You can't beat the flavor from a charcoal grill, but you can't beat free either. Maybe you can trade the gas grill for a charcoal grill.
My father had a gas grill back when I was a child. He used it as it was designed to be used for a while. He got tired of dealing with that gas and probably wanted that grilled taste too. One day he permanently unhooked that tank, poured charcoal in that joint, and the rest is history.