Getting an RV Oil Change
Getting an oil change for your motorhome can be more challenging than getting an oil change for your car. This is due to several reasons, including the size of your motorhome, and some “car mechanics” consider a motorhome a truck, and won’t work on them. This is especially true if you have a Class A or a diesel motorhome.
Let’s look at a few things you may need to know before you attempt to get an oil change for your motorhome.
Know the Type of Oil You Need
Consult your owner’s manual to see the weight of oil you need, as well as how often you need to change the oil.
It’s usually recommended that you change your motorhome’s oil every three months or 3,000 miles. However, many RVers only put 5,000 to 6,000 miles on their RV every year. Motorhomes spend much of the time parked.
If you switch to synthetic oil, you can then plan to change your motorhome oil every 5,000 miles, or twice a year. However, if you do change over to synthetic oil, you’ll need to stick with synthetic oil. There are some concerns that switching back and forth between synthetic and conventional oils can cause problems.
However, synthetic oil shouldn’t be used if your motorhome is brand new. New engines need to be broken in; the extra friction from conventional oils will smooth off the internal parts of the engine, so it will run smoothly.
The Pros and Cons of Synthetic Motor Oil
The biggest “con” to synthetic motor oil is the expense; it can cost you as much as three times more than conventional motor oil.
The biggest “pro” to synthetic motor oil is that it lasts much longer; in fact, it may last twice as long between oil changes compared to conventional motor oil. That may actually save you money in the end. Also, synthetic motor oil contains far fewer impurities such as sulfur or wax, and it’s less likely to oxidize.
Finding Someplace to Change Your Motorhome Oil
This may be the biggest challenge and expense; often, you’ll need to go to an RV shop that works on motorhomes, or a truck mechanic. That’s especially true if you have a Class A motorhome or a diesel pusher.
Small towns were Rvers flock are more likely to have mechanics willing to work on a motorhome than a big city. If you’re new to an area, start by asking at the RV park if there is someone who can change your oil. Mechanics who work on motorhomes will often leave business cards at the local RV parks.
You can also go online and search for an RV mechanic or a mobile mechanic; independent mobile mechanics will often come to you to change your oil.
Keeping your engine oil fresh is one of the keys to long engine life, so stay on top of your motorhome oil changes.
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