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

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by gklott

We've pondered the replacement, and we have concerns about the size. With the SDS2, we have 10" counter space between sink and stove. That's small, but useful.

If we install the Dickinson stove above, that counter space drops to about 6" if we move the Dickinson far right. That's practically no counter space. Also, the left burner is partially out from under the stove vent.

We like the way the Dickinson cooktop looks in other posts in the 21' and 5.0.

It also looks good in the few 19' install images we've seen'? If you did the install in a 19', what's your counter space experience when using the stove?

73/gus

We have a 5.0. We also removed the stove vent. We're with our grandchildren this weekend, but next week I'll take a picture and measurements.

The end of August I'll be ripping our our stock countertop and installing new formica, so placement and cutting the opening were experimental on the old formica.

We go camping for two weeks starting July 30, so we'll get to try out the placement on the road. So far in our seasonal site we like where it was cut-in.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Radar1]

Thanks for this post and photos. I pulled ours, and everything mentioned was still tight but the burner adjustment knobs weren't quite as tight as I thought they should be. I took the nuts off, added the thread lock, and put them on a little tighter than they were.
I did discover that one of the screws and lock washer holding the heat shield on was missing, so half the heat shield was hanging loose. I found the screw and lock washer in the silverware drawer on our 19, added thread block, and put it back together.

[gklott]

Originally Posted by Radar1

I did discover that one of the screws and lock washer holding the heat shield on was missing, so half the heat shield was hanging loose. I found the screw and lock washer in the silverware drawer on our 19, added thread block, and put it back together.

Our heat shield fell completely off at about 13 months use. We found it lying atop our convention/microwave when we heard a strange vibrating sound while heating soup. We found the screws and reattached as you describe.

73/gus

[ziksgirl]

That was me. Here's an update...The Suburban SDS2 cook top saga continues. As some of you may recall, my cook top caught fire in July of this year during my first trip with my 2020 Escape19. The good news is that Suburban replaced the cook top under warranty and my local RV shop installed it yesterday. The bad news is that after I brought the trailer home this morning (thirty minute easy drive) and inspected the cook top, both gas valves are again loose. Exactly the problem that most likely caused the first cook top to fail. It's interesting to note that Suburban is now "double nutting" these valves onto the cook tops in an effort to keep the nuts on tight. Obviously this "fix" isn't working. They are also still putting the black plastic rings under the nuts, which I suspect may be the reason the nuts won't stay tight. The heat shield under the stove is also loose again under the left burner.
I contacted Suburban to report this new issue. Their remedy was to tell me to return my trailer to the repair shop again so that their techs can talk to Suburban's techs. They will not give me, the owner, any further assistance. I was very clear that these cook tops are unsafe and will eventually cause someone serious injury (it's already happened) if they do not resolve this issue.
I also alerted Escape about this.

[Eggscape]

Thanks for keeping us posted on the latest.

Double nuts used in a locking configuration can only be accomplished if you hold one nut and tighten the second nut against it. Of course as you may know, this could never be accomplished if the black (useless) cover is put on first.

If you remove the black cover you should be able to tighten the nuts and your stove will work for years to come.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by ziksgirl

I contacted Suburban to report this new issue. Their remedy was to tell me to return my trailer to the repair shop again so that their techs can talk to Suburban's techs. They will not give me, the owner, any further assistance. I was very clear that these cook tops are unsafe and will eventually cause someone serious injury (it's already happened) if they do not resolve this issue. I also alerted Escape about this.

Sorry you have had to deal with all this. Amazing that Surburban who is clearly aware of the issue has not come up with a better solution and also recalled the cooktops in circulation. They are replacing a faulty product with another faulty product. At risk of sounding like a broken record anyone with these Suburban SDS2 cooktops should seriously consider a Dickinson Marine unit or something of similar quality.

[gbaglo]

For all that, it's not necessary to post the same information in multiple threads. You have three of them going at the moment.

[Radar1]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

For all that, it's not necessary to post the same information in multiple threads. You have three of them going at the moment.

I guess that triples the chances that someone will see the safety issue before they have a problem.

[Radar1]

Originally Posted by ziksgirl

That was me. Here's an update...The Suburban SDS2 cook top saga continues. As some of you may recall, my cook top caught fire in July of this year during my first trip with my 2020 Escape19. The good news is that Suburban replaced the cook top under warranty and my local RV shop installed it yesterday. The bad news is that after I brought the trailer home this morning (thirty minute easy drive) and inspected the cook top, both gas valves are again loose. Exactly the problem that most likely caused the first cook top to fail. It's interesting to note that Suburban is now "double nutting" these valves onto the cook tops in an effort to keep the nuts on tight. Obviously this "fix" isn't working. They are also still putting the black plastic rings under the nuts, which I suspect may be the reason the nuts won't stay tight. The heat shield under the stove is also loose again under the left burner.
I contacted Suburban to report this new issue. Their remedy was to tell me to return my trailer to the repair shop again so that their techs can talk to Suburban's techs. They will not give me, the owner, any further assistance. I was very clear that these cook tops are unsafe and will eventually cause someone serious injury (it's already happened) if they do not resolve this issue.
I also alerted Escape about this.

Sorry to hear that. Do you know if the double nuts came loose or did the problem occur again even with the rigid controls?

I wonder if reporting the issue to the Consumer Product Safety Comittee would help?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Radar1

I guess that triples the chances that someone will see the safety issue before they have a problem.

And it divides by three the chance that someone reading one of them (and ignoring the obviously redundant copies) will see a useful reply.

If you absolutely must scream LOOK AT WHAT I POSTED all over the place, just post it in the most appropriate location, and add posts with just links in other places, keeping the discussion in one place.

[ziksgirl]

Yup, you're correct. That's exactly what I will be doing.

[ziksgirl]

I checked on the Dickenson but it looks like they are out of stock until January of 2022. For now I'll be doing the loctite fix.

[ziksgirl]

it was only a easy 30 minute drive home for me after the new stove was installed. I don't think the nuts came loose on that drive. I think they were loose before they reached the RV shop. Those black beauty rings are probably the cause. They cause the nuts to get loose.

[ziksgirl]

Originally Posted by Radar1

I guess that triples the chances that someone will see the safety issue before they have a problem.

Exactly why I posted it on every thread that talks about this issue. I want people to know this is an issue before someone gets killed.

[ziksgirl]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

And it divides by three the chance that someone reading one of them (and ignoring the obviously redundant copies) will see a useful reply.

If you absolutely must scream LOOK AT WHAT I POSTED all over the place, just post it in the most appropriate location, and add posts with just links in other places, keeping the discussion in one place.

Not my fault there are multiple threads about this issue. I posted on every thread that is in here about these cook tops not to scream LOOK WHAT I POSTED. I did it so EVERYONE will be aware of this serious issue.

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by ziksgirl

Not my fault there are multiple threads about this issue. I posted on every thread that is in here about these cook tops not to scream LOOK WHAT I POSTED. I did it so EVERYONE will be aware of this serious issue.

You did the right thing. Who cares if a few people see the same post in a couple related threads. Unfortunately Suburban seems unwilling to recall these cooktops and are too incompetent to solve the problem. Poor engineering coupled with production by the lowest bidder in China is a bad combination. Unfortunately it may take a few lawsuits to wake them up.

[Sean Murry]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

You did the right thing. Who cares if a few people see the same post in a couple related threads. Unfortunately Suburban seems unwilling to recall these cooktops and too incompetent to solve the problem. Poor engineering coupled with production by the lowest bidder in China is a bad combination. Unfortunately it may take a few lawsuits to wake them up.

[Fox hunt]

is this problem just with the cook top model or also with the oven model ?

[Eggscape]

Just the cooktop model as far as we know.

[Upfisk]

"If you need a pipe from the control valve to the burner replaced, go to a LP supplier or installer with your stovetop and flange nuts. They should be able to provide you with the pipe and flanges for each end. Cut your pipe to length, install the flanges over the pipe, insert the pipe/flange into the fittings, and tighten the nut to compress the flange to the pipe for a solid fit. Do not over tighten though!"

The dreaded propane leak just happened to us this past Friday. We have been home for 2 weeks after a 10 week trip. We reloaded the freezer and headed out again.Our control knobs were loose at the burner, easy to fix. But we still had a strong propane leak inside the cabinet. One of the small propane supply pipes from the burner to the control knob was loose, but not broken.

We headed back home and pulled the stovetop. Our loose pipe is 4mm aluminum tubing (caliper measured) and could move about 1/2" back and forth at the control valve fitting. We disassrmbled it and the ferrule or compression fitting was very loose and came out. Obviously not compressed enough on the tubing. Likely this has been a problem since the Suburban factory assembled the stove?

We cannot, anywhere in Arizona, source a ferrule with an ID of 4mm. Propane suppliers work in nothing smaller than 3/8" diameter tubing. Plumbing supply houses have nothing that small. The big box stores supply ferrules starting at 1/4". Finally we found McMaster-Carr online with brass ferrules with 4mm ID at about $1 each. If you need to replace the tubing it is 4 mm aluminum tubing available from Amazon at about $5/12" long tube. RV repair places, both mobile and big stores know nothing about these tiny lines. We were told to just buy a new cooktop. Maybe, ultimately we will.