Road Trip Food Tips & Tricks
- AussieJohn
- Apr 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 8
Cooking on the Road with the Travel Buddy: Keeping It Simple, Hot, and Affordable
Life on the road in Australia is all about freedom, big skies, and chasing that next great view or outback stop. But these days, the cost of road trip food can sneak up on you—especially when you're grabbing bottled water, takeaway, or overpriced servo snacks. That's why I’ve started making the most of my Travel Buddy 12V oven in the back of my Toyota Hilux Rugged X.
This Aussie-made oven is a real game changer. Paired with my 115-litre Dometic fridge/freezer, it lets me eat better, save money, and stay self-sufficient wherever the road leads. I like to knock over some serious kilometres each day on an extended trip, so being able to cook while driving is a huge plus.
Setting Up for Success With Road Trip Food
The Travel Buddy runs off a 12V outlet and takes about 30 minutes to reach 200°C, so it pays to think ahead. Before I hit the road in the morning, I often:
Pre-load a meal into the oven (say, BBQ pork ribs or a meat pie)
Time the cooking so it’s ready after 45–60 minutes of driving
Plan my stop – whether that’s a roadside pull-in, a shady park in a small town, or a quiet back road nearby:
Once I’m there, it’s just a matter of:
Pulling out a plate and cutlery from my pantry side drawer
Grabbing a cold beverage from the Dometic
And tucking in to a hot, satisfying feed with a view
What’s on the Menu?
The Travel Buddy handles a lot more than you'd think:
Pre-cooked meals like ribs, schnitzels, roast meat, or curries
Frozen pies, sausage rolls, or pasties
Reheating leftovers or cooked meats
Even foil-wrapped veggies if you want to get fancy
John’s Go-To Road Meals (and Costs):
Meal | Where to Buy | Prep Needed | Cost Estimate (AUD) |
BBQ Pork Ribs (precooked) | Woolies/Coles | Straight in oven | $8–$12 |
Meat Pies (frozen or fresh) | Supermarket/Bakery | Heat from frozen | $2–$5 each |
Sausage Rolls | Butcher/supermarket | Heat from frozen | $1.50–$3 each |
Roast Beef Slices + Gravy | Deli/supermarket | Reheat in foil tray | $6–$9 |
Foil-Wrapped Veggies | Fresh produce | Pre-chop & season | ~$3 per serve |
Chicken Schnitzel (precooked) | Supermarket | Heat through | $6–$10 |
💲 Cost Comparison: Servo vs Self-Cooked
Option | Approx. Cost Per Meal |
Servo Meat Pie & Drink | $10–$15 |
Café/Takeaway Lunch | $15–$25 |
Travel Buddy Cooked Meal | $4–$10 |
John’s Top Travel Buddy Tips
Line your oven with foil trays or baking paper – easy cleanup.
Rotate meals during the trip so you don’t get bored of pies.
Reheat leftovers from dinner the night before.
Keep extra water in jerry cans and refill bottles often.
Carry bulk soft drinks and avoid paying servo prices.
Stop in small towns for better quality and local butchers.
There’s something incredibly satisfying about pulling up at a dusty outback rest stop, opening the back of the Hilux, and being greeted by the smell of hot food you’ve cooked yourself.
When you do the cooking yourself, you know it's fresh—not sitting under a heat lamp for hours. Plus, you're saving time not waiting in lines, and the cost? Well, that's a no-brainer.
There's something about having a hot meal, sometimes in the middle of nowhere, that gives a real sense of self-satisfaction. It keeps you moving, saves time and money, and adds that little bit of independence to the road trip lifestyle.
I aways carry some freeze dried emergency meals - just need to add boiling water
Got a bit of a system going now, and I wouldn’t hit the highway without my Travel Buddy.
Hot food, cold drinks, low cost – that’s how I roll.
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