I needed a portable gas grill. Heck, everyone who RVs needs a portable gas grill, right? After all, who wants to be “that guy”? You know who I’m talking about – that one guy who shows up to a campsite without the essentials. I mean, would other campers look at me funny if I rolled up in a 40′ diesel and had no grill? That guy on the right is looking at me funny even now.
See how happy they look? (Photo credit: SteveR via FlickrCC)I envisioned myself looking longingly at other people’s campsites as they enjoyed their evening festivities with the aroma of seared meat filling the air, my stomach grumbling something unintelligible to me…nope, I wasn’t going to let that happen.
It was decided. I wanted the best portable gas grill I could get.
Search for the Best Portable Gas Grill Begins
So, I’m hanging out on Twitter on our @RVWanderlust account, as I often do, and I was thinking about this whole portable gas grill thing. Like most folks, before I was a full-time RVer, I’d had the big industrial-sized grills at my home. But now that I was rollin’ heavy, with space at a premium, I had no clue where to start.
So I tweeted this:
The tweet that started the portable grill searchA friend that goes by the handle @CampsideChef was quick to respond. Without hesitating, he recommended Weber Grills’ portable line. He said he had a Q200 (and loved it) and that I should look into the Weber Grill product line.
And that’s where the problems began.
The Search for the Perfect Portable Grill Takes a Turn for the Worse
I love to grill. So naturally, I wanted the biggest, baddest grilling beast I could carry…So I checked out Weber’s website and found the Q3200. It was really sexy…in a very manly sort of way, of course. ~shifts eyes~
But I couldn’t tell from their website if it was indeed portable, so I tweeted this:
The tweet series with Weber Grills began with thisSince the Q3200 was no longer an option, I asked Weber what they would recommend from their product line if I wanted the biggest, baddest and best portable gas grill they made.
Weber told me a Q2200 would be the grill to get if I wanted their best portable gas grill.
So I began my local search. Naturally, I started by calling several local suppliers that were listed on the Weber website.
As I called around, sales reps must have thought I was from a different planet far into the future, where Weber made so many models that they had moved into quadruple digits.
What planet were these people living on? Are you seriously telling me you’ve never heard of the Q2200?(Photo credit: Kevin Standlee via FlickrCC)
Not one of them seemed to know what I was talking about when I asked for the Q2200 Weber portable gas grill. I’m sure it didn’t help matters much that I was looking to buy a 2014 model before the grill seasonal displays started showing up in stores.
Needless to say, I couldn’t find one anywhere. Store reps didn’t think these grills even existed. As you can imagine, I was getting pretty frustrated.
So I contacted Weber Grills directly. It turns out that in 2014, Weber Grills changed the names on their portable grills by adding a “0” at the end of each model number. Apparently I caught the window where Weber knew, but the local suppliers hadn’t been informed yet. The Q200 became the Q2000 and the Q220 became the Q2200, etc.
I realized the reps must just not be in the know. Regardless, we had a party scheduled for Saturday and I needed the grill by Friday. So in a fit of desperation, I went to at least 8 different local stores, only to be disappointed at each one as none of them had the Weber Q2200 portable gas grill.
@WeberGrills on Twitter Saves the Day
Weber Grills on TwitterSo I contacted @WeberGrills via Twitter, letting them know of my frustration.
Weber immediately began a Direct Message (DM) dialogue with me. Heather was the rep for Weber who was tweeting with me. I told her of this frustrating journey I had been on. Without hesitation, Heather took care of the situation. She emailed some folks at Weber and they placed a special order for me for a Q2200. Not only that, but they had it delivered to Breed and Co. in Austin. (I really appreciated that they went to a local business).
When I went to pick up my Weber Q2200 portable gas grill, to my surprise, Weber had gone an extra step and provided a complimentary hose and book for me!
But Is the Weber Q2200 the Best Portable Gas Grill?
I have to say I’ve been incredibly impressed. Not just with the customer service provided via their Twitter account, and the fact that they went the extra mile, but the grill itself is outstanding. Here are the specs:
- 280 sq. in. total cooking area
- Porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grates
- 12,000 BTU-per-hour stainless steel main burner
- Easy-start electronic ignition
- Cast aluminum lid and body
- Glass reinforced nylon frame
- Removable catch pan
- 2 sturdy fold-out tables (which fold in for compact storage)
We just got it last week, so I’ve only done a limited amount of grilling, but here is what I have to say:
Assembling the Weber Q2200 took 4 minutes and a Phillips head screwdriver- Assembly was a breeze. Took 4 minutes and only one tool needed, a Phillips head screwdriver.
- Grill heats up incredibly fast, so wait time for cooking is minimal. 2 minutes to 400+ degrees on high.
- Temperature gauge is on the grill, so there is no question as to what heat level you are at. There’s also an adjustable heat wheel.
- Meat cooks very evenly, no matter where on the grill it is placed.
- Clean up is a snap with the removable grease pan.
- Lightweight and very portable. The side tables fold in for storage once the grill is cool.
So there you have it, folks. I’ve had a lot of grills in my time. I thought I’d be disappointed downsizing to a portable gas grill, but I’m not disappointed in the least. The Weber Q2200 is a fantastic grill, and their social media customer service was outstanding.
If you have any questions at all, please comment. Weber didn’t pay me or ask me to write this article. These are just my personal thoughts on the grill.
Ready to grill – let’s do this!In my opinion, at under $300, you can’t go wrong with this unit.
See you out at the campsite. If you pull in and don’t have a grill, I promise I won’t look at you funny. There is always an extra plate at our campsite for you.
Happy grilling!
We own the Weber Q2200 and it’s top notch! Solidly made with even & reliable heat. Even if we hadn’t received it as a gift 🙂 I’d have gladly bought it.
Couldn’t agree with you more Chris. Have you found any “must try” recipes?
Hi Eric – I’ve just made steaks on the grill so far, but the grill did a stand up job on even extra thick steaks. I’ll break it out when the weather warms up. My flip flops just don’t want to go out in the cold and snow. 🙂 BTW, I see you’re in Austin Texas now…love Austin! Took my wife there for the first time last April and had a great time. I went to UT Austin for my Masters degree…epic 2 years on 6th Street (between studying, of course). Enjoy!
We definitely love Austin. It’s our home base. SXSW is about to hit and we’re getting out of dodge. It’s an awesome experience, but we have a wedding to go to in the Dallas area which is pushing us north.
As far as the grill goes, we’ve now done the standard hot dogs, hamburgers and bratwurst, but Weber sent me a grill book that I’m going through, a lot of great recipes in there to try. I’ll definitely share if I grill something epic. Oh and if you are ever in our neck of the woods Chris, there is always a plate for you.
Weber is awesome – 35 years ago we bought a Weber smoker. We still use it and it is not rusted or in bad shape. It’s an awesome grill and smoker. I would recommend Weber anytime. We don’t have one of these little jewels – but when the one purchased for us quits we will buy that grill for sure!
35 years! Wow!! Now that is a Weber testimony. You should tweet them at @WeberGrills and let them know. Send them a photo. If you ever do decide to get this little Q2200 you won’t be disappointed M. Thanks for the comment!
Okay, this looks great, but what about some of those ones that you can hang from the side of the rig with a dedicated gas line? We had the RVQ (I think) on our last rig but didn’t keep it when we traded for the Winnie. We still sort of hope for one of those hang on the side ones.
That’s a great question States. Honestly, I took a look at them and maybe it’s just the paranoid freak in me, but hanging anything that gets that hot right on my rig makes me nervous. Will it warp the side, melt the paint, catch fire to my rig? Yeah, I’m sure they’ve got all that down to a science or they wouldn’t be in business. But it still makes me a bit nervous.
The RVQII looks pretty solid. But IMO when you have a company like Weber-Stephen that has been around since 1893 and is American, I just gotta go with them. If you do get another hanging grill, let me know how it works out for you. I’d be interested to hear.
Hi Eric. Judy and I were parked next to you at Treetops for a couple of days, back when you were doing your roof care. The big thing I’d like to know is how well it stays lit during windy days. We spend our winters in Harlingen at the Tropic Winds RV park and it do get windy down there. Many days, getting or keeping the fire lit is a chore. Right now, I’m looking at the Char-Broil Grill2Go X200. We have a CB TRU-Infrared grill on our deck and it makes short work any grilling, but I don’t want to spring for one unless its good in the wind. what’s been your breezy day experience with the Weber?
Ahh yes, the ol’ wind issue. Ok, well honestly the Weber Q2200 has performed perfectly in wind and rain! I believe it is the aerodynamic shape of the shell that keeps the wind from affecting the burners, it seems as though the wind passes right over and under the grill and does not affect the flame production at all. The burner is a horseshoe shaped burner that sits a couple inches below the grill grate. So even when you need to open the lid to flip things around a bit, the wind doesn’t seem to affect the flame at all. Hope that helps, let me know what you go with!
Decided to go with the Char-Broil grill to go. First, it was only $109 via Amazon Prime. Second, I really didn’t find anyone else on some various rv forums addressing the wind issue of either grill. Third, the Grill2Go tru-Infrared grills have a perforated base/floor immediately below the grates. While that does help prevent flare ups, I’m hoping that it’ll help it be more wind proof. We won’t be on the road until the beginning of August, but then we’ll be gone for the whole Month. First to Horseheads NY (near Corning glass and a sail plane soaring museum), then to the general Cleveland area to meet other traveling friends from Tropic Winds and go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to Grove City, PA to visit a cuz and family and maybe a stay at Niagra on the Lake, Ontario. But the true test of the grill will be in the Rio Grande valley and it’s wind. Enjoy you’re trek!
You too! That’s a solid price on the Char-Broil, hope that base floor below the grates doesn’t cause you any issues with the wind. Let us know once you are in the Rio Grande Valley! Sounds like you’ve got a great line up coming August. Safe travels!!
Interesting article. I’ve haven’t had the same good luck with Weber. I have had a Weber warranty part on order since May 22, 2014. First I was told the part would ship 6/2 then 6/18 then 6/27 now it’s 7/11. I ask for a manager and they tell me the supervisor is busy but will return my call. I have never had a return call from a supervisor. I just want someone to tell me the truth.
Hi Iceload. Sorry you are having that issue. After I wrote this article, a contact from Weber got a hold of me. I have a way to message this contact directly, so I told them about your issue and they asked if I could get your contact info from you. I’m sure my contact will get you an answer if you’d be willing to provide it to me. Feel free to email me directly at ericshighland AT yahoo DOT com and make sure you let me know that it is you in the subject line so I don’t accidentally delete it. Once I have it, I’ll send it to my contact and hopefully you’ll get your situation resolved quickly! ~ Eric
The folks at the top of the page appear to have a variety of this ( https://www.coleman.com/product/roadtrip-party-grill/2000012737?contextCategory=27110#.VMZpBP7F8Ro ) grill, the Coleman Roadtrip Party Grill. If that’s the case, the only reason they’re happy is because they haven’t started cooking with it yet. Once they try, and have to eat either burned or raw food, those smiles will vanish. I know I never smiled until I threw that thing away.
Good article, I’ll keep Weber in mind for a new grill as my old, cheap one rusted away and I’ve got to find something that fits in the narrow space that I’ve got available.
I’ll tell you what @eric_udell:disqus the Weber Q2200 is super awesome. This year they just came out with various colors that weren’t available last year. There is a super sexy red one that is available at Ace Hardware. Also check this out.. https://www.weber.com/grills/weber-q
We stopped at camping world on our way to the FL panhandle today. The Weber looked nice, but it’s too large for our small gas A compartments. We got the Fuego Element on deep discount. We’ll see how it works out later this week.
Had this grille and a couple of others down through the decades. The BEST one so far for us is our current Napoleon FreeStyle PTSS215P. Can you say “BEER CAN CHICKEN”? ALL stainless……
Have been using this one now for about 4 years. CONSTANTLY… Still looks and operates like new. 600 Degreees PLUS two zone cooking. Try that in any other portable.
https://www.napoleongrills.com/grills/product-details/productid/28/ccd/en-ca/freestyle%E2%84%A2-portable-gas-grill
I really enjoyed your review. The pictures look great and the info is spot-on.
Have you kept using your grill? I always remark that Weber Grills are of the highest quality and are designed to last. I trust that the Weber Q 2200 will also last for many years to come. Hopefully it has been traveling across the country with you. I wrote a review of my own thoughts on the grill at: https://grillrankings.com/weber-q-2200-gas-grill-review/
These grills really are designed for the RVs, folks. Take a look into these grills if you are serious about RV gas grills.