#4 - 1986 288A - Stepping up my game
Vital Stats
Model: 288A
Date: March 1986
Technology: Adjustable (Schrader valve)
Fuel: Gasoline
Date Acquired: May 4, 2016
Paid: $15 for lantern and 425F stove.
By 2016 I had never owned a Coleman 2-burner "suitcase" style stove. I was always impressed with them and wanted one, but the opportunity never really came up. Any camping that I did was mostly backpacking, and when I did car camp I usually used one of my single burners. I had a propane topping model that I bought from a general store while camping on the Outer Banks, after a disastrous attempt to cook bacon over Sterno in a rain storm. I also had a model 442 Peak 1 that I bought with my 229, and for a good bit of my camping life I owned a Coachmen pop-up camper that had a built-in propane stove, so again, no real need.
But by 2016 I had 2 kids, had sold the camper, and was ready to step up my game. My first inclination was to go to REI and buy a new one, but the price tag was shocking. I did a little research online about how to restore older stoves and decided that, with my experience restoring Dad's 228F, I'd give it a shot.
Local craigslist wasn't turning up very much. I ended up finding one in Tennessee near where one of my buddies lives for $25, and he agreed to go pick it up for me. But there were 2 major problems: 1) it would be months before I would see him again and shipping was very cost prohibitive and 2) apparently this model that I purchased was a super rare 459 (more on that later) of which little was known and parts were scarce, and judging by the pictures of the condition of it, I needed a backup plan. So back to Craigslist I go.
I had only been looking at ads with pictures, but one ad without caught my eye (no pun intended); some guy selling a bunch of tools. Down in the description was "coleman stove and lantern - $15". Didn't really need another lantern but for $15 how could I lose?
I met the guy and brought home my prizes (both in boxes), along with a bunch of mantles.
Both were in like new condition and only needed a tightening of the valve nut to reseat the packing and stop a small leak. The stove was just what I was looking for, but the lantern was a bit of a mystery to me as I was only really familiar with the 220/228 line.
The 288 was introduced in 1983 and was the flagship of Coleman's lantern lineup overhaul. It was much more compact that the 220 which it replaced, though its big brother, the 290, would retain the same size profile. The main feature of the 288, 290 and one-mantle 286, was an adjustable Schrader valve (like in your car/bike tire's valve stem), which eliminated the 2-stage lighting process of the 220 ("open 1/4 turn to the right and light") and introduced adjustable light output. The 288 would soon be improved, eliminating the globe cage, to the 288A seen here. This lantern, given its small size, adjustable light, lack of collectability and low price, has become a mainstay on my surf fishing trips to NC's Outer Banks (though I later sold the stove).
Model: 288A
Date: March 1986
Technology: Adjustable (Schrader valve)
Fuel: Gasoline
Date Acquired: May 4, 2016
Paid: $15 for lantern and 425F stove.
By 2016 I had never owned a Coleman 2-burner "suitcase" style stove. I was always impressed with them and wanted one, but the opportunity never really came up. Any camping that I did was mostly backpacking, and when I did car camp I usually used one of my single burners. I had a propane topping model that I bought from a general store while camping on the Outer Banks, after a disastrous attempt to cook bacon over Sterno in a rain storm. I also had a model 442 Peak 1 that I bought with my 229, and for a good bit of my camping life I owned a Coachmen pop-up camper that had a built-in propane stove, so again, no real need.
But by 2016 I had 2 kids, had sold the camper, and was ready to step up my game. My first inclination was to go to REI and buy a new one, but the price tag was shocking. I did a little research online about how to restore older stoves and decided that, with my experience restoring Dad's 228F, I'd give it a shot.
Local craigslist wasn't turning up very much. I ended up finding one in Tennessee near where one of my buddies lives for $25, and he agreed to go pick it up for me. But there were 2 major problems: 1) it would be months before I would see him again and shipping was very cost prohibitive and 2) apparently this model that I purchased was a super rare 459 (more on that later) of which little was known and parts were scarce, and judging by the pictures of the condition of it, I needed a backup plan. So back to Craigslist I go.
I had only been looking at ads with pictures, but one ad without caught my eye (no pun intended); some guy selling a bunch of tools. Down in the description was "coleman stove and lantern - $15". Didn't really need another lantern but for $15 how could I lose?
I met the guy and brought home my prizes (both in boxes), along with a bunch of mantles.
Both were in like new condition and only needed a tightening of the valve nut to reseat the packing and stop a small leak. The stove was just what I was looking for, but the lantern was a bit of a mystery to me as I was only really familiar with the 220/228 line.
The 288 was introduced in 1983 and was the flagship of Coleman's lantern lineup overhaul. It was much more compact that the 220 which it replaced, though its big brother, the 290, would retain the same size profile. The main feature of the 288, 290 and one-mantle 286, was an adjustable Schrader valve (like in your car/bike tire's valve stem), which eliminated the 2-stage lighting process of the 220 ("open 1/4 turn to the right and light") and introduced adjustable light output. The 288 would soon be improved, eliminating the globe cage, to the 288A seen here. This lantern, given its small size, adjustable light, lack of collectability and low price, has become a mainstay on my surf fishing trips to NC's Outer Banks (though I later sold the stove).
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