Cooking while driving...

Syncromikey · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 2:41 pm Post subject: Cooking while driving...

How many of you would loved to have pulled out on a beautiful stop with a nice hot lunch ready to go? All you had to do was open the hatch, untie it from the engine and open up the wrap.
Yup, I'm talking about cooking on the engine itself. I regularly head out on trips that consist of 13 hour drives so stopping for a hot lunch would be really nice. I've been looking into it a bit and have an upcoming trip so I thought why not touch base with The Samba crew to see who has done this and what kind of success they've had. From what I've read is that it's kinda half way between cooking on the stove and slow cooking. I know there is a cook book out there that addresses this but thought it would be better to have first hand experiences and figured it would make a pretty cool thread. I'm hoping to do a bit of experimenting this weekend. Any recommendations?

Cheers,
Mike
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Ahwahnee · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 4:30 pm Post subject:

I have done this more as a novelty than a practical way to prepare food. Alas, only on a front engine vehicle with a big cast iron header that was well suited to the task.

The cookbook is, of course, Manifold Destiny.

I would think the WBX engine would not have as good a place to tuck in some foil-wrapped eats for serious heating.

desertrefugee · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 4:32 pm Post subject:

She, "Honey, what's that smell?"

He, "What smell?"

She, "Somethings burning."

Thump, whoooshh!

No worries, the Blazecut system has done its work and ruined dinner.

+++++++++++++++++++++

I've heard of this being done, but never looked into it. I'd read up on it a bit...and hope there are no fuel leaks to over-season the meal.
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djkeev · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 4:55 pm Post subject:

I own the book, have for decades...... (If I haven't tossed it yet)

We've done it exactly once with disappointing results.

Been there...... Done that...... Ain't doing it again.

Dave
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0to60in6min · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 5:00 pm Post subject:

nah... I won't do that..

with all that stuff on the deck and then removing them to get the food...?

errr... no... I rather heat up something on the stove...

westfalexia · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 5:36 pm Post subject:

I've found the engine more effective for re-heating than actual cooking. And even if wrapped in aluminum foil, there does tend to be an unpleasant touch of aromatic hydrocarbon to the food if your engine has any oil leaks at all. Just my 2c, I am sure there are ways to make it work with enough experimentation!

NoNameNeeded · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 6:29 pm Post subject:

You might have better luck with a 12v crock pot

http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-RPSL-350-Quart-Slow-Cooker/dp/B0013IR88A
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Vinzanto · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:18 pm Post subject:

Different spin on this thread. On a road trip from KC to CO my buddy cooked biscuits, gravy, and hash-browns on the stove top while I drove doing 70 mph on I-70 W and enjoyed waving at passing by motorists gawking at the 84 Volkswagen with guy-in-back cooking steadily spatula in hand. It should be noted he is a commercial fisherman so has much experience cooking while under way. So in exchange I whipped up a batch of gumbo a day or two later on a smaller back roads highway for the both of us and found that cooking while driving can be extremely time-saving while on long stretches. Oh the advantages of being a Westy owner... Very Happy

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rubbachicken · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 8:38 pm Post subject:

there are solar ovens, maybe it's possible to make one work in the westy luggage rack
big and cumbersome.
another out of the box thinking, what about if a coolant line were routed and coiled around a pot.

food can be cooked at a very low temperature, here's a pig being cooked in a jacuzzi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WniZ1ly5Ik
shame pt 2 is not available Sad

it worked out well i remember
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Syncromikey · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 9:00 pm Post subject:

I cooked a salmon in the dishwasher once. Sealed it up in multiple layers of aluminum wrap with veggies and seasoning. Turned out pretty good. Was pretty funny cause my wife kept asking ... I thought you were cooking dinner and said it would be done by 6. I kept telling her that it'll be done but she kept fussing. Was pretty surprised when I pulled the salmon out of the dishwasher. She actually ate it and was ... Well impressed isn't really the right word, but I'm sure you get the drift. Maybe I'll try a shorter run this weekend and cook some hotdogs. Might be better then a four course meal. Not much space in there anyway likely enough for a half dozen large hot dogs where the AC compressor goes. I've got a blue tooth BBQ thermometer I could throw in there to see how hot it gets and how fast it gets there.
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jimf909 · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 10:55 pm Post subject:

I've reheated plenty of lasagna and pizza on the exhaust manifold of '80s Chevys back when I was a cab driver during Chicago winters. It works wonderfully and kept me driving.
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morymob · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 4:50 am Post subject:

The smalll 90watt/120 volt crockpots work pretty good. If u have a 12 to 120 v converter it will take 10 amps.

insyncro · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 6:12 am Post subject:

morymob · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 6:14 am Post subject:

Which tube do u pee in ?

theadventureneverends · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 6:49 am Post subject:

Never actually cooked but plenty of reheats, never on a vehicle but quite often on the mains of the boats I work on.

I work bizarre hours and on short notice and started finding myself eating lots of overpriced non organic breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches. My wife was not stoked on them for the price or the ingredients(neither was I).

We keep chickens for the eggs and she was like I can make ten of those organically for the cost of one. She started making about 20 breakfast burritos and 20 breakfast sandwiches at a time, wraps in aluminium foil and puts them in one of the garage freezers. I generally grab one of each on the way out the door on the odd hour jobs. When I get to the boat and do my engine checks they get set on the engine. When I get hungry I go grab one and enjoy a steaming hot burrito with melted cheese and a nice hot egg sandwich.

The only bummer to this was I could really taste the aluminum foil especially on ones where the cheese melted out of the sandwich and touched the foil. I was more worried about the health consequences of the foil and had asked her to stop making them for that reason. One morning I was motoring out wishing I had one which got me thinking. I asked her to try wrapping in parchment paper first then the aluminum foil. Works perfectly!

Terry Kay · Banned Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331

The bumper exhaust cooker---circa 1930.
This sort of item has been around a long time.
There was an EZ Bake oven that mounted on the bumper too--bake a cake while on the roll--an item available back in the 50's.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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vanis13 · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:19 am Post subject:

I've considered having it on the muffler or the heatshield.
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[email protected] · Posted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:40 am Post subject:

This looks much more useful. Soup, stew, steamed vegetable. I bet if you put a rack in it you could bake.

newfisher · Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 1:02 pm Post subject:

Inverter, traeger smoker, 4hr trip...mmmmmm

Terry Kay · Banned Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331

That's what I'm talking about !

What a neat looking Gizmo !

What's the "inverter" all about?

This on propane, exhaust, BBQ chips or what?
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