Date:         Mon, 6 Jun 2005 15:37:29 -0700
Reply-To:     Vanagon <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Vanagon <vanagon@ASTOUND.NET>
Subject:      Westy Fridge while driving and lighting tip(long)
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Thanks Mark for the quick response for the fridge wiring diagram, you-da-man

Just noticed in the Dometic 182 MANUAL that under trouble shooting it has a symptom "Flame blows out while driving" with the remedy being "Vent / Air-intake assembly is not mounted securely. 

Just a note to those of you who are on one side of the fence or other about the flame being on while driving, looks like Dometic themselves considered it to be on while underway enough to put it in the trouble shooting area of the manual. 

An observation about lighting the fridge I noticed today. 
I have the fridge out and connected to propane in lighting the fridge several times today I noticed a sure fire way to help in getting it to light. 

One problem in lighting is once you get any build up of propane in the burn pot it lets out a "boom" and it all burns at once and blows out the flame. Then its almost impossible to light because there is no oxygen in the tubes or pot. 
You can add more and more raw propane and it wont light because no fresh air. You can smell propane but no light.

A quick blast from my air compressor down the tubes and it has fresh air again. The best way to duplicate this would be to use the drain tube under the fridge and a foot pump with some vinyl tubing to get the air in or blow into the vent outside with a strong blow like a leaf blower. you cant use breath because it is not "fresh air". 

Once there is new air in the tubes AS SOON as you press the thermocouple valve hit the PIZO this will only let a very small amount of propane in and give a spark.

Every time I did it this way it lit 
Every time I held the thermo valve open for more than 1 second there was too much propane and it "booms" and will not light.