Well thats a new (and logical!) method!! Maybe I'll give that a try sometime.

To add to the wacky ideas list, here's what I do:

I have one of those electric powered air pump things, the kind you plug
into your cigarette lighter. It came with a few attachments (like a needle
for pumping up basketballs, etc.) one of which was a plastic cone like
attachment for pumping up rubber inflatables (rafts, toy balls,
anatomically corrrect dolls, you know.....).

I take the cone attachment, unscrew the air (oh damn I forgot the right
name for this thing) tube at the bottom of the fridge (it has the metal
screw cap), and blast air in there. I read once that lack of oxygen was a
primary cause for the propane not lighting). Well without pumping I get an
instant light. Works for me! Plus, I'm still self sufficient since I can
run this off the vehicle battery (only takes a few secs).

File this one for the next time you've pumped that bellows thing one time
to many (I mean the one on the van.. get your mind out of the gutter!!).

Bill

At 07:57 AM 5/16/98 -0700, Dane Tessler wrote:
>This is weird...but it works!
>
>I used to have a hard time lighting my propane fridge.
>I would follow the directions to the letter,  including letting the stove
>burn for a minute or so before trying the fridge to "prime the system".  The
>fridge would light eventually,  but only after about 10 or 15 tries and a
>few profanities.
>
>One time I decided to run the fridge on shore power overnight to cool it
>down before departing on a trip the next morning.   In the morning,  I
>switched to propane and it lit on the first try!
>
>Since then,  I always cool the fridge down electrically and run the stove
>for a minute before lighting the propane fridge.  With this method,  I have
>always lit the fridge on the 1st or 2nd try.
>
>If anyone tries this method.....let me know if it helps!
>
>regards
>Dane Tessler
>87 Westfalia 138K
>Treasure Island, FL
>http://members.aol.com/Dane714/westfalia.html
>

"Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you
look at it right"

Hunter/Garcia