Update! Got it going thanks to enblethen :)
I could not adjust the pilot flame. I took out the screw shown in the photo, and behind that there is a set screw that goes in and out, but the flame didn't change at all.
I was able to get the pilot to stay on only by heating the thermocouple with the BBQ lighter at the same time the pilot flame was burning. Then I could let go and it would stay lit, but only for a little while.
I tried bending it over closer to the flame and that worked once, but then next time I had to use the lighter on the thermocouple again. I suppose there is a perfect position to bend it to but I doubt I would ever find it.
After peering at the pilot flame with the red button no longer depressed for a short time, there was a click like a switch, and the flame went out.
This relates to another thing learned about the "pilot door"- a little cover for the hole you stick the BBQ lighter in to light the pilot. That door is not supposed to be left open it seems. The instructions say to close it, but what do they know? :) It has a wing-nut catch to keep it closed.
The direction for ON is indeed to counter- clockwise and OFF is clockwise and the marker for that is down. In the photo I have the red button in the Pilot position.
I learned to turn on the main burner sooner than when the pilot clicked off or by leaving the little pilot door closed so it doesn't
click off.
Nice heater! No noise, radiant heat, should be fine for the job.
Then I opened the little pilot door to peek at the flame and there was that click and the whole thing shut off. Got it all going again after a struggle, and it stayed on with the pilot door closed.
To shut it off properly, I followed the instruction to return the red knob to Pilot, depress and turn to Off. That worked. (Which is why I was so desperate to find out which way around is on and off)
I have not got to where it turns on and off as regulated by the thermostat. I suppose the pilot flame stays on for that. No idea. That's enough fun for one day :)
So thanks to the Forum I can now light the water heater and the furnace!
One other gas thing I learned from the RV guy. We could smell gas in the camper but nothing was on. He said check the stove oven knob. It turns out that you can turn the oven to "oven off" but this does not mean the oven is off !!!! (How stupid is that?)
So you turn the knob all the other way around and get to " Top and Oven Pilot Off" and this is what shuts off the gas to the oven. (Still no idea what the "Top" pilot might be, but there is an oven pilot low in the oven that works ok)
All this manual gas operation is a real pain IMO. I can see why my 2003 5er has everything gas work by itself just about.
