Opinions

[JamJanTan]

I usually put about 6000 miles on my RV with Ford V-10 each year. I only change the full synthetic oil once a year. Any reason to do it more frequently? Also should the oil change happen when the season is over or at the beginning of a new season of camping? Curious minds think it does not matter much but interested in opinions.

[Miramar Owner]

That's a very good question and I'm curious as to the responses you receive. I run about the same as you and change annually in the spring. In the old days it was important to change more often due to the oil getting dirty and breaking down. The engines are tighter and the oil is better today.

[sky_blue]

I live in my RV and put about 15K miles a year. The Ford manual says 7500 miles with blended synthetic oil. I use full synthetic but still follow the 7500 mile recommendation. I also rotate tires and do a battery load test at that time.

[Rocky49]

If you are only do once a year do it at the end of the season and leave clean oil in the rig for the longest period of time. Old oil has all kinds of nasty stuff acids etc. that will rot and damage stuff if left indefinitely. No telling when the old guy is going in the hospital and the rig gets parked indefinitely. The same applies to old women. Best to always shut it down completely and clean. Airplanes are what I know best. So parking with clean coolant and oil is the best way to store a motorhome. This applies particularly in warmer climates because chemical reactions slow down in colder temps. Bad acids eat bearings!

Did my oil change in October when I parked my rig. Dug it out last weekend, first trip is April 1st. Today it is minus 20 C about -2 F outside.

Rocky
north of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2014 Thor Freedom Elite 023H or U



Reg

[JamJanTan]

Originally Posted by Rocky49

If you are only do once a year do it at the end of the season and leave clean oil in the rig for the longest period of time. Old oil has all kinds of nasty stuff acids etc. that will rot and damage stuff if left indefinitely. No telling when the old guy is going in the hospital and the rig gets parked indefinitely. The same applies to old women. Best to always shut it down completely and clean. Airplanes are what I know best. So parking with clean coolant and oil is the best way to store a motorhome. This applies particularly in warmer climates because chemical reactions slow down in colder temps. Bad acids eat bearings!



Did my oil change in October when I parked my rig. Dug it out last weekend, first trip is April 1st. Today it is minus 20 C about -2 F outside.



Rocky

north of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

2014 Thor Freedom Elite 023H or U







Reg

Makes sense so my spring oil change just turned to a fall oil change

[Bob Denman]

My penny's worth...
(Because it ain't worth TWO of them!...)
If you're changing annually: it doesn't really matter all that much when you do it.
Either way: the rig is gonna sit for Months with the oil that it has in it. Modern oils aren't at all like the old "Dino-Squeezins" that you used in the DeSoto...

Everything will be just fine!
(For the record: I change the oil in all of my toys at the start of the Season.

[Chance]

Don’t like going a year without an oil change. My V10 is old, so specs may have changed a lot since. Still, twice a year minimum seems like cheap insurance — normally pay around $40 at Ford with coupon when I don’t do it myself. Granted, I drive more miles than most. An extra oil change a year seems almost insignificant by comparison.

[mountainsam]

I would do the oil changes at the start of the season so everything is checked fresh for the road. I have seen it written to change at the end of the season prior to storage and again in the spring. That had to be writen by an oil salesperson. If I were storing or parking for long periods of time I would make sure to shut it down after a good drive that will bring it up to temp for 20 to 30 minutes. That will burn off any condensation. Then change the oil in the spring when you check and service all other moving and hanging parts.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by Chance

Still, twice a year minimum seems like cheap insurance... An extra oil change a year seems almost insignificant by comparison.

I can find a lot to agree with in your statement...
If you feel it necessary.

[JamJanTan]

As I stated when I started the thread I don’t think it adds up to much either way. Once a year, twice, spring, fall I don’t think any of it will significantly change engine performance, dependability, or longevity but thanks for you input and thoughts.

[groundpounder]

Here is a tip from the airplane piston engine word.

Your engine needs to be thoroughly warmed up and operated for at least 1 hour each month. The reason behind this is to minimize to opportunity to rust your cylinders and other metal parts. Humid vapor will get inside the engine as it heats and cools even while sitting. You also need it to be hot enough to cause any water present to evaporate. The worst thing to do is to run it for 5 minutes and call it good.

As for changing the oil, there is a oil life, look it up.

[jpmihalk]

We got ours new in April and so our original schedule was to change the oil annually in April. At that time, we were only using it for a few trips, no more than 5000 miles in a year. But since we started full timing last July, we have put almost 10,000 miles on her so twice a year it is. We are also planning to switch to full synthetic to better handle the temperature changes we encounter as well as additional unforeseen mileage.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

I can find a lot to agree with in your statement...
If you feel it necessary.

For me insurance, by definition, isn’t necessary. It’s about reducing risk.

At 178,000 miles without any oil-related problems, I wouldn’t do much of anything differently. Granted my V10 doesn’t have to work as hard as if it were powering a large RV, but overall I’ve been very happy with results.

[Laco]

The new synthetic oil is very different then the old dyno oil we used to use. Its far more forgiving over time, as far as inhibiting engine corrosion, maintaining its viscosity longer, holds particulate matter in suspension far better and longer and is more resilient to very high and very low temperatures. I do run mine a year, usually changing it sometime before the hot summer season starts. Having said that, if I drove more miles, I would change it around 10K, just for insurance. An oil change is one heck of a lot less expensive than an engine replacement, or even repair.

[JamJanTan]

Originally Posted by groundpounder

Here is a tip from the airplane piston engine word.



Your engine needs to be thoroughly warmed up and operated for at least 1 hour each month. The reason behind this is to minimize to opportunity to rust your cylinders and other metal parts. Humid vapor will get inside the engine as it heats and cools even while sitting. You also need it to be hot enough to cause any water present to evaporate. The worst thing to do is to run it for 5 minutes and call it good.



As for changing the oil, there is a oil life, look it up.

Of course we run the engine and generator about every two weeks even in storage