Camping Stove/Surf -n-Turf

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e9999 said:
ultimate rig IMHO: big propane tank with the Coleman mast attachment, a lantern on top, the grill stove on one side, and another stove on the other side.... oooolala....
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Eric-If you have not purchased it yet, let me help you out. The Coleman mast is a piece of crap. It's flimsy, fits poorly etc. There is a Chinese version that is even a worse piece of crap. The "Century" version however is excellent. It has a very positive attachment to the tank by clamping directly to the metal ring and does not rely on those crappy feet that the Coleman does. Also the Century mast has a heavy, substantial, and well made feel that the Coleman does not. Also use the asssociated Century hoses-nice quality and fit the mast perfectly. The Coleman hoses have a nipple that is too short and doesnt always allow the gas to flow out of their own mast!. I got the Century stuff (after several bad Coleman experiences) at Cabelas, but Sport Chalet carries the stuff too.

If you saw our set up at Surf and Turf, I had 2 Weber propane grills and a lantern going full blast using just a 1 gallon propane tank. 20-25 people got dinner cooked on that set up for 2 nights. Normally I would run the stove and Weber grill off the side posts, and the lantern up top.

edit: As for a cooking surface, I have slowly been getting into cast iron cooking. Currently I use a fry pan, but for next season, I'm getting the Lodge flat cast griddle. By some strange co-incidence, it exactly fits the stove top of a Coleman stove!
 
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Cruiserdrew said:
Eric-If you have not purchased it yet, let me help you out. The Coleman mast is a piece of crap. It's flimsy, fits poorly etc. There is a Chinese version that is even a worse piece of crap. The "Century" version however is excellent. It has a very positive attachment to the tank by clamping directly to the metal ring and does not rely on those crappy feet that the Coleman does. Also the Century mast has a heavy, substantial, and well made feel that the Coleman does not. Also use the asssociated Century hoses-nice quality and fit the mast perfectly. The Coleman hoses have a nipple that is too short and doesnt always allow the gas to flow out of their own mast!. I got the Century stuff (after several bad Coleman experiences) at Cabelas, but Sport Chalet carries the stuff too.

If you saw our set up at Surf and Turf, I had 2 Weber propane grills and a lantern going full blast using just a 1 gallon propane tank. 20-25 people got dinner cooked on that set up for 2 nights. Normally I would run the stove and Weber grill off the side posts, and the lantern up top.

edit: As for a cooking surface, I have slowly been getting into cast iron cooking. Currently I use a fry pan, but for next season, I'm getting the Lodge flat cast griddle. By some strange co-incidence, it exactly fits the stove top of a Coleman stove!
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good timing, was just about to buy the mast at WalMart. Had assumed that Century was cheapo chinese stuff. Will look at it now.

thanks
Eric
 
Hmmm, I've never had any trouble with my Coleman mast or hose and I do use that set up with my 5 gal propane tank to run the lantern and stove without issue. Just my personal experience.
 
Brentbba said:
Hmmm, I've never had any trouble with my Coleman mast or hose and I do use that set up with my 5 gal propane tank to run the lantern and stove without issue. Just my personal experience.
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You are lucky! Both Jim Brantley and Alvaro have the Coleman set up and have to unscrew the center nipple on the hoses to make it long enough to activate the valve in the mast. Additionally, the Coleman feet do not fit the 1 or 2.5 gallon tanks well, but do look like they would fit the 5 gallon tank better. Having used both, I stand by the fact that the Century is a better product for this application. In my case, I use a failry small propane bulk tank (taking 5 gal of propane on a weekend trip is overkill), so being able to clamp directly to the top rail of the tank is a major advantage.
 
Good info to have. Is it the riser or the hose coupler that's the issue? We've been talking in our troop committee about adding propane tanks, risers and hoses to our list of have's so good info is great since we are talking about 1 of each for our 4 patrols. I agree that 5 gal is overkill for weekend trips, hell, probably a weeklong trip as well. Smaller tanks would be easier to store in the trailer as well.

I'll have to take a look at the Century riser next time I'm out at a sporting goods store and in particular how they attach differently than the Coleman riser to the tank. Problem with smaller tanks around here is that most places have a 5 gal minimum charge. Don't know if that's per tank or in total as I've only had a 5 gal and it's always been empty or near empty whenever I've filled it. I've also use my 5 gal one to refill the small propane bottles for the troop. Cheaper than buying new ones and less wastefull as well.
 
Brentbba said:
Good info to have. Is it the riser or the hose coupler that's the issue? We've been talking in our troop committee about adding propane tanks, risers and hoses to our list of have's so good info is great since we are talking about 1 of each for our 4 patrols. .
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On the Coleman, the bottom of the mast screws directly into the tank valve. There are these 2 little screw feet that are supposed to stabilize the mast. On smaller tanks, the curvature is wrong and the screw feet hit at the wrong spot, so the mast does not fit as well as it could. Additionally, the gas outlets on the riser are touchy, but to be honest, I'm not sure if it's a hose fitting, or valve issue.

With the Century mast, the mast (riser) clamps on to the flange around the top of the tank, and a short hose then attaches to the valve. The clamp is a much sturdier mount than the attachment on the Coleman.

Here is a link that shows the Century attachment:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...-link.jhtml_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20075&hasJS=true

That link is very long, so I hope it worked. For outfitting scouts, one tank/grill/lantern/stove would work for at least 10 boys, and probably the whole troop. When the Norcal Wagons are on a run, we use 2 portable Weber grills and 2 stoves for up to 15 people. At Surf and Turf we ran the grills for hours and fed at least 20 people no sweat.

Brentbba-why don't you join us on our Death Valley run in March? We could do a side by side comparison. PM me if you want details.
 
I have a coleman 2 burner white gas stove that I bet I have had 15 years or more. Just a trooper. Easy, reliable, cheap. I also have the duel fuel 3 burner expedition monster coleman. It rocks also just too big for small camping. I take it to GSMTR or for longer trips. For grills I have 2 of the small Weber smokey joes. it is not grilling if you use propane!
 
I own and use two different stoves. For backpacking, i have the Brunton crux stove. Very compact. uses isopro, or butane/ and/or propane bottles. It is made to fold and tuck under the gas bottle to save space and it's designed to save a lot of weight, but it is too small for regular camping trips although i have used and will reccomend it for anyone who is within the camping/ backpacking market. I also have the 100 dollar MSR dragonfly stove for my bigger trips. Its more stable and more efficient for small parties compared to the crux which is more designed for one or two person use. Both are up for sale. the crux i have now is new in box, check it out at www.brunton.com it retails for 75. make an offer (this one is unused and still in box). The dragon fly is like new. just back from the factory with only three short uses since. most people don't know that they warrenty their products, but they do and they repaired mine to brand new condition. Check out www.msrcorp.com for more info. make offer for it. I also have a new in box brunton lampray lantern. puts out 120 watts of light, and other good equipment. pm me for questions or offers and/or any other inqueries to what i have to sell. thanks, ben
 
I have been using a CampChef Aluminum 'River Runner' propane stove. It is far superior to Coleman products - Puts out more than 2X the heat, has stanless burners and an all aluminum body. It weighs 14 lbs, including the windscreen, which folds into the stove, and the legs, which pack inside.

This is a great stove.

Mike S
 
Those Camp Chef stoves look great, but that River Runner is over $200! Coleman stoves are crappy and cheaply made but for $50 you are all set. I saw one Camp Chef model in Cabelas called the SUV stove or something, that looked like my next stove if the Coleman propane stove ever dies.

Speaking of Coleman Stoves-when my family camped in the 60's and 70's we had a Coleman 2 burner white gas stove. It was very heavy and robust and we pounded on it for many years. I asked my dad for it but it was given away long ago along with the matching lantern. I would use it just for historical value if it was still in the family. The new ones you get now have the same gererator mechanism but are not nearly as well made, unfortunately.
 
It is tough to find a good Coleman now. They are made in different grades for different vendors. Check out e bay for a slightly older 2 burner HD coleman. I agree that the current models are not very HD but mine, that is 15+ years old is a trooper. The new expedition style multi fuels are really nice and very HD.

I dont like propane in general as you are tied to a tank source and have a greater bulk of fuel to produce the same amount of heat. White gas/unleaded fuel puts out more heat than propane. There is no comparison when you consider volume of fuel required.
 
Cruiserdrew said:
Those Camp Chef stoves look great, but that River Runner is over $200! Coleman stoves are crappy and cheaply made but for $50 you are all set. I saw one Camp Chef model in Cabelas called the SUV stove or something, that looked like my next stove if the Coleman propane stove ever dies.
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Andrew:

Shop around. I paid $149 for mine through a discounter on the web. It is the last camp stove I will buy. I use an 11 lb. propane bottle, which will go for about 2 weeks of daily use. But I carry a spare on long trips.

I also got a Petromax lantern (Germa military style) that is really outstanding. Also costs more than the Coleman, but burns kerosene, white gas, unleaded gas, or diesel, and pumps out a lot of light. Has a fitting that allows you to pressurize from an air compressor - no more busting my knuckle pumping up the lantern.

Mike S
 
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