Butane is one of my favorite fuels because it comes in small, lightweight canisters and I find it very convenient for camping trips. Even better, I’ve found that you can run a suitcase style Coleman stove off butane or isobutane.
To use butane or isobutane instead of white gas in a Coleman suitcase style stove, you need to buy a white gas to propane stove converter to allow your stove to run off propane. Then you'll need both a lindal valve (female) to propane (male) adapter as well as a butane bayonet (female) to lindal valve (male) adapter.
Remove the white gas fuel tank and generator from your stove and place the propane converter where the generator normally goes. Then attach the 2 adapters to the converter and finally screw in your butane/isobutane canister and you're good to go.
All up this conversion isn't particularly cheap and will likely set you back somewhere in the range of $70-$100 for all the converters and adapters you need to buy.
You can get stoves for cheaper than that. But, if versatility of fuel is a priority and you love your Coleman suitcase style stove then this conversion can definitely be done and you'll be able to burn not only white gas and unleaded gas but also propane, isobutane and butane – all on the one stove.
I find that being able to use butane (or isobutane or propane) instead of white gas can be a real game changer on camping trips but you need to invest in the right parts and follow the right procedure.
Use a Propane Converter and a Butane or Isobutane to Propane Adaptor
Using butane or isobutane instead of white gas (which is also known as Coleman fuel) is only doable on the old suitcase style Coleman stoves.
If you have one of the newer dual fuel single burner models, you won’t be able to use butane on it because of how the fuel tank is fixed to the rest of the stove.
A propane to white gas converter will set you back just under $27 and this will allow you to burn butane in your Coleman stove fairly easily without any other attachments.
Convert your white gas/coleman camp fuel stove into a propane stove with this converter.
However, there is NOT a similar style butane converter for the Coleman liquid fuel stoves.
This means you then need to use 2 different adapters in unison in order to be able to use butane on your Coleman liquid fuel stove.
Firstly you'll want to buy this Lindal Valve (female) > Propane (male) adapter. Be careful NOT to buy the propane (female) > Lindal valve (male) which are the more common adapter but won't help for this particular conversion.
This adapter converts a lindal valve (isobutane canister) for a propane gas device (burner, stove, lantern etc).
Lindal valve (male) > Propane (female)
NOTE: Does not work the other way around.
This will screw into the propane converter you've already installed into your Coleman liquid fuel stove.
If you wanted to you could stop here and you can now use isobutane canisters with your Coleman stove.
But if you want to use the pure butane cans then you'll want to also buy this butane bayonet (female) > lindal valve (male) adapter.
This adapter converts a bayonet butane canister to for lindal valve (isobutane) devices.
Butane (female) > isobutane (male)
NOTE: Does not work the other way around.
This adapter will screw into the other adapter and so it will look like this:
Coleman stove (is connected to) propane converter (which is connected to) propane>lindal valve adapter (which is connected to) lindal valve>bayonet adapter.
This will now allow you to attach your butane canister to the stove and use it as a fuel source.
Alternatively, if you don’t feel like buying an adaptor and converter to get butane or isobutane to work on your Coleman stove, you could always use a white gas fuel alternative, like unleaded gasoline or kerosene.
If you have a Coleman lantern that runs of white gas, you could use denatured alcohol instead of getting an adaptor and converter.
How To Use Butane Instead of White Gas on a Coleman Stove
Here’s how to use butane instead of white gas on your suitcase style Coleman stove:
1. Lift the grill and remove the fuel tank from your stove and set it aside.
2. Slide in your propane to white gas converter and secure it where your generator normally goes.
3. Twist on your propane to butane adaptors and attach your butane canister.
How To Use Isobutane Instead of White Gas on a Coleman Stove
You can also use isobutane instead of white gas on a Coleman stove and you'll just need one less adapter.
Isobutane canisters have a Lindal valve connection.
Below is what you need to do:
1. Lift the grill and remove the fuel tank from your stove and set it aside.
2. Slide in your propane to white gas converter and secure it where your generator normally goes.
3. Put on the isobutane to propane adaptor and secure your isobutane tank.
