Forum Discussion

Explorer

Feb 09, 2021

Flush Transmission and Radiator?

Hey All,

I have a 2006 Chateau Sport (Class C) Chevy Express RV with about 60,000 miles on it. The previous owner took pretty good care of it, and I picked it up with about 38,000 miles on it. It's always been stored in a storage unit and is in really nice condition inside and out. It's my first RV and I've loved owning it.

Previous owner always ran Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil and had it serviced regularly.

I have a check engine light on (probably o2 sensor), and am going to get it serviced soon before spring arrives.

I got to wondering about the transmission and I seem to recall the manual says to change transmission fluid at 100,000 miles. BUT I'm gonna have the mechanic go through everything and replace anything that looks suspect (belts whatever) as it's getting some age on it since it's a 2006.

If you didn't know when the transmission and radiator were flushed last, would it be a good idea to go ahead and have these taken care of "just for the hell of it"? Or am I being overly cautious??

Anything else that's normally overlooked that I should have my mechanic take a look at while he's got it??

Thanks in advance for your knowledge and advice.

Class C

23 Replies

valhalla360
Navigator
Feb 09, 2021
I might preemptively replace the belts. If they are 15yrs old, even if they look OK, they may be ready to fail.

It probably wouldn't hurt to flush the trans.

Keep in mind, 4,000 miles per year is way below what the chassis would expect in a commercial application, so age will push some issues long before miles.

PS: How old are the tires?
gbopp
Explorer
Feb 09, 2021
LostInOz wrote:
If you didn't know when the transmission and radiator were flushed last, would it be a good idea to go ahead and have these taken care of "just for the hell of it"? Or am I being overly cautious??

I wouldn't 'flush' the transmission, I would just change the fluid/filter.
I think it's a good idea to service the transmission and radiator, especially if you don't know when or if it was done previously.
It gives you a base line for future maintenance.
MDKMDK
Explorer
Feb 09, 2021
I had a 2002 Roadtrek (3500 Chevy Express van) with the 5.7L V8. Somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 miles I had to replace the intake manifold gasket due to leakage between the gasket and the cooling system. Caught in time, small coolant/oil drips on the driveway, and I think it cost around $1200 to repair. I guess the Dexcool goblins got to that gasket. Might want to have that checked, if possible?