Your Suburban or Mor-Flo RV water heater tank is steel. Without a functioning anode rod, corrosive minerals in your water attack that steel directly. The Camco 11562 is a direct-replacement magnesium sacrificial anode rod that takes the hit instead -- extending tank life season after season. At 9-1/2" long with a standard 3/4" NPT thread, it drops straight into compatible Suburban water heaters with no adapters required.
Anode rods are the most overlooked maintenance item on an RV water heater -- and one of the most important. The magnesium core of the Camco 11562 is electrochemically active, meaning it corrodes preferentially to the steel tank walls. As long as the rod has material left, your tank is protected. Once the rod is depleted, the tank becomes the sacrificial element.
Camco part number 11562 (vendor cross-reference 42-0605) is designed specifically for Suburban and Mor-Flo RV water heater models that accept a 9-1/2" rod on a 3/4" NPT fitting. This covers the widely used Suburban SW6D, SW6DE, SW6DEL, SW10D, SW10DE, and related series.
High-activity magnesium sacrifices itself to protect the steel tank -- more aggressive protection than aluminum rods in most water chemistries.
9-1/2" length and 3/4" NPT thread match OEM Suburban specs. No cutting, adapters, or modifications needed.
Inspect every 6-12 months. Replace when the rod is reduced to roughly 1/2" diameter or less -- do not wait until it is gone.
A new anode rod costs a fraction of a tank replacement. This is the single most cost-effective water heater maintenance step you can take.
Galvanic corrosion occurs when dissimilar metals are in contact with an electrolyte -- in this case, your water supply. The more electrochemically active metal (magnesium) corrodes first, leaving the less active metal (the steel tank) intact. The anode rod is threaded into the drain port of the water heater, keeping it submerged and in continuous contact with the water.
Magnesium rods are the preferred choice for RV applications because RV water heaters tend to sit unused for extended periods. Magnesium is more reactive than aluminum, so it provides protection even in lower-mineral water and during long storage intervals.
Aluminum-zinc anode rods can form a hard oxide crust in some water conditions that insulates the rod and reduces its effectiveness. Magnesium rods remain active across a wider range of water chemistry and are the standard recommendation for most Suburban RV water heater applications.
Inspect the anode rod at least once per camping season, or any time you flush and sanitize your water heater. To remove it, you need a 1-1/16" socket and a breaker bar -- rods can seize if left in place for multiple seasons. Apply penetrating oil and let it soak before attempting removal on a neglected heater.
If your hot water smells like sulfur (rotten eggs), it is typically caused by a reaction between a magnesium anode rod and sulfate-reducing bacteria in the water supply -- not a defective rod. Shock-sanitizing the tank with a diluted bleach solution or hydrogen peroxide usually resolves the odor. In rare cases where the odor persists, an aluminum-zinc rod may reduce the reaction, though it provides less aggressive corrosion protection.
On most Suburban water heaters, the anode rod IS the drain plug -- they are the same fitting. Removing the anode rod drains the tank. This means inspection requires draining, which is also a good opportunity to flush sediment from the bottom of the tank. Flush, inspect, replace if needed, reinstall, and refill as part of a single maintenance session.
If you winterize by blowing out lines with compressed air and leaving the tank empty, the anode rod is not being consumed during storage -- only when the tank is filled with water. However, the rod can still corrode in humid air. Inspect every season regardless of how many months the unit was in storage.