Cooking in the Truck

In my setup I have 1500 watt inverter I run a small fridge (Wal-Mart) continous, inverter wired to batteries. I can use my fridge and all other items (Toaster Oven, small Foreman) at the same time with the exception of the Microwave. Technically a MW uses 1300 watts to run, so I unplug my fridge to use it, plug back in when I am done.

 

I have an APU on my truck. So beside the bunk I have two 110 volt AC plugs. I don't have to worry about an inverter. I usually do most of my cooking in my microwave. I also have a crock pot that I use and one of those forman grills. It is so much cheaper and healtier to cook for yourself.

 

I have a crock pot that also is a rice cooker and veggie steamer. Also, to save on cleanup with a rice cooker or crock pot buy some of the liners so you have no clean up.

An easy meal that we do often is rice with veg and chicken. I turn on the rice cooker and then microwave one steamer bag with Chicken, Mushrooms and teriyaki sauce and then one steamer bag of vegetables.

I also have a Sharp microwave that also is a convection oven and toaster oven. It was kinda of expensive ($130) but its nice to have it all in one appliance.

 

A 2 pack at Wal Mart is $3.99.

My boyfriend has a small propane grill and a butane stove on the truck. I will be happy when he gets one of the trucks with an APU so he can use a microwave, fridge, George Foreman grill, etc. He eats very well in the truck and sometimes will go for weeks without eating a meal out. He eats healthier on the road than he does at home; no mass quantities of pizza or beer on the road.

 

This thread is making me hungry!

:smt117

 

well thanks for the PM reply. I guess I can't reply to it either until I get 50 posts. Well I'm working on it...

My question was about the fridge. How are you handling the power draw on your battery? Do you idle continuously? Do you draw power until the battery auto protection activates and then idle to charge? If so, about how many hours of refridgerator use do you get on a 1500 watt invertor before you have to charge the battery back up?

(for an example; I use a thermoelectric cooler and can be powered down about 10 hours before battery protection activates)

 

I have a 2500 watt inverter with fridge, microwave and computer in continuous use. I have spent 8-10 hours without idling to recharge the batteries without problem. I also have an APU but tend not to use it unless the temperatures get pretty extreme.

 

My husband did not have much of what you guys and gals have in his truck. He did eat some meals at a truck stop. I would make up a batch of spaghetti and meal balls before he left to take with him. To heat up his food he would take aluminum bread pans and he had this lunch box looking thing (he says it's called a portable oven) and place the bread pan in the portable oven. I'd pack him cut up fruit sometimes. I can't remember what else. Sandwiches to. After a while another truck driver gave him a cooler or maybe it's called a portable refrigerator? Oh it's an electric cooler. cereal and milk and I don't remember what else. He'd buy his coffee but another truck driver we knew had this really neat thing that plugged into a cigarette lighter and he'd put it into a cup of water and in a few minutes, his water would be hot for his tea.

 

Aren't there any 12v:
- grills
- crock pots
- microwave
- stove
- oven
- etc

It seems it would be more efficient than using inverters.?.?

 

yea, there are. there is a link for 12v appliances on this forum... somewhere near the top!

but you can't really get a functional 12v microwave. see, the thing is, those 12v appliances take a real long time to heat stuff up. For example the lunchbox stove takes 25-30 minutes to properly heat a can of soup. You, however, only have 15 minutes to cram in a rest room break and food. Also, at the end of the day, you don't feel like chopping up all yer stuff and waiting for half an hour to eat (which could be late at night). Microwaves are grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!

And another thing about 12v. They put out different power depending on whether you are idling or not. I can cook a raw chicken breast in the lunchbox cooker in 30 minutes when idling. But can't get it past luke warm if I'm not idling. Therefore!! Inverters must reduce idle time!