The Coffee Must Be Made! Converting a Vintage Coleman Camp Stove to Propane

We have a Coleman Camp Stove we have been using for decades! Tim recently converted it to propane. In this video he shows how simple it is and gives a little history.

Thanks for posting this. I have a 413G, originally purchased in 1981-82 (!!!!) that we stopped using because of concerns with the aging tank and seals potentially leaking fuel, especially at altitude. Emptying and cleaning the tank after each trip (so the gas didn't thicken up and clog up the works) got to be a chore, too. I didn't know about the Stansport converter (and/or other converters) that lets me use propane as the fuel for this ancient workhorse - thank you for showing this option exists! Oh, and leave the patina...

[@HEKNBAK]

Glad it helped! We have a few other types of stoves that we will use from time to time, but we always come back to our Coleman. We have left it as is, lol! Some people might look at it and think it's old and beat-up, but we know!

[@karlo8093]

Thanks! I have a425e that happens to be missing the generator assembly and the fuel tank. Shopping around for those parts, I have found they are quite expensive. This is a much better option for that stove as a backup. Think I will be heading over to make a purchase here in just a few minute! Thanks again!

[@HEKNBAK]

Glad it helped! It's such an easy change and works well. Appreciate the comment! Thanks for watching!

[@OSMOneStepMore]

Hi Tim and Gena.😊😊Thanks for the presentation of the Coleman Camp Stove. L24, greetings from us from Croatia. Sretana & Zac

[@HEKNBAK]

Thank you! We just checked out your channel and love the positivity and fun!

[@ThailandOutdoors]

I love these old gas stoves, that one is in amazing shape for something that old. I have not seen the conversions before, sure is easy.

[@HEKNBAK]

Yeah, we just discovered it recently. Not sure how long these kits have been available but great option.

[@HEKNBAK]

Thanks for watching!

[@mdenny6044]

Tighten the gas tip on the propane adapter. They get loose over time. You won’t see the little flame shooting out anymore

[@HEKNBAK]

@@mdenny6044 thanks for that tip! We will give it a try.

[@BeforeIKicktheBucket1]

100% agree..a morning without coffee sucks!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@HEKNBAK]

Isn't it funny how something so simple can really set the tone for the day, lol!

[@SolarSudsShine]

Facts

[@KenpoFish]

Cool. I picked one up from a flea market for $5. Put some fuel in it and couldn’t get to work. So, it’s stayed stuck in back corner of garage for 25yrs. Decided to finally get it out and do some more thorough work. Same fuel I had put in it 2yrs ago and after about 25-30min of cleaning it up…it fired right up. It left mine with patina. Looks in same condition as yours. Going to have to try this conversion kit.

[@HEKNBAK]

Got to love those garage sale, and flea market finds. You must have had repair camping gnome in your garage, gotta Love those guys.

[@KP-ni8bh]

I have the same stove, handed down to me by my dad who cooked many a meal on it when we would go on camping trips as I was growing up. I made the propane conversion and I’m getting ready to convert it for low pressure use with an RV quick connect.

[@HEKNBAK]

Awesome - didn't know that was option! Good to know. We try lots of different stoves but so far, always come back to that one.

[@KP-ni8bh]

@@HEKNBAK actually, I don’t think I can convert it for the quick connect. I’d have to bypass the propane converter regulator, which also controls the amount of flame.

[@HEKNBAK]

I don't know anything about the RV connection. Is there not a regulator already on the line since its low pressure? Maybe a valve for a BBQ or stove could be modified?

[@KP-ni8bh]

Yes, the quick connect line on the RV is low pressure, so trying to use a stove with a regulator won’t deliver enough pressure. You can get adapters without regulators for newer stoves, but the propane converters for the old stoves have a built-in regulator (at least the ones I’ve seen.)

[@jeffccr3620]

I have 5 of these old colemans last one I found was a 425f in the dump missing the grill and the tank but the case was in nice shape I did like you and bought a propane converter from stansport a cheap cast iron griddle some 1 1/2 angle iron and converted it into a portable griddle stove Now my base camp I run one just for skillets and coffee and the stand alone griddle where 75% of my cooking goes Now thinking about getting a single burner for the oven

[@HEKNBAK]

Hey, sounds like we want to come eat at your camp, lol! Love the griddle idea. We have 3 of the stoves so maybe we will try that with one of them. Haven't tried a camp oven yet.

[@jeffccr3620]

@@HEKNBAK kzbin.infoWaJJAEqGVs0?feature=share

[@Michaelleger77]

T he underside of the tab on the back of the tank (the one under the generator) will have a date stamp.

[@HEKNBAK]

Thanks! We're gonna do some more looking to see if we can find it.

[@troystallard6895]

Reality check: I'm 74 years old. I've owned and used Coleman stoves since I was a teenager, and I have NEVER needed a pump repair kit. The worst that has happened is a couple of times I had to disassemble a pump, and soak its leather in whatever oil I have handy (last time, it was olive oil). And I've had a cork gasket go bad on a tank cap; I replaced it with an O-ring I shaved down a little. Why would someone pay to convert a stove to propane - which is more expensive, comes in bulky cylinders, and (as he admits) isn't as reliable in cold weather? A $12-$14 gallon of Coleman fuel will last for about 30 hours, if you're using a single burner. On the other hand, a 1 lb. tank of propane costs $8-$10, and only lasts for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I see only two justifications for a conversion kit. If you have other stuff that runs on propane, you might not want to carry two fuels. Or if the stove's existing generator tube is garbaged up and no longer working properly (which can happen if someone's using regular unleaded gas in a stove not designed for it), you can replace it with either another generator tube or a propane conversion. The two stoves I have now are dual-fuel models. But I buy white gas for them anyway. How much money would I really save buying unleaded, given how long a gallon lasts? And what's this nonsense about the 'volatility' of white gas? Does anyone think propane ISN'T volatile? And it's under a lot more pressure than white gas in a tank or a can.... Despite manufacturer's recommendations, Coleman fuel is almost indefinitely shelf-stable if it's in a sealed container. Last week I dug a 425E out of a back corner of my shop for my younger son, that hadn't been used for almost 30 years. I cleaned the dust and cobwebs off, pulled the tank out to refill it, and realized it was almost full. So I pumped it up, lit a burner, and it works just fine. By the way: had the gentleman turned the tank over, he'd have seen the month and year of manufacture stamped on the bottom of each tab. In addition, there's usually (but not always) a month and year stamped into the bottom of the stove body.

[@HEKNBAK]

Thanks for sharing your experience! We appreciate different points of view. You bring up some valid points that people should consider as well. Where we live the 1 lb propane bottles are $5.50 not 8-10, but we actually use a refillable 5 lb tank which only costs about $5 to refill. We do have other propane accessories also, so it does make sense for us. It sounds like we can agree though that the stoves are great!

[@Rifleman1964]

The date is also stamped on the bottom of the stove. Sometimes its hard to see… and patina, because every paint i have tried washes off with spilled fuel and grease splatter.

[@HEKNBAK]

Found it finally! Had to get Gena's eyes on it, lol! On this one it was under the tabs - 1970. Another we have was stamped on the bottom though - 1976. Yeah, not finding any high-temp paint in a similar green, and had concerns about what it would do so I appreciate that comment!

[@kachiri]

I don't do propane. My camp stoves are butane. I have a strong sense of smell and have problems breathing in many types of fumes. Propane is one I have a problem breathing in. But something about butane makes it okay for me.

[@HEKNBAK]

We've never used a butane, but we'll be trying it on our next trip! We have a Little Buddy propane heater too that we've only used once. That has some smell too - I would never leave it on for long. We used it just to take the chill off before hitting the sack. Not too familiar with other options for that.

[@CheezeheadChris]

The dates should be stamped on the underside of the gas tank tabs. The numbers can be hard to read as they are kinda small. White gas is actually a lot less volatile than regular fuel. Cleaner and hotter burning. And aren't the blue bottles actually butane? Not propane?

[@HEKNBAK]

I'll have to look for dates again. I'll have Gena look - her eyes are better, lol! Yeah, you're right about the white gas. I talked a little about it being cleaner when I was recording but I think that got cut in editing. The blue bottle is propane - this specific blue bottle is anyway. Thanks for commenting. Appreciate the insight!

[@chipdoctorkent]

Do not paint it

[@HEKNBAK]

We're kinda liking the well used look lol!