Where do you go for vehicle service on the road?

linchat · 06-09-2016, 02:06 PM

When you are on extended trips, where do you stop for oil changes / normal maintenance services? Allot of ford dealerships will not take larger SUVs, we are in the nebraska, dakotas. Any thoughts?

Duckogram · 06-09-2016, 02:16 PM

A motorhome is not a SUV, it is a truck chassis. There are Ford Truck centers across the country that will do service on the road. I had a fuel system failure and a cel in Texas. Towneast Ford in Mesquite took care of it including having a part overnighted from TN. Had an Oil change in Bangor, ME at Whitehead. Had a mobile oil change service at an RV park just west of Albuquerque NM. Service on the road is not an issue. Of course, you can take your chances at any CW ;-)

grumpy0374 · 06-09-2016, 02:26 PM

Wouldn't let a Camping World check my oil, much less change it.
Grumpy

linchat · 06-09-2016, 02:27 PM

No thanks on CW. That is why I am asking.

For oil changes, how do I look up something like this in my area? Google ford truch center? Or mobile rv oil changes? How do I go about finding these.

KansasFR3 · 06-09-2016, 04:23 PM

If you typically do your own oil changes, I'd just wait till you get back home. This past oil change, which the Mobil 1 had 6200 miles on it, was sent to Blackstone labs for the first time. And they said everything looks good and I could extend my oil changes. Not that I want to, but at least I know if I have to push the oil change interval, I'm not going to sweat it.

linchat · 06-09-2016, 08:19 PM

Well I am towing an f150 truck behind me on a 6k trip. Seemed like allot of abuse to go that long without oil change. The manukau says every 7500 miles of normal use... What to do what to do....

KansasFR3 · 06-10-2016, 09:26 AM

Np. I was also worried going over 5k oil change interval going from Kansas to San Diego towing our 5-6k car/dolly setup. So I sent in the oil to see how it stood up and just passing on what I learned from that. Not that I'm going to increase my interval to 8k, but its nice to know that the hard 6k miles I had on that oil did just fine.

Also, you could grab yourself Fumoto valve to replace your drain plug so you can do a quick oil change in a parking lot without tools. I probably wouldn't drop the filter, but you can at least change out the 6 or so quarts with some fresh fluid fairly easy while on the road. I have them on all of our vehicles and it makes the oil changes a little easier.

---------------------------------------------
Comments from Blackstone Lab report at 16,118 miles (6,118 miles on oil):
We're pleased with these results, and you probably will be too! Universal averages show typical wear for this type of Ford engine after about 4,500 miles of oil use. You went 6,118 miles on this oil and your metals line up very well with universal averages. A little more iron isn't unusual after using a longer than average interval, so steel parts are fine. Copper was actually below average, and aluminum and chrome were right at the average mark. The viscosity was fine for a 5W/20 and no contamination was detected. Try going up to 8,000 miles next time. Perfect!
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Have a great trip though!!

SeaDog · 06-10-2016, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpy0374

Wouldn't let a Camping World check my oil, much less change it.
Grumpy

X2

Iwannacamp · 06-10-2016, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linchat

Well I am towing an f150 truck behind me on a 6k trip. Seemed like allot of abuse to go that long without oil change. The manukau says every 7500 miles of normal use... What to do what to do....

Not that my opinion counts... I would lean towards the "severe service" intervals if I am towing. I know the PCM is supposed to tell you at service intervals, but to me that is the high end of service. I AM OLD SCHOOL on this stuff. I used to change my 93 Dodge diesel at 2000-2500 miles...yes I know, but my oil was as clean as a gas burner oil. I didn't have to change 2-3 times a year. It is cheap insurance

RamblerGuy · 06-14-2016, 07:25 PM

I needed to have the oil and filter changed on our Ford E450 Sunseeker during a trip. I called a Jiffy Lube and found they had a bay that would accommodate the motorhome. I had the oil and filter since had hoped to change it myself. The technician used it saying it was better that what they had. They charged $65, which was more than they charged to change the oil and filter on our toad. It's actually easier to change the oil on the E450 than on the toad. I wasn't happy with the price but it had to be done. On our next long trip I changed it myself. (They did wash ALL of the windows but probably because there were 3 guys there and they had nothing else to do.)

On our last trip we were 500 miles from home when it rolled over 5,000 miles. I let it go to 5,500 miles. I also sent a sample to Blackstone Labs which gave the same good report as they did to a previous poster.

Also, I agree that motorhomes and tow vehicles should follow the severe service schedule of 5,000 miles between changes, but as the Blackstone reports show it's not absolute.

linchat · 06-17-2016, 08:47 AM

Thanks all, appreciate all posts. Dumb tech question, ok to change oil without changing filter? I would not make it a habit, but to get at least an oil change on the road is this ok?

RamblerGuy · 06-17-2016, 12:53 PM

Yes, you can change the oil and not change the filter, but I'd suggest not running the new oil with the old filter as long as your normal interval. As my recent oil analysis showed, the oil, especially full synthetic, can go longer than the 5,000 miles I usually run. Years ago carmakers recommended changing oil and filter at certain intervals and had different recommended interval for changing the oil but not the filter every other time. When Mobil 1 first came out they advertised you could run longer change intervals than conventional oil.

I changed mine once when we were on a long trip. I put the used oil in jugs with screw caps, put the filter in a zip lock bag, and placed them along with the dirty pan in a big plastic bag. I disposed of everything properly when I got home.

Here's a thought. To get an idea about whether or not you really need to change the filter, the next time you change it, cut open the filter. How much crud is in it? If it has plenty of filter capacity left, you should be fine to skip a filter change. If it's pretty much full, don't risk it.

KansasFR3 · 06-20-2016, 08:22 AM

I wouldn't hesitate doing it. I was concerned that last trip we did by going over the 5k interval, hence I sent in for an oil analysis when we were done. Now that I know the Mobil 1 can handle the abuse of towing and going over some mountains, I won't be so worried my next trip if we happen to go over the 5k again. Fresh oil though is better than nothing, though I wouldn't go 10k on a single oil filter, more like 7.5-8k. JMO.

welder · 06-20-2016, 09:48 AM

Ford says 7500 miles for oil change on V10.

Skgust · 07-26-2016, 12:31 PM

We found a great little local gas station that does our oil changes in our area by looking at Yelp - RV oil change and through our Nextdoor App. We love Nextdoor, if you don't belong, download the App and ask away and you will get recommendations for all kinds of services in your local area.

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