Change your oil- yourself or shop

[maddawg46]

Since I will be picking up my first class A next week I was wondering if you guys change your own oil or take to a Ford dealer, RV shop?
I use to change my own in my car, but my truck I take to a local shop. His shop is way to small to handle a motorhome.

[CharlesinGA]

sailor_lou wrote:
Other than mounting tires on a rim and twice for warranty work, I've never had anyone work on my car, truck, boat, RV or backhoe my entire life.

Lou
05 Travel Supreme Envoy

Same here. I have a family owned tire store with a good front end alignment guy, and they do my tires and alignments, and most exhaust work I have a good shop do, and Beyond that, I do it all.

[427435]

I change my own. Crawling around under the MH isn't as easy as it used to be, but it gives me a chance to check other things under there. Found a cracked radiator hose clamp on one of those changes that solved a nagging problem with coolant lose.

[Rwake901]

I change my own. I can do it for around $40.00. Very easy on the Ford chassis. Use the leveling jacks to raise the front up some and everything is very easy to get to. That way I know it's done right.

[wa8yxm]

I drive a Gasser.. One Authorized service center that used to be near where I used to live (I no longer live there, and they do not either) charged me $65 (a few cents less actually) for an oil change.. SYNTHETIC OIL INCLUDED

I"m going to crawl around under the MH for that? Forget it.

[J-Rooster]

My local mechanic changes the oil and filter in my RV and tow car, each unit $25.00 cash out the door.

[rgatijnet1]

John&Joey wrote:
I stopped changing my own oil years ago, until I got the MH. I made the effort to learn where all the Zerks where, bought oil with Zinc in it for that old 460, and used a K&N filter so that I knew I could always get it off. When I hit the road I knew everything was done right, and as good as it ever could be.

Use wheel bearing grease to lube the oil filter gasket and it will always come off easy. Wheel bearing grease can handle the heat better than just a thin coat of oil.

[booty51]

Change my own always have its a trust thing! Town I live in has oil recycle centers around town, hardware stores auto parts stores even one by the baseball fields .

[John_Joey]

I stopped changing my own oil years ago, until I got the MH. I made the effort to learn where all the Zerks where, bought oil with Zinc in it for that old 460, and used a K&N filter so that I knew I could always get it off. When I hit the road I knew everything was done right, and as good as it ever could be.

[mowermech]

I am a RETIRED mechanic. Other than a small amount of "hobby tinkering", I do not do anything that will cover me in oil or grease. Besides, when I get under a vehicle and try to work over my head, I get a vertigo attack.
The car and the truck get done at a local quick-lube place. The car I use Pennzoil in, so they furnish that and the filter. They don't carry
Delo 400, so I get the three gallons of oil for the truck, and a NAPA Gold (Wix) oil filter. The shop has no problem using oil and filter furnished by me.
the motorhome usually gets done at a local tire shop.
It all works for me just fine.

[rgatijnet1]

I do all of my own oil changes and lubrication. It gives me a good chance to crawl under the coach and inspect for anything else that needs attention.
I know that things like oil changes, tire work, etc is usually given to the new guys at a shop, I just don't trust my vehicles with someone who is in the process of doing on the job training. They are pressured to get the vehicle in and out ASAP and I can take as long as I like to service my own coach. I also have all of the tools I need as well as a concrete surface to work on so there are not too many things I can't tackle on any of our vehicles.

[mike_brez]

I like to tinker around so I do it myself.

[n4hwl]

Any auto zone or walmart will take your oil. No charge

[soren]

I have the Ford V-10 and do it myself, even if it's on the road. I stop at Wal-mart and grab the Motorcraft brand oil and filter, then change the oil wherever it looks like I'm not going to create an issue. This has included the parking lot of a Marina, several abandoned lots, rest stops and roadside pull-outs, and most recently, while parked in a friend's yard. I put a small plastic tarp down, make a catch chute with cardboard to guide the mess into the catch pan. Typically, I don't end up with a dropped spilled on the ground. The oil and filter cost $30, and I have been quoted from $60 to $169 to have it done "professionally". I save a few hundred a year doing this, and know it's done right, with the proper materials.

[GrampaR123]

Unfortunately, along with advanced age comes advanced arthritis, etc. Those of you who are still physically able to change your own oil should feel very fortunate. There are those of us who always used to do our own work but are no longer physically able due to various age related infirmities. I remember the days of actually looking forward to changing the motor home oil. Not any longer.