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MKT-99 Kitchen trailer - Batteries & solar

YurtGuy

YurtGuy

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So I’m a new owner of an MKT-99 and I’m trying to bring it up to spec. I don’t have a deuce to run it off and I will rarely have 110v to plug it into. I don’t like the idea of a generator because of noise, (although it will be my back up), I’ve decided to use the battery packs that originally went with the trailer and then use solar to charge them.
I’m going to post here what I’m doing as I think others might well be interested. I’ve found the equivalent replacement batteries for the battery packs and will be hooking those up to a charge controller and solar panels. I don’t know much about solar or electronics, but I have a friend who does and wants to help with this project.
I’ll post in the next few weeks how I get on and what solar gear I install. If anyone has done similar or has general advice on the MKTs, please chime in.
 
flyfishtrailer

flyfishtrailer

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The MBUs draw constant power while in operation. In the field, a slave cable was run from a vehicle to the battery pack and then the battery pack to two MBU burners, not 6 (which is what the MKT uses versus the field kitchen (KCLFF). This stands for Kitchen, Company Level Field Feeding). The MKT was run off a generator. I am no expert on solar and batteries, but I can tell you a small generator under the MKT will not be heard once you ignite 2 or more MBU's. I just would hate to see you spend a lot of time, money and energy to find out the power draw exceeds the batteries and the solar ability to recharge your batteries. Not to mention lights and cooking meals after dark you would not have the sun to charge up. Nothing worse than half cooked food, no power and hungry people.
 
flyfishtrailer

flyfishtrailer

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I just went through the TM for the MKT, not even a mention of battery pack in there. The below description on the battery pack was found in the TM for the MBU.

Battery Pack Contains two sealed lead acid batteries and an internal charger. It provides the electrical storage to start and operate three MBUs simultaneously for 3 hours at an ambient of 60°F (15.5°C) and a period of 2 hours at an ambient of -25°F(-32°C). The module is rechargeable through the standard NATO vehicle power connector in 3 hours with temperatures between 60°F (15.5°C) and 120°F(49°C) and in 5 hours at -25°F(-32°C). The battery charger circuit prevents overcharge. A three-position function switch controls the charging function as well as the voltage supplied to the output connector. Indicator lights show the state of the battery charge. The batteries and charger are assembled in an aluminum frame with handles and a cover. The pack is capable of operating within the same environmental conditions as the MBU
 
SCSG-G4

SCSG-G4

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I agree with Chris on the volume that a single MBU can generate, much less running six at a time! At the Camden reburials this past weekend I was standing beside a MEP-803A and the MKT was about 60 feet away with just two burners going set on 3 o'clock. Sound volume was the same. Distance to the MEP - 4 feet, distance to the MBU's - 60 feet. YMMV!

In my setup, power comes into the shop van via a 30 amp RV cable, split into 2 circuits. One for the refrigerators and the other for the A/C and the power line to the two MKT's (cook and cleanup).
 
YurtGuy

YurtGuy

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You guys were right. I ran my kitchen off a small 2kw last year, it was more than enough power and you didn’t hear it at all over the burners. I still might investigate solar as I have some panels already and if they could just charge the two battery packs, it would be pretty simple. With a battery pack I could also use burners outside. I would have to buy batteries for them though and they are expensive, but as the kitchen is used in a remote location, I have to have a back up.
I was really concerned about noise as my event (WhiteRockGathering.com), is for primitive skills and crafts and I feared disrupting the quiet and peaceful atmosphere (barring the blacksmiths), so I didn’t want it blasting away. I put it at one end of the camp, just in case.
I absolutely love this trailer. It will only get used 2-3 times a year and when the wife wants to do canning, so the fact it’s so compact and everything packs up into it, is fantastic.

i just got an MKT-90 from a military auction, I’m actually going to pick it up tomorrow. It’s is probably missing a bunch of stuff and it needs new covers, which I will make myself. I want to back this trailer up to the MKT-99 and turn it into a prep kitchen and wash station and have them connected, so don’t really need ovens and burners etc.
I’d love to talk with anyone who has wired and plumbed anything like this. Also considering a propane on demand water heater too as I have a water buffalo that I can plumb water from.
I should try and document this conversion in case anyone else has ideas to do it.
Any advice is very welcome

IMG_8094.jpeg
 
SCSG-G4

SCSG-G4

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YurtGuy said:
You guys were right. I ran my kitchen off a small 2kw last year, it was more than enough power and you didn’t hear it at all over the burners. I still might investigate solar as I have some panels already and if they could just charge the two battery packs, it would be pretty simple. With a battery pack I could also use burners outside. I would have to buy batteries for them though and they are expensive, but as the kitchen is used in a remote location, I have to have a back up.
I was really concerned about noise as my event (WhiteRockGathering.com), is for primitive skills and crafts and I feared disrupting the quiet and peaceful atmosphere (barring the blacksmiths), so I didn’t want it blasting away. I put it at one end of the camp, just in case.
I absolutely love this trailer. It will only get used 2-3 times a year and when the wife wants to do canning, so the fact it’s so compact and everything packs up into it, is fantastic.

i just got an MKT-90 from a military auction, I’m actually going to pick it up tomorrow. It’s is probably missing a bunch of stuff and it needs new covers, which I will make myself. I want to back this trailer up to the MKT-99 and turn it into a prep kitchen and wash station and have them connected, so don’t really need ovens and burners etc.
I’d love to talk with anyone who has wired and plumbed anything like this. Also considering a propane on demand water heater too as I have a water buffalo that I can plumb water from.
I should try and document this conversion in case anyone else has ideas to do it.
Any advice is very welcome

View attachment 916027
Click to expand...
Saw your post on FB about this and your interest in building a Field Sanitary Trailer. I'll look to see if I have pictures of the one i built. Mike
 
Tinstar

Tinstar

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Does the Sun shine enough in Oregon to even use Solar?
Always cloudy in almost every picture I see from there.
 
YurtGuy

YurtGuy

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we are on the east side of the cascades so have lots of sun and hardly any rain. Oregon is actually more desert than forest. in summer, most of the state has probably 5-6 months of uninterrupted sun. Being a Brit, I Found this quite amazing!
 
C

Coug

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For solar, I had to write up a paper in a class where you were trying to convince a lender to loan you money to install a solar array.
For my particular location, I wrote up a paper where I could not justify spending money on solar. Still got full marks. (I'm on the western side of the state)

It really depends exactly where you are in Washington/Oregon. As was mentioned, the east side of the states is mostly high desert without a huge amount of precipitation. Even on the western side, there are a lot of places where it's extremely low cloud cover due to the geography.
 
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