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After three months of summer camping across Colorado and New Mexico, we're ready to deliver our verdict on the Yakima EXO OpenRange Deluxe. This $1,199 hitch-mounted camp kitchen combines an 85-liter locking cargo box with fold-out prep tables and a freestanding leg kit, letting you cook outside the vehicle while freeing up cabin space. It's a well-built and genuinely useful system—but it doesn't include a stove, and it demands a strong hitch. Review updated July 11, 2025.
The EXO OpenRange Deluxe is part of Yakima's modular EXO platform. It mounts to the EXO SwingBase, a swing-away hitch rack that pivots to the side so you can still open rear doors. The Deluxe bundle is the full kitchen package:
The box itself is rotomolded polyethylene with a weather-resistant rubber door seal, SKS locking latches, and a fold-down front door that doubles as a prep surface. It measures 31 x 18 x 18 inches, holds 85 liters (90 quarts), and weighs 72 pounds. It clicks onto the SwingBase using Yakima's tool-free EXO Cleat system with locking SpeedKnobs. The Deluxe bundle lists for $1,199; the standard OpenRange box without the kitchen extras is $749. Yakima backs it with a limited lifetime warranty.
Our tester used the OpenRange Deluxe for three months on a 1999 GMC Savana 2500 with a Class 3 hitch rated at 500 pounds tongue weight. Installing the SwingBase and the kitchen box took only minutes. Over the summer we drove more than 1,000 miles—long highway stretches plus daily runs over rough dirt washboard roads to reach campsites in Colorado and New Mexico.
During that time, the box carried a Jetboil Genesis two-burner camp stove, a Sea to Summit Detour collapsible cookset, pots, pans, plates, and collapsible bowls, with room left over for non-kitchen gear. We cooked dozens of meals, solo and with friends. We also ran the OpenRange alongside the EXO DoubleUp bike rack, the RoadShower 7G water tank, and the EXO TopShelf adapter, and stacked a pair of bikes above the kitchen. The heaviest loaded configuration we rolled with was just under 270 pounds—comfortable for our 500-pound-rated van, but a number that should make owners of smaller vehicles stop and pay attention.
Going from sealed cargo box to full cooking station takes less than a minute. The two side tables hook onto the box, and the front door folds down flat to add a third prep surface. The flat top of the box itself works as a serving counter. On the wood side, the drop-in sink and cutting board manage the washing and chopping; on the metal side, there's room for a two-burner stove with the fuel canister hanging in its pouch. Utensils live in the drawer, and the lantern hook puts light right where you need it.
The freestanding leg kit turned out to be the feature we used most. When the van was parked in a tight spot or we wanted shade, we unclipped the whole box from the SwingBase and carried it to a picnic table. That mobility separates the Deluxe from the standard OpenRange. In day-to-day camping, we usually left the kitchen on the hitch and simply swung it out to cook; the motion clears the van's rear doors completely, so loading gear doesn't mean breaking down dinner.
A full summer on washboard gravel roads is exactly the kind of stress that exposes weak hinges and flimsy latches. The OpenRange Deluxe handled it well. The SKS latches never rattled loose and still clicked shut firmly on the last day of testing. The rubber seal repelled rain during a few afternoon storms and kept the interior mostly clean, though a layer of fine dust made its way inside after several long gravel-road days—this is weather-resistant, not airtight.
Security is worth calling out. We left the loaded box locked to the SwingBase while hiking at trailheads without a second thought. The one design decision that still bugs us: the metal cook table doesn't fit inside the OpenRange when it's not in use, so it has to travel somewhere else in the vehicle. It's a minor hassle, but at this price, a kitchen should swallow its own parts.
The biggest win is interior space. With the entire camp kitchen stored outside the vehicle, the back of the van stays free for a mattress, clothes, and road-trip odds and ends. Dinnertime becomes a two-minute event instead of a full unpacking session. The swing-away SwingBase also resolves a classic vanlife conflict by separating the sleeping zone from the cooking zone, and the lockable box adds peace of mind at camp.
The modular angle matters, too. If you already own EXO gear—or you're planning to build a rack system that carries bikes, water, and storage—the OpenRange Deluxe rides on the same base as everything else, with no extra hitch hardware.
The price is the first thing that gives us pause. At $1,199, we expected a stove in the box. There is clearly enough room inside for a two-burner model, and the closest competitor, the HitchFire Hitch Kitchen, includes one for $1,899. A bundled stove—or at least a stove insert sized for the box—would make the Deluxe feel complete.
Weight is the second issue. The Deluxe box is 72 pounds, and the SwingBase adds 68 pounds. Add a bike rack, bikes, and a TopShelf, and the assembly grows quickly. And as noted, the metal cook table has no home inside the box. None of these are deal-breakers, but they keep the Deluxe from being a perfect one-box kitchen.
| Camp Kitchen | MSRP | Capacity | Weight | Cook Station Included | Free-Standing Capable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima EXO OpenRange Deluxe | $1,199 | 85 L | 72 lb | No | Yes |
| Yakima EXO OpenRange | $749 | 85 L | 30 lb | No | Kit sold separately |
| Yakima EXO GearLocker | $649 | 283 L | 28 lb | No | No |
| HitchFire Hitch Kitchen | $1,899 | 82 L | 83 lb | Yes | No |
The standard EXO OpenRange is the value pick: same 85-liter box, 30 pounds, $450 cheaper, and you can add the side tables and leg kit later. The GearLocker is cheaper and much larger at 283 liters, but it's pure storage, not a kitchen. The HitchFire is a true all-in-one with a stove, but it's heavier, $700 pricier, and can't stand on its own legs.
The SwingBase needs a Class 3 or 4 hitch with a 2-inch receiver; a Class 2 receiver won't work at all. Then you need to verify your vehicle's tongue-weight rating. Take the 2021 Subaru Outback as a cautionary example: its 270-pound limit leaves about 172 pounds of room once the SwingBase and a basic OpenRange box are mounted. Switch to the 72-pound Deluxe and add a bike rack with bikes, and you'll be right at the edge.
We tested on a van with a 500-pound tongue rating, which gave us room to stack the kitchen, a water tank, and two bikes. Crossovers, unibody SUVs, and shorter trucks often have far lower limits. Do the math with your vehicle before you buy into the EXO system, especially if you plan to grow it.
As of this year, the EXO OpenRange Deluxe remains one of the only turnkey hitch kitchens that lives on a swing-out rack and shares its base with bike and water accessories. For a dedicated overlander, vanlifer, or weekend camper with a capable vehicle, it's a legit replacement for a drawer-based kitchen setup. For most other buyers, the standard OpenRange box at $749 is the smarter first move; the Deluxe extras can come later. And if you want one box that includes everything including the stove, the HitchFire is a stronger all-in-one despite its higher price tag.
The Yakima EXO OpenRange Deluxe is a premium, well-engineered answer to a real problem: carrying a full kitchen on a road trip without sacrificing cabin space. It's expensive, it's
