different mechanism in the van. default is valve closed/gas off. TC
keeps it open, barely

home furnaces and water heaters are not an apt example in this case.

alistair

On 5-Nov-10, at 6:39 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:

the warning in the camper manual is about driving, not bench
testing.  Sure, there is a thermocouple, and it works.  If it fails,
most likely it will fail to keep the valve at the flame open, rather
than the other way around.  That's the most common failure in older
home furnaces and water heaters -- the thermocouple eventually burns
out and fails to keep the valve open, so the standing pilot is shut off.