Cooking On Board

I am putting the cart way before the horse here, but have some questions. After more research last night, I realized that everything I thought was going to hold me back is no issue at all. So this is going to be happening, probably sooner than I thought! (The only thing left is finding out if they could get me home for a possible court date upcoming...civil, not criminal lol). One other thing that has been holding me back is my weird food habits. I eat an extremely low carb diet to control my T2 diabetes. I can eat at truck stops, etc (helloooo bacon and eggs lol), but have been researching cooking my own meals on the truck. I get that NONE of this happens on a trainers truck most likely. But looking ahead to solo, one of my dogs by my side (I'll see if I can rotate them out, but most likely it will be the pug. I can lift her into the cab lol The others are all 80ish pounds and I'd have to get special permission, etc anyway).

So back to cooking. I understand I'll be tired on my 10 hour breaks. Simple is best. I have seen people cooking with pressure cookers, crock pots and hot plates. Is it safe to run a crock pot while driving? I know that it would need to be on the floor because of vibrations, but that would be awesome to get done driving and eat my own stew, etc. I see trucks parked on offramps to nowhere (as I call them) on the I15 all the time. Would it be possible to spend your 10 hours on one of those, maybe break out a small grill and cook a steak? It would have to be on the 10 hour so it had time to cool to transport again. I think that I'd prefer to spend my break times in the middle of nowhere more than at a truck stop...I'm a backcountry hiker that has done months in the backcountry with nothing but my backpack. The idea appeals to me, anyway right now with no real truck driving time. Is this feasible? I also realize that there will be times when I just want to park at a truck stop, get some food and maybe see some people lol

So, basically, what if any cooking is feasible? I am thinking with a hot plate, a small pressure cooker, a small crockpot, a lunchbox cooker and a microwave, I could cook damn near anything. The grill is probably a pipe dream, but hey, a girl can dream right?

Best bet is an instant pot. It essentially does everything you listed except microwave. Just make sure it's power needs fit within your trucks ability to supply 120v

Best bet is an instant pot. It essentially does everything you listed except microwave. Just make sure it's power needs fit within your trucks ability to supply 120v

I have one at home, I use it A LOT. I don't like the slow cooker option on it, but I could live with it :)

I have a built-in fridge, an ICECO freezer, a George Forman grill, a 12" electric Presto grill, a microwave, and a plug in Coleman cooler. There may be more, but I think that's it. I'm going to get a single burner hot plate, too, for boiling eggs. I've been practicing Keto and a combination Carnivore diet for the past two years

All the electrical items I use require a big inverter, and I use a 3000 watt model. Most companies will have a 1200 to 1600 watt model installed. Some companies do not provide or authorize these at all, so research this when eyeing a possible company. A good rule on appliances is your inverter needs to be capable of one and a half times the wattage. Example: A 500 watt cooker will need at least a 750 watt power source. The biggest pull on the power is at the start up.

I shop at WM wherever I may be about once every 10 days. When I find one, I always call ahead to confirm the availability of big truck parking. Most allow it, but there are a few that do not. The best scenario is one that allows parking, then allows you to park for your 10 hour break, too.

Parking on ramps is never recommended and is also illegal. I only do it as a last resort/emergency.

and I use a 3000 watt model

I wasn't aware Crete would allow us to have a bigger power inverter installed in our trucks. Of course I never bothered asking. Because there are a few cooking appliances I wanted to get for my truck. Because of right now, I cook everything in our instant pot or the microwave.

I have a built-in fridge, an ICECO freezer, a George Forman grill, a 12" electric Presto grill, a microwave, and a plug in Coleman cooler. There may be more, but I think that's it. I'm going to get a single burner hot plate, too, for boiling eggs. I've been practicing Keto and a combination Carnivore diet for the past two years

All the electrical items I use require a big inverter, and I use a 3000 watt model. Most companies will have a 1200 to 1600 watt model installed. Some companies do not provide or authorize these at all, so research this when eyeing a possible company. A good rule on appliances is your inverter needs to be capable of one and a half times the wattage. Example: A 500 watt cooker will need at least a 750 watt power source. The biggest pull on the power is at the start up.

I shop at WM wherever I may be about once every 10 days. When I find one, I always call ahead to confirm the availability of big truck parking. Most allow it, but there are a few that do not. The best scenario is one that allows parking, then allows you to park for your 10 hour break, too.

Parking on ramps is never recommended and is also illegal. I only do it as a last resort/emergency.

See this is the answer I needed :) I am keto too, for about 10 years. It has allowed me to control my T2 with only diet for many years. (Well when the pandemic hit, I tossed it all away, ended up in the hospital...yeah lesson learned). The inverter thing was what my question was...I watched some videos from Prime and they said theirs was 1500. I'll have to research. I know at the very least I can do a crockpot, they pull almost nothing. The on ramps thing is a bit of a disappointment, but glad you told me so now I can take that idea out of my head and move on :D

The basic model 6 quart instant pots use 800 watts according to my inverter but they're rated for 1000.

The basic model 6 quart instant pots use 800 watts according to my inverter but they're rated for 1000.

Perfect! Thank you!

Parking on ramps is also dangerous. One of the reasons CFI reimburses for parking is because they don't want us parking on ramps. Besides truck stops, there are rest areas and some truck parking areas.

There are many 12volt cooking appliances for the truck.

Truck stops are where you will get most of your showers.

Good luck.

My instant pot on top of my refrigerator.