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Old 04-02-2015, 03:19 PM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: CHALLENGER
State: Michigan
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THOR #797
Winterizing Questions

Silly question: I'm a new coach owner, had the dealership winterize my Thor Challenger. Getting ready to hit the road this weekend and want to make sure there isn't anything special I need to do, other than just run the water and run some ice through the ice maker.

Any input or suggestions is appreciated.

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Old 04-02-2015, 03:30 PM   #2
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THOR #1469
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Originally Posted by TheDark1 View Post
Silly question: I'm a new coach owner, had the dealership winterize my Thor Challenger. Getting ready to hit the road this weekend and want to make sure there isn't anything special I need to do, other than just run the water and run some ice through the ice maker.

Any input or suggestions is appreciated.
I bought my Challenger in January and took delivery in February. It was winterized when it was delivered. The de-winterization took me about three days to get the pink stuff out of the refrigerator's ice maker. If possible disconnect the water line to the ice maker and as much pink stuff out as possible. Also, while de-winterizing the ice maker set the frig temp as low as you can go so the pink stuff will partially solidify.

Also, don't forget to sanitize the fresh water system. On a previous thread I posted a mod I made to my Challenger's fresh water tank drain to enable sanitizing the water system and water hose at the same time.
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Old 04-02-2015, 03:30 PM   #3
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THOR #1150
Make sure the water heater bypass valves are set properly before firing it up. Especially if you'll use it on electric.
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Old 04-02-2015, 03:34 PM   #4
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Make sure the water heater bypass valves are set properly before firing it up. Especially if you'll use it on electric.
I forgot to mention, the Challenger has 2 water heater bypasses. There is the one on the termination panel in the storage compartment and then there is the standard three valve bypass close to the water heater. Both of the bypasses must be set correctly for the tank to fill. I opened the pressure relief valve on the water heater to ensure it filled before turning on the electric to the tank.
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Old 04-02-2015, 03:35 PM   #5
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THOR #797
Thanks for the info!
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Old 04-02-2015, 05:26 PM   #6
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THOR #937
If any of your family or guests complain of pink colored water or beverages, just let them know that it's a "feature" of your new motorhome's water system, and NOT a problem.
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Old 04-02-2015, 10:03 PM   #7
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THOR #531
Depending on how it was winterized, you might have antifreeze in the lines. If so, you will want to run copious amounts of water through it. I would suggest buying one of those refractometers that can read antifreeze level in the water and flush the system until you no longer see any evidence of antifreeze.

Also, plan on buying a blow out fitting so you can blow the lines after your trip. Since you live in Michigan, you will not be out of danger of a hard freeze at night for another month at least. You could end up severely damaging your water system.

The system should tolerate mildly freezing temps, say 30deg for maybe a couple of hours. But a hard freeze in the 20s for 8 hours or so can do damage.
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Old 05-17-2015, 12:12 AM   #8
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It amazes me that, in some of their RV's, manufacturers still do not install provisions for pumping antifreeze through the lines without having to put it in the freshwater tank. My 2015 Four Winds is one of those RV's, so I'm making modifications to allow antifreeze to be pumped directly from the bottle without having to pour it into the freshwater tank.

Message to Thor: Make this change on all your RV's, and add $10.00 to the price...no big deal.
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Old 05-17-2015, 03:03 PM   #9
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It amazes me that, in some of their RV's, manufacturers still do not install provisions for pumping antifreeze through the lines without having to put it in the freshwater tank. My 2015 Four Winds is one of those RV's...
That is kind of surprising, as my 2011 Four Winds has at least a poorly designed antifreeze insertion port. Perhaps it is model specific?
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