microwave (1 Viewer)

[Scout]

no not a lttle flick of the hand, the things that cook stuff quickly,


my o/h (bless her) has come up with a couple of clever questions


1: The ones sold in carvan/motorhme shoips are much more expensive than outlets,

so whats the differance?

are they lower wattage, or perhaps lighter?

I thought it was a clever question for a woman

but my question is do we really need one anyway? how much do you use one if yourve got one?

we are foodies, so I could see it being usefull, but if it eats into the payload is it worth it, I mean I could put in another 6 bottles of wine instead, also the m/w cupboards high up ? thats need great is it?

opinions please

 

[DESCO]

Hi
We don't have an oven in our van so use a microwave quite a lot and would not be without it. We could have fitted an oven but OH decided against it, and don't seem to miss it.

We did not buy an expensive one from caravan shop, but a cheap one from local discount shop. Check wattage ours 600/650, about £30 I think.

One of the best and most usefull pieces of kit we have.


Dave:thumb::thumb:

 

[hilldweller]

my o/h (bless her) has come up with a couple of clever questions

but my question is do we really need one anyway?

They do that, don't they, bless 'em.

The answer is, "Dearest, the food you prepare now is so good we do not need a microwave".

You've not much chance of using a decent microwave off hook up and anything low enough power to use off the batteries will be pretty disappointing I would guess.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[gazznsam]

the one sold in caravan shops branded 'P.L.S', is smaller than a standard microwave, so easier to transport (caravanners keep them loose, stored on floor whilst traveling, most motorhomers will fix them in place to a worktop of shelf... i built mine in to the copboards, above the fridge freezer, and put a vent in the wall behind it to allow it to vent properly... outside wall of course)

a packet of uncle bens micro rice wont stand up in it unless you fold the top over by an inch (or lay it down)

that microwave is also a 550 watt cooking power model, which pulls 900 watts from the mains, it's been sized to run from a 1kw generator with no problems,
dont worry about the 550 watts cooking power, we just add a few seconds to the 650 watt times on the packets, i.e. if 2 mins we cook for 2 mins 15 secs,

it's also a dial type controller, so no faffing about having to set the clock everytime you turn it on... some nukers wont work till the clocks set (just remember if cooking less than 2 mins, turn the dial round to ab out 10, then back to 2, or it wont cook for the right time, that apparantly applies to all dial type nukers)

it also runs fine on a modified square wave inverter.... the ones with digital timers can and usually do run faster or slower on a MSW inverter,
a mate once complained his microwave was naff, always undercooking his food when running on his inverter,
i told him to time how long it cooked for with a stop watch, and he found out it was cooking at about 35 real seconds for every minute it counted down,

 

[pappajohn]

after reading through this thread i had a look online at small 12v microwaves.....

couldnt believe the cable size needed.....

a 750w/950w input Samsung needs 22.5mmsq to 36mmsq cables

thats the same as/bigger than your starter motor cable...usually 25mmsq.

this one costs £549.95 inc VAT


Samsung MM-20 12v / 24v Microwave Oven

The Samsung 12 Volt Microwave Oven is a high quality microwave cooker designed for microwave cooking in caravans, motorhomes and boats. Built to the same standards as your Microwave at home but running off 12v or 24v and offering a powerful 750wW or 950W respectively.
This microwave is made by Samsung and designed specifically for use ‘on the move’.
The Microwave should be connected directly to the 24v or 12v battery, there’s no need to install an additional inverter, and it has all the features you would expect from your microwave at home – interior light, rotary plate, electronic timer and automatic programme control. It also has a security locking mechanism on the door and is supplied with a fixing kit.

Capacity20 L
Voltage12 or 24 volts DCPower consumption
12 volts 750 watts, 24 volts 950 watts
Current input12 volts 65 A, 24 volts 40 A
Microwave output12 volts 450 watts, 24 volts 500 watts
Recommended thickness of the supply cable22 mm2 for a cable length of 0 to 3 m max., 36 mm2 for a cable length of 3 to 5 m max.

 

[gazznsam]

hmmm... i've just wired my new battery bank up using 50mmsq cable, as well as making up new leads for the inverter to battery connections out of the same size, and the main earth connection to the chassis,

the cable from the 2nd alternator to the batteries is 40sqmm, but that only has to take 90 amps max along a 5 meter run, so it's within the voltage drop range i allow in my systems.

i'd have wanted to use 50 or maybe even 70mmsq cable to connect to a 12 volt microwave my self,
but to be honnest, a mains microwave on an inverter is a heck of a lot easier, one of the few items i'd say to keep as mains,
another thing i keep as mains are fans, as 12 volt fans are pretty naff, pull lots of current for a pathetic airflow,

my bionare 13 inch fan pulls 3.5 amps from the batteries and puts out about 3 times the airflow of the fiamma turbo vents fan, and it's very quiet in doing so, where as 12 volt fan motors whine orribaly.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[jezport]

I have a samsung junior microwave, its half the size of a normal one and is 550w 240v. It runs on a 1000w inverter OK.

I am thinking of selling it if anyone is interested.

 

[PenelopePitstop]

We bought a cheap normal microwave from Argos this summer - about £34 I think - Tesco were doing a similar one at about the same price I think.:thumb:

I use it when we have hook up without any problems. When were staying anywhere for a week or more we put a kitchen tent up and it sits in that.
Use it to defrost stuff when I've forgotten to take it out of the freezer, heat Rex's Oats so simple in a morning, jacket spuds and then finish them on the BBQ, microwave chocolate cake and anything else I think of!

Didn't have one for the first 2 years in the van but I'm glad we've got it now.

When we're travelling it lives under the table!

 

[G4GMO]

What do you need a microwave for? We cook our road kill on the gas hob.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

What do you need a microwave for? We cook our road kill on the gas hob.

Ok for a rabbit or pheasant but a bloody deer

Peter

 

[jezport]

Ok for a rabbit or pheasant but a bloody deer

Peter

You cant fit a deer in a microwave either!

 

[Landy lover]

we are foodies, so I could see it being usefull, but if it eats into the payload is it worth it, I mean I could put in another 6 bottles of wine instead, also the m/w cupboards high up ? thats need great is it?

opinions please

Take the microwave - you can always buy the wine when you get there - fantastic for Baked potatoe - pies and pasties when you have been out for the day and are ravenous - reheating the cup of tea the wife made that you forgot to drink before you fell asleep

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[M&L]

As we mainly use sites and therefore EHU most of the time we have a £30 one bought from Tesco, it fitted into one of the top cupboards nicely.

Mike

 

[DandG5515]

Being fairly new to this M/H lark we havent yet got into taking along the microwave, mainly because of lack of space to put it. Having read that someone takes a tent etc to put it in is a really good idea as it out of the way and so will Graham be as he likes cooking al fresco We did purchase a halogen oven but took it back as it was quite bulky.