I frequent the local area thrift stores being dirt poor and unemployed. For those who don't know me, I credit the survival forum and the paranoia I gulped down by the gallon for the fact we are still eating six months post lay off. I was able to layup a significant amount of food stores. So much in fact I have been giving the older stuff to homeless people to keep rotation good.

At one of these thrift stores they recently acquired a ton of camping gear from an estate sale. I picked up a Coleman 220H, and two 288s. The 220H is 70s i think and the 288s are 1990s production. I already own a 220H from 1972 I believe. Its a tank and will run long after I'm dead and gone.

I got the 288s for $9 each and the 220H for $10.

Here comes the smoking part. I shook each lantern and they were all full of fuel. Bonus, I thought! I get them home and replace all mantles, the thrift store lady threw them in for free. They were very old, so I have probably already irradiated my family. I threw the new mantles in and burned them. Sometimes I just light them with fuel flowing, other times I just light them and let them smolder. This time I let them smolder.

I did smell the fuel in one of the lanterns and it did smell... different, not like coleman fuel. I thought maybe it was an off brand or something.
Each of the lanterns was hard as hell to light, especially the 220H. There was alot of white vapor that would suddenly and weakly, WOOMP.

You guessed it, someone, some genius, filled the lanterns with KEROSENE!

Now, I did get all these lanterns to burn, and burn reliably. However, I had to pump alot more often, like every ten minutes, the light output was about half, and the fuel didn't last nearly as long as it should have.

Right now Kerosene and Coleman fuel are about the same price, but you get half the performance with Kerosene. I just filled the newest 288 with coleman fuel and lit her up and WOW! The difference is amazing.

TL;DR

you CAN burn Kerosene in a Coleman lantern. Hard to light, dim, lotsa pumping, uses alot of fuel. Recommend against it.

Excellent deals you got, I'm envious! I've got a collection of Coleman lanterns and stoves but always have my eyes open for more. Great price!

And good to know about using kerosene - I've wondered if that would work in a pinch. Not that I'd likely run out of Coleman fuel any time soon ;-)

The old manual for my 220h said gasoline, never Coleman fuel. Gasoline is 1/3 the price of Coleman fuel. Next experiment, gasoline! Then, 91% rubbing alcohol!

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       There are a few people doing kerosene conversions on gas lanterns.  First you need to open the generator hole up by .001 or .002.  Then you need to add a pre-heater cup to get the generator scorching hot, so it atomizes the fuel better.  Not something the average Joe would think to do.  




 

Found that out the hard way, them watched a youtube video. I just dont see an advantage unless your using desiel. KERO costs as much as coleman fuel.

^ This.  I'm a member over there.  Lots of good folks on that forum.  Very helpful, too.  Great score on your lanterns.  They should serve you well for many years to come.

I buy clear kero for half the price of Coleman fuel.  I have done a couple of the conversions and they work well.  Best place to find Coleman Fuel is at yard sales.

Don't use gasoline even it is a dual fuel.  It cruds them up fast.

Why is it that I read that in a Southern drawl and have a sudden impulse to down a 12-pack of Bud Light?

I haven't been brave enough to try it yet.

Regular unleaded gas will burn fine in a Coleman lantern.

BUT, due to the additives, it will clog up the generator and will dissolve the red or pink lining that is applied to the inside of the tank.
If the tank is grey or silver lined, as in the Duel Fuel models, it is rated for regular gas.  

I have burned gallons of it in non-lined tanks and will only use it if Coleman fuel is not available.

Now, when you said you wanted to try alcohol, that's when I thought, "Hey dude, hold my beer while I try this".

I think someone may have done it then. I think the tanks are just steel inside, no color liners. Let me get my bbq lighter and ill go check right now.

Great score. I love Colemans.

If you are interested to know exactly when they were made,
the month and year of production should be stamped on the bottom of the fuel tanks.

I prefer to use Colemean fuel even in my dual fuel and military lanterns,
They seem to burn brighter and require less maintenance.

A tank of coleman fuel really runs a long time.

The only lantern I use kerosene in is my Britelyt 500CP multifuel lantern with the flamethrower for pre-heating the generator.

My first 220H i got for $10 about 15 years ago.

My best score was a 1973 large coleman liquid fuel stove for $7.12 on July 12 2010 from salvation army. It wasn't marked so the lady gave it to me for the date. Works great and is a tank. Then I got 2 more smaller stoves for $15 for the pair, but I sold one for $10 last year.
I even bought a green coleman cooler to match the stoves and lanterns, back when I was rich.
Right now, my inventory stands at two 220H lanterns, two 288 lanterns, a large coleman stove 435 and a small coleman stove, and the matching cooler.

They just dont make modern gear this good.

Someday I want to convert my Army Vintage Footlocker into my coleman camp box. Stove, 2 fuel cans, 2 lanterns, and some cookware. Just like we had in the Scouts.

I HAVE A COLEMAN PROBLEM!

No,
I have a Coleman problem, ask my wife......

Here are a few of the the lanterns hanging in the Mancave:


One of my favorite combos - Sears lantern and stove made by Coleman:


When I find them <$10. - I can't pass them up

Its like.... Mecca! I hear, that somewhere, there is even a Coleman Museum! Road trip!

Actally, there are folks on here that have a bigger, better collection than mine.

I have a brown 285 i think its called but its like the bastard step child. Its shaped weird and its a different color so the other lanterns never play with it. Plus the glass got broke and now its held together with foil.

I believe you speak of the 275 - also known as the "Brown Turd"
I have a couple

and I kind of like them.
They work well, but tend to make a wierd sputtering noise.

and replacement glass globes (clear) are still available.
(Just that the original globe had frosted stripes)

I know a shop in Tucson where I can get one for $12. I live 120 mile round trip away from Tucson, but we might get my wife a doctor there, so I may have a chance to get one soon. It didnt shatter, just broke the side out. The foil is good for now, I usually keep one lantern like that anyway for camping so I can see OUT into the woods and discourage Samsquatches from eating me in my sleep.

Currently, the living conditions we have had in the past four years, a mountain cabin studio, and now an RV, camping holds little appeal cause we do it every night.

Still, nothing lights a yard like a Coleman.

I have an old stove and two old lanterns that belonged to my Grandfather, he has passed 2 years ago. He always took me hunting and fishing. He wanted me to get them. They need restoring. Anyone know of a company/friend that fixes these and would be reasonable. I want to pass these once fixed to my 6 year old son one day.

Thanks in advance for any advise or links. OP hope you don't mind me asking in your thread.

Depends what you mean by restore.

Most Colemans that I have bought as junk, take very little to clean-up and get working.
As long as the fuel tank has no holes, everything else is easy to clean or replace.

Most parts are still available from Coleman, ebay, or the oldcolemanparts.com website.

You can go here and check the 'technical Help/How to' section and rebuild them yourself.

Some people go so far as to bead blast, paint and re-decal.
I don't really do that. Mine have scrapes and scuffs, but they all function 100%.

ETA:
Most do not even need all the work they show in the rebuilding section.
If the fuel tank is not full of crap, most lanterns need a good cleaning, oiling of the leather pump, and maybe a new generator.
And I have refurbished a ton of generators just adding a little carb cleaner to the fuel.

and don't forget to use them.
Create memories for your son like you have with your grandpa.

Check the gasket on the fuel cap too. They get hard and lose their ability to seal.

Been there, done that. Get name brand as some of the off brands are crap.
Also, pumps seem to go BAD often on mine. They are all original leather. I just remove the pump stem and massage oil into the leather gently till it softens up. If its real bad or gunky, ill soak it in some oil for a night and hit gently with an old tooth brush. I have never had to replace a pump gasket yet.

Mine's not near as big or diversified as yours.  I have 24 lanterns at the moment.  I run a couple of them every weekend in the summer.  I have a amber globe that makes the light not near as harsh for the campfire nights.  I really want a red 220 globe, but can't cough up the price that oldcolemanparts gets.

 

I have a few amber globes.
I thought about a red globe, but my wife said we are not opening a brothel.

Here's all of mine.



L - R
Petromax 829
Sears - Preway 742-43
Colemans
327 Quick Lite
220 slant
242 with reflector
237 kerosene with a 228 vent
228F
242 top end on a 220 fount

As you can see I prefer the more obscure models.

sweeeet

If I can post pics can you guys help me figure out what to buy and do?

Yes, I will help you.
Email me direct as to not derail the OP's thread anymore than we already have, unless the AZ guy doesn't mind.

Thank you and sorry OP.

I don't mind. I like to learn easy. I'd hate to learn how to rebuild a lantern when its the only one I have and im huddled under a trash bag in a storm with a head lamp.

Oh God! They now have a brown turd 275 at the thrift shop!

I have two 288s, two 220Hs, and one 275... I should complete the set!

But what the hell would I do with 6 coleman lanterns in an RV?

I live by the mantra "My back ups have back ups!".

Considering a new glode is $12, I should get it just for that.

OK,
Now you are in the first stages of having a problem.

I'm glad to see others have the same problem I do

I think I killed one of my 220s.

I lubed the main valve with non detergent motor oil, its what I had.

It kept putting out this black crap so I kept turning it and wiping. It got really easy to turn.

Well a few days later I decided to try gasoline in it.

It started puking out the valve and running down the side of the lantern. The pressure was forcing it out the valve turner thing. Oh, and it was on fire, too.

So, was it the motor oil, or the Gasoline?

It sounds like you are talking about the fuel valve. (knob sticking out the side of the lantern?

If so, first,
you should not have oiled it, sounds like you destroyed the valve packing.
It was probably the oil that weakened it and the gas and pressure did the rest.
Luckily, the valve packing is easy and cheap enough to replace.

Second, the 220 is not a gasoline lantern.
I know people say its fine to use gas, but its really not designed for gasoline because of the additives.
Gasoline tends to gum up the generator and reduces the fuel flow

You need to replace valve packing and replace the gas with coleman fuel and you will probably need to clean or replace the generator.

Not to be mean,
but did you even go to oldcolemanparts.com and look through the rebuilding a lantern or the troubleshooting sections?
I don't think i have ever seen any reference to oiling the valve.

If you are leaking fuel out of the valve stem, you can try tightening the valve nut on the stem. It's will take a 9/16" wrench. I doubt that the valve packing is destroyed  and this usually eliminates the leak. Check it again after the lantern reaches operating temperature.

This is certainly a possibility.

I guess I was thinking that the packing is already old,
he oiled it, and worked the stem and the "black stuff" was the graphite from the packing.

The valve packing usually stays in one solid piece due to compression in the enclosed valve assembly, but some of it gets displaced, (for lack of a better term) and turns to powder by the slip rings that hold it in place. This graphite powder mixing with the oil and fuel may be what led to the "black stuff".

I'd say the OP should try this before he throws it down the driveway.

Absolutely.
I have rebuilt several Coleman lanterns (as I am sure you have) and honestly not had to replace many valve stem packing's.
But I usually do not take them apart if not needed.

Worst case scenario, the packing will need replacement.
He may have removed the nut for oiling and not tightened it back.
But then again, it might have been tightened to it's limit when he bought it.

Graphite is exactly what the black stuff looked like.

Ill try tightening it and see what happens. Right now its a case for a globe, and a source of spare parts.

I bought $12 a gallon coleman fuel, in stead of using $3.50 a gallon gasoline.

On a related note, I have built and am using my summer field kitchen. It heats up the RV too much to be cooking inside in the summer.
I used a 1/2 pallet and put some legs on it. I placed my coleman 413 stove on it, and viola, field kitchen! I can cook the whole summer on about 1.5-3 gallons of fuel.

Made NY strip steaks using my griddle on it last night.

Good luck. The nut may be frozen in its current location and a little force maybe required to break it free, but once it's moving it doesn't require much force to tighten it down so don't go all ape shit with the wrench. There is a fine line between stopping the leak and having it so tight you can't turn the knob.

Be sure to check Walmart for Coleman fuel - it is around $7 a gallon there.

It seems to vary by the location of the Walmart, anywhere from $8 to $13. It may have to do with nearby competing stores. Do you have an Acadamy Sports near by?
It $13 here, and there are really not any stores nearby that compete with them other than Bass Pro at $10.
I'm lucky, I get it bulk at the Amish lantern store for $6.5 a gallon.