Suburban SDS2 Cooktop - Tighten Nuts/Replace Pipe - LP Leak

[jumboscott]

Received my new replacement (same model) from Escape. Did inspect and didn't find any loose connections on new unit. Couldn't find any Suburan dealers that would look at bad unit so Escape sent me a new one. Will install next week.

[Bcescapist]

Not sure if I’m happy to read this post . I’ve really liked the stove but now will feel anxious using it. Hubbie pulled it out today and looks ok. He’s following the forum directions to add washers or what have you. Guess we’ll just hope for the best.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Bcescapist

Not sure if I’m happy to read this post . I’ve really liked the stove but now will feel anxious using it. Hubbie pulled it out today and looks ok. He’s following the forum directions to add washers or what have you. Guess we’ll just hope for the best.

The initial problem is loose nuts. Loose nuts cause the pipes to be holding up the valves and eventually breaking the pipe at the burner.

Once properly tightened with star washers and Loctite (Loctite is probably over kill, but why not) your stove should last the life of the camper with no problems, easily as long as our Dickinson replacement.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Bobbie54]

Is there an install manual for the SDS2 somewhere?

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Bobbie54

Is there an install manual for the SDS2 somewhere?

Try this starting on page 13:
https://myrvworks.com/wp-content/upl...ice-Manual.pdf

[Upfisk]

We went through all our paperwork. There is cutout instructions. No details on anything else.

[Bobbie54]

Well, thanks for the detailed instructions. Yep, one flange is broken off. I'm checking with a local authorized repair shop to see if that's something he can safely fix (or as safe as it gets). I probably had not ever used that burner (and I stopped using any of them early this year.

Interesting- Airxcel has instructions on problems with products: 1) contact your RV company. 2) contact their supplier.

I have a 17b. Has anyone replaced the stove on their 17b?

[gklott]

Originally Posted by Bobbie54

Interesting- Airxcel has instructions on problems with products: 1) contact your RV company. 2) contact their supplier.

Attached is the replacement parts list that I found. Hope this helps.

73/gus

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by gklott

Attached is the replacement parts list that I found. Hope this helps.

73/gus

Thanks!

[Upfisk]

Parts are superseded. We called Airxcel (frosty at best) and they informed me the tube orifice holder #11 (171996) is a superseded part number. There are no replaceable parts on the SDS2. Well, maybe the grates and plastic control knobs, we did not get too far in our conversation as I clearly was in the WRONG to ask any questions about replacing parts. Maybe an official Suburban service center will fare better than a member of the public.

[EscapeBoulder]

We had the same problem. The ferrule broke off the value-to-burner aluminum tube. And... Yep... Both valve were loose in their mounting.

I recovered the broken off ferrule and a friend with a machine shop drilled it out and replaced it on the (now a bit shorter) tube. (It was actually a little more complicated than that.) Remounting the tube with the repaired ferrule with propane safe thread sealer has done the trick, as a sensitive propane sniffer that I purchased from Amazon no longer detects leaking propane.

Thank you Reece for putting the propane detector basically below the stove. I can't remember if it was my nose, or the Escape's propane detector that alerted us to the leak in the first place. But we caught it before we had a fire/explosion.

Pictures... before & after repair. Ignore the rubber gasket on the before picture, it was a short lived attempt at repair.

[Sean Murry]

I guess I have just lost complete confidence in the SDS2 stove. I don't want to have an explosion and burn my grandkids. So I found a Dickenson drop in stove at Steveston Marine in Vancouver. Not only did they have them in stock, they had them on sale. About $700 CAD and I picked it up from their store so no freight. I don't feel confident enough to install so am having North Shore RV install it. They will charge about $200 to install which includes cutting the counter top, running longer propane line and will finish any gaps left behind with stainless steel trim.

[Sean Murry]

The actual cost before tax for the Dickenson on sale at Steveston Marine was $659.00 CAD

[yangstyle]

Originally Posted by EscapeBoulder

We had the same problem. The ferrule broke off the value-to-burner aluminum tube. And... Yep... Both valve were loose in their mounting.

I recovered the broken off ferrule and a friend with a machine shop drilled it out and replaced it on the (now a bit shorter) tube. (It was actually a little more complicated than that.) Remounting the tube with the repaired ferrule with propane safe thread sealer has done the trick, as a sensitive propane sniffer that I purchased from Amazon no longer detects leaking propane.

Thank you Reece for putting the propane detector basically below the stove. I can't remember if it was my nose, or the Escape's propane detector that alerted us to the leak in the first place. But we caught it before we had a fire/explosion.

Pictures... before & after repair. Ignore the rubber gasket on the before picture, it was a short lived attempt at repair.

I am going to be looking at mine this am as we have a trip coming up soon. Is it easy to tell if the ferrule is broken or not? I haven't looked yet. Do I need to take the connections apart? Last night I looked at the burner valves at the front of the stove and they are loose for sure.

[Upfisk]

The easiest way to tell if the ferrule/flange is broken is to pull on the gas line. Take the heat shield off the bottom of the stove and find the bottom of the burner. Normally that ferrule is fine, give it a tug anyway. Then follow that line over to the backside of the burner control (it is pretty congested) and give that end a good tug. If your ferrule is broken the gas line will move and no repair is possible. Unless you are very lucky and follow Greg's instructions. The shop we went to totally ruined the ferrule.

Our burner control valves were very loose on the top of the stove. We tightened them and thought our problem was solved, but we continued to smell gas under the cooktop. We think the control valves coming loose put a strain on the backside of the controls causing the ferrule to break while driving rough roads. In the photo you can see the broken off aluminum tubing inside the broken ferrule.

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by EscapeBoulder

Thank you Reece for putting the propane detector basically below the stove. I can't remember if it was my nose, or the Escape's propane detector that alerted us to the leak in the first place. But we caught it before we had a fire/explosion.
.

It's not below the stove in the 17b. Nor is it in an area where you'd be likely to smell it until there was a lot of it unless you happened to be opening cabinets. I guess it would help that the heat shield doesn't stay put.

[yangstyle]

Originally Posted by Upfisk

The easiest way to tell if the ferrule/flange is broken is to pull on the gas line. Take the heat shield off the bottom of the stove and find the bottom of the burner. Normally that ferrule is fine, give it a tug anyway. Then follow that line over to the backside of the burner control (it is pretty congested) and give that end a good tug. If your ferrule is broken the gas line will move and no repair is possible. Unless you are very lucky and follow Greg's instructions. The shop we went to totally ruined the ferrule.

Our burner control valves were very loose on the top of the stove. We tightened them and thought our problem was solved, but we continued to smell gas under the cooktop. We think the control valves coming loose put a strain on the backside of the controls causing the ferrule to break while driving rough roads. In the photo you can see the broken off aluminum tubing inside the broken ferrule.

Thanks for that. I wasn't sure the first time I saw that picture what that was. I will be going out soon to check mine, got re directed as happens sometime.

[gklott]

Originally Posted by Sean Murry

So I found a Dickenson drop in stove at Steveston Marine in Vancouver. Not only did they have them in stock, they had them on sale. About $700 CAD and I picked it up from their store so no freight. I don't feel confident enough to install so am having North Shore RV install it. They will charge about $200 to install which includes cutting the counter top, running longer propane line and will finish any gaps left behind with stainless steel trim.

Excellent decision. We felt the same with our grandkids being with us. You got a good price and a reasonable installation charge.

We've replaced our SDS2 with Dickinson, and our daughter is replacing her leaky SDS2 with the Dickinson.

73/gus

[yangstyle]

Big thanks to everyone involved with this post. I checked and like many others the 2 nuts on our stove were loose. The right one was on by maybe 2 threads, the left one was maybe 25% loose. It was just a matter of time before a problem occurred. I went and bought some star/lock washers, removed the black covers, installed the washers and put the covers back on top. I think it will work, I cant see them getting loose, but will now keep an eye on it in the future.
IMHO the part on the right which connects the propane feed to the stove should be attached to the stove, that would help I think as right now it's just the 2 burner knobs that are holding most of the assembly up.
When I put the heat shield back on I noticed that it was rubbing on the rubber propane hose so I bent the shield down a little.
Thanks again, I appreciate this forum for things like this as I am rarely on Facebook.
I am going to also email Escape and suggest they send out an email to their customers that have this stove as not everybody is on social media to see these problems. I wouldn't have known about it if not for this forum. As far as I am concerned it is just a matter of time before this becomes an issue with this stove, probably depends on how often people use their Escape or how many miles they put on.
Having said all that I feel confidant the fix will work as I pulled on the small lines and they seem tight but I will definitely watch them.
Also I did not take the stove out, just worked on it from below and wasn't too bad a fix.

[Bakes99]

I ordered the Dickinson from Steveston marine approximately two fridays ago and they said it wouldn’t be available until possibly January. I guess their online store is separate from their actual store front. Just for anyone interested in ordering. I ended up canceling.