Winter storage - Oil Change in fall or spring?

10forty2 wrote:
Geez... I hear tell that your babies will be born naked if you don't change your oil every millennium under the blood-red moon half-way through the Granny Smith Apple germination cycle................

Go with the recommendation of the manufacturer of the engine, and use the oil/filter that they recommend as well. I personally change mine once per year, at the beginning of travel season, just after taking the big girl out of storage and draining out the pink stuff. According to many posters on here, I also waste time and money by cleaning my black tank after every trip and sanitizing my potable water tank/ lines a couple times per year.

As to the transmission without a dipstick....I have four vehicles that are made that way. Two Toyotas, one Chevrolet and one Ford. I'm not aware that there are any RVs like that but there sure are passenger vehicles that have non-serviceable transmission fluid reservoirs. Supposedly they have lifetime transmission fluid..............

what year and model vehicles(all 4) that you own have no trans fill ports?

Geez... I hear tell that your babies will be born naked if you don't change your oil every millennium under the blood-red moon half-way through the Granny Smith Apple germination cycle................

Go with the recommendation of the manufacturer of the engine, and use the oil/filter that they recommend as well. I personally change mine once per year, at the beginning of travel season, just after taking the big girl out of storage and draining out the pink stuff. According to many posters on here, I also waste time and money by cleaning my black tank after every trip and sanitizing my potable water tank/ lines a couple times per year.

As to the transmission without a dipstick....I have four vehicles that are made that way. Two Toyotas, one Chevrolet and one Ford. I'm not aware that there are any RVs like that but there sure are passenger vehicles that have non-serviceable transmission fluid reservoirs. Supposedly they have lifetime transmission fluid..............

Mile High wrote:

wildmanbaker wrote:
Can you say, "Recreational Maintaince". Don't just look at Europe, a lot of transmissions here do not have a dip stick, so you must fill them from the drain bolt with a special adapter too prevent overfilling.

Given so many vehicle fires happen here on the mountain passes from transmission fluid bubbling back up through the dipstick tube and flowing out onto hot exhaust manifolds, maybe that's not a bad thing! :) I know some have gone to a positive lock on the dipstick to prevent it from popping out.

GMC has used the positive lock since 1988 its not new but not going to happen on the diesel pusher Allison type trans
only in some gasser situations although fairly rare

wildmanbaker wrote:
Can you say, "Recreational Maintaince". Don't just look at Europe, a lot of transmissions here do not have a dip stick, so you must fill them from the drain bolt with a special adapter too prevent overfilling.

Given so many vehicle fires happen here on the mountain passes from transmission fluid bubbling back up through the dipstick tube and flowing out onto hot exhaust manifolds, maybe that's not a bad thing! :) I know some have gone to a positive lock on the dipstick to prevent it from popping out.

xctraveler wrote:

wildmanbaker wrote:
Can you say, "Recreational Maintaince". Don't just look at Europe, a lot of transmissions here do not have a dip stick, so you must fill them from the drain bolt with a special adapter too prevent overfilling.

Took you at your word and looked up "Recreational Maintaince" (although I must admit I spelled "maintenance" correctly). I found no reference in the first two pages to any vehicle with an ic engine that does not have a dip stick - other than all electric (oh, right not an ic engine).

Further research using "internal combustion engine without a dip stick" turned up the following thread Eric the carguy

Must be a couple out there, but they seem to draw more ire than glory from posters.

he was referring to ""TRANSMISSIONS"" not Engines for what its worth although it really has zero to do with topic at hand here whatsoever

wildmanbaker wrote:
Can you say, "Recreational Maintaince". Don't just look at Europe, a lot of transmissions here do not have a dip stick, so you must fill them from the drain bolt with a special adapter too prevent overfilling.

Took you at your word and looked up "Recreational Maintaince" (although I must admit I spelled "maintenance" correctly). I found no reference in the first two pages to any vehicle with an ic engine that does not have a dip stick - other than all electric (oh, right not an ic engine).

Further research using "internal combustion engine without a dip stick" turned up the following thread Eric the carguy

Must be a couple out there, but they seem to draw more ire than glory from posters.

wildmanbaker wrote:
Can you say, "Recreational Maintaince". Don't just look at Europe, a lot of transmissions here do not have a dip stick, so you must fill them from the drain bolt with a special adapter too prevent overfilling.

really- which particular diesel or Gasser model has such? never seen that before? is that new for 2017 era or?

Can you say, "Recreational Maintaince". Don't just look at Europe, a lot of transmissions here do not have a dip stick, so you must fill them from the drain bolt with a special adapter too prevent overfilling.

Mine is inspected every year by a DOT qualified tech, miles/klms distance has nothing to do with it ,they do not 'inspect' the oil.
The every year thing is I suspect from marketing "you can't say that " sales sales sales.Be aware in Europe it has become of regulators interest that oil is not change before manufacturers recommendation and the government tells them to make oil last a required interval, in fact drain plugs may be banned to make changing a controlled activity.

It's fun to read everyone's take on the oil change interval at least every 6 months :) Clearly Cummins does not understand what is going on with the oil in their engines otherwise they would not have the 1 year or x miles oil change requirement. There are also a whole lot of other wear, inspection, change requirements that are based on one year. It makes it easy for me to just follow the mfg recommended service intervals and be done with it. One trip for service each year. No thinking involved. Since we use the coach much of the time and seldom store it that question does not come up. See me in June when I make my annual service trip to a Freightliner Oasis shop for everything that is in the book.