Suburban water heater

Thank you all. I winterized the unit over the weekend, so I will try these fixes in the spring. Thanks again.

Suburban water heaters

Push To Reset......High temp t-stat has manual reset


Left side...Black wires 120V AC Set
Right side...Red wires 12V DC Set
(Notice left set connector wire between t-stats burnt into)


OEM Electric On/Off Switch in outside compartment lower left corner.
Due to exposure to elements it is common failure---just a 120VAC rocker switch


Electric element behind burn tube.....direct feed from 120V AC Circuit Breaker to switch to element
Black wire----120V AC HOT
White wire----120V AC Neutral

From previous discussions, I remember at least three different things besides the heating element causing the same problem. The switch mounted on the water heater was bad. The thermostat/hi temp cutout was bad. A loose neutral wire connection in the box on the back side of the water heater. Process of elimination.

dtrink wrote:
When I purchased my 2003 Gulfstream Sun Voyager used the electric part of the hot water heater did not work. I replaced the heating element because the on/off switch was on and I figured the element was probably burned out. It still did not work and was not getting any power to the element. I checked the breaker and it is not tripped. Does anybody have any ideas or should I just start tracing wiring? Thanks.

what I have found on 3 different sub water heaters is the way the thermostat and hot feed to it is jammed in (plastic cover jammed against it) there the stat shorts to ground.Take a meter and see if u have power to stat if so replace stat (note there is two 12v and 120V)
if no power to stat then as other say here say bad switch or switch not turned on in MH but iam assuming surely u know to do that
so I rule out the obvious

Do you have a double switch?

One at the water tank and one inside the coach? If either one is "off" the water heater will not run on electric. It should be near the same switch that lets you turn on the water heater with gas, the other on the lower left on the outside of the water heater access. It's a black rocker switch.

Probably the on/off switch is bad, I have had to replace mine twice.

Likely the temp sensor pack is open. About the middle left side there is a black rubber cover. Push the left button and,measure voltage at the heating element. Still no go, then take the cover off and start taking voltage readings. There are two packs there. Right one is 12VDC. Left one is 120VAC. They cost around 25 dollars each if it has failed.