An open propane flame in an enclosed space is a reasonable trade-off when it's the only option. But when shore power is available, induction cooking removes that trade-off entirely. There's no combustion — so there are no combustion byproducts getting into the cabin air. There's no radiant heat from a flame heating up the burner grate, the surrounding countertop, and the kitchen area — the cooking energy goes almost entirely into the cookware. And there's no surface that stays dangerously hot after you turn it off; induction glass cools quickly once the pan is removed, because the glass itself was never the heat source.Grade A Crystal Glass1800W / 10 Levels120V Shore Power
In a campervan, small trailer, or any RV where the kitchen and the living space are essentially the same room, those differences compound. Faster cooking times mean less ambient heat building up in the rig. Easier cleanup means less time at the sink. A flat, smooth surface means nothing to trap crumbs and spills between a grate and a burner bowl. The 3308A isn't just a cooking appliance — it's a small quality-of-life upgrade for the entire onboard environment.
Full cooking power on standard shore power
Simmer to sear with precise soft-touch control
Set it and step away without an open flame
Grade A crystal – wipes clean in seconds
Traditional electric cooktops heat a coil, which heats the pan, which heats the food. That chain of heat transfer is inefficient at every step — energy radiates from the coil in all directions, not just upward into the pan, and you're waiting for the coil to reach temperature before the pan starts warming. Propane is more direct but introduces combustion byproducts, and a lot of the flame's energy escapes around the sides of the pan rather than going through the bottom.
Induction skips the intermediate heating step entirely. The 3308A generates a high-frequency alternating magnetic field beneath the crystal glass surface. When ferromagnetic cookware — a cast iron skillet, a magnetic stainless pot — is placed on the glass, the magnetic field induces eddy currents in the metal of the pan itself. Those currents generate heat inside the pan's metal, not in the glass below it and not in the air around it. The pan is the heat source. The result is faster heat-up, more precise temperature control, and dramatically less wasted energy heating the space around the burner.
The glass surface never generates heat on its own. It gets warm from contact with a hot pan, but it's not a heat source — and once you remove the pan, the surface temperature drops quickly. For an environment where burns and fires are a serious concern, that's a meaningful safety characteristic.
Ten discrete power levels give you genuine control across the full cooking spectrum — not just "low, medium, high" with two unnamed positions between each. Here's how the levels map to common cooking tasks:
The soft-touch control center adjusts levels instantly with no dial to spin or physical switch to click — the 4-digit LED display confirms your selection. Level 1 is genuinely gentle enough to hold chocolate melted without scorching. Level 10 is the full 1800W that will bring a pot of pasta water to a boil faster than most propane burners in an RV kitchen. Everything between is accurate, repeatable, and adjustable without lifting the pan.
The cooking timer on the 3308A runs from 1 to 240 minutes and automatically shuts the unit off when the time expires. In a home kitchen, a forgotten burner is an inconvenience. In an RV parked at a campsite with the occupants outside, it's a different problem. The timer closes that loop — you can leave something simmering, walk to the camp store, come back, and not be managing a situation.
Combined with the auto safety shut-off (which powers down the unit if cookware is removed or absent), the 3308A has multiple independent paths to a safe state when cooking is interrupted. This is particularly useful in a vehicle environment where motion — even accidental — can shift a pan.
In a home, a cooktop is typically in a dedicated kitchen space. In an RV, it's often within arm's reach of a dining table, a sofa, or a sleeping area — and in tight quarters, small hands find everything. The Child Lock on the 3308A disables all controls while the unit is powered on, preventing accidental adjustments during cooking and preventing the unit from being turned on by a child while an adult isn't present. Activating and deactivating the lock requires a deliberate key sequence that children can't stumble into by pressing random buttons. It's a small feature that matters more when the kitchen and the living room are the same room.
The 3308A is designed for both installation scenarios:
Built-In: The unit drops into a countertop cutout measuring 11" × 14.6". Once installed, it sits flush with the counter surface and functions as a permanent cooktop with a sleek, integrated appearance. This is the primary installation for campervans and RVs where the 3308A is replacing a propane cooktop or completing a new kitchen build.
Portable: The unit sits on any flat surface and plugs into any standard 120V AC outlet. No installation required. This makes it equally useful as a supplemental burner at a campsite picnic table, as a cooking option in a cabin with inadequate kitchen facilities, or as a standalone cooktop for a trailer without a built-in kitchen.
Many RV owners reserve their propane for heating — the furnace and the water heater — and switch to the induction cooktop when plugged into shore power at a campground. At 1800 watts on a standard 20A outlet, the 3308A draws 15 amps — entirely within the capacity of a standard 20A shore power circuit with room to spare for other appliances. The payoff: propane consumption drops significantly when cooking shifts to electric, which extends the time between fill-ups and reduces what you're burning in the living space. For RVers who spend a lot of nights at full-hookup campgrounds, the arithmetic works solidly in favor of induction cooking.
Induction cooking requires ferromagnetic cookware — pots and pans that are attracted to a magnet. The quick field test: hold a refrigerator magnet to the bottom of the pan. If it sticks firmly, the pan works. If it slides or falls off, it won't work on the 3308A. The bottom of the pan must also be at least 3.5 inches in diameter — smaller bases don't engage the induction coil effectively.
Shopping for compatible cookware: Look for the induction-compatible symbol on packaging (a coiled element icon, often labeled "Induction Ready"). Any cookware that passes the magnet test and has a flat base 3.5" or larger will work.
The 3308A's built-in cutout (11" × 14.6") is specifically sized to work in many standard RV countertop openings where a single-burner propane drop-in previously lived. Exact compatibility depends on your countertop dimensions and material — measure your existing cutout before ordering if you plan a drop-in replacement. If you're converting a propane kitchen to induction as part of a broader build or renovation, you'll also want to assess your shore power circuit capacity. The 3308A draws approximately 15A at full power — make sure the circuit serving your kitchen can handle that load independently of other high-draw appliances like a microwave or air conditioner that may share the same circuit.
Suburban has been manufacturing RV heating and cooking appliances since 1947 — the same year the RV industry itself was finding its footing. Their cooktops, furnaces, and water heaters are found in more production RVs than virtually any other brand, and for good reason: the OEM market demands reliability at scale, and Suburban has delivered it across millions of units. The 3308A carries a 2-year manufacturer warranty and is backed by the Airxcel family of brands — the same parent company as Coleman-Mach, Maxxair, and Dicor — giving it a support and parts network that independent brands can't match.
Required cutout: 11" × 14.6" Overall unit footprint: 11.8" W × 15.3" L × 3.5" H The unit overhangs the cutout by approximately 0.4" on each side, resting on the countertop surface around the opening. Verify countertop material and thickness before cutting — most RV countertop materials (laminate, solid surface, tile) support standard drop-in cooktop installations without modification. Always confirm shore power circuit capacity before installation.
The 3308A operates on 120V AC only — it does not run on 12V DC battery power and cannot be used while dry camping without a generator or inverter capable of supplying 1800W continuously. At full power, the unit draws approximately 15 amps. Ensure your shore power circuit or inverter/generator can supply this load before use.
• RVs and campervans replacing a propane burner with induction • New van or trailer kitchen builds where a flat, cleanable surface is a priority • Full-hookup campground cooking where shore power is available • Supplemental burner alongside an existing cooktop • Any RV kitchen where open-flame cooking is not preferred or permitted • Families with children traveling in close quarters
• 120V AC required – Will not operate on 12V DC; requires shore power, generator, or inverter capable of sustained 1800W output • Ferromagnetic cookware required – Aluminum, copper, glass, ceramic, and non-magnetic stainless cookware will not work; test existing cookware with a magnet before ordering • Minimum 3.5" pan base diameter – Small pans, espresso pots, and other narrow-base cookware may not engage the induction coil • Measure your cutout if planning a built-in installation to replace an existing cooktop – required opening is 11" × 14.6" • Circuit capacity – At 15A draw, the cooktop should be on a dedicated circuit or a circuit with adequate remaining capacity; do not operate simultaneously with other high-draw appliances on the same circuit