Camp Kitchen Box vs. OVS Camp Cargo Box Kitchen: Portable Box or Vehicle-Mounted Slide-Out?

Overland Vehicle Systems' Camp Cargo Box Kitchen is one of the few branded camp kitchens besides ours that puts a sink in the product name, so shoppers compare the two constantly. They look similar on paper, but one is a 90 lb aluminum slide-out that lives in your vehicle, and the other is a portable box you carry to wherever you want to cook.

What the OVS Camp Cargo Box Kitchen Actually Is

OVS (part number 21010401) builds the Camp Cargo Box Kitchen from what it calls aircraft-grade aluminum with marine-grade stainless steel hardware, and backs it with a 5-year limited warranty. It is a drawer system rather than a box you open on a table. Closed, it measures 23" wide × 36" long × 9" tall. Pull everything out and it stretches to 97" long.

Inside are three latched, lockable slides:

• Storage slide: sized for gear or a portable fridge (the fridge isn't included).
• Sink and prep slide: a removable, collapsible sink and a reversible cutting board.
• Cooking shelf: a platform for your own stove or grill, held up by telescoping legs that adjust from 26" to 43".

The box also ships with a reversible 3-sided wind protector, three terrain stabilizers for the legs, four anchor pins and four tie-down straps. OVS lists it for an SUV, a truck or a trailer.

What it doesn't include matters just as much. There's no stove, no water tank, no faucet or pump, and no cookware. You get the cabinet, drawers and counter space, and you supply the rest of the kitchen.

Side-by-Side: OVS Cargo Box Kitchen vs. VOZ Camp Kitchen

OVS numbers come from its own product page and major retailers. Retail prices move a lot, so check before you order.

The prices end up close. What you get for the money doesn't. With OVS, the price covers the drawers. With the VOZ, it covers the drawers' worth of storage plus the stove, water and tools.

The Sink Question: A Basin With No Drain vs. a Pumped Faucet

This is the difference buyers ask about most, because "sink" can mean two very different things.

OVS describes its sink as "removable, collapsible, and designed for holding water or tossing away your food." It's a basin. You pour water into it from a jug, wash, then lift it out and carry the dirty water away. One owner review on the OVS product page puts it bluntly: "Two major flaws, the cutting board is junk plastic and the drop in sink has no drain." The same reviewer gave it 4 stars and called it beautiful but expensive at $1,000, which is a fair summary. The build is solid, and the wet part of the kitchen is an afterthought.

The VOZ works the other way around. A 2-gallon removable tank feeds a USB-rechargeable faucet, so you press a button and get running water over the sink. You don't need a second person to pour or a jug balanced on the counter. You can rinse hands, fill a pot or wash a plate one-handed. Our guide to camp kitchens with a sink and faucet, linked at the end of this article, explains how the pump and battery work.

Both setups still leave you with gray water to deal with. The National Park Service's Leave No Trace guidance says to wash dishes 200 feet away from streams or lakes, use small amounts of biodegradable soap, and scatter strained dishwater. A basin you can lift out and a tank you can refill both handle that fine. The real difference is getting clean water in, not getting dirty water out.

If you already own a slide-out or a DIY drawer and just want running water, our camp water gear collection has rechargeable faucet pumps and tanks that can go with any basin.

Shop water gear →

Install, Weight, and Where the Kitchen Can Go

extremeTerrain estimates about 2 hours to install the OVS unit and rates it simple, usually with no drilling. You anchor it into the cargo area with the included pins and straps. One owner review says they mounted theirs on a truck bed slide, and another has run one in a 4Runner for three years. Once it's in, it's in. That's the appeal: open the tailgate, pull a drawer, and you're cooking.

It's also the catch. At 90 lb empty, this isn't something you move between vehicles casually. The NIOSH lifting equation, referenced by OSHA, sets 51 lb as the recommended limit under ideal lifting conditions. The OVS box is nearly double that before you add a fridge, stove or food. It also takes up the cargo floor full time, so hauling a load of mulch or a mountain bike means working around it.

A slide-out only cooks where the vehicle parks. If the campground puts the parking pad 40 feet from the picnic table and fire ring, you either cook at the bumper or carry everything over. Fully extended, it also needs about 8 feet of clear space behind the vehicle, and the counter is only as level as the spot you parked on.

The VOZ is heavy for a portable box too, about 57 lb with its gear, but it's built to come out. You can set it on a picnic table, under a shade tree or beside the tent, then load it into a different vehicle next weekend. Our general slide-out comparison, linked below, covers the broader tradeoffs of vehicle-mounted kitchens.

The True Price Once You Add a Stove and Water

Price the OVS kitchen as a working setup rather than just a cabinet and the list gets longer. To cook and wash with it, you still need:

• A camp stove or grill for the cooking shelf
• A water jug or tank, plus a pump or spigot if you want running water
• A pot, a pan, plates and utensils
• A better cutting board, if you agree with that reviewer
• For truck-bed owners who want the drawers at tailgate height, possibly a bed slide, which is a separate purchase

Even at the lowest price we saw, the OVS box plus a stove, water system and cookware adds up quickly. At its $999.99 retail price, you're paying more than the VOZ before you've bought a burner. If you already own good stove and cookware, that math changes, and the OVS starts to look like a storage upgrade instead of a new kitchen.

If you do need the cooking side too, our camp stoves range from single-burner cassette units to two-burner propane models. The VOZ already includes a butane burner.

Shop camping stoves →

Which One Should You Buy?

Choose the OVS Camp Cargo Box Kitchen if you have one dedicated overland rig, you camp almost entirely out of that vehicle, you already own a stove and water setup, and you want a permanent aluminum drawer system that's always ready at the tailgate. It's a well-built, heavy-duty storage slide with a sink tray.

Choose the VOZ Camp Kitchen if you swap vehicles, cook at campground tables or sites away from where you park, or want stove, running water and 30+ cooking items in one purchase. It opens in under 15 seconds, it isn't bolted to anything, and the faucet makes the sink more than a basin.

Shop the VOZ Camp Kitchen →

If a vehicle mount still appeals but you'd rather keep the cargo area free, our camp kitchen box vs. hitch-mounted kitchen breakdown covers the option that rides on the receiver.

FAQ

Does the OVS Camp Cargo Box Kitchen come with a stove?

No. It has a cooking shelf on a slide with telescoping legs, but the stove or grill is sold separately. The VOZ includes a butane burner.

Does the OVS sink have a drain or faucet?

No. It's a removable, collapsible basin with no drain and no faucet, so you fill it by hand and carry it off to empty. The VOZ has a 2-gallon tank and a USB-rechargeable faucet over its sink.

How much does the OVS Camp Cargo Box Kitchen weigh?

OVS and its retailers list it at 90 lb. The VOZ weighs about 57 lb with its gear inside.

Can I use a portable camp kitchen box and a slide-out together?

Yes. Some overlanders keep a slide-out for fridge and dry storage and carry a portable box for cooking at the table. If you're deciding between a traditional wooden box and a modern case, start with our camp kitchen vs. chuck box guide.