Thor Tuscany Engine Cover

[Wingrider]

This is my first post to this forum but I have been lurking for a while as we searched for our motorhome. I have searched for an answer to this question without success.

I am unable to open the engine cover/hatch in the rear bathroom, I have asked Thor but their response does not seem correct to me or I'm just not understanding what needs to be done. The following is my correspondence with Thor, please advise as to your experiences.

Me; I'm trying to open the engine cover in the rear bath and am unable to do so. Do latches (pull up rings) screw into anything, is it just lift and pull, or is there some trick to pulling up this cover I haven't seen yet. Maybe it's just binding and needs some penetrating oil around the joint. I would appreciate any guidance you can provide. Thanks

Thor; The rear engine access is not cut all the way at the factory. You would have to finish cutting it out to gain full access to the compartment.

Me; Thanks for your response but I don’t see how that’s possible, you would have to pull up floor tile to do this. The bathroom floor is tiled as is the engine hatch and there is a metal frame around the opening that the hatch is setting in. Also I can with a screwdriver move the hatch side to side (at the latch end) about 1/8”. I think it’s a matter of not knowing how to operate the latches.
I can raise the latch rings and if I pull up on them they seem to be spring loaded like it might be releasing a latch of some sort but even prying up on the latches with a long screwdriver makes no difference. I thought maybe you had to lift and turn to unscrew them but that doesn’t seem possible without breaking something.

Thor; Unless the previous owner cut out the corners, the hatch would not come up. Production would only completely cut the access in the rear, if we needed access to the compartment. Generally, the corners of the access need to be cut out to gain access to the compartment below.

Does this make since to you? Given the tiled floor and framework around the hatch cover how would you "cut out the corners"? Is there any useful access to anything from the hatch on this coach? i.e. fuel filters or other maintenance items.

Thanks

[lwmcguire]

Try turning the handles 180 degrees

Use a bar and rope to break the seal, could be fairly tight

I have heard of some not being cut, however if you can move it a little that is good

Use a flashlight from the battery compartment to view the latches

Good luck

[m1noel]

Those tiles are HEAVY. I thought something was stuck on ours the first time I pulled it just to look. Turned out I just needed to work out for a couple of weeks and try again.