2019 Siberia and Central Asia overland thread

[kiwi1973]

Originally Posted by TomW

Sounds like an amazing adventure you have planned. Just thought I would share my experiences using a Coleman dual fuel stove over the past few years.

While they are designed to run on dual fuel i.e. petrol and white gas / coleman fuel the petrol does burn dirtier (even more so if only poor quality fuel is available) and will eventually clog the generator. Even though the generator can be cleaned it is rather fragile so it would be worth while carrying a spare in case of breakages. The petrol is also more volatile and smelly than white gas and can leave a residue on cooking equipment.

As above I typically use white gas, on longer trips I will carry a 2L tin of white gas which is enough fuel for around a month cooking for 2 people twice a day. If at all possible it might be worth purchasing white gas at some point and carrying a quantity (i.e. 5L - 10L) which will remove the need to clean the generator.

In terms of other spares I would recommend carrying a spare pump, generator, valve stem packing and tank cap. If any of these things fail the stove will be unusable and finding spares in remote parts of the world might be difficult. When packing my stove I wrap the tank in a rag which prevents it from rattling about in the case, I also carry in the stove case a bbq lighter and a filter funnel for refueling.

Thanks for this. I anticipate that in more remote areas we will have no option but to run on petrol and hence I am expecting the generator to get clogged at some point, maybe even regularly. However, I was coming around to the idea I could just keep cleaning it. Isn't it just a long needle and spring inside the generator? Seems like with care this could be taken apart and cleaned easily enough, though you say it is fragile and are presumably speaking with experience of these cookers that I've not yet gained? How long does the pump typically last? I see it has a small oil hole to keep it lubricated. I think by 'valve stem' you are referring to the small lever that is turned to the up position for lighting. Whilst I know this is supposed to adjust the needle in the generator I can't honestly say that I can notice it having any effect on the flame at all.

[erad]

Kiwi:
Since you are already talking to Cost Effective Maintenance about additives for your diesel, why not ask them the same questions about your stove and generator? I am sure they would have something to sell to you. My experience with CEM thusfar has been positive (and I have no commercial connections with them either unfortunately).

[TomW]

I guess my experience with one of these Coleman stoves comes from owing a 2nd hand stove that already had many years use so yours may go longer without the issues I have seen.

The first being the valve stem packing, this is a small graphite bush that seals the main fuel valve, after time this becomes worn and causes fuel to leak. It can be fixed by tightening the nut behind the fuel valve but eventually mine completely failed and needed to be replaced.

The pump didn't really give any warning, it was fine cooking dinner then the next morning when going to light the stove it would not build any pressure. I regularly oiled it but I guess it was just old.

I have cleaned the generator a few times and my comment re the fragility is related to the fine needle at the tip of the generator, I believe this needle in conjunction with the lever adjusts the air fuel ratio making the stove easier to light. You probably wouldn't have any issues cleaning it multiple times, I am more thinking the scenario if it gets dropped or damaged, not sure what effect it would have on the stove but I assume it might be difficult to light?

This page has lots of good information if you have not already seen it, its written for an older stove but pretty much everything is applicable to the newer models as well.

http://www.oldtowncoleman.com/tech/re2stovea.htm

[kiwi1973]

Thanks for posting that info. That's a resource I might return to in the future. Here's more info specifically on using the Coleman dual fuel stove on petrol in a long term overlanding situation (also quite an interesting website/blog generally). https://landcruisingadventure.com/th...coleman-stove/. Note that he adds some injector cleaner to the fuel and finds that it helps to keep the generator clean.

[kiwi1973]

Just a quick update - we're still on track with this trip. It's a bit daunting trying to get everything prepared. We'll be packing up and moving out of our house over the Xmas and New Year period. I've also got a number of projects on the go with the Shogun, mostly preventative maintenance to ensure it's as reliable as possible ahead of the trip. Some of these things don't have to be done pre xmas, but all need to be done before the Paj ships in March. And the sooner the better so that everything has opportunity to be tested during an offroad circuit of the South Island Jan/Feb. Additionally there are passports, country visas and also special permits required for restricted areas of some of the countries. We'll be driving right along the border with China in places, and also tracing the Tajikistan/Afghanistan border through the Pamir mountains (peaks over 7,000 metres!), which requires special permits to be shown at remote military checkpoints.

I am building a website to showcase this trip and quite excited about doing so. We expect to attract some sponsorship from 4wd product manufacturers, which is all new. The website will host our regular blog, photos and videos, route maps and more. I intend to make a series of videos as we go and yesterday upgraded my video editing software to the most fully featured version that will enable me to do such cool things as begin each video with a map of the relevant country with a little symbol of my Shogun driving the route on the map - just so that it is clear where each video was filmed. I've been warned to take care with my drone in some countries - some of these countries have been known to seize or destroy drones.

Venturing into building a website and having a sponsor or two is all new for me. Our past trips were private - the only places I shared details of our adventures was on a private online blog that was restricted just to friends and family, but as many here know I also subsequently posted some threads here showcasing tales and photos, and some of those threads proved very popular. With that in mind the first place I will announce the new website, when it's up an running, is here on the Pajeroclub forum. I'll still check in here too as we travel, but I anticipate it's going to be very very busy on this trip. Trips like this are not to be confused with 'holidays'. This may require some explanation - there's a lot of work to be done and it's not always relaxing. Routes will be off-road and I'll be kept busy plotting out the detailed waypoints closer to each stage. Sylwia (who works as a teacher) needs to keep time aside to ensure our two school age children (10, 5 and 3) keep up with a correspondence school curriculum that they are being enrolled in. I will be kept busy editing photos, videos and maintaining the website, alongside needing to find time to manage my 'business' as we travel. I also need to attend to keeping the Shogun/Pajero running well. And finally I'd like to do some freelance writing for magazines. I currently have an opportunity to submit a series of articles to a NZ based 4wd magazine, which seems a good place to start out and build up a CV of freelance work.

The entire Central Asian world region (the ....stans) is generating new interest as a travel destination. It's really only opened up over the last few years, prior to which it would have been exceedingly difficult to obtain the needed visas and permits. It still is in Turkmenistan. It's also an area with poor infrastructure outside of bigger cities, owing to Governments that don't have the resources to build real roads in all (most) areas. I personally see this as an attraction. We've already noted from previous trips that poor countries and areas are often extremely rich in culture and traditions and often the most vibrant and interesting places to visit. I'm 100% confident Mongolia and the ....stans will not disappoint in this regard and look forward to taking you all on another adventure with us, this time live.