Is this Truma Gas Valve required?

[BruceM]

I’ve been working through my recent acquisition (a 2003 Dethleffs ) checking it out for modification etc. Everything appears to be standard and up to spec except for one thing that’s puzzling me so I’d appreciate opinions.

 

The motorhome is a LHD bought new by a UK buyer and I suspect built to their specification.

 

Under the oven there’s a small cupboard (see all the pictures).

 

Inside there’s a gas cut off valve for the oven (red tap). Also in the cupboard there’s a wired in but loose Truma electronic gas cut off valve.

 

My question is, should the Truma valve be connected to a gas supply for something?

 

My first thought was that it had actually been the original gas cut off valve for the oven which had failed and been replaced by a manual valve. However the manual valve does not look like a recent addition and besides, I cannot imagine a gas engineer replacing an electronic valve with anything other than a like for like replacement.

 

My other thought is that it’s a standard Dethleffs installation part that is redundant due to the particular spec ordered by the original buyer.

 

Any thoughts?

[keninpalamos]

I've just erased all I have written because it was total rubbish. the oven has been retro fitted and the manual red cut off valve has replaced the electric cut off valve which would have been operated as a master cut off valve. If you look above the oven on the same panel as the other manual cut off valves (3) to the right there is a 3 pin uk 230v socket that is where the master cut off switch would have been. So not the best place to fit a 230v socket Hope that helps.

[keninpalamos]

Oops!

[BruceM]

It’s a Dethleffs branded oven and having trawled through Google images I came across another image showing the same configuration so I suspect that the oven was fitted by Dethleffs, probably as one of their many layout variants.

 

There’s quite a lot of spare cable available to the valve tied back with a cable tie which again indicates an installed by default redundant component. It strikes me as strange though that a company with Dethleffs’ reputation for high quality build would have left a redundant component floating around in a lower cupboard.

 

I traced the wiring but it disappears into an inaccessible junction box behind the oven. When I have time I’ll cut the wiring and check to see if any voltage is being supplied to the valve – I’m currently assuming not.

[keninpalamos]

Generally ovens are not standard on LHD 'vans nor are UK 3 pin plug sockets. The Truma cut off switch would have fitted the space where the socket is. This work was probably carried out by the dealer in Germany rather than by Dethleffs at the factory at the request of the first owner as an available option perhaps . Anyway, you can always remove the valve if you find it to be an irritation as it is plainly surplus to requirements now. The easiest way to check to see if the valve was for another component would be to see where the gas pipe is coming from and to. Probably from the gas supply to the gas manifold where the manual cut off valves are which would indicate what I have already said. Hope that helps.

[BruceM]

Thanks for the great insight. I’ve checked it out and it’s now removed with the cable neatly gathered and cable tied – as it probably should have been in the first place.