I normally take a few 2-3 day trips in the summer but what to do with the nice car if I stay at a motel or hotel overnight was a problem. This year I simply took along a small tent and sleeping bag. Campgrounds are pleantyful and you can sleep next to your car. A small single burner propane tank will make my morning coffee, then I'm on my way.
Camping With The "A"
- Thread starter johnsor
- Start date
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
While the way you are doing your coffee sounds like a good way, let me give you another option for cooking your meals on the road. Recently we were out in South Dakota riding around in our Model T's and we knew we would be hungry after visiting Mt. Rushmore. With four cars in our group that each had 'manifold cookers', we cooked lunch for about 16 people. One cooker was filled with BBQ Pork and Rice, another had Bratwurst, Sour Kraut & Potatoes, in our red 1916 Touring we had Polish Sausages with Peppers & Onions, and in our '26 pick-up truck that James Rogers was driving, we had Smoked Sausages with the fixin's.
Before we left the hotel that morning, the ladies all went grocery shopping and fixed the cookers. We had about a 1½ hour, 40 mile jaunt over to Mt. Rushmore and then a hard pull up the mountain to the park entrance. As a precautionary measure, we stopped as we entered into the town of Keystone and checked the water level in each cooker. It was one of the best smells ever coming from under the hood as we were climbing to the top. Once parked in the parking lot, the food had a couple hours to finish cooking as the heat from the manifold slowly cooled, and when we left the park, everything got re-warmed as we came off the mountain and back through town.
Once through town, we found a park that had some picnic tables and we set up a smorgasboard where everyone sampled out of everyone's cooker, and ate until we were all stuffed. You can look at the pictures below and get an idea of what our meal looked like.
I might add that they make cookers for Model A manifolds too, or you could fabricate something yourself and put on the manifold. While we were up at Rushmore, there were several cars around us that had cooked hot dogs, meat loaf, and even a pineapple upside down cake that they were giving out samples. Everyone should give it a try sometime!!
.
Before we left the hotel that morning, the ladies all went grocery shopping and fixed the cookers. We had about a 1½ hour, 40 mile jaunt over to Mt. Rushmore and then a hard pull up the mountain to the park entrance. As a precautionary measure, we stopped as we entered into the town of Keystone and checked the water level in each cooker. It was one of the best smells ever coming from under the hood as we were climbing to the top. Once parked in the parking lot, the food had a couple hours to finish cooking as the heat from the manifold slowly cooled, and when we left the park, everything got re-warmed as we came off the mountain and back through town.
Once through town, we found a park that had some picnic tables and we set up a smorgasboard where everyone sampled out of everyone's cooker, and ate until we were all stuffed. You can look at the pictures below and get an idea of what our meal looked like.
I might add that they make cookers for Model A manifolds too, or you could fabricate something yourself and put on the manifold. While we were up at Rushmore, there were several cars around us that had cooked hot dogs, meat loaf, and even a pineapple upside down cake that they were giving out samples. Everyone should give it a try sometime!!
.
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BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
That would have been Scott Stier. Great guy!! I wish we had known you all were there as we could have let you drive one, or two, or three different Model T's around the hotel one evening.
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
Peter,
Frank Fenton sells them on his website. Also, should you embark on building you own version, a Model A manifold is a much easier shape to make something conform to whereas the Model T manifold has a funny shape as it rises up in the back. Both of our cookers are made from stainless steel which makes clean-up really easy.
.
Frank Fenton sells them on his website. Also, should you embark on building you own version, a Model A manifold is a much easier shape to make something conform to whereas the Model T manifold has a funny shape as it rises up in the back. Both of our cookers are made from stainless steel which makes clean-up really easy.
.
WTSHNN
Well-known member
Frank Nemo
Senior Member
Brent, it looks like your guys have manifold cooking down to a science. I did buy one of the stainless steel cookers for my "A". I have used it a couple of times with "modest" success.
In reading your thread and looking at your great pictures, I observe that it appears you either line your cookers with aluminum foil or place a aluminum pan inside the cooker. Also you apparently put all the food to be cooked into plastic bags. You said you put water in the cooker. Does that go inside the lining or pan or under it. It looks like the bags of food are submerged into the water. Am I correct?
Two last questions, are the bags sealed or left open so the steam can escape and how much water do you put in the cooker?
Thanks Brent, hopefully my next manifold cook out will be more successful.
In reading your thread and looking at your great pictures, I observe that it appears you either line your cookers with aluminum foil or place a aluminum pan inside the cooker. Also you apparently put all the food to be cooked into plastic bags. You said you put water in the cooker. Does that go inside the lining or pan or under it. It looks like the bags of food are submerged into the water. Am I correct?
Two last questions, are the bags sealed or left open so the steam can escape and how much water do you put in the cooker?
Thanks Brent, hopefully my next manifold cook out will be more successful.
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
I am NOT the expert on this but I will share what I do know (which will be all of about two sentances worth!! 
)
The water is inside the cooker between the plastic bag and the cooker. It isn't submerged (just part way deep) and this is doen as more of the way to transfer the heat. The water doesn't always boil but just seems to simmer. Yes the food is kept away from the water in bags and the steam does escape. One other thing is the cooker just seems to absorb the heat from the manifold though it doesn't rest solely on the manifold. I hope that makes sense. That way it does not get hot spots. Even doing the cakes or meatloaf, lining with crumpled foil or a foil pan allows the air inside to transfer heat around where none of it seems to burn (~too badly!)
I think one of the other key things is that in Model T touring we stop every 30-45 minutes or so to look around or stretch our legs. This gives an opportunity to look at the food. Also if you notice, we don't get too complicated in this. A simple meal is just fine with us. For the distances we go, you really cannot cook chicken or bake potates. Maybe if you were gonna drive non-stop all day, you could but that is not what we do. What have you tried to cook?
.
)The water is inside the cooker between the plastic bag and the cooker. It isn't submerged (just part way deep) and this is doen as more of the way to transfer the heat. The water doesn't always boil but just seems to simmer. Yes the food is kept away from the water in bags and the steam does escape. One other thing is the cooker just seems to absorb the heat from the manifold though it doesn't rest solely on the manifold. I hope that makes sense. That way it does not get hot spots. Even doing the cakes or meatloaf, lining with crumpled foil or a foil pan allows the air inside to transfer heat around where none of it seems to burn (~too badly!)
I think one of the other key things is that in Model T touring we stop every 30-45 minutes or so to look around or stretch our legs. This gives an opportunity to look at the food. Also if you notice, we don't get too complicated in this. A simple meal is just fine with us. For the distances we go, you really cannot cook chicken or bake potates. Maybe if you were gonna drive non-stop all day, you could but that is not what we do. What have you tried to cook?
.
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
Yum yum!!! 
Frank Nemo
Senior Member
Brent and Ed,
Thank you very much for the Manifold Cooking tips. I am sure your ideas will help make for a better meal the next time.
Frank
Thank you very much for the Manifold Cooking tips. I am sure your ideas will help make for a better meal the next time.
Frank
Skeezixx
Senior Member
I'm in New Orleans and one of the primary reasons for acquiring a Model A was to attend the many Cajun Festivals in Southern Louisiana with style.
After reading all these recipes I envision arriving at the Cochon de Lait fest with a suckling pig strapped across the head, a big pot of Jambalaya simmering in a manifold cooker, and a basket of croissants tucked under the passenger seat.
http://www.cochondelaitfestival.com/
After reading all these recipes I envision arriving at the Cochon de Lait fest with a suckling pig strapped across the head, a big pot of Jambalaya simmering in a manifold cooker, and a basket of croissants tucked under the passenger seat.
http://www.cochondelaitfestival.com/
