It will probably get colder... but I expect you'll be overheating the
mechanism.

At 04:10 PM 8/5/2004 -0700, Jeff at Vanagonparts wrote:
>I've heard that the fridge will work better if you switch it to 12V whilst
>leaving the burner on.  Does anyone know if this is indeed true?
>
>Cheers,
>
>Jeff
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
>Of mark drillock
>Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 3:49 PM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Fire Talk - Campers
>
>
>Yes, once it is lit the fridge flame stays on until the gas on/off knob
>is turned to 'gas off'. Flipping the rocker switch to 12 volt or 110
>volt DOES NOT turn the gas flame off. You must turn the gas supply off
>either at the fridge control panel or at the tank main valve.
>
>Once lit the fridge gas function requires no electricity and therefore
>NO electrical switch controls it. Also, unlike most familiar gas
>appliances, with the Westy fridge there is no separate pilot flame and
>burner flame. There is only one flame with 2 settings. The gas control
>valve either lets a tiny amount of gas flow to the burner for a pilot
>flame or it turns that same flame on full blast.There is no in between
>setting. The setting of the temp knob does not make the flame larger or
>smaller. It only tells the control valve how often and how long to run
>the flame on full versus pilot. That is how a given fridge temp is
>maintained. The gas control valve cycles the flame back and forth
>between pilot and max as needed to maintain the setting of the temp knob.
>
>Mark
>
>
>  developtrust wrote:
>
> >Paul, do you know if the pilot light remains on if you switch to battery
> >while traveling? Or can this pilot light remain on even though you are
>using
> >the battery position for the refrigerator?
> >
> >
> >
> >Listees,
> >
> >I witnessed a rather horrific event yesterday. I live and work in Frisco
> >Colorado, and my office is just across the street from what used to be a
> >Conoco gas station. The final verdict is not yet out, but as eyewitnesses
> >this is what we saw...
> >An older model camper (non VW) was filling up at the pump and either (2
> >differing reports) the camper owner unscrewed a "filter" I'm guessing
> >sputter valve (maybe after coming over Vail Pass he thought that he should
> >vent it) on his propane tank, OR the gas station attendant was changing a
> >filter on the gas pump (unlikely since there were vehicles fuelling at all
> >of the pumps).
> >Either way, there was a very heavy gaseous mix of propane or gasoline in
>the
> >air just waiting for an ignition source... All of a sudden the side of the
> >camper erupted in flame covering the guy filling up and then quickly
> >enveloped the whole gas station. About eight major explosions followed with
> >massive flames which we estimated at over 150 feet, the gas station and
> >vehicles were no more, there was 1 dead and six more hospitalized. To cut a
> >long story short we are all guessing that the camper's fridge was lit
> >providing that all important source of ignition.
> >
> >I for one will be extinguishing the pilot on my fridge before I fill up
>with
> >gas again.... Just a thought.
> >
> >Paul Connelly
> >Frisco, Co.
> >'86 Syncro Westy.
> >
> >
> >