Axis/Vegas rear shock access

[Scott11123]

I'm replacing the shocks in a 2022 Thor Vegas. Three went in fine, but the passenger rear shock has a plate across the frame above the muffler restricting access to the top nut. Is there a trick to getting the shock top nut out? I'm wondering if I need to cut a hole in the floor above...

 

[ghnl]

Picture?

 

[Scott11123]

Shock mount picture

Not a great picture, but you can see the silver heat shield plate behind and around the shock to the crossmember, and the grey/brown muffler mount plate in front of it. Neither exist on the driver side, giving reasonable access to the shock top bolt.
Easy to see in person, hard to get a shot due to the short ground clearance. The gray bar at the bottom is the sway bar.

 

[Floater R&E]

Hello did you resolve the access to rear shocks on Thor? I’m trying to do mine and have the same ?

 

[Scott11123]

I have not, it got cold here in CO and the RV doesn't fit in the garage
Once it warms back up I am looking at swapping out the water heater for tankless and it looks like I could build an access hole then. But truthfully, we have less than 10k miles on the factory shocks and the sway bars made the big difference. I'm not in a rush to replace this last one, even if it feels like heresy to have non-matching rears...

 

[Floater R&E]

I have not, it got cold here in CO and the RV doesn't fit in the garage
Once it warms back up I am looking at swapping out the water heater for tankless and it looks like I could build an access hole then. But truthfully, we have less than 10k miles on the factory shocks and the sway bars made the big difference. I'm not in a rush to replace this last one, even if it feels like heresy to have non-matching rears...

Hi. I own a 2022 Thor Vegas 24.4. 37000 miles. I have installed safe t rear sway bar and bmount also safe-t stabilizer up front and front sumo springs. I di most of the work except rear mod.
I have had a few issues with RV but overall I enjoy driving it. We are headed to Elephant Buttte state park soon. I m trying o seek a way on that shock install.