Can you use unleaded gas in a Coleman stove or lantern?

Yes, if the stove or lantern says Dual Fuel. Coleman's Dual Fuel manuals say the appliance "may be fueled by Coleman Liquid Fuel or unleaded gasoline". The same manuals put a price on it: unleaded "can affect generator life", and Coleman fuel is the one to use below 40 degrees F (4 degrees C) or at high elevation. A Coleman lantern or stove that is not Dual Fuel says never.

What "dual fuel" and "unleaded" mean here#

A Coleman Dual Fuel stove or lantern is a pressurised liquid fuel appliance built to burn two fuels: Coleman's own fuel and unleaded car gasoline. Coleman's stove manual calls it a "direct pressure multi-fuel stove". You pump air into the fuel tank. The pressure pushes liquid fuel up to the burner. Because your arm makes the pressure, it does not fade in the cold the way a gas canister's does (see canister stoves in the cold). How liquid fuel stoves compare with canister, alcohol and wood stoves is in camping stove types compared.

Coleman fuel is Coleman's name for white gas: a clear, refined petroleum fuel sold for camp stoves and lanterns. MSR sells its own as SuperFuel. Coleman's safety data sheet lists what is in it. The bulk, 60 to 100 percent, is a low-boiling refined petroleum fraction. Pentane, isopentane and cyclohexene make up 5 to 10 percent each, with small amounts of hexane and similar fractions. Ethanol is not among the listed parts.

Unleaded gasoline (unleaded petrol) is ordinary pump fuel for cars. In the US, that now usually means E10: gasoline with about 10 percent ethanol (alcohol) by volume. The EIA says most finished gasoline sold in the US is E10.

The part this question turns on is the generator. It is the tube that carries liquid fuel from the tank valve through the hot zone above the burner. The flame heats the tube, and the fuel boils to vapour inside it. The vapour leaves through a tiny hole at the tip and burns. Coleman's lighting lever moves a small needle in and out of that tip to clean it. Anything in the fuel that does not boil away is left behind in that tube and that hole.

What Coleman's manuals actually say#

Three Coleman manuals cover the three cases people own.

Dual Fuel stoves, models 414, 424 and 428. The 2008 manual says: "This multi-fuel appliance may be fueled by Coleman Liquid Fuel or unleaded gasoline. Never use kerosene or leaded automotive fuel." Its technical data lists both fuels. The 414 and 428 are rated at 17,000 Btu per hour, the 424 at 14,000.

Then come the conditions. Coleman fuel "is recommended when using the stove in temperatures below 40° F or in high elevation". And: "If necessary, unleaded gasoline may be substituted for Coleman Liquid Fuel." That word, substituted, tells you which fuel Coleman treats as the default.

NorthStar Dual Fuel lantern, models 2000A750 and 2000B750. The 2005 manual says the lantern "is designed to use Coleman Fuel or unleaded gasoline. Never use kerosene or leaded automotive fuel." The fill step asks for "clean, fresh unleaded automotive gasoline or Coleman fuel".

A Coleman-fuel-only lantern, model 3000000101. The 2007 manual is the opposite: "This lantern is designed to use Coleman fuel. Never use kerosene or automotive fuel." It explains why it wants Coleman fuel. That fuel is "especially formulated and tested to rigid specifications for long storage life and includes a rust inhibitor". Other fuels, "including unleaded automotive fuel may shorten generator life, damage lantern, and result in unsatisfactory performance".

So the answer depends on the words on your appliance, not on the brand. A Coleman that says Dual Fuel takes unleaded. A Coleman that says Coleman fuel does not.

Why it is allowed but costs you: the generator#

Every Dual Fuel manual that allows unleaded also prices it. The price is paid in generators.

The stove manual's tips page says: "Unleaded fuels may vary in quality and can affect generator life and performance. If you are having a problem with your stove or generator using unleaded fuel, replace the generator and try a different brand of unleaded fuel." The lantern manual says nearly the same.

The troubleshooting table goes further. For "Low heat" from a "Faulty generator", the fix is "Replace with a new generator. This is a normal periodic maintenance procedure. The generator life is dependent on the type of fuel used. Generator life is extended by using clean Coleman Liquid Fuel."

Read those three lines together. A generator is a wear part. Coleman fuel makes it last longer. Unleaded makes it last a shorter time, by an amount Coleman does not state. Coleman's five year warranty also does not cover "normal wear of parts". The manual gives no figure for hours or gallons per generator, so neither does this page.

MSR says the same about its liquid fuel stoves, in different words. Its manuals say fuels other than its white gas "can lead to rapid stove clogging and require more frequent Jet and Fuel Line cleanings. Also, the use of Unleaded Auto Gas may shorten stove lifespan."

Two makers, two designs, one finding. Unleaded is a working fuel, and it wears the hot fuel path faster than white gas.

What E10 changes, and the 1992 warning#

Most search answers say "yes, it is dual fuel" and stop. The ones that say "never" are usually remembering something real.

In November 1992 the Seattle Times reported that Coleman was telling owners not to use the new ethanol-blended pump gas then on sale around Puget Sound. Oxygenated fuel had become required there for much of the year under the federal Clean Air Act. A Coleman spokeswoman said: "They're just not tuned for that oxygenated fuel." She said it would "deteriorate plastic and rubber seals much more rapidly". She also said: "I don't believe there's an immediate safety risk." Her advice: "If at all in doubt, use Coleman stove fuel." At that point, the paper said, Coleman's manuals warned only against "gasohol".

Two things have changed since then. First, ethanol is no longer a regional winter fuel. The EIA says most US gasoline is now about 10 percent ethanol, all year. Second, the later Coleman manuals on this page, from 2005 and 2008, say "unleaded gasoline" with no mention of ethanol, gasohol or oxygenated fuel at all.

That leaves a gap no Coleman document we read fills. The manuals allow unleaded. Almost all unleaded is now E10. Coleman's only on-record comment about ethanol blends, from 1992, was against them. No manual we found says E10 is fine, and none says it is not.

What we can state with numbers is energy. Ethanol carries about 33 percent less energy than gasoline (EIA). So 10 percent ethanol takes about 3.3 percent off the energy in each litre: 10 times 33, divided by 100. On a stove, that is a small loss, well inside the swings from wind and pot size covered in how much stove fuel to carry.

Where ethanol-free gasoline is on sale, it is the pump fuel closest to what Coleman's own spokeswoman said these appliances were tuned for. Where it is not, E10 is the unleaded the manual's words cover by default. It is the fuel you will actually get.

A worked case: a Coleman 424 on a cold trip#

Take a Coleman 424 stove, the 14,000 Btu per hour Dual Fuel model. Suppose it is October, the camp is at 2,000 m (about 6,500 ft), and the overnight low is forecast at 2 degrees C (36 degrees F). The owner has half a tank of Coleman fuel and no spare. The only fuel on the drive in is a gas station selling E10.

Walked through the manual, step by step:

1. Is unleaded allowed? Yes. The 424's manual names it as a fuel.
2. Is it the right fuel for this trip? Not by the manual. The forecast is below 40 degrees F, and the camp is at elevation. Coleman fuel is "recommended" in both cases. So the Coleman fuel in the tank is for the cold mornings.
3. Is E10 a usable backup? Yes, as the manual's fallback: "If necessary, unleaded gasoline may be substituted." Fresh, clean fuel, filtered on the way in. Coleman sells a filter funnel for this (part 5103A700T).
4. What does it cost? Some of the generator's life, by an amount Coleman does not state.
5. What to watch for. If the stove runs low on heat, work the lighting lever up and down to clean the generator tip. If that does not fix it, the manual's answer is a new generator and a different brand of unleaded.
6. After the trip. The manual says to rinse the tank twice a year with fresh fuel to clear sediment, gum and moisture. A tank that ran on pump gas is a good reason to do it now.

The decision the manual supports is plain. Use the Coleman fuel when it is coldest. Carry the E10 as the backup. Expect to buy a generator sooner.

Coleman, MSR and the fuel each one takes#

MSR's expedition stoves take a different route to the same problem. Instead of one fuel path for everything, they change the jet: the small part with the hole the fuel vapour comes out of.

The WhisperLite International ships with a UG jet, for "White Gas and Unleaded Auto Gas". A UK jet in the parts kit is for kerosene. The XGK EX ships with a GK jet, for "white gas, kerosene, unleaded auto gas, and aviation gas". Its X jet is "for jet fuel, and diesel".

So unleaded is a first-class fuel on both MSR stoves, on the jet already fitted. Kerosene is too, with the right jet. Coleman's Dual Fuel line forbids kerosene outright.

That range is the reason to own a stove like this when you fly. Fuel never goes in your bags, so the stove has to run on what is sold where you land. The rules by bag and airline are in can you take a camping stove on a plane.

Each row below restates a ruling made above, with its source.

MSR also sets a floor for upkeep. The WhisperLite manual says to clean the jet and fuel line "at a minimum" annually, or each time you service the pump. Fuels other than white gas mean doing it more often.

Check this before you fill#

Five checks, all on the appliance in front of you.

1. Read the tank, the cap or the manual for the fuel named. "Dual Fuel" or "Coleman Fuel or unleaded gasoline" means pump gas is allowed. "Coleman fuel" alone means it is not. If you cannot find a fuel named, use Coleman fuel.
2. Find the model number. Coleman's lantern manuals ask for it when you contact service. It is also how you find the right manual and the right generator.
3. Check the forecast and the altitude. Below 40 degrees F (4 degrees C), or high up, a Dual Fuel stove should get Coleman fuel by its own manual.
4. Use clean, fresh fuel through a filter funnel. Coleman's Dual Fuel manuals ask for clean, fresh fuel, and the stove manual names a filter funnel.
5. On an MSR stove, check which jet is fitted. The UG jet (WhisperLite International) or GK jet (XGK EX) takes unleaded. The UK jet is for kerosene and the X jet for diesel or jet fuel.

Common mistakes#

Treating "Coleman" as one rule. A Dual Fuel model takes unleaded. A Coleman-fuel-only lantern says "Never use kerosene or automotive fuel". Both carry the same name on the tank.

Running unleaded all winter because it is allowed. The 424's manual says Coleman fuel below 40 degrees F and at elevation. "Allowed" and "recommended" are different words in the same manual.

Replacing the whole stove when it runs weak. Low heat on unleaded is the case the manual covers: clean the generator tip with the lighting lever, then fit a new generator. Coleman calls that normal maintenance.

Using kerosene because MSR stoves take it. MSR's XGK EX runs kerosene on its GK jet. Coleman's Dual Fuel stoves and lanterns say never.

Leaving pump gas in the tank for the off season. Coleman says to rinse the tank with fresh fuel to clear gum, sediment and moisture. Storage between trips is covered in storing gear between trips.

Carrying gasoline like canister gas. A spare can of pump fuel is a vehicle item, and carriers limit it. Washington State Ferries, for one, allows gasoline and camp stove fuel in vehicles only, as set out in can you take propane or camp stove fuel on a ferry.

What this answer does not cover#

This page rests on five manuals from two makers: three Coleman appliances and two MSR stoves. Older Coleman models, vintage lanterns and other brands' stoves follow their own manuals, and those manuals may say something different. Nothing here was tested. No Coleman or MSR document we read addresses ethanol blends by name, so this page does not approve or rule out E10, E15 or E85. It reports what the manuals say and the gap they leave. The 1992 Coleman statement was made about one region's winter oxygenated fuel, as reported in a newspaper. It is not a current Coleman position. Pump fuel outside the US is outside this page; check your own manual for any country it names. Both fuels are, in Coleman's words, "extremely flammable". Fill outdoors, with no flame nearby, and never run any of these in a tent or other enclosed space, as every one of these manuals warns. Before you fill, confirm the fuel named on your own appliance.

Frequently asked questions#

Can you use unleaded gas in a Coleman stove?#

Yes, if it is a Dual Fuel model. Coleman's manual for the 414, 424 and 428 stoves says they "may be fueled by Coleman Liquid Fuel or unleaded gasoline". It also says unleaded can affect generator life, and it recommends Coleman fuel below 40 degrees F or at high elevation. A Coleman stove that names only Coleman fuel should not get pump gas.

Can you put regular gas in a Coleman lantern?#

Only in a Dual Fuel lantern. Coleman's NorthStar Dual Fuel manual allows "clean, fresh unleaded automotive gasoline or Coleman fuel". Its Coleman-fuel-only lantern, model 3000000101, says "Never use kerosene or automotive fuel" and warns that unleaded may shorten generator life and damage the lantern. Check the fuel named on your lantern's tank or in its manual.

Can you use E10 gas in a Coleman Dual Fuel stove?#

The manuals allow "unleaded gasoline", and the EIA says most US gasoline is about 10 percent ethanol, so E10 is what most owners will get. No Coleman manual we read mentions ethanol. In 1992 a Coleman spokeswoman said its appliances were "not tuned for that oxygenated fuel". Where ethanol-free gasoline is sold, it is the closer match.

What does unleaded gas do to a Coleman stove?#

It wears the generator, the tube where fuel turns to vapour, faster than Coleman fuel does. Coleman's manual says generator life "is dependent on the type of fuel used" and calls replacement "normal periodic maintenance". If a stove on unleaded runs low on heat, clean the tip with the lighting lever, then replace the generator and try another brand of fuel.

Is white gas the same as Coleman fuel?#

Yes, in practice. Coleman fuel is Coleman's brand of white gas, a refined petroleum fuel for liquid fuel stoves and lanterns. Its safety data sheet lists mostly a low-boiling refined petroleum fraction, plus pentane, isopentane, cyclohexene and hexane. No ethanol is listed. MSR sells its own white gas as SuperFuel and names it the best fuel for its stoves.

Can you use unleaded gas in an MSR WhisperLite?#

Yes, in the WhisperLite International. Its preinstalled UG jet is for "White Gas and Unleaded Auto Gas". MSR says white gas performs best, that other fuels clog the stove faster, and that unleaded "may shorten stove lifespan". Clean the jet and fuel line at least once a year, and more often on pump gas. Never use leaded fuel.

Can you use kerosene in a Coleman Dual Fuel stove?#

No. Every Coleman manual on this page says never use kerosene, Dual Fuel or not. Kerosene is a fuel for MSR's multi fuel stoves instead: the WhisperLite International runs it on its UK jet, and the XGK EX on its standard GK jet. Never use leaded gasoline in any of them.