I think it will be fine. My small stove (Peak 1) uses white gas and I use nonstick pots on it with no problem.

I think planning on cooking out is a good one. I get really tied of eating out when vacationing. Love the truck as camp bed concept. My DH recently became aware of teardrop campers and now I see one in my future.

We aren't planning to sleep in the bed of the truck. Wish we could -- but with only two small windows, no light fixtures and not enough room for stuff AND us, we decided just to stick with motels and staying with family and friends. I don't mind the motel bit, but as you stated, we get tired of eating out while vacationing.

I keep hoping that this will talk hubby into a small used truck camper, for next summer. We sold our trailer because the storage fees were killing us. We could store a truck camper on the truck which lives in the driveway, without violating CC&R's.

Donna

I'm afraid that I couldn't even think why you would be concerned about any cookware working on a small burner like a coleman. You are not supposed to use the stove until the flames are running properly after the generator tube has gotten hot. However, even there, other than getting a little coating of carbon that would probably easily scrub off of a modern surface, that flame is actually colder than the stable blue flame.

However, since you brought it up, I would just like to report my extreme pleasure recently dealing with Coleman. We haven't gone camping for 25 years and some relatives wanted to camp and I tried to clean up my late 60's coleman for them. After cleaning, I overtightened a nut and cracked the fitting. After realizing that the nut wasn't generic, I googled Coleman and amazingly found a parts list with reasonably priced subassemblies. The exploded view was a little confusing so I computer chatted with them and and after some concerned back and forth, assured me of the correct part. It was shipped promptly, but unfortunately as I had originally feared, turned out to be the wrong part. I called the provided phone number that they answered in a fairly short period and which turned out to be in the US. They immediately saw the error and shipped out the correct part the next day at no additional charge.

That any company has old parts for sale at any price is surprising. That the parts and shipping were reasonable is more surprising. And that the parts were for a 50 year old product is astonishing.

It'll work great. Use the old campers trip of rubbing the bottom with some soap to aid cleanup. The Ingenio will be fabulous since it nests together and takes up so little room and it's terrific cookware. I had a set of Ingenio (still have it actually but some is dead) and wish they still made it. I really liked that stuff. I used my set hard and it really made me realize how much fun cooking could be with good cookware.

Keep foil around to help with lids though. Outdoor cooking normally needs a tighter seal than indoor since you have the breeze making a difference.

Not to get into a battle of white gas vs propane but I was a propane camper myself. And I camped out of the pickup. (Ah the good times.... sigh) Still have my (Coleman) propane stove. Can't bear to part with it. Keep telling myself I'm going to use it outside for picnics or if power goes out or whatever. Yeah, right.

Can't find my checklist right now or I'd look for the little creature comforts I liked while camp cooking but a veteran camper like yourself probably knows what to bring anyway. Oh, just thinking of the percolated coffee outdoors in the morning... maybe not heaven for everyone, but for me it's in the same zip code!

FWIW, there are adapters made, (I don't know if Coleman
makes them), but they convert a liquid fuel camp stove
to run on propane. They are relatively inexpensive
and work great, as I remember from my camping days.

While I have both white gas and propane stoves and will myself be using propane on an extended trip this summer, I have to point out the white gas is far more economical. Those little canisters of propane are expensive, and then you have to throw them out, most places can't even recycle them.

If we were in a truck I'd be using my white gas stove, but car camping I don't want the white gas fumes in the car with me.

And Cynic's tip about the dish soap on the bottom is a good one, it works like a charm.

I agree, I think the cookware will be just fine and I really like your idea of cooking out of the truck. Like you, I get tired of restaurant food quickly and would rather cook something myself. I used to carry an electric skillet with me, I could cook in motel rooms with it.

I have a little Coleman propane campstove, it's been used by me, both my girls, some of the neighbors. It was a popular item several years ago when we had a week long power outage. My stove in the house is gas, so I just lit it with a match but a couple of the neighbors swapped the campstove between them, as well as a couple of the camping lanterns.

Cynic's tip about soaping the bottom of the pan is a good one, as mabel mentioned, it works like a charm.

Annie

If you're worried about the cost of propane you must use a lot of it. In that case, get a small (8 or 10#) propane bottle and the hose. Or use a 20# if you want. You can refill it at any propane filling station. I used the propane lanterns and still like them. I just figure a bottle or two is the cost of camping. Messing with the white gas, always-lost funnels, the smell and such was a big reason I opted for propane. Well, looks like the propane vs gas debate might just fire up! LOL

One other tip, put a layer of foil under the burners, essentially line the bottom of the stove. Things always fall out of the pans and grease gets in there - makes for easier cleanup.

An electric frypan and a Nesco would also be good if you have the electricity available and the desire for the functionality of them too.

Thanks for the tip about the soap on the bottom of the T-Fal pan, and lining the bottom of the stove. I know there are converters for the stove, but we'll just stick with the white gas. (I see that it is still carried in stores, but we have a full gallon and won't use that much on our trip.)

Also, that's a great idea about an electric fry pan! Might be nice if it's really super-hot outside, to just do something inside. Hubby also wants to take along a small portable outdoor grill, though we haven't decided whether we will use it enough to warrant the space it takes in the bed of the pick-up.

With all of this cooking equipment, I just made hubby promise that we would not take it ALL inside the motel every night! UGH! Only what we need!

Donna

Donna, I found that I could make all kinds of stuff in the electric skillet. Eggs, pancakes, even a makeshift toast, oatmeal.

Chili, scalloped potatoes, hash, spanish rice, chicken and dumplings, hamburgers, grilled cheese...

It was really handy and might be nice to take inside when it is rainy or cold and you don't want to cook outside.

annie

I have the Health Craft Waterless cookware and I use it on the white gas Coleman with no problem. I don't own any T-Fal, but I don't see a problem with it. Our stove is probably at least 35 years old, as it was DH's before we were married, probably older, as we have been married 30 years, and he camped for years before that!

As for the portable gas grill, they really don't take up that much space. There are various sizes of course, but if you buy a small one, they really don't take up much more room than the stove will.

I'm sure you won't forget, but for a reminder, make sure you have your utensils to go with your pans! (I've been known to forget, before we got the campers & motor home!) And a few seasonings. If you put your pots, pans, utensils and seasonings in a small tote, it's all nicely contained.

When we tent camped, DH had a cap on the back of the truck, and we would have all the sleeping bags, tent, screen house, clothes, cooking/eating equipment, stove, grill, & lantern, plus bikes and sometimes fire wood. All in one truck!

Have a great time.

Tami