What Water Heater Does the Jayco North Point Use?
the Jayco North Point fifth wheel — including 2018 and later model years — is factory-equipped with a Suburban SW-series water heater, most commonly the SW6DE or SW10DE depending on trim level. These units are six- or ten-gallon direct spark ignition (DSI) water heaters capable of operating on LP gas, 120V AC electric, or both simultaneously in dual-fuel mode.
I was halfway through my morning shower somewhere in Arizona when the water went from hot to barely tepid in the span of thirty seconds. No warning, no gradual fade—just that sudden cold shock that tells you something inside the heater just quit. Turned out the thermostat had given up the ghost. The 2018 North Point RV uses the SW6DE (six-gallon, dual-fuel) water heater mounted in an exterior compartment on the curbside of the coach. Your data plate is on the front face of the heater, visible from the exterior access panel—that’s where you’ll find the model and serial number you need when ordering parts to make sure they actually fit your rig.
Inside that Suburban SW-series heater is a screw-in 1440W heating element (part number 520900), a combination thermostat/ECO (energy cutoff) limiter handling the electric side, and a separate gas thermostat assembly that manages the LP burner. Figuring out which one is actually broken beats the heck out of buying parts blind—it’s the diagnostic work that saves money and frustration.
How Do You Replace the Thermostat or ECO on a Jayco North Point Water Heater?
That ECO (energy cutoff) thermostat is your safety net—it cuts power to the heating element the moment water temperature creeps past safe limits, usually around 170°F on Suburban SW-series units. When the ECO trips and won’t reset, or when it stops working entirely, you lose hot water on electric mode. It’s one of the most common culprits on the North Point when you’re staring at a cold tank.
Electric-Side Thermostat Replacement Procedure
- Kill the shore power and flip off the 120V breaker that feeds the water heater. Grab a non-contact voltage tester and confirm there’s actually no power before your hands go anywhere near the wiring.
- Open the exterior access panel and find the thermostat/ECO assembly sitting directly on the tank body, tucked behind the junction box cover.
- Two Phillips screws hold the junction box cover down—remove them and snap a photo of how the wires connect before you pull anything loose.
- Press that red reset button on the ECO. If it immediately trips again as soon as you apply load, the whole thermostat assembly has to come out—reset alone won’t cut it.
- Disconnect the pair of wires from the thermostat terminals. Grab a flathead screwdriver and release the retaining clip, then slide the thermostat assembly off the tank.
- Slide the new thermostat assembly into place, making sure the sensing bulb or body sits flush against the tank surface. Wire it back up the same way the original was wired.
- Turn power back on only after the access panel is closed. Run it in electric mode for half an hour to 45 minutes and listen for hot water at the nearest faucet.
The Thermostat That Stops Jayco Water Heaters From Running Cold Mid-Shower
That 120V thermostat/ECO limiter assembly is basically a bouncer between your heating element and potential disaster—and when it fails, it leaves you high and dry with nothing but lukewarm water or stone-cold silence, even if propane is standing by ready to go. On North Point models, this is job one when the temperature won’t climb past 90°F or the heater just shuts itself down randomly.
What works
- It drops straight into Suburban SW series tanks—zero rewiring needed as long as the harness connector hasn’t rotted.
- Water temperature steadies out right away; no more of that stop-and-start cycling or the heater bailing on you halfway through a shower.
- You’re looking at $40–60 for an OEM-equivalent assembly, not the $140-plus markup that an RV service center will throw at you for the same component.
What doesn’t
- You’ve got to safely drain down the tank and get to the lower port in a space that wasn’t designed for human hands—this is not a 10-minute affair if you’re doing it for the first time.
- A corroded wiring harness or a loose connector will still be there after you swap the thermostat, and you’ll be left thinking the new part is bad when the real problem is the wiring itself.
I once replaced the thermostat on a North Point only to have it fail again in two weeks—turned out the 12V supply wire was pinched behind the tank frame, dropping voltage below 10V and causing the limiter to chatter open and closed. Grab the Suburban Manufacturing 120V T-Stat/Limiter 232306 and double-check your power lead before you install.
Suburban Manufacturing 120V T-Stat/Limiter 232306
I replaced mine in 20 minutes without rewiring and paid half what the dealer quoted.
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