The gen set in my Thor Challenger is an Onan QG 5500 Gas. The RV manual says change the oil every 150 hours. That seems pretty frequent. If boon docking when it is hot we could do that many hours in a couple of weeks.Any idea if this is correct?? Every 150 hours of run time??

sounds about right. my stand-by home genny specifies an oil change every 100-hrs or every 12-months whichever occurs first. i'd go by the mfgs specs.

If you know more than the manufacturer...Compare my Silverado driving...50 miles per hour for 150 hours...7,500 miles. And 7,500 is the recommended oil change interval.

What if you put your daily driver to the redline and left it there for 150 hr. Would you think it time to change to oil in it?

Yes. That is correct.I use a good synthetic oil in mine, same as I put in the RV engine.But even with that I try not to go over 200 hours.

I change the generator oil/filter at least every year. It's cheap insurance.I change it even if it's less than 100 hours.

Generator Oil Change Frequency | Good Sam Community

rk911
Explorer
Aug 04, 2019
sounds about right. my stand-by home genny specifies an oil change every 100-hrs or every 12-months whichever occurs first. i'd go by the mfgs specs.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Aug 04, 2019
If you know more than the manufacturer...

Compare my Silverado driving...50 miles per hour for 150 hours...7,500 miles. And 7,500 is the recommended oil change interval.
K_Charles
Explorer
Aug 04, 2019
What if you put your daily driver to the redline and left it there for 150 hr. Would you think it time to change to oil in it?
Sam_Spade
Explorer
Aug 04, 2019
Yes. That is correct.
I use a good synthetic oil in mine, same as I put in the RV engine.
But even with that I try not to go over 200 hours.
gbopp
Explorer
Aug 04, 2019
I change the generator oil/filter at least every year. It's cheap insurance.
I change it even if it's less than 100 hours.
Tom_Barb
Explorer
Aug 04, 2019
rk911 wrote:
sounds about right. my stand-by home genny specifies an oil change every 100-hrs or every 12-months whichever occurs first. i'd go by the mfgs specs.

we change oil every 50 hours on our diesel, or every spring, which ever occurs first
Wild_Bill_888
Explorer
Aug 04, 2019
For small generators with no oil filter I change frequently and dump the slightly used oil in the car or motorhome with high quality filters.
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Aug 04, 2019
I'm for 50 hours as well plus a new filter and the air cleaner element at least every other season. Oil is cheap, so are filters. An engine overhaul isn't.
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Aug 04, 2019
Wild Bill 888 wrote:
For small generators with no oil filter I change frequently and dump the slightly used oil in the car or motorhome with high quality filters.

All my waste oil including hydraulic goes in the 500 gallon tank for my waste oil furnace. I can burn close to 1000 gallons a tear heating my shop.
bukhrn
Explorer III
Aug 04, 2019
Yup, mine says 150 hrs, we don't boondock, but do dry camp often, but whether we get 150 hrs or not I change it annually.