Oil changes

[The Happy Hippie]

I’m new to this RV stuff and bought a Thor Vegas 25.5 a month ago. It’s a 2018. I’ve looked under the hood and realized that there’s not much room for a myopic, 80 year old klutz to do more than pour oil all over the different parts. In order to not just get took for everything I have can someone give me a ballpark number of what to expect to pay for oil and filter change and whether I should do this at a RV dealer or at a Ford dealer? I’m really grateful to any one who’s willing to share their insight. I’ll be heading from Florida to California to see the Big Trees then up to Puget Sound next month and figure I’ll need to do same maintenance along the way. Thank you so, so much.

 

[ducksface]

You won't need an oil change for that trip length.

Ask a friend where they go in your area.

I go to jiffy lube et al because the 1;1,000,000 stories you hear aren't of a consequence to me.
The same 1:1,000,000 guys do the same oil changes at a ford dealer and a rv joint,

 

[macdaddy1111]

Wife takes her bus to Ford dealership that handles Ford box trucks/ Ford chassis RVs
40 something inspection, grease and oil. 100 bucks.

Tip my hat to all that still do all their own work!

 

[ghnl]

Hello & welcome.

I'm a diehard DIY'er but even so, I often will pay to have some of the difficult jobs done. Changing the oil in our motorhome (ACE 30.1 on Ford F53 chassis) is one of those jobs. Draining the oil & changing the filter isn't too bad but it's very awkward to put the new oil in.

The local Ford dealership started refusing to work on motorhomes a few years ago. (I never got an explanation for that.) I found an independent shop that specializes in big trucks. I'm happy to bring our motorhome there - they do good work at a fair price and never try to upsell.

I don't recall what they charge for an oil change - I usually have other work or inspections done at the same time. I do oil changes every 5,000 miles.

 

[SGilbert]

When I bought out '18 Axis with the V10, I changed oil, even though it only has 4k miles, so as to have the reassurance that it was done. I also changed to full synthetic.

As far as adding oil, I took a plastic quart bottle and cut it th be sort of a horizontal funnel. A tad slower, but got the job done.

 

[GrandRover]

Interesting, I was wondering the same thing for my 2023 Thor Axis 24.1
So far I have not found a local Ford dealership that does service on RV's but will keep looking. My odometer is only at 4524 miles so it is probably too early to worry about getting chassis service done.

 

[SGilbert]

Interesting, I was wondering the same thing for my 2023 Thor Axis 24.1
So far I have not found a local Ford dealership that does service on RV's but will keep looking. My odometer is only at 4524 miles so it is probably too early to worry about getting chassis service done.

Bought new? You should have had an oil/filter change by now.

 

[GrandRover]

Bought new? You should have had an oil/filter change by now.

Yes, bought it new in November 2023. Hmm, when should the first oil / filter change be done? My Ford Pass App says I have 54% Oil Life remaining.

 

[16ACE27]

Yes, bought it new in November 2023. Hmm, when should the first oil / filter change be done? My Ford Pass App says I have 54% Oil Life remaining.

Oil change timing is one of those subjects often discussed and debated with no final answer.

You have the old timers that change oil every 2000 miles (before synthetic) with the first oil change on a new engine at 100 miles. Some still do 2000 (or 3000) mile oil changes with synthetic.

Mobile one came along and said you could go 15000 miles between oil changes which some people still adhere to with any synthetic oil. Auto manufacturers went from a recommended new engine oil change at 1000 miles to "Don't worry about it".

I usually go by the oil life monitor on my cars but I do the MH every 5000 miles with a high grade filter and full synthetic because the NH application in my mind is "extreme duty" for the engine.

Listen to the soon-to-come opinions and stories and make up your own mind based on your engine's maintenance recommendations and your risk assessment/tolerance.

 

[MJC68]

Being an old time Chrysler/Plymouth Auto Tech from the 70's, (back then we were mechanics) it took me a long time to switch over from the old Dino oils to the synthetics. Mobil One came along and we heard rumors that synthetic oil was going to cause leaks, most notably in the rear main bearing seal. In hindsight I think that rumor was started by the other oil manufacturers that didn't make synthetics at the time. Anyway, I digress.
We now use full synthetics and change at the manufacturer recommendations. Which on our 2019 Jeep is 5000 miles. Our old 2010 4 popper Ford Ranger is 7500 miles. which we don't make in year, so she gets changed spring & fall
We do the F53 V10 at 5000.
In the grand scheme of maintenance costs oil changes are one of the cheaper items to do.

 

[DavidEM]

Interesting, I was wondering the same thing for my 2023 Thor Axis 24.1
So far I have not found a local Ford dealership that does service on RV's but will keep looking. My odometer is only at 4524 miles so it is probably too early to worry about getting chassis service done.

I changed the oil on my 2021 Axis 24.1 at 7,500 miles. Same Godzilla engine as yours. I used a flat drain pan I bought on Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0059HJSA2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I then used a funnel with a couple of feet of plastic tubing to fill the new oil. You can support the funnel underneath a wiper blade while you pour.

Not easy but not so bad either. Lots better than looking for a truck repair shop that will do it.

David

 

[Lt Keefer]

Still do the changes myself on all our vehicles. I do them all at once or year or 5,000 miles, whichever comes first. The drain and filter are easy. I use single quart bottles for the refill as in my Hurricane, there is just enough room to tilt the bottle. For supplies on the coach, I use Ford branded filters and oils, all available at Wal Mart.

 

[16ACE27]

Still do the changes myself on all our vehicles. I do them all at once or year or 5,000 miles, whichever comes first. The drain and filter are easy. I use single quart bottles for the refill as in my Hurricane, there is just enough room to tilt the bottle. For supplies on the coach, I use Ford branded filters and oils, all available at Wal Mart.

They MAY be available at Walmart - not in stock at our Walmart (but AC Delco is) and at $19 for the Motorcraft filter, I'll pass for the Purolator BOSS filter - but now we've introduced the debate over which filter is "best".

 

[SGilbert]

I swear by Purolator, Wix, or NAPA. (Never Fram!!)

 

[16ACE27]

I swear by Purolator, Wix, or NAPA. (Never Fram!!)

Why not FRAM? The cheap ones are as good (or as bad) as other brand cheap ones but the TG and XG ones are also as good (or bad) as other brands' better filters.

 

[SGilbert]

Why not FRAM? The cheap ones are as good (or as bad) as other brand cheap ones but the TG and XG ones are also as good (or bad) as other brands' better filters.

5 Common Fram Oil Filter Problems (Explained)

Why are Fram Oil filters so bad?

There are more.

 

[16ACE27]

5 Common Fram Oil Filter Problems (Explained)

Why are Fram Oil filters so bad?

There are more.

So a 20 year old thread with no specifics and a generalized wordsmith article. Neither tells me specifically (cut open, parts shown) that a FRAM XG or TG oil filter is worse than a comparably priced other brand oil filter.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/13t15o4/are_fram_oil_filters_still_garbage_in_2023

 

[SGilbert]

You can use whatever you choose; I'll stick to my choices.

 

[paulwadley]

When I change my oil, I use a pump to get the oil back into the engine through the dip stick tube since Ford did not provide another place to add the oil to the engine. On my next oil change, I plan on installing the Fumoto oil drain plug with the nipple to attach a hose when releasing the used oil from the oil pan to the drain pan. Hopefully with the extension on the Fumoto valve, I can screw it into the oil pan where the oil drain plug is located then no more oil messes under the coach.

Paul

 

[Chateau_Nomad]

When I change my oil, I use a pump to get the oil back into the engine through the dip stick tube since Ford did not provide another place to add the oil to the engine. On my next oil change, I plan on installing the Fumoto oil drain plug with the nipple to attach a hose when releasing the used oil from the oil pan to the drain pan. Hopefully with the extension on the Fumoto valve, I can screw it into the oil pan where the oil drain plug is located then no more oil messes under the coach.

Paul

I love the Fumoto! I put one on the MH two years ago... now I just stick the poly hose connected to it directly into my waste oil jug. I'm planning on changing my MH and Jeep TJ oil/filters tomorrow.