How hot was your truck or trailer

Ok guys here are some temps from today.
8:30 interior temp was 89
Under hood 89
outside temp  85

10:30 am
interior temp  94
Hood temp 97 with only the steam table (1)  and cheese warmer running.
outside temp 89

11:00 am
interior temp 100 with 1 steam table-Panini grill- cheese warmer running
hood temp 101
Outside temp  94

11:30
interior temp 101
hood temp 102
Outside temp 95

12:00 noon
interior temp 103
hood temp 102
Outside Temp 95

12:30
interior temp 103
hood temp 103
Outside temp  98

1:00
Interior temp 108
hood temp  103
Outside temp 97  radio said heat index 106

1:30 pm
Interior Temp 109
hood temp 104 
(just measured the hood temp at the top not at the filters and it was 113 degrees)
Outside temp  97

2:00 PM
Interior Temp  108
hood temp at the filters 105  roof temp 115
Outside Temp 97

2:30
Interior Temp 107
hood temp at filter 107 roof temp 115
Outside Temp  99

3:00
Interior Temp 110
Hood Temp at filters 105 roof temp 119
Outside Temp  99   Heat index 109 degrees

3:30
Interior Temp 109
Hood Temp at filters 105 roof temp 119
Outside temp 100  heat index 107

4:00
Interior Temp 110
Hood Temp at filters 106 roof temp 119
Outside Temp  100 heat index 109

4:30
Interior Temp 110
Hood Temp at filters 106 roof temp 119
Outside Temp 100 heat index 109

5;00
Interior Temp 108
Hood Temp at filters  106 roof temp 117
Outside Temp 101 heat index  108

5:30
Interior Temp 105
Hood Temp at filters 1`05 roof temp 112
Outside Temp 100

All in all it was a pretty good Tuesday even with the weather and sucky economy. So at 5:45 I left John in charge so I could go home and cool off.

The Dr of BBQ
2709 S 6th Street
Springfield Illinois 62703

217-744-9999

It was only 88 degrees outside here, but even with my a/c unit pumping out it was 99.5 degrees in the midpoint of my trailer (I keep the thermometer halfway between the grill at one end and the air conditioner at the other end).

Two weeks ago when the outside temp hit 104, the inside was 109. The only saving grace is that if you stand directly under the air conditioner vent, it is actually comfortable.

so from your experience today, hood temps are actually a lot less then we all assumed they were.... very cool :)
 
thank you very much for the time and effort!
 
hahaha, thats an awesome pic of the dog :)

Please keep in mind I had minimal equipment running, no char broiler, no flat top, no deep fryer and those are the killers when it comes to heat, smoke and interior temps. Others on the forum that use those pieces of equipment could do a better study than mine. I didn't mention a name because I don't want to assign a task LMAO. Ok Chef..........lol
Jack

Hey   Doc ... I like the fur coat and I understand the need for the ice; but I think I would take off the coat!    ... Hum ... I thought you were a little taller.

edwmax
Hey   Doc ... I like the fur coat and I understand the need for the ice; but I think I would take off the coat!    ... Hum ... I thought you were a little taller.

 
Your right I'm taller than I look in the picture but I'm still mean. LOL

Dr of BBQ


Please keep in mind I had minimal equipment running, no char broiler, no flat top, no deep fryer and those are the killers when it comes to heat, smoke and interior temps. Others on the forum that use those pieces of equipment could do a better study than mine. I didn't mention a name because I don't want to assign a task LMAO. Ok Chef..........lol
Jack

Me????....
I'll look into temps tomorrow if I'm sittin around with my thumb you know where.....Everythings prepped, all I have to do is show up 30 min ahead to fire up all that heat producing equipment.
 
Last time I checked, it was 109 inside this weekend, outside was around 82.

You guys need bigger CFM from your hood fans. We have no AC in the trailer and it felt cooler in the trailer when it was 103 out side in our heat wave 2 weeks ago.

My exhaust fan pulls so hard as it is that it sucks the bottom of the garbage bag up to the top of the trash bin until we get enough trash in it to weight it down. So I don't thing CFM is the problem. I could be wrong but I don't think so.
Jack

Same here.....I have to keep a weight on my napkins and sand wrap, or else they are all over the floor.
 
 

Chicnscoop


You guys need bigger CFM from your hood fans. We have no AC in the trailer and it felt cooler in the trailer when it was 103 out side in our heat wave 2 weeks ago.

What are you running?

Dr of BBQ


My exhaust fan pulls so hard as it is that it sucks the bottom of the garbage bag up to the top of the trash bin until we get enough trash in it to weight it down. So I don't thing CFM is the problem. I could be wrong but I don't think so.
Jack

 
From the temp given, I think there are dead spots with little air movement.   The hood temp is cooler that the rest of the truck.   The truck temp should be about the same as the outside temp.     So the air must be flowing straight from the window/vent to the hood and very little flow thru the truck.   You might try regulating the flow so air goes thru the 'whole' truck.
 
Also, the roof temp, I assume that is the inside temp at the roof????  Question, is the roof insulated?  

"The roof temp, I assume that is the inside temp at the roof????  Question, is the roof insulated? "
 
The roof temp was taken from the very top inside of the hood. vs The hood temp was taken at the filters where the air flow is greatest.I'm not sure I should have done it that way but I noticed there was a significant difference in temps so I wrote them down.
 
The inside temp was taken at ceiling height.
 
Jack

Chef, your 109 inside with a outside temp of 82 will give everyone a much better idea of trailer truck temps than my post. Please be sure and list what your running so the new people and builders can get a real feel for what they are facing.
Thanks
Jack

I am running the big ugly mushroom fan on the roof. It is variable speed but to change it I need to get up there under the cover. Stainlesskitchenhoods.com engineered the fan. I have not taken any temp measurements so maybe it is the airflow through that is helping - window positioning like edwmax was refering to. I have the 4' concession window, (3) very small 10" x 14"frv windows, and (1) rv roof vent in a 20' trailer. The trailer is insulated with 1" or the pink foam board. I do know that if the fan is on and the windows are closed you have a very difficult time opening the door from the suction.

Dr of BBQ


Chef, your 109 inside with a outside temp of 82 will give everyone a much better idea of trailer truck temps than my post. Please be sure and list what your running so the new people and builders can get a real feel for what they are facing.
Thanks
Jack

I have a 20' trailer with two well steam table, deep fryer, 36" flat top over oven, toaster oven,
36" charbroiler & hot plate.
Two windows, two roof vents and the door is always open.
Foam insulated
 

i really do think its the radiant heat that is kicking the heat up..... i wonder what the temps would be if a "shield" was placed between the cooking area and the operator during slow times..... i realize this is realistically not a viable idea, but heat transfer should be able to be managed......
 
maybe locate some make up air at the lower front of the big offenders, and create an air curtain of sorts to soak up as much as the radiant heat as possible before it migrates into the truck....

My temps are not as thorough as the Dr's, but at the window hovered around 100-104, the hood temp was 123 + -, dependant on if the fryer was cycling.
I only had half the broiler running today also.
It was 83 today.
I have been bitching about the heat in the kitchen for 30 years, it's part of the job.
If I didn't like it, I would have become a butcher and then been bitching about working in a 34 degree cold room 8 hrs a day.
You know the old saying....
 

with the a/c on it was at 93 degrees with the warmer and refrigator on and 97 outside with a heat index of 103. Before I got my new generator and was able to use the a/c, 103 outside,110 inside with fans running. Oh the old generator, the main shift bearing locked up and fellout of the seat and the armature slid forward and out of the field and stop producing power. $1400.00 dollars later at Lowes and wal la,,,power.

BackAlleyBurger


i really do think its the radiant heat that is kicking the heat up..... i wonder what the temps would be if a "shield" was placed between the cooking area and the operator during slow times..... i realize this is realistically not a viable idea, but heat transfer should be able to be managed...... 

 
In addition, I think refrig, salad/sandwich prep, & drink coolers (ect)  are dumping their heat into the truck-trailer.   These could easily be vented to the outside thought the wall behind the unit  ... drier vent.    If these are close to each other, then the vent space could be closed off and a small fan used to draw air and vent to the outside.    ... I think this may give the added advantage of lowering power usage & increased efficiency of the equipment.

The (2) ice cream dipping cabinets in my trailer throw a ton of heat. When we first opened we were closing the windows at night and turning off the hood vent. It would get very hot in the trailer over night - at least 25 degrees warmer inside than outside. We quickly learned to keep open the small windows and the roof vent. In the summer heat we leave the hood fan on over night to keep the dipping cabinets from working against themselves. It would be much less expensive to replace the motor in the hood fan than repair a dipping cabinet refridgeration system.

Just my point about equipment waste heat.   These usually depend on convection current within the Room to cool the coil, but with a little effort the hot air could be vented outside.

But then your still sucking out some of the air conditioned air at the same time. I promise if that were a plausible idea every fast food chain in the country would be doing it. They have access to the best commercial kitchen design engineers, and spare no expense in kitchen layout, design and equipment choices. And if a company that builds restaurant equipment thought that would work they would design it, produce it and for at least a few years (until the others caught up ) take over the  kitchen equipment sales market.
 
I can see the ads now:
 
Our equipment will reduce the temperature in your
BOH by 33 1/3 %. Save thousands in air conditioning
cost and reduce equipment maitanince by 25%. Pays
for it's self in savings over 7 years. And your staff will
stop grumbling about the heat.
 
LOL
Jack

edwmax
Just my point about equipment waste heat.   These usually depend on convection current within the Room to cool the coil, but with a little effort the hot air could be vented outside.

 
thats exactly what i am thinking..... leave the intake on the inside(in my case down south, up north have it vented from outside) and vent the discharge side to the outside..... would mean a couple more vents located on outside of truck (or under the truck if its a bottom discharge)
 
i think the benefits would far outweigh the minor additional cost....
 
 
as an example, the room my computer is in is usually 5 degrees or so warmer then the rest of house because i have a water cooled processor that is constantly pumping out warm air, the static heat from a 17" flat monitor, and whatever minimal heat is coming from a laser printer, and my computer and phone modems....

Dr of BBQ


But then your still sucking out some of the air conditioned air at the same time. I promise if that were a plausible idea every fast food chain in the country would be doing it. They have access to the best commercial kitchen design engineers, and spare no expense in kitchen layout,   ....

 
 
'Good' Kitchen designers & Engineers are doing actactly that.    ... Especially where the equipment is in enclosed cabinets.    Some residential kitchen designers are venting the 'hidden' appliances to the outside rather than into the AC conditions space.    ... Otherwise the addition heat load must be added as addition AC cooling load.    ... In commercial construction, the Codes call for a minimum of 'fresh' (outside) makeup air. In these 'designed' kitchens fresh air is piped into the kitchen  to replace the exhausted air and off-set the Code required minimum fresh make up air and help reduce excess lost of AC conditioned air from the dinning Rm.
 
All I was pointing out, this equipment in truck/trailer concessions are sitting against the outside walls.  It would be easy to add vents & small fans behind each to vent the hot air from the cooling coils.

The specs on my Dipping cabinets require them to be 4" min from the walls. I actually re-arranged my layout last minute to accomodate this. The on-line specs did not show this so I did not know until the actual units arrived. I got lucky and the changes worked out for better workflow anyway.

Chicnscoop,
do your dipping cabinets have intake or outlet vents on the back ? 
if so by venting it through the wall you could have still placed it right up next to the wall im thinking..

Can an A/C unit actually keep a truck or trailer cool at all ?

I leave the a/c on all night, when I get to the trailer it's 67 degrees@ 4:15 a.m. and about 80 degrees outside, fire up the grill, fryer, steam table, coffee pots,  juice machines,micro wave, 2 burner stove, and in about 15 min. its 80 degrees in the trailer with the over head on,and yes also mine will suck the walls in if everything is closed up. temp  only goes up from there i dont have any hood temps or anything cept to know its HOT, in side temps get into the 110 range and thats not in the heat of the day  fortunatly we leave @ at about 1:00 p.m. close the window at 12:45 p.m. but from 5:45 - 12:45 everything is running full bore.

There has to be a way to lessen the heat. How can you guys work like that?  Can you build a plenum behind/under your equipment  and duct the heat to it with a dedicated exhaust fan to pull the heat out (and up)? Sorta like a heat distribution duct system in reverse. Or maybe place a thru the wall fan behind the heat producing part? But, most likely, the thru the wall fans would blow hot air on the customers. I can't believe no one has figured out a solution to this. I am so glad we don't have a huge heat producing griddle. Our little single gas burner/12" griddle pan and the tankless water heater generate enough heat.

Schmelly


Can an A/C unit actually keep a truck or trailer cool at all ?

Not really.    ... The only hope is to bring in makeup air for the hood blowing down along the full length at the front (air curtain). In and out at the hood.   Look at hoods with makeup supply air. ... The makeup supply air to be about 85% (maybe 90%) of the hood exhaust air.    ... Then vent the heat off other appliances to the outside as discussed above; use outside makeup air where and if possible.   ... Now size the AC for the truck/trailer plus the number of people, heat of appliances not vented, and intake air not supplied by makeup supply systems.
 
Est. per 1000 CFM Outside air flow to be cooled, not including high humidity and other heat loads of the kitchen,  outside air only:
       ***30 deg difference (100 deg cooled to 70)= 2.7 tons AC/per 1000 CFM
        ***20 deg difference (100 cooled to 80)=1.8 tons AC/per 1000 CFM
The calculation is not quit this simple, but shows why concession trucks & trailers with the air flow CFM reportedly used by the exhaust hoods (200 cfm per ft) can not be cooled.  You need a 5 ton AC or larger to begin with, running continuously if the exhaust hood air is included.

lornaschinske


There has to be a way to lessen the heat. How can you guys work like that?  I can't believe no one has figured out a solution to this.

 
The short and truthful answer is there is no way to really cool a mobile kitchen. Most restaurant's BOH is hot but not as bad as a mobile unit. It's always going to be hot.....but from Dec 1st to late March it's a blessing. LOL

What about sticking a large 220 volt wall mount a/c unit in your trailer ?
 
Wouldn't cranking a big unit like that on full blast help keep things cool ?

Schmelly
What about sticking a large 220 volt wall mount a/c unit in your trailer ?
Wouldn't cranking a big unit like that on full blast help keep things cool ?

 
The problem remains the same your sucking a tremendous amount of cool air out of the unit with the exhaust fan. So you could install a 440 volt air conditioner or a 3 phase 2 000 gigs monster air conditioner, and you'd still suck a lot of the cool air out of the truck or trailer. It's just going to be a very hot work place and you suffer through it. There is not a great way or even decent way to cool a 7 feet by 18 or 20 foot room with all that heat producing equipment in it.
 
Think about it like this: put 3 or 4 household kitchen stoves in the same size ( your kitchen or bedroom what ever) space and turn them on both oven and stove top  full blast and your home air conditioner could never cool that space/room. It would run non stop all day and maybe make a slight dent in the temp. And it's funny we all worry about insulating trailers (mine is) and trucks, and all the insulation does is keep the heat in during the summer. LOL The insulation helps in the winter months but not during the hot summer months.

I can tell you my undercounter True fridge throws off more heat than the steam tables.  Looking to install a small extraction fan by the fridge.

Rootsman, what you need to do is vent the exhaust air from the fridge unit out the side or bottom of the truck.....
the unit itself isnt really producing any heat, its the exhaust from the condensing coils....vent that out the side and i promise you will be very happy
dont just put a fan in near the unit, but actually vent from the point of exhaust out the side of the truck.... it will make a huge difference!!
 
and i still say an air curtain blowing in from outside(maybe a long duct set up at waist level right in front of the cooking area) blowing upwards, aimed at the throat of the vent hood, and blowing in about 95% of what the cfms are for the hood should help tremendously there as well....

it wont stop all the radiant heat, but it should just about put an end to the convection, and soak up a large part of the radiant as well...
 
i am hoping to put 2 tons in my truck, sounds like a lot, but remember, a ton is only 12,000 btu 
 
and of course there are the tried and true staples.... park in shade if possible, keep the windshield pointing away from the sun if possible...... awning over serving window, heat reflective shades for the front glass if needed, heat reflective roofing..... the cooler your "ambient" air from the front of the truck, the easier on the unit it will be, and the cooler the back of the truck will be....
basically any outside sunshine(direct light) inside your truck, or beating down on your truck is adding heat.....
i believe it can be done, can be done somewhat cheaply, and can increase the livability 

Dr of BBQ

Schmelly
What about sticking a large 220 volt wall mount a/c unit in your trailer ?
Wouldn't cranking a big unit like that on full blast help keep things cool ?

The problem remains the same your sucking a tremendous amount of cool air out of the unit with the exhaust fan. So you could install a 440 volt air conditioner or a 3 phase 2 000 gigs monster air conditioner, and you'd still suck a lot of the cool air out of the truck or trailer. It's just going to be a very hot work place and you suffer through it. There is not a great way or even decent way to cool a 7 feet by 18 or 20 foot room with all that heat producing equipment in it.

Think about it like this: put 3 or 4 household kitchen stoves in the same size ( your kitchen or bedroom what ever) space and turn them on both oven and stove top  full blast and your home air conditioner could never cool that space/room. It would run non stop all day and maybe make a slight dent in the temp. And it's funny we all worry about insulating trailers (mine is) and trucks, and all the insulation does is keep the heat in during the summer. LOL The insulation helps in the winter months but not during the hot summer months.

Hmmm....Well what do you think I should do ? Insulation or no insulation ? I have my trailer torn apart right now....I was going to insulate it.....I live in New England so we get hot 80s and even 90s sometimes in summer time...Yer we get freezing zero degree temps in the winter....
 
Also was thinking of painting my trailer 2-tone royal/navy blue...think this is OK ? or a no-no ?

Insulate your trailer.  Take special care of the roof as it is the biggest heat gain from the sun.    ... The heat being referred to above is from equipment. Heat from those sources need to be directed to the outside rather than being drawn thought the trailer & work areas.

i fought the heat in an exposed kitchen in sit down rest. I had to glass in the kitchen in the summer so customers would stay. makeup air made all the difference in the world. it can be as easy as opening a window somewhere around the hood.

28 posts, ewweee!

Anyone here running multiple A/C units?
 
This might sound crazy, but would it be helpful to somehow duct the air from these roof-mounted units down to floor-level so that us operators get some cool air before it gets sucked out by the exhaust?

i found a new product at home depot that green homes are using for roofing material that is cdx with a aluminum product glued to it. it reflects the radiant heat. you couldnt stare at in in daylight, absolutly blinding.  i used this in the ceiling with 1/2" foam under it and than alum skin accross the rafters. ill post it in my build thread when i update it. this alone made a 20 degree difference in my 2 trucks side by side. amazing stuff and its so new lowes wont get it till next month. be sure to check it out on new builds.

BigChoksHOTBUNS


Anyone here running multiple A/C units?

This might sound crazy, but would it be helpful to somehow duct the air from these roof-mounted units down to floor-level so that us operators get some cool air before it gets sucked out by the exhaust?

 
Called 'spot cooling'.   this is what many large kitchens do.   Locate vents at work stations so the cold/cool air will blow on the worker. Then be sucked out with the exhaust.  You don't need a large AC, just a steady flow of cool air.    ... Also, you might want to look at using a 'swamp cooler'.  Just lowering the outside 10 deg and with the large air flow in concession trailers on most days you would be ok.

With a fan running moving the air around, the exhaust fan sucking outside air into the trailer and pushing it out, and two windows open on most days it's alright. Even days like yesterday with a high of 92. But on days like today with a high of 100 I didn't even, open.

110 in the truck today and the fryers weren't even on... BARF
 

62 and cloudy here today!

Good for you chef

100 inside, 100 outside, with the AC running and the griddle wasnt even turned on. cooking with pans. Also have a drop-down hood that traps the heat.  thought about serving shaved ice, but it would melt faster than I could serve it... 

Dr of BBQ


With a fan running moving the air around, the exhaust fan sucking outside air into the trailer and pushing it out, and two windows open on most days it's alright. Even days like yesterday with a high of 92. But on days like today with a high of 100 I didn't even, open.

.... ha ... I bet your regular customers were inside under an AC eating.  ... No need to open.

Yup business drops on days like this. It's just too hot to eat a heavy meal. When I finally left the house today it felt like a blast furnace when I walked outside.
 
What must it be like fighting that fire in Colorado Springs? Denver has had 4 or 5 straight days of 100 degree weather. I can't imagine wearing all that gear in that kind of heat.

anyone consider those mobile air conditioners that roll around on wheels? seen them in automotive shops and look pretty trick. all thats needed is a seat mounted, laughing

well you know it's hot when I stay dry-docked on the 1st of the month, especially when both 1st & 3rd checks come out today...
 
Lorna, I have that, but it's a balancing act to keep from drawing too much heat out. I also 3" exhaust (computer) fan behind the refrig. also a front cover completely surrounding the stove. This type of weather, the griddle top comes off and I use aluminum skillets because they heat in seconds.  If the customers are there, I will be there no matter what. But when it's this hot, they just dont come out. 

how many guys do this every day as a j-o-b and how many do it on the weekends or just festivals?  just wondering cause some just cant take the day off and hang by the pool...

4 day daily route (50wks) plus 40 weekend events spring and fall. I have no life... 
 

We are open 5 days a week year round, but when it's stupid hot or outrageously cold I don't open. But today was forecast to be slightly cooler 95 to 97 and so I did open. But now they say afternoon high 106 "feels like 112" and here I am. If I didn't have a special order going out at 4:00 I'd close. But now I'll stick it out drinking lots of grape kool aid. LMAO

Dr of BBQ


We are open 5 days a week year round, but when it's stupid hot or outrageously cold I don't open. But today was forecast to be slightly cooler 95 to 97 and so I did open. But now they say afternoon high 106 "feels like 112" and here I am. If I didn't have a special order going out at 4:00 I'd close. But now I'll stick it out drinking lots of grape kool aid. LMAO

MMmmmmmm.....Grape Kool-Aid, with ice & Vodka! thats what I use a few nights a week to cool me off! The kids like the Punch, but im partial to the Grape

LOL never thought of that. Do the kids forgo the adult part?

oh yeah, 107 today & 120 in the truck. I closed at 1pm. I didn't hydrate before going out and didn't eat either. Ended up having my first food at 1230. I was wiped out and hurting today... I couldn't take any more
 

The asphalt right in front of my drive up window at 3:30 read 138.
The hottest corner in the trailer was 112. I had a good day but god it wore me out. Not looking forward to tomorrow, it's supposed to be a repeat of today. But I still like this better than the days with a high of 12 or 13.
 
Wow look at this:
Norton Dam, Kan., recorded an all-time record of 118 degrees F. on Thursday, two degrees above Death Valley's July average. The 118-degree reading shattered Norton Dam's previous record of 113 degrees F. – set just three days before.
 
Anyone looking for relief might put the Northwest on their itinerary. Over the same two-day period, 57 locations, largely clustered in Washington state and northeastern Oregon, posted at least one daily high temperature that tied or beat the lowest for the date on which it was measured. Waterville, Wash., posted the biggest drop among the group – a high of 51 degrees on Wednesday, nine degrees below the previous record-low high of 60 degrees on June 27, 1946.
 
And it's all coming out of a spring that was the warmest on record in the US, bringing a heat wave to the center of the country in March the likes of which the US hasn't seen since 1910. Indeed, Spring 2012 in the US was 2 degrees warmer than the previous record-holder, the spring of 1910.
 
One reason for the seemingly relentless high temperatures is the presence of a broad ridge of high pressure inching its way across the continent, forecasters say. With skies generally clear, sunlight has a clear path to travel on its way to baking what in many places is an already parched surface.
 
As of Tuesday, a broad swath of the US was experiencing either severe or extreme drought, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center, based at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.
 
More here;http://www.csmonitor.com/...end-of-June-got-so-hot