Thor Forums

[tmilanich]

My wife and I are new RV owners. We had a history of camping with a pop-up when our kids were little and had been talking about getting back on the road. So, in September 2020 we bought the Vegas.

Over the winter storage period, the chassis battery failed to hold a charge. I viewed/researched the online videos and the Thor Forums to see how to go about replacing the battery. The procedure seemed so daunting that I considered having it done by someone else. But, thanks to prodding from friends and family who are RVers, I committed to doing it my self.
The following is an abbreviated description of the process followed by six photos (which I refer to in the text as photos 1 thru 6, top to bottom).

After removing the dash desk assembly, what I saw was not like any of the images I had seen during my research (photo 1). And, I was not the first one to be there. There was cable tray that reduced the plywood deck by about 25%, pushing the access panel to the battery tight to the other side. The access panel was not 14"x14" as expected. It was 14" side to side, but only 13" front to back. After removing the red tape, I found the access panel held in place by 3 molly bolts and caulk that had dried to the consistency of concrete (photo 2).

After removing that mess, I found that part of the access area was blocked by the rear portion of the heater box/passenger foot space (photo 3). This left little space to access the battery for removal and installation of the new battery. That task was much like the research I had seen, but with one person accessing the battery from the front of the vehicle and me from above, the process was fairly smooth. I recommend disconnecting the two flex ducts at the shroud above the radiator and pushing them over to the open area above the fender skirt at the front passenger wheel.

For reinstallation of the access panel, I installed foil faced duct tape from the underside projecting 1/2" out on all sides to act as backing for 1/2" foam backer rod (photo 4). I opted to install a wood cleat to the underside of the plywood deck on the right and a 12" piano hinge on the left of the access opening (photo 5). I pinched the backer rod on the hinge side as I closed the access cover and then placed the backer rod in the void along the other three sides. I then taped all four sides with the foil faced duct tape (photo 6). Finally, I placed two layers of 1/8" foam underlayment (similar to that used with laminated flooring) across the plywood deck and reinstalled the dash desk assembly.

I then reattached the two heater ducts to the shroud above the radiator.

I hope this helps to give other Thor owners an option to finishing the re-install and securing of the access panel. I have other step by step photos related specifically to some detail issues resulting from how close the opening was to two sides of the padded dash. If anyone wants to see them, let me know.