Hi all
I’ve been driving hgv’s for 6 years but only recently started doing nights out. I’ll be doing 2/3 a week from now on and want to get a few creature comforts for the truck. I’m looking for recommendations from the old hands.
I’m looking for a tv/DVD combo and a cooker and kettle. Can anyone recommend any good ones and the best place to get them?
Many thanks
A Tesco carrier bag to have a ■■■ in.
Harry Monk:
A Tesco carrier bag to have a ■■■ in.
binbags are better seeing as carrier bags have holes in 
do you have a laptop? this would save you getting a tv or dvd player 
Love the bag advice 
, no I don’t have a laptop, do all my Internet on my phone.
buy an inverter off e-bay then get a tele from tesco’s had my flat screen combi for 3 years now never a problem, . 
use a little single ring camping stove there only about 15 quid and a camping kettle can knock a brew up in no time 
cliffton 27:
use a little single ring camping stove there only about 15 quid and a camping kettle can knock a brew up in no time
This is probably the best bit of advice at this time of year. You can heat a tin of something real quick if you get stuck. Always bring a pan, water and something like a stew/casserole/tin of chilli. It’ll do til’you get back. Stay warm and you’ll be fine.
cliffton 27:
use a little single ring camping stove there only about 15 quid and a camping kettle can knock a brew up in no time
Great advice - stay away from the electric kettles as they take ages to boil and don’t last very long. I had one and it lasted a grand total of 4 weeks before it gave up 
Gas all the way 
Hot water bottle
kitchen roll and a magazine
obviously a duvet/sleeping bag and pillow.
charliebear:
obviously a duvet/sleeping bag and pillow.
Yep, duvet is far better than sleeping bag, get a double duvet and fold it in half, and sleep in it like the filling in a bread roll. Lovely and toasty but you can still dangle a foot out in the cold if you need to moderate your temperature.
Then, all you have to do is launder the duvet cover and not the whole shebang.
These days it’s better to have a laptop or even better a tablet such as an iPad. You can watch your TV on that but don’t forget you need a good mobile internet. If you have sky then you have access to the sports channels and several other channels via the internet too at no extra cost !
I carry with me spare set of clothes wash bag and towel as for creature comforts i use my laptop with a freeview dongle works a treat in built up areas not so good if your rural a meali like having is chicken in white sauce with rice. Whilst its cold theres no need for a fridge just put it in a locker a pack of biscuitsdont go a miss either
Get a 12v or 24v DVD/TV combi - I got one from Costco about 5 years ago and it’s still on the wall of one of the trucks. You can use a 240v one through an inverter, but many of the smaller TV’s run through a transformer anyway, so just bypass the mains lead and feed it straight from the truck. Laptops/tablets are also handy if you like to stay connected to the rest of the world, I couldn’t live without mine (though to be fair I only spend a few nights a year in a truck these days).
It’s not worth getting a microwave for a few nights a week. However do get a gas stove with a camping kettle and go for a double ring one if possible, they are only slightly more expensive than the single ring ones and vastly widen what you can do with them. Even just being able to boil water for a coffee at the same time as heating up your stew makes it worthwhile for me, though it also means you can get a little more adventurous with the cooking if you fancy eating something that needs more than one pot. Keep a decent supply of tinned food, I also like noodles as a quick snack too.
Like others have said, get a double duvet and sandwich yourself in the middle and make sure you have a couple of decent pillows. Forget the sleeping bag, you’re on a night out not a camping trip with the kids. Run your night heater for a while before you go to sleep and have it set to come on again shortly before you plan to get up, that will be enough to keep you warm on all but the coldest of nights. I can’t be doing with it clicking on and off all night as the noise drives me nuts (yet I can sleep through the drone of a fridge), and I always find it too hot anyway.
as others have said, (beings you do interweb on phone) get a decent inverter, and then a combi type 19 inch tv/dvd from tesco or similar will do the trick. a decent book, and a couple of mags of choice always handy. WETWIPES
def get a decent kettle, couple of pots n pans, plates, mugs, knifes, forks etc. tea bags, coffee, food, salt, pepper, vinegar and sauces, although if short on room, these could be borrowed from motorway services. oh yeah, t-towel, or plenty of kitchen roll. WETWIPES
a suitable wee bottle, saves you jumping out in the night, which is a pain, and could get us all a bad rep, if someone spots ya peeing in an inappropriate place. a decent carrier bag and bog roll for real emergencies, (maybe an old towel aswell.) WETWIPES
washbag with all your gear, a decent towel, and i’d say a must, a pair of flip flops 
bedding, a decent sheet, a good quilt and a couple of decent pillows don’t forget a weeks worth of clothes, maybe keep some decent clobber with you too, incase you want a night on the tiles somewhere 
WETWIPES
i’ve also always kept a couple of beers spare, bottle of plonk, and my own fave tipple, but thats more for the weekended scenario, unless your lucky and get a proper nightly rest.
a decent atlas, gotta be decent, few a-z’s if required and a satnav.
scented candles, matches, lighter, various batteries, bottle opener, fuses, bulbs, few tools, some gaffer tape, decent knife, alarm clock WETWIPES
maybe some headache/flu type tablets, WETWIPES
hope some of that helps, and don’t forget, WETWIPES
chilistrucker:
as others have said, (beings you do interweb on phone) get a decent inverter, and then a combi type 19 inch tv/dvd from tesco or similar will do the trick. a decent book, and a couple of mags of choice always handy. WETWIPES
def get a decent kettle, couple of pots n pans, plates, mugs, knifes, forks etc. tea bags, coffee, food, salt, pepper, vinegar and sauces, although if short on room, these could be borrowed from motorway services. oh yeah, t-towel, or plenty of kitchen roll. WETWIPES
a suitable wee bottle, saves you jumping out in the night, which is a pain, and could get us all a bad rep, if someone spots ya peeing in an inappropriate place. a decent carrier bag and bog roll for real emergencies, (maybe an old towel aswell.) WETWIPES
washbag with all your gear, a decent towel, and i’d say a must, a pair of flip flops
i’ve also always kept a couple of beers spare, bottle of plonk, and my own fave tipple, but thats more for the weekended scenario, unless your lucky and get a proper nightly rest.
a decent atlas, gotta be decent, few a-z’s if required and a satnav.
scented candles, matches, lighter, various batteries, bottle opener, fuses, bulbs, few tools, some gaffer tape, decent knife, alarm clock WETWIPES
maybe some headache/flu type tablets, WETWIPES
hope some of that helps, and don’t forget, WETWIPES
Scented candles? WTF?
RobRob:
chilistrucker:
as others have said, (beings you do interweb on phone) get a decent inverter, and then a combi type 19 inch tv/dvd from tesco or similar will do the trick. a decent book, and a couple of mags of choice always handy. WETWIPES
def get a decent kettle, couple of pots n pans, plates, mugs, knifes, forks etc. tea bags, coffee, food, salt, pepper, vinegar and sauces, although if short on room, these could be borrowed from motorway services. oh yeah, t-towel, or plenty of kitchen roll. WETWIPES
a suitable wee bottle, saves you jumping out in the night, which is a pain, and could get us all a bad rep, if someone spots ya peeing in an inappropriate place. a decent carrier bag and bog roll for real emergencies, (maybe an old towel aswell.) WETWIPES
washbag with all your gear, a decent towel, and i’d say a must, a pair of flip flops
i’ve also always kept a couple of beers spare, bottle of plonk, and my own fave tipple, but thats more for the weekended scenario, unless your lucky and get a proper nightly rest.
a decent atlas, gotta be decent, few a-z’s if required and a satnav.
scented candles, matches, lighter, various batteries, bottle opener, fuses, bulbs, few tools, some gaffer tape, decent knife, alarm clock WETWIPES
maybe some headache/flu type tablets, WETWIPES
hope some of that helps, and don’t forget, WETWIPESScented candles? WTF?
I wonder if they are to set the mood while using the items I have highlighted above?
Kerbdog:
These days it’s better to have a laptop or even better a tablet such as an iPad. You can watch your TV on that but don’t forget you need a good mobile internet. If you have sky then you have access to the sports channels and several other channels via the internet too at no extra cost !
I always download my sky go and bbc iplayer on the home wifi at the weekend to save on mobile broadband usage.