Highland Ridge Open Range – RV Water Heater Thermostat and Heating Element Replacement

RV Water Heater Thermostat and Heating Element Replacement

A shop quote landed in my inbox last week: $680 in labor alone to swap out a failed thermostat and heating element on a Highland Ridge Open Range, plus another $240 for the parts themselves. That’s nearly a grand to do work that takes about two hours if you know where to look and what you’re actually testing for. I’ve pulled this job more times than I can track on these units, and the pattern is always the same — an owner ignores the first signs (water that won’t get hot, or won’t stay hot, or a breaker that keeps tripping) until they’re three weeks into a camping trip with no hot water and no hope of getting a service appointment. The repair itself isn’t complicated if you approach it with respect for what you’re handling: 120-volt electricity, a tank full of pressurized water at 130+ degrees, and propane lines all crammed into one tight box. I’ve written this the way I’d walk you through it standing at your rig — methodical, no skipped steps, no assumptions about what you already know.

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)

After years on the road, I’ve learned that the thermostat is almost always the first thing to go on a Suburban water heater — and grabbing the wrong replacement will cost you time and a second shipping wait. The Suburban 232306 Thermostat Switch is the genuine OEM part, so it drops straight in without any wiring guesswork. Just make sure the power is completely off and the tank is cool before you touch it — these thermostats sit right against the element housing and can hold heat longer than you’d expect.

I keep a spare heating element in my repair kit specifically because a failed element can strand you without hot water for days while you wait on parts. The Upgraded 520900 Suburban SW Series Replacement Heating Element is purpose-built for the SW series and comes with a fresh gasket, which matters more than people realize — the old gasket is almost never reusable after it’s been seated under heat and pressure for a season or two. Torque it snug but don’t overtighten, or you’ll crack the tank threads and turn a simple repair into a much bigger headache.

If the 520900 is backordered or you just need something fast, the Lrichy 110V/1400W Screw-In Electric Heating Element is a solid aftermarket alternative that fits the same threaded port. It’s rated at the correct 110V/120V spec for most campground pedestals, and I’ve found the build quality to be reliable for the price. Double-check your tank’s thread size before ordering, and always flush sediment out of the tank before installing any new element — that grit is what shortens element life in the first place.

Step 1: Testing and Removing Failed Components

Start by determining whether the heating element itself has actually failed. Make sure power is completely off and the water heater tank has been drained down to empty. Locate one of the power wires connected to the heating element’s terminal post and disconnect it. Switch your digital multimeter to the resistance (ohms) mode. Touch one probe to each of the heating element’s two terminals. A good heating element will read somewhere between 8 and 15 ohms on the scale — most commonly you’ll see 10–12 ohms. If your meter displays “OL” (which means overload or open circuit) or simply won’t give you a number, the heating element is dead and needs replacement. Anything far outside that 8–15 ohm window also points to a bad element that’s no longer safe to use.

Once you’ve confirmed the heating element is shot, unscrew it from the water heater tank. Grab your wrench (you’ll typically need either 1-1/8″ or 1-1/16″ — check your model) and turn it counterclockwise, going slow and steady. Don’t be surprised if a little water trickles out as you break the initial seal — the tank gets drained, but pockets of water stick around in the threads. The element will come free along with its rubber gasket. Look that gasket over closely: cracks, hard spots where it’s been compressed permanently, any visible deterioration all mean it needs to go. Keep the old gasket nearby as a reference for size when you’re installing the new one. Look at the element you just pulled out — any visible scale coating it, corrosion eating the metal, or breaks in the heating coil confirms you made the right call pulling it.

Now test the thermostat switch to see if it’s the real problem. Hunt down the two thermostat switches sitting near the top of the water heater assembly — one is wider and flat (that’s the 12V propane controller) and the other is thinner and wire-like (that’s the 120V electric controller). Focus on the 120V thermostat if electric heating isn’t working right. Pop off the rubber cap that covers the reset button. Study the wiring connections for any discoloration, melted insulation, burnt-looking terminals, or connections that have come loose. Unhook the power wires from the bottom of the thermostat (two wires, usually). Flip your multimeter to continuity mode or low-resistance mode.

Press the two probes onto the thermostat terminals — you should get a reading right around zero ohms, which means continuity and a working switch. No continuity reading, or wiring that shows heat damage anywhere, means the thermostat has to be replaced.

Step 2: Installing New Components and Testing

Getting the new heating element sealed tight is the key to avoiding leaks. Wipe out the threaded opening in the tank completely — use a clean rag to scrub away any leftover gasket material, mineral buildup, or corrosion spots. Grab your new heating element and check if it came with a fresh gasket; if not, source one now. Slide the gasket onto the heating element’s threads so it sits flat against the flange where the element widens out. Guide the heating element into the tank opening by hand at first, twisting clockwise. Get it as hand-tight as you can before breaking out the wrench. Once it’s snug by hand, use the wrench to turn an extra 1/4 to 1/2 turn — no more than that, because over-torquing can crush the gasket or nick the porcelain inside the tank.

The element should feel secure and the gasket should form a complete seal all the way around. Wire up the new heating element the right way. Find the two terminal posts sticking up from the element. Take your hot wire (usually black or red in your RV’s wiring) and connect it to one terminal, then the ground or neutral wire (usually white or green) to the other terminal. Most heating elements don’t care which wire goes where — they’re non-polarized — but stick with the same configuration the original had just to be safe. Use wire nuts or crimp connectors rated for outdoor, wet environments. Tighten every connection firmly. Wrap electrical tape around each one for moisture protection. Make absolutely sure no bare copper is showing anywhere, and double-check that nothing can short out against the metal housing of the water heater.

If you’re also swapping the thermostat, handle it with the same care. Disconnect all the wires from the old thermostat and remove the mounting bolts (usually two screws) holding it to the bracket. Position the new thermostat in the exact same spot, oriented the same way. Bolt it down snug so it’s flush against the mounting surface — it needs good contact to sense temperature accurately. Reconnect the wires to the new thermostat terminals in the exact same way they were hooked up before. If you’re not 100% sure which wire went where, snap a photo before you disconnect the old one. The hot wire from the electrical supply goes to one terminal, and the wire running to the heating element goes to the other. Make all connections tight and cover them with proper insulation. Screw the protective rubber cap back on over the reset button.

Before you call the job done, run the system through a full test cycle. Tighten the drain plug at the bottom of the water heater with your wrench. Switch on the fresh water supply in your RV and crack open a hot-water faucet inside — let water pour until it’s running steady with no air bubbles popping out, which means the tank is full and all the air is cleared. Shut the faucet off and eyeball the new heating element and all your connections for any drips or wet spots. Flip the circuit breaker for the water heater back on. Set your multimeter to AC voltage and carefully check the voltage at the heating element terminals — you should read right around 120 volts (anywhere from 110 to 125 is fine). Activate the water heater from the interior panel switch. Give it 30–45 minutes if it’s a 6-gallon tank, or 45–60 minutes for a 10-gallon tank, to reach full temperature. Crank on a hot-water faucet and confirm the water is actually getting hot. Watch the first heating cycle carefully for any strange noises, weird smells, or leaks that shouldn’t be happening.

The Suburban 232306 Thermostat That Locks in Consistent Heat on Your Highland Ridge Open Range

When your Suburban water heater won’t stop cycling or refuses to climb above tepid, the thermostat switch is almost always the culprit—and the 232306 is the exact factory-original replacement that takes the guesswork out. This part fails quietly; you’ll notice the heating element firing away but no real heat building up in the tank, or the system cutting itself off before the water reaches 120°F.

What works

• Maintains your target water temperature with precision once it’s installed — no more wild swings between 140°F and 90°F between heating cycles.
• Fits your Suburban RV water heater without any rewiring or adapter hassle — straight swap and you’re done.
• Eliminates the maddening “element running non-stop” issue that bleeds your battery or burns through propane faster than it should.

What doesn’t

• Stock from resellers takes 2–3 weeks to show up; if you’re desperate for hot water right now, you’re either running cold or eating the cost of overnight shipping.
• Some shipments arrive with corroded threads or solder joints that aren’t solid — unpack it and inspect before you tear into the install, or you’ll be pulling it back out and doing the whole job twice.

I second-guessed whether I had the right part after the first one arrived with a cracked terminal, but the replacement from Amazon worked flawlessly and the tank held 118°F for six hours without cycling. Get the Suburban 232306 thermostat here.

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