, I have no idea where I would put something that didn’t completely break down like the Crucible did. If I was looking for something shiny as a permanent structure in my backyard, then perhaps I might be willing to invest the additional funds in something else. RVers looking for functionality and portability should definitely examine the Firebrand Crucible.

Learn more about the Firebrand Crucible

The Crucible Portable RV Fire Pit and Grill by Firebrand is a really interesting solution to solving three problems with one product. You get a multi-level grill, an RV fire pit, and the portability and compact footprint that RVers need. Visit firebrandus.com for more information and pricing.


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