Built in Propane Heater thermostat not functioning

I had considered clamping it to the heater body but thought better of it ... lol !

I wonder if the bulb was mounted inside the heater about 1/4 the way up, close to the front grille... it would get the heat from the furnace, but if it was excessively cold in the camper it would take longer heat the surrounding air. I might just try it temporarily and see how it reacts. As far as I'm concerned the sensing bulb is all but toast ... if it'll do something useful, it's a win.