Maintaining Your Thor

 
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You've made your decision, written a check, and now your new Thor motorhome or travel trailer sits in your driveway or back yard, waiting to give your family years of enjoyment. So, what next?

One of the first things you'll want to do as a new RV owner is to go over the maintenance needs of your particular unit. Even high-quality brands like Thor require maintenance to keep them running efficiently. Plus, performing routine maintenance will help you avoid costly emergency maintenance down the road.

Your Thor RV dealer serves as a wealth of knowledge when it comes to maintaining your Thor RV. If you prefer to do very little of your own RV maintenance, you can rely on your dealership to do most things for you. On the other hand, if you're a real do-it-yourselfer, you can ask the techs at your dealership how to perform common RV maintenance tasks like winterizing, battery maintenance and more.

Thor maintenance falls into two basic categories: preventive and routine. Let's look at some of the tasks you'll need to perform in each category.

Preventive maintenance is not mandated by warranty. Rather, it is designed to identify and address potential problems before they arise. Let's look at some common preventive maintenance tasks for motorhomes and travel trailers:

. Check for engine fluid leaks
. Test windshield wipers, inspect blades
. Check brakes
. Check taillights/brake lights/backup lights
. Replace air conditioner filters
. Check water level of batteries
. Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
. Inspect condition of awning fabric

This list is by no means exhaustive. Consult with your Thor dealer for a complete checklist of preventive maintenance items for your unit.

Routine RV maintenance, on the other hand, includes tasks you must do at scheduled intervals. Obviously, these tasks will vary depending on whether you own a Thor motorhome or travel trailer. Here are some examples of the types of routine maintenance tasks performed on motor homes and travel trailers:

. Change oil
. Lubricate chassis
. Service transmission

The most important routine maintenance task you can perform is checking your owner's manual and warranty. These documents will spell out exactly which tasks must be performed, when, and by whom. Some routine maintenance items must be performed by your Thor service center in order to keep your warranty intact. To be safe, consult your Thor dealer regarding routine maintenance of your RV.

One special area of concern to motorhome and travel trailer owners involves how to winterize their RV for storage. Winterizing an RV requires performing an extensive set of tasks. If you don't feel capable of doing these things, or if you simply prefer to have someone else do them, remember that your Thor RV dealer will be happy to do many of these chores for you.

Think of winterizing in terms of systems. You'll want to winterize your RV's water system, chassis and coach. According to experts, preparing your RV's water system for winter storage is a rather lengthy process composed of about 20 steps. If you're not handy with tools or don't have the time to perform this step correctly, leave it up to your Thor dealer. The last thing you want is to ruin your water system by allowing it to freeze, especially when this step can be done in advance of actually parking the RV for the winter.

Some tasks, however, have to be accomplished at the storage site. Within the coach, leave all drawers, doors and cabinets open to air. Remove all perishable food items to avoid attracting bugs and rodents. Defrost the freezer and wipe out the refrigerator. Clean the oven.

To winterize the chassis, remove the house batteries (the deep cycle, lead-acid batteries, not the engine battery), top off their fluid, charge them and store them in a cool place. Change the engine and generator oil and filter. Ensure that the antifreeze concentration is adequate. If possible, plan to start and run your motorhome for 30 minutes once a month while it's in storage. Don't forget to chock the wheels.

Maintaining your Thor travel trailer or motorhome will bring you and your family years of enjoyment. And, you can rely on your Thor dealer to perform any maintenance you don't want to do yourself. To find an authorized Thor dealer for maintenance or service, just click .Thor RVs. now, and we'll forward your request for information.