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Real Grate Space product guide

Green Mountain Grills Trek Prime 2.0 Portable Wi-Fi Pellet Grill

Camping, tailgating and small cooks where 12V power is available

The Trek is GMG's portable pellet grill: about 219 square inches on one grate, a 9-pound hopper, 150°F to 550°F in 5-degree steps and Wi-Fi control through the GMG Prime app. It runs on 12V direct current from a vehicle or a mains adapter, and still needs 36 inches of clearance.

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Published specifications

  • Maker specs: 219 sq in cooking surface, 7.75 in from grate to lid, 9 lb hopper
  • Maker specs: 150-550°F in 5° increments, Wi-Fi controller, meat probe included
  • Maker specs: 24 H x 32 W x 16 D in, 63 lb; runs on 12V or a mains adapter
  • Manual: back and sides at least 36 in from combustibles, no overhead combustibles
  • Manual: probe not suitable above 257°F; clean about every 2-3 bags of pellets
  • Warranty: 3 years from first retail purchase, original purchaser, non-commercial

Fit and limits

Strengths

  • Runs from 12V, so it works at a campsite or tailgate as well as at home
  • Wi-Fi control and food-probe alerts come built in rather than as an upgrade
  • Maker publishes full technical specs, part numbers and a startup-cycle chart

Caveats

  • The 9-pound hopper needs topping up on long cooks
  • Manual and maker's owner page describe opposite grease-tray orientations
  • GMG's warranty page does not mention the labour coverage the listing field claims

A portable grill that still needs three feet of clear air

The Trek is Green Mountain Grills' tabletop-sized pellet grill, sold here as the Trek Prime 2.0. GMG's technical specifications give it as 24 inches high, 32 wide and 16 deep at 63 pounds, with a surface cooking area of 219 square inches on a single grate and 7.75 inches of clearance from the cooking surface to the lid. The Amazon listing quotes the grate as 17.25 by 12.5 inches, which is close to GMG's area figure.

Portable does not mean it can go anywhere. The manual, and GMG's own new-owner page for this model, both say the back and sides of the grill must be at least 36 inches from any combustibles, and that the grill must not be used under any overhead combustible surface. It must sit on a non-combustible floor, or one protected by a surface the local authority has approved, and GMG asks owners to put a heatproof barrier between the grill and a truck bed, table or other support.

The manual also tells you to contact your homeowners' association, building or fire officials for permits, permission, installation restrictions or even confirmation that you may own and operate such a grill where you live. For a grill sold for camping and tailgating, that is a real constraint on where it can be set up.

Nine pounds of pellets, 150°F to 550°F in five-degree steps

GMG's specification table puts the hopper at 9 pounds. That is small: it suits a few hours of cooking rather than an overnight brisket without a top-up, and the manual asks you to check the hopper occasionally so the fire does not go out mid-cook. The Amazon bullets and GMG's page agree on a 150°F to 550°F range with 5-degree increments.

Behind that is a PT100 platinum sensor mounted in the top centre of the grill cavity, feeding the controller ten readings a second. GMG explains that the computer averages the data because the lid, wind, grease splatter, humidity, altitude and an unlevel grill all disturb it, which is also why a third-party thermometer will not match the display. The maker does not use the term PID for this controller in the pages we read, so neither do we.

Startup runs a 0-1-2-3 cycle: auger for 55 seconds, igniter for 90, then the fan and igniter for two 30-second stages until proof of fire, which GMG defines as 5 degrees above ambient. The manual is firm that you must let the grill reach 150°F before raising the set temperature, and that if the grill does not gain 5 degrees within 20 minutes it displays FAL. Shutdown runs a fan mode for about 15 minutes until the display reads oFF.

Twelve-volt running, and two different power figures

The selling point for camping is dual power. GMG says the grill can be connected to a 110V or 220V supply or to a 12V plug, but ultimately runs on 12-volt direct current, which is what allows the variable-speed fan and auger motor. The listing puts it as 12V or 120V AC, so a vehicle socket or a household outlet both work.

The two documents do not agree on the electrical numbers. GMG's specification table gives voltage as 12V and wattage as 2W to 165W. The manual's grill power specification block gives power as 2-145W and voltage as 110-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz. We are not going to reconcile those for you; check the label on the unit before sizing a battery, inverter or camp supply.

The manual's troubleshooting section adds a practical note: if the grill will not turn on, check the separate on-off switch underneath the back side of the hopper, and check the circuit breaker or GFCI on the circuit the adapter is plugged into. There is also a bypass mode for restarting after a power cut while fire is still in the firebox, usable only within about six or seven minutes.

Wi-Fi control, one probe included, and a probe temperature limit

The controller has Wi-Fi built in and pairs with the GMG Prime app on iOS or Android over your local network, letting you set the grill temperature and watch food temperatures remotely. GMG's new-owner page notes that the serial number on the back of the grill is its Wi-Fi password, and asks owners to update the firmware through the app before the first cook.

GMG's product page says a meat probe is included, singular. The manual describes a probe receptacle on the front of the controller, a stainless flap on the left side of the grill to pass the probe through, and probe buttons that display each probe, and the app section refers to watching both probe temperatures at once. So the controller handles two, and you may need to buy the second.

One limit is easy to miss: the manual states the probe is not suitable for reading temperatures above 257°F. It is a food probe, not a grill thermometer. The manual also prints a safety condition on remote use: before starting the grill from the app, a responsible adult familiar with the grill should be able to see it and be close enough to deal with an emergency.

The heat shield and grease tray have to go in exactly right

Two parts control how this grill behaves. The heat shield over the firebox spreads heat to both sides of the chamber, and its position is set with an adjustment rod: align the grill wall with the 0 mark on the handle, which puts the shield roughly 4.75 inches from the left inside wall, and do not over-tighten the rod. The manual's troubleshooting section says an improperly placed shield will stop the grill reaching its set temperature.

The grease tray is where GMG's own documents disagree. The manual says to install the grease tray with the half-moon cut-out to the left so grease travels into the trough. GMG's Trek Prime 2.0 new-owner page says to install it with the circle cut-out to the left and the half-moon crescent to the right. Since wrong placement is listed as a cause of temperature problems and grease fires, match the tray to the one in front of you and call GMG if it is not obvious.

Both documents agree on lining the tray with foil or liners for easy cleaning, on keeping the hopper lid closed during operation, and on the grill needing to be level so grease flows to the trough and the sensor reads evenly.

Cleaning every couple of bags, and a three-year warranty

GMG's cleaning interval is about every two to three bags of pellets, 80 to 100 pounds: remove the interior parts and vacuum ash and residue from the base of the grill and the firebox with a shop vacuum, with the grill cold and unplugged. Ash over the igniter can stop the grill lighting. Creosote should be removed regularly, and dark sooty smoke is the sign it has built up. Ashes go into a closed metal container on a non-combustible surface until cold.

The manual asks for food-safe hardwood pellets only, with no additives, no softwood pellets, no heating pellets, no lava rock, non-pelletised wood or charcoal, and says GMG grills are designed and tested with GMG pellets and that other brands are not warranted to perform the same. Pellets must be kept dry, because wet pellets turn to sawdust the auger cannot feed.

GMG's warranty page gives three years from the date of first retail purchase, covering defects in workmanship and materials, with repair or replacement at GMG's option on a grill returned to GMG or a dealer by the original purchaser. It excludes abuse, accident, misuse, electrical power problems, cosmetic elements such as paint and finishes, use not in accordance with the manual, commercial use, and products GMG has not been paid for. Note one difference: Amazon's warranty field adds that labour is included for three years, and GMG's own warranty page does not mention labour. Confirm with GMG before relying on it.

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Primary sources

  1. Green Mountain Grills TREK grill product page with technical specifications
  2. Green Mountain Grills Trek Prime 2.0 owner's manual
  3. Green Mountain Grills limited warranty page

Primary sources checked .

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