I didn't realize these were even available for trucks.

Any recommendations on type/model?

No big hurry . . . just building my equipment list and trying to estimate what my out of pocket will be to start this business.

Thanks

 

Pretty much everything is available for the truck. Careful with what you buy, though. Many items need an inverter and if your company does not allow them, you've wasted your money. That said, you can find fridges, coolers, and even microwaves that are wired specifically for a truck without the need of a plug-in or hard-wired inverter. They are costly, though. Find out what your company will allow, then go from there.

Of course, if you're an O/O, then ignore everything I said.

 

Ditto on what Twilight Flyer said - really, most company drivers end up with a 12v cooler. They will generally fit most trucks without too much fuss, and don't require a power inverter. If you're wanting a true fridge, you may need to know what you have for space.

 

I have never seen a microwave that did not either have to be used with a large enough inverter or hard wired into the trucks batteries.

The wiring in the 12 volt power plugs/cigarette lighters are not heavy enough to carry the current needed to power microwaves, actual refriderators (12 or 110 volt). About the most power you can safely draw through them is to run about 400 watts.

 

There are some of those silly low power microwaves though. Not good for really doing much more than warming things. While I don't have one, it might not be a bad investment to reheat already cooked meals. Or soups or something.

 

I've gone through2 electric coolers and am DONE wasting my money :evil:

 

On a side note, what does everyone do at night if the truck isn't running? Do you shut off your refrigerator if it's not hot out? I'm wondering how much of a drain it is on the batteries.

 

I"ve left it running for at least 4 days at a time before. It usally gets hot and shuts off and blows a relay in my interior light :evil:

This is speaking for the electric cooler. My dad's standard KW fridge has a toggle swith to turn it on/off to save the batteries when not in use.

 

Ok thanks. I didn't know if it would run down the batteries in one night. I just bought 4 new Optima Yellow Top's so I should be ok.

 

Many tractors also have a low power cut off that when the truck senses the batteries are too low, it will shut off all power to the auxiliary circuits to save enough charge to let you crank the engine over again.

Some companies also run an "optimized idle" system where the truck takes care of power management on it's own - it will restart the truck when the battery charge falls below a specified level.

BanditsCousin - I know what you mean with the coolers, they are actually hit or miss. I bought one that burned out in less than a month... the one I have now has been running well over a year now and keeps milk fresh for up to two weeks. *shrugs* If anything, it actually tries to freeze what I have in it...