Quick question about oil changes

Filter and 6 quarts of oil....about $40 DIY. Really? Cheap insurance to keep it properly lubed with fresh oil. I change mine about every 2-3K miles due to the simple ease and low costs. Yeah, yeah, overkill on my part but I do a lot of beach driving in salt elements and rather be safer than sorry. A rebuilt engine will cost a whole lot of $$ and labor. Cheapest maintenance you can do for your RV is change the fluids.

Terryallan wrote:

K Charles wrote:
Condensation is not a rumor. Once you take the oil out of the bottle the moisture in the air gets in it.

Just a question mind you. IF the oil is sealed in the engine, with no leaks, and no way to get air in. Does it still condensate?

The engine is not sealed. Its exposed to atmospheric conditions through the engine oil drain holes and some other places. Engines inhale and exhale every day with the changes in temperature, and when it goes below the dew point, condensate forms on the metal which contributes to rust. When the air cools(contracts), it inhales, and when it warms(expands) it exhales. The other thing that happens is the oxygen in the air starts to combine with the oil in a process called oxidation, which changes the properties of the oil in a bad way. When the engine runs, it makes a gallon of water for every gallon of fuel it burns. It's real apparent at startup when the engine is cold, and you see water coming out the tailpipe. The oil is really under attack from a lot of different directions. What it wants to do is form rust and sludge, the two big enemies of our engines.

carringb wrote:
FWIW - here is Ford's official policy for long-term storage for the E-series:

• Change the engine oil and filter prior to storage because used engine oil contains contaminates which may cause engine damage.
• Start the engine every 15 days for a minimum of 15 minutes. Run at fast idle with the climate controls set to defrost until the engine reaches normal operating temperature.
• With your foot on the brake, shift through all the gears while the engine is running.
• We recommend that you change the engine oil before you use your vehicle again.

That said... I know many folks with V10s that do nothing special for the engine. The generator is the neediest component on the RV, and probably does need special attention to ensure it starts back up.

I so agree i take mine for a drive once a month and run the geni. too.. make sure to put some kind of fuel stabelizer in it and fill the fuel tank all the way. JMO and letting it set so long without driving can sez up ihe brake calapers too..sorry about the spelling

FWIW - here is Ford's official policy for long-term storage for the E-series:

• Change the engine oil and filter prior to storage because used engine oil contains contaminates which may cause engine damage.
• Start the engine every 15 days for a minimum of 15 minutes. Run at fast idle with the climate controls set to defrost until the engine reaches normal operating temperature.
• With your foot on the brake, shift through all the gears while the engine is running.
• We recommend that you change the engine oil before you use your vehicle again.

That said... I know many folks with V10s that do nothing special for the engine. The generator is the neediest component on the RV, and probably does need special attention to ensure it starts back up.

You'll find a lot of opinions here, not sure how much scientific fact.

With that said, I'll throw out my opinions. I agree with the statements above that no engine and drive train should sit idle for more than a month, especially if no long term storage preparations and return to service procedures are followed. Can you "get away" with changing the oil ever 3-4 years? Probably. I've known people who never changed their oil, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Personally, I always changed the oil at least once per year when we had the motor home. More often when we put lots of miles on it. With synthetic oil on my daily driver, I go pretty much by mileage and expect to get 7-10K miles out of it but I would still change it at least once per year if I was driving less. I've seen other sites that indicate you can go 2 or more years between changes on low mileage vehicles, but for me once a year seems like a reasonable balance.

The only way to really know when the oil truly needs to be changed is to have a sample tested. Not really worth the effort and expense to me. It would cost more than changing the oil myself and be more hassle. I'm not sure how much condensation plays into modern engines, but there are many factors like acid content and additives breaking down. Maybe condensation, maybe combustion by products, maybe other factors, but oil sitting in your engine especially after being run even a few miles is not the same as oil sealed in a factory container.

These links have some information about what happens as oil gets older and why you might want to consider interval based changes instead of just mileage:

https://www.waynesgarage.com/tips/more-tip/much-about-oil
https://www.waynesgarage.com/tips/more-tip/oil-change-intervals

No rumor here. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations unless you’re an expert.

I'd worry more about condensation in the fuel system than in the oil. If you park it for a while fill the fuel tank to the brim.
Driving it once in a while is a good habit also. These things tend to atrophy if you don't use them. Run the generator too if you have one.

How often do you actually drive the thing? For a variety of reasons you should take it down the road every now and then run the generator while doing it. Tires need to be run too. Changing oil once a year is a good idea and not the costly.

Condensation forms during cold starts. If those 500 miles are from get-everything-hot trips, and not the occasional grocery store trip, I would not worry about it.

Check your owner's manual. Ford says change the oil every 7,500 miles or every 6 months for normal service. So, twice a year for your Winnebago. BTW, oil changes are cheap insurance.