cooking in the truck

I started a thread about this too but i didn't know there was one going already. I'll copy and paste my suggestions later.

Great ideas going on here.

We kept water in the side box, in the summer and it stayed warm, and we kept a small under the bed box we got from the dollar store and used it just like a sink and washed the dishes. You can also use the micrwave to heat water or your crock pot and wash the dishes. I did going into the sink a few times.

Also has anyone talked about carrying charcoal and a grill, and cooking hot dogs, and burgers. we did this a lot.

jacks

 

I have small rubbermaid dishpan and I heat up water ( I fill water jugs up at the fuel island) and I have soap and just wash in the truck get clear water to rinse then pour the water out......I also carry a bottle of vinegar water to do a quick clean with and I carry bleech water too both in spray bottles clearly marked and kept seperate places

 

I remember back to this little thing you stuck down in your food to heat it up, it was messy but we heated a lot of soup. that way.
You ladies too there is a guy on here with a thread wanting to know how to cook in his crock pot. I told him what i know and that aint much. LOl!!

jacks

 

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...s/73411-cooking-gadgets-road-what-do-you.html

this link should take you to one of the other threads about cooking gadgets in your truck.

 

I cook spaghetti in the crockpot. Put your sauce in in the afternoon, let it simmer. Then when you get pulled over for the night, take your spaghetti noodles and drop them in the crock pot dry, just enough where the sauce still covers them. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes and stir it up. In another 10-20 minutes the noodles will be done. They say you can make lasagna this way too, but I've never tried it.

 

cool thanks i did the wrong thing and cooked the noodles first lol

 

Let me see i have a lunch box cooker, small crock pot, Foreman grill, Microwave, electric can opener, Plug in cooler....Food wise..canned stuff and heat and sever stuff, PB&J, at least 1 loaf of bread, cereal. In the cooler pop, milk, water, juice, lunch meats, egg's...everything cold or cool....I try to bring leftover's from home and sometimes the wife will make extra just so I can take it on the road....

oops forgot to say I have a 3000 watt inverter and an APU...So I can do anything in or outside of the truck I need to from running my polisher to my vacuum (small one).

 

We have that 3000 inverter they are so cool.. but most company trucks don't allow them but we had one on our company truck ... we had our own don't ask don't tell policy. LOL!!!

 

It's about time someone brought up this thread. I have been asked hundreds of times. A lot of people thought I was nuts. 1st off a power inverter is great. So are all the 12 volt appliances. I lean on the side of safety having seen the electrical fires and problems. Here is my formula.

1. I never use one inverter. If it were to go, out your screwed. I figure out what I have for appliances (110) and use the formula. Figure out what you will be using on a daily basis and get a good quality unit(s) that has a warranty you can use on the road-replacement not repair.

A balanced power system can be simple or complicated. In my last truck I had three inverters. All were wired one gauge larger then required. I don't rely on the internal resets or thermals. They might not reset. I either bypass them internally or have an external in line prior to the inverter.

When a inverter gives a rating 1000 continuous 2000 peek there is a amp draw for the formula that coincides with the gauge of the wiring. It's easier not to get into the formula, just up size every thing.

I had a 400watt on a external in line dual 30amp breakers-the unit had dual 25 amp fuses. This allowed the unit to more easily run the continuous 400watt and I could push it to 800 watts if needed more smoothly and for a longer period before the unit 25amps blew. I used it for basics, lighting, fan, laptop, printer, air freshener.

I set my 800 up the same way but used dual 50 amp breakers which is factory max for the unit. This one I used for my coffee pot, soldering gun, and misc med draw.

My 1000 watt is a Portawatts 1000 made by Xantrex Technologies INC. It is not you T/S special. I have a Marine H/D 80 amp breaker on it. It ran my two door refrigerator, George Foreman grill, 1000 watt micro wave, powered home theater sound system for my laptop.

Always check the required wire gauge. Make your wire runs as short as possible. I then had then all connected to one large feed wire going directly to the batteries.

If you are possibly going to using 12 volt appliances do not use any cigarette lighter style plug in. These will eventually draw too much power and you can have a electrical shorting anywhere. Do not wire then into the main fuse/breaker panel or the power feeds there. They are usually feed through a main fuse or breaker for the truck as a whole. Blow that one and your sunk. I eliminated all the cigarette plug ends. In their place I put matching 12 volt breakers. Then hard wired them to a my inverter main line feed.

 

I read in another thread somewhere on The Truckers Forum (can't remember where to give proper credit) the person using a crock pot placed it in a milk crate which was secured (maybe bungies?) to keep a safe distance from anything and to keep it from moving around or tipping.

I have cooked roasts as well as corned beef and cabbage, ribs, chicken, pork chops and sauer kraut in a crock pot.

For the roast I just put in the meat, cover with a pkg of lipton onion soup mix. Throw in a couple of potatoes cut into chunks, a few small carrots cut up. No water. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs. Meat falls apart and tastes great.

Corned beef is even easier. Just the meat, cut up a small head of cabbage, and a couple potatoes. ( I recommend you ride alone. lol)

I never add extra water as it seems that there is enough moisture in the meats and veggies to not burn. If you are not sure it wouldn't hurt to add just a 1/4 cup of water.

The only problem I have is that when I cook one of these meals, I usually end up eating the same thing for about 3 meals in a row or sharing it with someone I meet just for the company. It's still cheaper than diners.

Disclaimer: It works for me. If it doesn't work for you, please do not curse me.
Good luck