Finding the best pizza oven for camping or your motorhome is tough! They look big bulky and do the use a lot of gas? There is storage, weight, and resources to consider. We’ve put the top models to the test to help you find the perfect fit for your camper van or motorhome.
The Best Pizza Oven for Durability Vanlife: Gozney Tread
If your adventures take you off-road, and you are more of an overlander then the Gozney Tread is by far the most durable, portable pizza oven on the market. The protective casing is bigger than some of the competition but this is going to ensure that your beautiful Gozney Tread remains like new for a very very long time. When it is out of the case and fully set up it has a hard shell compared to the usual dents easy metal casing found on a pizza oven.
- Why it’s the best pizza oven for my motorhome – Motorhome owners often have “garage” space but worry about gear rattling. The Tread’s high-grade build is designed to withstand the vibrations of long-distance travel. The soft casing is rigid and of a convenient shape for packing away securely in your garage or boot space.
- Standout Feature – The Venture Stand. Its four independently adjustable legs, complete with levelling gauge make it the best pizza oven for camping on uneven ground.
- The “Vanlife and off-grid” Factor – Built-in carry handles mean you don’t need a separate bag to move it from the van to the picnic table. The whole setup is easy enough to setup outside your van where you have the ease of using your own table inside of your van.
- Bonus Feature – The Gozney Tread has an additional roof rack for the actual pizza oven. This is an excellent feature that allows you to prep on the top surface of the oven. Great for space saving cooking!
The Lightweight Classic: The Ooni Koda 12
The Ooni Koda 12 has long been popular in the Vanlife community, primarily for its “lightweight” approach to outdoor cooking.
- Space-Saving – : If you have a tiny camper van and you require the smallest of rthe small and the lightest of the light then the Koda’s folding legs and slim profile make it an ideal pizza oven for you.
- Best for Occasional Use – It’s a great entry-level pizza oven and the build quality is inferior to the Gozney Tread. Thats not to say the pizza oven doesnt deliver amazing pizza, because it really is an impressive bit of kit. At only 9kg its easy enough to carry down to the beach or into the woods.
- The Trade-off – Its fixed legs mean you are tethered to finding a perfectly flat table. Without the ruggedised shell of the Tread, you’ll want to be extra careful about how it’s cushioned in your van’s garage to avoid stones cracking during transit. People often comment and I can speak from experience, that the Koda 12 does rattle around in the back.
The Versatile Classic: Ooni Karu 12 / 12G
The Karu 12 is Ooni’s all-rounder and is designed for the person who wants the option to cook with wood or charcoal but wants the gas as an option. Cooking pizza with coal or wood can be more challenging but also more rewarding.
- Multi-Fuel – Its fun and rewarding to cook with wood and can improve the smokey depth of flavour in your pizza. To have the option of wood, coal or gas is a huge bonus. (the gas attachment is an additional purchase)
- The Glass Door (12G model) – The newer 12G features a borosilicate glass door. This is brilliant for windy coastal spots as it keeps the heat in and the wind out, while letting you watch your pizza cook without opening the door.
- Complexity – Unlike the Tread or the Koda, the Karu has a removable chimney. This is one more thing to pack, one more thing to rattle in your storage bin, and a potential source of soot if you’ve been burning wood. I found that the casing and the chimney damage easily whilst going in and out of the van and getting squashed in the boot.
Comparison: Side by Side Features
| The Nomadic Test | Gozney Tread | Ooni Koda 12 | Ooni Karu 12 |
| Uneven Terrain | Adjustable legs + bubble level | Requires a flat table | Requires a flat table |
| Road Vibration | Rugged aluminum/steel build | Lightweight (requires careful packing) | Multiple moving parts (door/chimney) |
| Carry Style | Integrated “Subaru-style” handles | Foldable legs (bag recommended) | Removable chimney + handles |
| Cool Down Time | Rapid (~20 mins) | Standard (~45 mins) | Longer (~60 mins) due to fuel tray/soot |
| Flame Style | Lateral (Rolling side flame) | Back burner | Back burner (Gas or Wood) |
| Weight | 13.5kg (Solid but portable) | 9kg (Insanely lightweight) | 12kg (Mid-weight) |
| Dimensions (Packed) | 412 x 530 x 230mm | 395 x 592 x 192mm | 800 x 400 x 770mm* |
My Take on Using These Pizza Ovens
I have owned and regularly used all 3 of these ovens and I am happy to share my positives and negative on each so that you can find the best pizza oven for your motorhome or camper van.
As you know I live and travel full-time in my converted van and what makes its way into my precious storage space has to be worthy. I first started using a Koda 12 and I always found it easy to use and transport around. The downside is that it always felt cheap and unsatisfying to meet my higher than average expectations. This led me on to purchase the Karu 12 with the additional gas attachment. I love cooking with wood and the flavoured smoke pellets are an excellent feature. I still like and enjoy this pizza oven but its big, heavy and delicate. It doesn’t feel cheap but it dents very easily. My final purchase is the Gozney Tread and I stand proud and say that it feels special to have one of these. The build quality is so much higher than the competitors and the part that matters is that the pizza quality is far superior.
My final words….they all make great pizza but the Gozney Tread makes the best!
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