I have a few vintage stoves I'd like to sell on Ebay, and would like some advice. If there was once fuel in the tank a long time ago, but none now, is it still considered a "hazardous" item to ship? There is a good chance that they have never been used, or possibly used once. There is no liquid fuel in the tanks, and if there ever was, it was several decades ago. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.
as long as the tank is dry you should be fine. I prefer sellers to warp the parts well so they do not rub against other components and scuff/scratch or damage other parts. Good luck with your sale
You should be good to go. On the shipping sheet or customs form state that its a camp stove with no fuel. In some cases I leave the air screw open. Cheers Jeff
That stove has no air screw. I leave the cap on the tank but not tight. In air mail the parcel goes in airplanes and with temperature changes I worry about pressure differences. Leaving the cap lose it allows the pressure to equal out. Cheers Jeff
This model wasn't made with a air screw is what Jeff means. Take the fuel cap off when shipping in case the item gets xrayed the inspector will know it has no fuel w/o opening it. That's a very nice stove
I have had two separate lanterns sent to the UK form the USA, both with full fuel tanks (Coleman Fuel)!!
I had a leaking 111, kerosene, shipped from Maine to North Carolina by a (used to be) member here. My postal worker gave it to me in a plastic box, and asked me to return the box after I cleaned it. Ken in NC
Wow. I can't believe some people ship these with fuel in them. And here I am worried about some trace of fuel fumes from years ago. Thanks for all the advice everyone!
Recieved a 505b by airmail half full and the control knob on. It was wrapped in wet newspaper (fuel) then plastic then more newspaper. Still could smell it before opening the box
I agree that sellers are careless sending fuel filled tanks but what does this tell us about shipping inspections? Maybe the fuel is not really a problem but to they know that?
If there is a wick it would need to air dry/evaporate after that to eliminate all vapors. Just because some of us have received stoves with fuel in the mail, stoves/lanterns, without fuel, have been known to be destroyed, for what some may say, "No Good Reason". So caution may not be over-zealous about shipping if Royal Mail is involved. As well as other shipping carriers. Ken in NC
I have been having trouble getting all the fuel out of stoves like the 8R for shipping. No matter how you shake and how you dance, the last drop... always stays in the tank! My latest trick is to shake the stove until its down to drops, then put a dry strand cut from a string mop into the tank (cotton clothesline works too) with a couple of inches curled into the bottom of the tank and the other end sticking out into the air. Then put the whole thing in the sun so it gets good and warm. The mop-string "wick" pulls remaining fuel in the tank and from the tank-wick up and into the air where it can evaporate. It takes two or three days in warm weather to get the tank nice and dry. But it takes no effort from me. Does require sunshine. If I had a compressor I'd try Dave's strategy. I thought about using a blow-dryer as well, which seems like it would work, but would be a tedious chore. Anyone have any other good methods for those odd-shaped tanks?
One option is to download from here a set of pictures for the box. Print up a box to match then post it as a brand new stove. Of course as soon as you do this the number of NIB stoves on ebay will skyrocket
To get fuel out of a tank, that will not readily pour out, I use a syringe and a piece of tubing. Ken in NC
