My Coleman Roadtrip has been my go-to grilling companion on the road for years. We’re just about to take our annual RV trip to the Sunshine State, so I thought it’s a good idea to clean my Coleman Roadtrip grill, and ensure it’s in good working order before heading out.
Cleaning a Coleman grill does require some effort, but can be easily done in a few simple steps like prepping the grill before cleaning, removing the parts, and washing them thoroughly.
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Why Clean Your Coleman Roadtrip Grill Before Grilling Season?
There are several important reasons to clean your Coleman Roadtrip grill before you store it for the winter and just before the grilling season.
The first and most common reason is getting rid of rodents that may have called your grill home during the colder months.
Mice are attracted to food and look for a cozy home in the winter—two things that they can easily find in your grill even if the appliance is stored in your garage or shed.
If you open your grill after storage and find rodent nests or a live mice mama, read my article on how to clean rodents from grill.
If you store your Coleman Roadtrip grill for a period of time like during the colder months or if you’re away, great chances are that it will collect a fair bit of dust and debris even if covered with a grill cover.
How to Clean Coleman Roadtrip Grill?
Let me now detail you the process of cleaning your Coleman Roadtrip Grill.
What would you need?
- Gloves
- Face mask
- Metal grill brush or spatula
- Bleach
- Water
- Towel or soft cloth
The Cleaning Process:
- Remove the cover of the grill and check to see for any rodents or pests.
- Wear gloves, and a face mask to remove the nesting material.
- Clean the Coleman Roadtrip grill thoroughly with a metal brush, and disinfect them with a solution of 1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water.
- Wash the parts again with dawn dish soap and water to get rid of bleach residue.
- Assemble the grill, and get grilling!
Cleaning the Housing of the Coleman Roadtrip Grill
To clean the housing of the Coleman Roadtrip grill, first remove all the parts that are removable like the cooking grates, drip trays, and warming racks to easily access the grill’s housing.
Next, check the housing and the lid for any stuck food or debris, and use a plastic scraper to clean them off.
After you’ve removed all the debris, use a mixture of soap and water to wash the inside, then use plain water to wash the soap residue, and wipe the housing using a dry, clean cloth.
Cleaning the Burners of the Coleman Roadtrip Grill
The Coleman Roadtrip grill comes with three separate burners, which you can remove and clean using a grill brush.
You can use a paper clip to clean the port of the burners, and a venturi brush to clean the interior side of the burners. After cleaning the burners, place them back in their dedicated slots, and clean the debris in the valve gas jet with a cotton swab.
Cleaning the Cooking Grates of the Coleman Roadtrip Grill
The cooking grates are perhaps the most important parts to clean in a Coleman Roadtrip grill or any other grill.
Remember, seasoning helps your cooking grates go a long way when it comes to performance. Cleaning the grates of a Coleman Grill is easier than you think, and the debris and food residue can be wiped away with a grill brush.
Once you’ve removed all the debris, wash the grates with mild soap and water, and then wash again with just clean water. You can now either wipe the grates with a cloth dipped in vegetable oil or set them to air dry and season them with a cooking spray.
Cleaning the Exterior of a Coleman Roadtrip Grill
The exterior of your Coleman Trip grill is the easiest to clean, especially if you’ve stored the grill with the cover.
You can simply use a water and soap mixture to wipe down the sides of the grill, and dry it off with a clean cloth.
Cleaning Coleman Roadtrip Grill After Grilling
With the arrival of spring, grilling season in mine and probably your state is in full force.
As you use your Coleman Roadtrip grill more often, it’s crucial to keep it clean for several reasons, starting with getting rid of the residue from your last cook left on the grates.
This residue from burnt foods isn’t just gross to look at but can be detrimental to your overall health. Burned foods are also rich in amino acids and chemicals, which are known to cause cancer.
But that’s not all, you know that the Coleman Roadtrip grease tray can also be a major fire hazard if you allow grease to build up.
What would you need?
- Grill brush or other coarse cleaning brush
- Cleaning rags or paper towels
- Bristle brush or putty knife
- Soap and water
- Gloves (optional but recommended)
The cleaning process:
- After you’ve gathered your cleaning supplies, make sure to turn off the gas supply and detach the propane gas tank from your Coleman Roadtrip grill.
- Next, remove the grill grates to thoroughly clean them. Scrub the grill grates with a grill brush or similar tool, and ensure that you get rid of all the leftover food and other debris.
- Remove the tents from the burners, and lightly brush the burner tubes.
- Clean the bottom of the Roadtrip grill box with a bristle brush or putty knife, but be careful that you don’t peel the black stuff at the bottom.
- Now it’s time to clean the grease collection tray, and dispose of the grease properly, which is by pouring it into an empty bottle or can, letting it harden, and throwing the whole thing away, and not by pouring it down the drain. Clean the grease tray with soap and water, and install it back into the grill.
- Wipe down the outside of your Coleman Roadtrip grill with soap and water, and put all the other grill parts back together.
How Frequently Should You Clean a Coleman Roadtrip Grill?
You should ideally clean your Coleman Roadtrip grill thoroughly at the end of the grilling season, and at the beginning of the grilling season.
I also clean my grill after every use at the height of the grilling season, and remove food particles off the grates, and empty the grease tray.
If you’re a regular griller, it’s a good practice to deep clean and inspect your Coleman Roadtrip grill every six months.
5 Hacks on Maintaining Your Coleman Roadtrip Grill for Long Service Life
There are several things you can do to enjoy grilling on your Coleman Roadtrip grill for years to come.
1. Storing the grill
When storing your Coleman Roadtrip grill, remove the batteries and set them aside to avoid damaging the ignition system.
Use a heavy-duty grill cover to shield the Coleman Roadtrip grill from the elements when not in use. You can also remove the removable parts when storing your grill for a long period of time.
2. Seasoning a Coleman Roadtrip Grill
Coat the grates with oil or cooking spray before grilling, as doing so will prevent food from sticking to the grates, and make cleanup much easier.
When seasoning grill grates, there are two things that come into play—you must use very high heat and the right type of oil.
Coleman recommends using canola or peanut oil because these two oils have a smoke point of over 450-degrees F. Other oils you can use are sunflower oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil.
Oils that have a high smoke point won’t burn on high heat, therefore can’t ruin the seasoning process and/or the taste of your food.
Even if you’ve just bought a new Coleman grill, you have to season it before first use to create a non-stick surface on the grates.
3. Polish the Outside
Even it means spending a little more time and effort, polishing your Coleman Roadtrip grill is absolutely worth the effort. You can use a glass cleaner and a paper towel for the task or water and a soft cloth.
4. Remember to do this every time you grill, every 10 cookouts, and once a year
Every time you use the grill, fire it up to the highest setting to disinfect the grill. Brush the cooking grates to remove the stuck food and residue, and to enjoy a clean cooking surface.
Every 10 cookouts, remove the cooking grates from your Coleman Roadtrip grill and clean both sides. Empty or replace the drip pan, reassemble the grill, and fire it up for roughly 10 minutes.
The once-a-year cleaning process is where you will have to put in a bit more elbow grease in removing the cooking grates, soaking them in hot water, thoroughly cleaning the interior, and cleaning or replacing the drip pan of your Coleman Roadtrip grill.
