(and returning... again ) Hello chaps, I'm back after a few months away. It's nothing personal, just that I find that whenever I visit this forum I: a) spend hours reading all the groovy things you've been doing b) go straight to eBay searching for more stoves to buy. I have more stoves now than I have hiding places (SWMBO doesn't understand) so I must be strong and resist the temptation to buy yet more. So, why am I back then? Well, I need advice on what stove to buy next. What? You said you weren't going to buy any more! No, no, no, I'm not... oh, alright, I am but I need something different. To explain... Nearly all my stoves work (fettling has always been a major part of the pleasure I get from them) and many even see regular use from the Optimus 8R's I take motorcycle camping or the RM Range 320 or any of the countless 'three-legged' stoves I can choose from for camping from the car. And it's that I need to look at. For years I've been driving Land Rovers so dropping a few smelly paraffin stoves in the back was accepted but I now drive - and camp from - a more conventional car (if an MPV is conventional) and feel I need something of a more well-behaved disposition to keep in the back. I'd also like, if possible, a twin-burner (or a pair of stoves that give this appearance when sat side-by-side) with a low centre of gravity for stability and decent wind-shielding. There are many cheap gas stoves available but I want to stay true to liquid fuel - besides, I don't want to have to carry a gas bottle with me. So what should I get? A Coleman 424 seems to fit the bill or maybe a pair of Army No. 2s or even, if I could find any that my budget would stretch to, a pair of No. 12s. But these are a type of stove I've never had much interest in so know little about them. How reliable are they? How easy to light are they? Are there any pitfalls? What others should I consider? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go on eBay and enter ‘Primus’ in the search box! Cheers, John
I would suggest the Coleman suitcase. They are clean burning on Aspen or panel wipe and very practical.
Totally agree with a Coleman suitcase, if you're planning on using Aspen/panelwipe/coleman fuel. If you'd rather prefer to use paraffin, a set of Optimus 111's or an Optimus 22 would be nice. Also, the Optimus 155 springs to mind (there is a version with build-in blowtorch pre-heaters). And ofcourse, any 2-burner range! Far to many choises! Best regards, Wim
Perhaps you could comvert an alky-spirits stove to run on paraffin. There are many galley, boat stoves for that. When you are finished it will be something unusual. Yes, I understand your situation, fettling stoves and now lanterns has kept me away from those nekked lady websites and stay away from booze and loud music 8)
Thanks for the suggestions chaps. Forgive me being dumb but the Coleman Suitcase is the 424? If so then it is something I had leanings towards as I use Aspen in my 8Rs and they burn very well indeed without the odour of paraffin my lady seems to dislike. I actually do have a pair of 111s but one is a 111B that I've always been nervous of the NRV letting go; a mess from a paraffin spill is one thing but petrol... Interesting suggestion re an ex-galley stove. I live by the sea with boat chandlery readily available so worth a look around. I too have trodden the pressure lamp and bowl fire path Cheers, John
John: Wim made a really nice case / kitchen box for two Op. 45 type three leggers for his reenacting activities. Hopefully, you'll be able to find it. The top lifts up, and the front folds down to allow use of the stove while still in the case. On Coleman 2-burners: the 413 series was their larger, upscale 2-burner stove, and if you have slightly more room in your vehicle, the one you want. You can use bigger pots, and the burners are bigger, I think. Coleman made a whole series of "suitcase" stoves, and the numbering differed between US and Canadian manufacture. The post war US line up included the 425 (small 2-burner), 413 (large two burner) and the 426 (even larger 3-burner), and various permutations of "Dual Fuel", etc. Good luck. The stoves are rather bomb proof, and parts are available. Paul
Coleman suitcases are practical things, no denying. Just avoid the red pressed steel tanks in favor of the ever lasting brown coloured alloy tubular ones that never rust. I use my 404 Bushman for bigger car camps, it usually gets used for coffee detail and warming up snacks and left overs. Doesn't have the horse power (or sound!) of my Camp-n-Go but does light straight away. Plus, Coleman suitcases are cheap and easy to find and fix.
Thanks for the advice chaps and, after deliberating for a while, I'm persuaded that a Coleman Suitcase is the way to go so that's what I'll get. Mostly they seem to be two-burner models but Paul's reference to the three-burner 426 finds me strangely drawn to it; if two burners are good, then three must be better - right? But, before setting out on a quest to find one, I ought to check to see if it's too big and heavy for my needs (permanently carried in the back of the car). So, can anyone let me have dimensions and weight please? Cheers, John
Coleman dont seem to offer their current three-burner in the UK. This is their spec page for the dual fuel two-burner: http://www.coleman.eu/UK/p-23734-unleaded-2-burner-stove.aspx
Hi John, Have you considered hiding your stoves in a caravan? Lots of compartments and you can add shelves and... well, it's what I'm doing... Actually, she knows all about it and collects lamps herself so she didn't mind them being in the main living area. ATB, Randy
Funny you should mention that as it's an old caravan parked at the bottom of the garden where I house most of my collection of stoves, lamps and bowl-fires. We no longer use it for holidays and my wife doesn't dare go into it I was only considering a used one and the older and scruffier the better as I really enjoy the fettling and restoration process - oh, it should be a lot cheaper too Cheers, John
