microwave size & brand
Submitted: Monday, Oct 29, 2007 at 06:50
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124160
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Quicksilver
Been a while since we've been on line. Just had a month overseas & now can hardly wait for our van to be ready so we can do some touring in our own great land.
Need to make a decision urgently about a microwave and need some advise on size, wattage and brands which have proved suitable. It will be positioned in side of pantry facing benchtop. I guess there is also the question of how often it is used and if building another van would you include a microwave or not ?
At home our microwave gets very little use, but is handy when something needs defrosting in a hurry. So our main reason for including one is for resale value.
Your imput would be appreciated
David & Denice
Reply By: CD & JW - Monday, Oct 29, 2007 at 10:50
Monday, Oct 29, 2007 at 10:50
If you don't think you will use it yourself, you can always get
Bushtracker to leave provision for the next person to have one installed, and use the space for something else yourselves.
This is sometimes the decision for things like air-conditioners I have noticed from some previous posts.
The important thing is to have provision for installation of any of these so that at resale you can let potential buyers know.
At home I use my microwave for cooking quite a few things as well as for the defrosting or reheating. That will have to be curtailed in our van (when we get it) if we are in one place for a while. If we are on the move then I will be able to use it a little more. BUT that use will still need to be watched carefully. Our planned configuration of panels and batteries will allow this limited use, and for me I am happy with disciplining myself to that.
LJW
AnswerID:
573240
Reply By: Andy1 - Monday, Oct 29, 2007 at 16:25
Monday, Oct 29, 2007 at 16:25
For what it is worth, after five years of BT ownership, we have just removed our microwave on the basis it did not pull its weight & occupied space that will be of more use as a cupboard.
We found that almost the only use was heating water when 240v was available. Our experience may not apply to all as we use a camp oven heated by a gas ring in a Southern Metal Spinners "snood" for most or our cooking in both in caravan parks & bush camping.
Personally we would strongly advise against the concept of using an inverter to power a microwave, battery consumption is just too great. At the same time as removing the microwave we have taken out the 1700w (1800w? I can not remember) inverter & installed two smaller units with dedicated power points. There is no doubt that for bush camping inverter power is a must for the computer & TV et al but, in our view, not a microwave.
Andy
AnswerID:
573241
Reply By: Silver Fox - Tuesday, Oct 30, 2007 at 00:08
Tuesday, Oct 30, 2007 at 00:08
I agree with Andy and will add my experience of having a MW. Had it installed above the fridge. Didn't use it much as it was only wired to 240v. I have found that battery life is paramount and using inverters I believe should be only for laptop and camera/phone batteries recharging. Anyway the MW disintergrated somewhere along the Gibb Rv Rd. last year. The whole heavy motor/fan assembly in mine was hanging on one bolt through the top of the case. The case is as in all white goods wafer thin so just ripped itself out. When one considers these appliances are designed to sit on a bench in a house what hope has it got in a moving BT? Should a MW need to be installed I would give it considerable shock proofing indeed. Also I would endeavour to see how the motor/fan set-up was attached. I now use the hole for those large things which need storing occasionally, e.g. laundry. The space doesn't go un-used. Hope I have been of some use, cheers Neil.
AnswerID:
573242
Reply By: Motherhen & Rooster - Tuesday, Oct 30, 2007 at 09:32
Tuesday, Oct 30, 2007 at 09:32
While i use my microwave at home every day, i would not include one in a caravan. Instead we have a $25 Dick Smith 12 volt pie warmer in the car which although it take quite a while, fills my husbands needs to have hot pies. I can cook wholesome meals quite quickly on the gas stove, and can do without a microwave when on the road.
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AnswerID:
573243
Follow Up By: Agnes Lifestyle - Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007 at 02:45
Wednesday, Oct 31, 2007 at 02:45
We have a MW in the oven position in our van. When we pull into a caravan park I always forget to use it.Our MW at home gets very little use.Wish we had installed an oven instead.We listened to people at the caravan shows who said they never use their ovens.I guess they were hooked up to 240v all the time.Again it is a personal decision.Like most things if you are hell bent on using it you will find a way.
Could do with one of those pie heaters though.
Dianne
FollowupID:
848761
Follow Up By: The Hob - Thursday, Nov 01, 2007 at 05:28
Thursday, Nov 01, 2007 at 05:28
Dianne
Doesn't your MW work from battery/inverter?
You talk about being connected to 240v for use!!!!!!!
We are waiting for our van (Nov 2008) still a while to go but we tentatively have an oven and made provision for a MW but would expect it to work from battery/inverter when not connected. Our understanding is that only air con requires the 240v connection.
Intrigued by the many variations. Almost tempted not to have an oven but worried about resale value.
Alan
FollowupID:
848762
Reply By: Kilcoy Yowies - Friday, Nov 02, 2007 at 04:16
Friday, Nov 02, 2007 at 04:16
We just threw our microwave away after hardly using it in the almost 2 years that we have owned our BT.
It stopped working after a fairly lengthy trip on the corrugations.
Removing the MW has revealed a marvelous big cupboard which is ideal for all the big stuff we carry. We need to just have a door made by the kitchen maker and it will be a very useful large space being utilized properly.
For the interest of those enquiring about slide out pantries.We use the cupboard to the right of the sink as a pantry and it was absolutely useless with things falling over and having to pull out everything to get to the stuff at the back. We got our local kitchen bloke to put in 3 sliding wire drawers and it has been the best thing we have done.
We also changed the cupboard under the oven to a drawer, converted the other cupboard under the bed to a pair of drawers and put on front opening drawers in the front of the settee at the back of the van. It was so difficult to access the space under the seat before.Why can't these things be offered as standard at BT. It cost us quite a bit, but has been worth it as we now have our van as we want it, very functional.
Regards,
Maureen and David
AnswerID:
573244
Follow Up By: Quicksilver - Friday, Nov 02, 2007 at 07:04
Friday, Nov 02, 2007 at 07:04
Thanks everyone for responding to our queries, and it has given us alternatives to consider. We're thinking now that provision for a MW would be the best option - then we can decide later whether we want one or not.
The drawers as explained by Maureen and David appear to be a much better idea than just shelves - especially for the lower shelves.
We've signed off on the plan, but as these changes don't affect the framework, hopefully BT will allow us to modify.
Thanks again,
Denice & David
FollowupID:
848763
Reply By: Willie - Monday, Nov 05, 2007 at 04:22
Monday, Nov 05, 2007 at 04:22
D & D ,
I just got back from a week in a C. Park at Dunolly ,Vic . I cooked vegies every night with the microwave . It is so easy I would not be without it on a powered site .
When in the bushhowever , I cook all my vegies in foil in the coals .
Cheers ,
Willie .
AnswerID:
573245
Reply By: Kiwi1 - Sunday, Dec 02, 2007 at 08:59
Sunday, Dec 02, 2007 at 08:59
We had a microwave installed in our new (Phoenix, sorry) van two years ago and it has served us well as secure, convenient (but expensive), storage for our wine cask. Make of that what you will. LOL.
Michael
AnswerID:
573246
Follow Up By: Maitland Bushies - Monday, Dec 03, 2007 at 07:09
Monday, Dec 03, 2007 at 07:09
Running a MW on batteries via the inverter will draw approx 100 amps. Not to many battery systems can stand drawing power down at that rate for long.
Max
FollowupID:
848764