Appliances & Inverter Restrictions???

depending on the company you may be able to get an inverter professionally installed by the maker of truck. Some companies don't even allow inverters that plug into the cig. lighters. There are some good fridges which run on 12volt, but they are trial and error even on the good brands from what I have seen and heard.

PS if you know how to hardwire and use a good inline fuse, it doesn't take much to hide the wiring.

 

Most companies will allow a large inverter. Usually they ask that you purchase everything to install it and have them actually do the install.

 

...but a 400 watt inverter cant power very much. I used to use a small crock pot that plugged into the lighter plug (12volt) . I would get stew meat and make beef stew with fresh veggies or a small beef or pork roast, cook till it falls apart and add bbq sauce for bbq subs. You need to watch those crock pots, the wiring is cheap and it will get brittle and short out. I had to rewire mine twice b/c they get so hot!
Another thing, my wife would make meals for me and freeze them. My cooler would keep them cold for up to 10-12 days. Then I would reheat them in my crockpot. Also make sure you clean that crockpot between uses, I got real sick once b/c I got lazy! Spaghetti, goulash, homemade mac and cheese, are all good to go. I gotta go, I made myself hungry.

 

Most companies don't want drivers cutting into the factory wiring for obvious reasons. Usually if you buy an inverter the company shop will install it for you (interestingly enough, this also applies to some lease operators, go figure) to make sure its done right. When I drove OTR I never brought any food with me. The way I look at it, if you cook you hafta clean up later. My current employer has refrigerators (not thermoelecric coolers) installed in all the road trucks. So if I went back on the road with them, I'd probably pack lunch meat and a few other odds and ends to cut down on the cost. I also burned through $100 to $150 a week on food, but when you're young single no kids and living on the road you don't really care. I had a trainer who made an easybake oven out of an old lunch box and a marker light. He put a can of soup in it in the morning and by lunch time he had a hot can of soup. Nothing was said of "fire hazard" though.

Since we're on the subject, and if you're brave enough to experiment a little, magnesium and a small amount of iron when mixed with water will create an exothermic reaction that very quicly reaches the boiling point of water. I suppose if you had enough time on your hands to play around a little, you could make a cotraption that would heat prepackaged and frozen food right in its own disposable container, thereby eliminating the need for washing containers. When I was in the Army, we heated our MREs this way. You may be able to buy surplus ration heater pouches from an army-navy store or right wing the world is gonna end survivalist supply house. Google brigade quartermaster or cheaper than dirt. The Sportsman's Guide has their outlet right next to a truck stop in S. St Paul MN, and that's the kind of stuff they carry. Bought more bulk ammunition then I'll ever use at that place!

 

If you must cook in the truck I have posted in 2 other threads below about how to install an inverter and the equipment you need to buy. Most companies will let you install an inverter but they will want it done correctly as burning down a $120,000 truck to feed or entertain yourself won't go over very well with the powers that be!. When I ran for TransAm they would not let ANYONE put an inverter in a truck that did not have an APU in it but I did and stayed away from the yard as much as I could and when I did have to go in I just uninstalled the cables to the battery box! If your company says no then find someone else who will or who has APU's on the trucks!

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...9038-do-company-trucks-have-appliances-4.html post #33
or this one http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr.../85815-eating-on-the-road-saving-money-7.html the whole thread but #70 I put pictures in and directions for purchasing and installing the wiring, circuit breaker and other tid bits!
Good Luck
Rollover