Collection of info about replacing the SDS2 stove with a Dometic D21

[DANLWENDYF]

I’m ready to connect wires to our new D21. Am I right to assume that red wires are always positive and black negative? Is there a way to confirm this with a tester of some sort? Thanks.

[Eggscape]

Originally Posted by DANLWENDYF

I’m ready to connect wires to our new D21. Am I right to assume that red wires are always positive and black negative? Is there a way to confirm this with a tester of some sort? Thanks.

You are correct…

[Eggscape]

Originally Posted by CarlNH

I have a 2018 E19 with the copper supply line as well and will be installing the Dometic. How did you handle this with your install? Thinking maybe adding a short length of flexible hose to the copper line? Not sure if that is safe or recommended. Thanks!!

I did a little write up of what I did here in this link…good luck.
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post425663

[CarlNH]

Thanks! Not sure I trust myself to make a good flare connection as I've never done one. Maybe will hire a plumber or find a friend who has some experience. Thanks again! BTW, good idea with the aluminum tape

Originally Posted by Eggscape

I did a little write up of what I did here in this link…good luck.
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tml#post425663

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by DANLWENDYF

I’m ready to connect wires to our new D21. Am I right to assume that red wires are always positive and black negative? Is there a way to confirm this with a tester of some sort? Thanks.

If the wires are red and black, red is hot and black is negative. If the wires are black and white, black is hot and white is negative. So, don't assume black is always negative.

[Adventures in Nomadness]

Here's a video showing us replacing our Suburban with the Dometic.

https://youtu.be/dCaaR-P9e7Y

Thanks to everyone here that posted their experience and tips because it's the only way this video got done! It was a real pain in the butt to find a propane extension but finally found an rv repair and supply store that made me one.

[MrLynn]

Just for the record, we were among those who elected to have the recalled SDS2 cooktop replaced under the joint Suburban-Escape recall. Suburban charged nothing for the replacement, and Escape paid $100 toward the labor (for which an RV shop charged us $130).

We have used the 'new' stove a few times, and it works just fine. I do wish it had a metal instead of a glass top, but I intend to make a cover using a breadboard.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by MrLynn

Just for the record, we were among those who elected to have the recalled SDS2 cooktop replaced under the joint Suburban-Escape recall. Suburban charged nothing for the replacement, and Escape paid $100 toward the labor (for which an RV shop charged us $130).

We have used the 'new' stove a few times, and it works just fine. I do wish it had a metal instead of a glass top, but I intend to make a cover using a breadboard.

I just lay down a placemat on top the glass, seems to help....

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I just lay down a placemat on top the glass, seems to help....

We do the same (actually, seems to be a sheet of aluminized packaging that my wife came up with). But I think it would be handy to have a surface one could cut or chop on. . .

[cpaharley2008]

I have a separate cutting board I can use outside on the table or inside.....

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by Adventures in Nomadness

It was a real pain in the butt to find a propane extension but finally found an rv repair and supply store that made me one.

I didn't use an extension hose. Instead, I replace the original hose with a longer hose. I removed the old hose from the cooktop to where it attaches to the copper pipe under the trailer, and replaced it with the new longer hose. This was done prior to my insulating underneath the trailer so it was easy. It would be much harder to do if the trailer has spray foam.

This is the longer hose I ordered.

MADOL 8' LP Propane Gas Hose Assembly - 3/8" Female Flare x 3/8" Female Flare Coupling Connector Fitting [3278]

[Meandering Minstrel]

Escape reimbursed us "up to $100" for the installation by a certified RV repair center. It cost us $102 total so only cost us $2 of our own money.

My issue was that Suburban insisted that I couldn't order the replacement, only an RV repair center. That proved to be very difficult to find but we got it done 1 day before our month-long camping trip.

I heard about the stove recall on-line before I got my notice from Escape. Whoever said that it only affects Escape trailers is misinformed.

[Radar1]

I decided to order the D21, so it should ship soon. Thankful for this post to help me get ready to install it.

[Radar1]

Originally Posted by TTMartin

I agree, I don't think anyone here believe that the problem was caused by the way Escape installed the stove. It is a defective stove design, due to the selection of aluminum for the tubing leading to the burner.

I'm fairly confident, like most Escape owners did initially, those owners of other trailers who had issues, simply dealt with the problem themselves, and Suburban of course has no record of other trailers where the stove was installed having an issue.

I was searching for further info on the SDS2 stove and ran across a video from another unknown trailer brand that had an issue with the stove. I suspect you are correct, that this is not just an Escape issue but is a stove issue that may be underreported by other brands.

[Bobbie54]

Originally Posted by Radar1

I was searching for further info on the SDS2 stove and ran across a video from another unknown trailer brand that had an issue with the stove. I suspect you are correct, that this is not just an Escape issue but is a stove issue that may be underreported by other brands.

How dumb is that owner to stand there and make a video expecting an explosion- with boiling water, yet?

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by Bobbie54

How dumb is that owner to stand there and make a video expecting an explosion- with boiling water, yet?

He had taken the RV and stove into the dealer multiple times:

This has been an issue since we bought the van new a year ago. Every trip to the dealer they said “could not reproduce symptom” and returned it to us saying go on and cook with confidence.

Out of frustration he reproduced and filmed the issue.

[rubicon327]

“How was your camping trip?” “Ok. Would have been better without the fireball to the groin.” I’m proud of all the Escape owners that reported this faulty cooktop which lead to the eventual recall.

[Bobbie54]

It appears to have been a smaller explosion- guessing there is less air space under the stove in that installation. Or he just turned on the gas for a short time to get some to collect.

[JohnK]

The biggest difference between the Dometic D21 and the Suburban SDS2, which is why I chose to go with the D21, is that the gas manifold on the D21 is anchored to the cooktop body by a dedicated structural non-gas carrying member, whereas the Suburban gas manifold has no dedicated anchor at all. Instead, the Suburban assignes double duty to and depends entirely on gas-carrying tubes to also anchor its gas manifold. Airplanes would be falling out of the skies and automobiles veering off roadways en masse if this kind of design were allowed in those applications. Stainless steel tubes also crack under vibration and stress, just not as early as aluminum tubes do.

John

[Eggscape]

I agree John and mentioned before that if the nuts come loose the new tubes will fail as well...it will just take longer.