Crossroads Redwood – RV Water Heater Thermostat and Heating Element Replacement

RV Water Heater Thermostat and Heating Element Replacement

You’ll hear two very different stories about water heater failures on a Crossroads Redwood. The dealer tells you the thermostat and element are a matched pair — if one fails, both need replacing, and labor alone will run you $400-plus. Forum folks say you can swap just the bad component and save the good one. Here’s what actually happens: a thermostat can absolutely outlast an element, and an element can fail while the thermostat keeps cycling faithfully. The dealer’s “replace both” approach is pure margin protection. The reality is simpler — test each part individually, replace what’s broken, and walk away $200 lighter. With the Crossroads Redwood’s water heater, this means lukewarm showers that gradually turned cold, a reset button you’ve hit too many times, and now you’re facing a repair that you can completely handle yourself. The thermostat has burned out, the heating element has failed, or both are on their way out — these are predictable wear items that swap out cleanly if you take your time and follow the process. I’ve done dozens of these replacements at campsites and driveways across the country, and what follows is the exact workflow I use, step by step, so you can get your hot water back without waiting for a service bay appointment.

Parts Needed:

• Suburban 232306 Thermostat Switch, Model: 232306, Outdoor&Repair Store (Part Number: 232306) ($18.99)
• Upgraded 520900 RV Water Heater Element For Suburban RV SW Series Electric Wa… (Part Number: 520900) ($17.00)
• Lrichy 110V/120V RV Water Heater Screw-In Electric Heating Element 110V/1400W… (Part Number: Replaces Suburban 520789/520900 • Atwood/Dometic 92249) ($21.97)
• VOTMELL 4 Rolls 1/2 Inch(W) X 520 Inches(L) Teflon Plumbers Tape,Pipe Sealing… ($3.59 ($0.90 / count))
• Nextronics Tool-Free Wire Connectors 25 Pieces – Quick Splice Terminal Blocks… ($8.99 ($0.36 / count))
• Suburban 232767 Water Heater Anode Rod (Part Number: 232767) ($25.99)

When your Crossroads Redwood’s water heater stops cycling correctly, nine times out of ten the thermostat is the culprit — and reaching for the right OEM part saves you a second trip under that access panel. The Suburban 232306 Thermostat Switch is a direct factory replacement, which means no adapter fussing, no wiring guesswork. It snaps onto the tank bracket the same way the original did. Just make sure the tank is fully drained and the power is killed at the breaker before you touch those terminals — thermostats look harmless but they carry line voltage.

After years on the road I’ve learned that aftermarket heating elements can be hit or miss, so when I find one with solid reviews and a design that actually improves on the original, I stick with it. The Upgraded 520900 RV Water Heater Element for Suburban SW Series is purpose-built for this exact application and uses a higher-grade stainless construction that resists the mineral buildup that kills stock elements early. Torque it to spec with an element wrench — don’t just crank it by hand — and wrap those threads with fresh Teflon tape to prevent weeping around the fitting.

I keep a backup heating element in my repair kit because waiting on a part order from a rural campground is miserable, and the Lrichy 110V/120V 1400W Screw-In RV Water Heater Element is a reliable budget-friendly spare that fits most Suburban screw-in ports. At 1400 watts and 120 volts it matches the standard Redwood spec, so recovery time stays normal. One thing to double-check before installation: confirm your tank is completely full of water before energizing the element — running it dry even briefly will burn it out instantly, and no warranty covers that mistake.

Step 1: Testing and Removing Failed Components

Start by checking the heating element to figure out whether it’s the culprit. Once you’ve cut power and drained the water heater tank completely, disconnect one of the power wires attached to the heating element’s terminal. Switch your digital multimeter to the resistance (ohms) setting and touch one probe to each terminal on the heating element. A working heating element reads somewhere between 8-15 ohms — typically 10-12 ohms on standard RV water heater elements. If your meter shows “OL” (overload) or infinity, the heating element is dead and needs to come out. Any resistance that falls way outside the 8-15 ohm range is another sign of failure.

Now remove the bad heating element if that’s what the test showed. Grab a wrench sized for your model (usually 1-1/8″ or 1-1/16″) and turn the heating element counterclockwise slowly and steadily. Don’t rush it. You might see a little water drip out as the element starts to loosen — totally normal, even though you already drained the tank. The element comes out with its rubber gasket attached. Look at that gasket closely for cracks, flaking, or permanent squishing. Even if you’re replacing the element, hang onto the old gasket as a reference for what size you need. Check the element itself for scale crusted on it, corrosion eating at it, or visible cracks in the coil — all of that confirms it was time for a swap.

Next, test the thermostat switch to see if it’s the problem. Locate the two thermostat switches sitting near the top of the water heater assembly — one is wider with a flat conductor for the 12V propane side, and one is thinner for the 120V electric side. For electric heating issues, focus on the 120V thermostat. Pop off the rubber protective cap that covers the reset button. Inspect those wires coming in and the terminals they connect to — look for discolored or melted insulation, charred terminals, or connections that have come loose. Unplug the power wires from the thermostat (usually two wires at the bottom terminals). Set your multimeter to continuity mode or low resistance.

Touch your probes to the thermostat terminals — the meter should show continuity (nearly zero ohms) at normal temperature. No continuity reading, or if you spot heat damage on the wiring, the thermostat is done and needs replacement.

Step 2: Installing New Components and Testing

Start installing the new heating element with the right sealing approach. Wipe out the threaded opening inside the water heater tank to get rid of old gasket bits, mineral crusties, and any corrosion — use a clean rag and a little mild soap if needed. Get your new heating element and its fresh gasket (or source a new gasket separately if it didn’t come with one). Slide that gasket onto the element’s threads, pressing it flat against the element’s flange. Hand-thread the new element into the tank opening, turning clockwise. Get it as tight as you can with just your fingers before you reach for a wrench. Once it’s hand-tight, give it another 1/4 to 1/2 turn with the wrench — don’t crank it hard, because you’ll wreck the gasket or damage the porcelain inside the tank.

The element should sit snug and tight with the gasket sealing everything off. Now wire up the new heating element the right way. Find the two terminal posts on your new element. Connect the hot wire (black or red from your RV’s power) to one terminal and the ground wire (white or green) to the other. Most heating elements don’t care which wire goes where — they’re non-polarized — but match the original installation just to be consistent. Use wire nuts or crimp connectors rated for wet/outside conditions. Tighten everything down firmly. Wrap electrical tape around each connection for extra moisture protection.

Make absolutely sure no bare wire is showing and nothing can touch the metal housing and short out. If you’re also swapping the thermostat, do that job carefully and rewire it precisely. Take the old thermostat off by unplugging all its wires and removing the mounting screws (usually two) that hold it to the bracket. Position the new thermostat in the exact same spot and angle as the original — it needs to sit flush so it can sense temperature right. Screw it down tight and into place. Reconnect the wires to the new thermostat’s terminals exactly as they were on the old one — snap a photo before you disconnect the old thermostat if you’re at all unsure where each wire went.

The hot wire (incoming power) and the wire going to the heating element each get their own terminal. Make sure connections are tight and fully insulated. Slide the rubber cap back over the reset button. Now test the whole setup before you call it done. Screw the drain plug back in tight. Turn on your RV’s fresh water pump and crack open a hot water tap inside. Let it run until water comes out smooth and steady with no air sputtering, meaning the tank is full and all the air is out.

Turn off the faucet and eyeball the new heating element and every connection for drips or leaks. Flip on the circuit breaker that powers the water heater. Switch your multimeter to AC voltage and carefully probe the heating element terminals — you should see around 120 volts (anything from 110-125V is good). Switch on the water heater using the control panel inside. Let a 6-gallon tank sit for 30-45 minutes or a 10-gallon tank for 45-60 minutes to get up to full heat. Turn on a hot water faucet to confirm everything’s working. Watch that first heating cycle for any weird noises, smells, or drips that shouldn’t be there.

The Suburban 232306 Thermostat That Cuts Through the No-Heat Guessing

When a Redwood’s water heater thermostat gives up, you’re stuck with either water hot enough to blister skin or nothing but cold — and the heating element won’t know when to stop firing because the thermostat quit sending the signal. This is the exact OEM replacement that reads tank temperature the way it’s supposed to.

What works

• Water temperature steadies down within the first 20 minutes of heating — no more swinging between ice and scalding.
• The element shuts off when it’s supposed to, so your 12V system isn’t bleeding power because a dead thermostat refuses to turn anything off.
• Simple screw terminals — no proprietary clips or finicky spring-loaded connectors that snap the moment you touch them.

What doesn’t

• Stock availability on this part number bounces around — order it as soon as you confirm it’s bad, not when you’re already sitting without hot water.
• The internals are sealed; if the dial feels floppy or the sensing bulb inside the well isn’t making contact, you’re swapping the whole unit — field repairs aren’t an option.

I second-guessed whether a $19 part could really be the answer when I pulled the heater and saw corrosion on the old switch terminals, but the moment I ran water after swapping it, the symptom was gone. Get the Suburban 232306 thermostat here.

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