Additives will eventually clog the burner and your lungs. Pure heptane or similar is readily available, in the UK Aspen 4 which is mainly used in garden machinery, or 'Panel Wipe' which may be a little cheaper, if you know a vehicle resprayer. IIRC it's the 'slow' PW you need, the fast stuff is water based.. Eurocar parts occasionally have a sale of it on. Check on the 'where to buy fuel' thread for the latest deals.
Sorry folks, this became a bit of a novel. Company holiday today I've nowt much to do today. Original response to follow: Maybe nothing, if you like replacing generators. I've read that there are nasties in pump petrol that shouldn't be breathed even when burned with a clean blue flame. I've done so and it smelled just like clean hot air when burning, just like white gas does, but I'm inclined to believe the people who have put forward this info as they're good reliable folks whose opinions I trust on other matters. I'm sure it also varies by area/petrol formulation and condition of stove. I also only have one set of lungs. I believe people over there use Aspen 4T and naphtha panel wipe in their white gas appliances. Slight thread drift ahead, fair warning: I used to run pump petrol in all my gasoline equipment. Clog a generator here and there but was always able to clean it and never had to replace a generator, while saving plenty enough $$$ that I could have bought several generators and still been money ahead. I'd never STORE my equipment on pump petrol, only use it. Drain, rinse w/ white gas, run long enough to get white gas through the system, then store. I now have so many white gas stoves that I'd never cycle through all the petrol before it went bad, and have gone white-gas only. Almost all of my petrol use was in Coleman suitcase style stoves and thinking on it now it was just stupid all along. Whole point was saving $$ on fuel. Propane conversions are common + cheap(over here anyway), propane is cheaper on a $$/BTU basis than petrol, and has none of the functional issues of petrol. That's the route I should have gone all along.
Only Heptane I could find is expensive. Aspen looks good socket near me well about a 20 mile round trip, Panel wipe which one its so confusing? If Aspen keeps with a good shelf life it may be the best one for me
Am away from home but this may be useful. U-POL Fast Solvent Degreaser / Panel Wipe - 5Ltr | Euro Car Parts Slow and Fast always confuses me. And ignore the Heptane bit. Naptha based fuels should be what you're after. I know I will be castigated at some point here by fellow members for poor info.
Thanks just found it here slightly cheaper U-POL System 20 Fast Panel Wipe & Degreaser 5L UPOL Panelwipe 2001 3513246184955 | eBay
British and most european unleaded petrol should work as a Coleman substitute but Aspen4 is way better. US and most american engine gasoline fuels are not suitable for stoves or lanterns - there is a big difference in contents between west and east side of the pond.
It depends on when and where it was originally named "unleaded" - pre-WW2 USA, 1950's Britain and Aspen4 is about the same fuel. Today unleaded is what is available in Europe and Japan but there are different qualities for different uses and markets - now when many countries forbid cheap additives the basic western european begin to turn closer to that old time "pure gasoline" but with some ethanol added that rises octane and can lower the initial boiling temperature.
Selling at as 'unleaded' (ie 'Dual Fuel' in the US-- Coleman or pump gasoline) was a pure marketing ploy by Coleman. Sure, it will run on unleaded pump petrol. But it is not a satisfactory fuel in the long run for the reasons stated.
Good one from @richmay, one of the best pricew currently online I'm aware of, any lower you can find is a winner. Pump fuel only if you're likely to starve. (possibly). They will work on it quite happily but warnings apply.
I use U-Pol S2001 Fast panelwipe in my gear. Pure Naptha, no additives or silicones. Lovely clean burning stuff which leaves no residue. Alec.
For gasoline stoves you need the 'standard' or 'slow' panel wipe. 'Fast' panel wipe is designed to evaporate from panels faster, whilst 'eco' is water based and doesn't burn. From the U-Pol H&S data sheets: Slow Panel Wipe - HYDROCARBONS, C9-10 N-ALKANES, ISOALKANES, CYCLICS, AROMATICS, ..... 100% Fast Panel Wipe - HYDROCARBONS, C7-C9 N-ALKANES, ISOALKANES, CYCLICS, .....>= 83% Fast Panel Wipe may burn but not as well as Slow Panel Wipe which is 100% hydrocarbons. I read on a car restoration site that 'Fast' contains alcohol to accelerate its evaporation rate.
I did wonder when some one mentions the fast having different stuff in it I have emails Upol to see whats in it, lets see if they reply
A quick Google for slow panel wipe threw up this thread remarkably. Difference between fast/slow panel wipe?
While there is no current need for me to worry about camp fuel alternatives, it is interesting to know what works. It appears to me that what Trogandog found for the compositions of slow and fast is most revealing. Either slow or fast should work in camp stoves that require Naptha-type fuel. The fast form contains more heptane and would be more volatile which might be of some benefit in colder weather. The slow form being longer chain is a little closer to, but not quite, kerosene and is a little denser than than fast form and thus will have slightly more energy per given volume (not significantly). It seems to me that it is unlikely alcohol would be added to the fast form since that would only slow the drying process without adding any cleaning or degreasing benefit.
Well here is a reply from Upol Thank you for your enquiry. Unfortunately we would advise against using our Panel Wipe as a fuel. This is due to the impurities contained within the formulation which will give off harmful gasses when burnt. They didn't tell me what in it though?
