cooking in the truck

Awesome! I'm going to be a new OTR driver, so I need some good ideas. I'm a health nut and will not accept eating garbage on the road every day.

 

1) You are going to get from 120-240W out of a lighter socket, regardless of what size inverter you plug in. Put a lighter plug on a 1500W inverter and plug in a microwave; all you'll get is a blown fuse.

2) Depends on what you like to eat. A Crock-Pot on low takes about 75W, so it will run on a plug-in inverter. Lunchbox cookers are also amazingly versatile if you use your imagination. Yes, this thread is 144 pages, but it will give you all the info you need.

3) Cooler. Yes, they cost a bit more, but you'll eventually save enough on the ice you don't have to buy to pay for it. Not to mention no more soggy sandwiches...

 

At my last company I hooked up an 1800 watt inverter, bought a cheap microwave, & ordered an Engels 45tqt fridge freeze from compactappliances.com. Most peoples jaws dropped when they found out I paid around $800 for the set-up, but re-thought when they learned I was saving about $50-75 a week. 3 months & it was paid for. After that all savings. Factor in that I didn't have to waste time at a T/S & using my down time waiting to load or unload & its a no brainer. Besides, leftovers & TV dinners are on a par with what you get at a T/A or Petro......but a whole lot cheaper & the service is better.

 

Just started dinner...

 

Good for you Corkyf62. A trucker that didn't go the cheap route but realized that you have to buy top quality stuff to get the best results. I've got a "Truckfridge" set up and I'm in the process of buying one of their free standing fridge/freezers because I realize that I can save even more money on food and cooking, by freezing meat etc. These truckfridge units
run about $500 each but I'm really pleased with the results. They are specifically designed for trucks and surprisingly, use very little power. I'm lucky too that I have the option of using my Centramatic APU to cook along side the "pure sine" 1500 watt inverter. All told, I've spent a little more than $800 but to me the food savings are substantial. I'm like a lot of truckers and just never eat at truckstops.........ever!!
I've also ordered via Amazon a Zojirushi electric skillet which can be used as a crockpot, steamer and grill. They're a tad more expensive and need at least 1350 watts, but I figured the multi uses justified the price. With the 6000 watts I have via the APU I can cook inside or outside as there is a 115V output on the back of the cab.
Trying to be able to diversify as much as possible and paying a visit to Sams' or Costco can save me a bundle on food costs, by freezing the food.
Good luck.

 

I bought a coleman electric cooler for my food,my wife makes me food at home for the amount of time I'm gone and I just warm it up in the microwaves at the place I stop at foe the night or when i stop for lunch.I spend very little money on the road.I have bottled water to drink,and use my fuel points for coffee.If I spend any money it's for coffee.

 

The best success I've had with a Lunch Box Stove is with the "Athena Brand" which are sold at Petros' and the only when plugged into a 12 v outlet with a 30 amp breaker which I wired up myself from the fuse panel supply cable. Most outlets seem to be 15 A and the stove draws at least 20 A.

 

I got a little round cooking thing called ready set go.I make breakfast and steak even pineapple cake in it.its really fast.they have demo on yutube

 

If you're unlucky enough to find yourself at the Baltimore TA, there's a great grocery store less than 1 mile away at 3801 Eastern Ave. You'll need to either bobtail, walk or get a cab over there, because it would be almost impossible to park with a trailer. I parked my BT in their loading dock. They've got excellent prices and a large selection of foods to suit the ethnic diversity in the area. Lots of middle eastern, asian, jewish and hispanic imported foods along with the usual American staples. Meat is good quality and low priced. 90% lean ground round is $1.99/lb, fresh chicken breast tenders $2.11/lb. This is going to be a 'must visit' whenever I'm in town.

 

Check out this couple... here is what they do..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTqj0QenCro