Gasser Extended Trip and Oil Changes

[ratfink09]

We have an extended trip out west this summer planned which will include about 7500 miles of driving. We have a 2017 Tiffin 35 QBA Ford gasser chassis. The Ford manual says you can go 7500 miles between oil changes without towing. I am planning an oil change to Motorcraft synthetic oil before we go. I would like to avoid having to get service during our trip. Sound good to you all?

[ppine]

Towing and RV engines are the perfect applications for synthetic oils.
They can last 10,000 miles or more. If you want to, change the filter half way during your trip after the engine has been able to sit for a few minutes. Replace the filter and add a quart of new oil and you are down the road.

[carringb]

Another point about modern oil quality... My sisters '99 Mercury cougar has run full sythetic 5w20 all its life, and her oil changes are once a year which is about 30-35,000 miles. In 30,000 miles it only burns ~1/2 quart!

One other note about full synthetic.... it doesn't foul the throttle like conventional can. With PCV systems sucking everything back through the intake, oil vapors can eventually found the throttle body, which now contains the MAF, and couple position sensors, so they are more sensitive then old throttle bodies. Full synthetic is more stable, so less oil vapors are produced.

[tropical36]

Mile High wrote:

tropical36 wrote:

Anyone ever use a roll of toilet paper, instead of a costly filter, back then. Yep, that too....lol

I remember a kit from J. C. Whitney that was a cartridge that allowed you to use toilet paper 🙂

Well, even before that, the factory filter container was top mounted and a roll would fit right in. Even adjustable if need be with a fat roll and just by unraveling the required amount.

[hanko]

I would get mine changed on the road if much over 5,000.

[JoeH]

Bumpyroad wrote:

Effy wrote:
No need to change during your trip. Do it before you leave and when you get back. I assume Bumpy was making a point that who really gets their oil change to the exact mile. Sometimes I do mine at 7k, sometimes at 8k. No harm in either case.

no I was semi-serious. it is a new vehicle with warranty. I remember somebody posting here that they had some issue with a non-oil change part and notified the dealer that they had changed the oil at what was 50 miles over the "required" distance, and they pounced on that and denied the claim under warranty.
I like to play it safe myself.
bumpy

I don't have a manual handy for the v-10 , but for other Ford engines, they also have a caveat about reduced oil change interval for heavy load ( that would be a motorhome) ,mountainous driving ( out west) ,hot operation ( out west/down south) Probably a CYA for them, but they do state it.

[Mile_High]

tropical36 wrote:

Anyone ever use a roll of toilet paper, instead of a costly filter, back then. Yep, that too....lol

I remember a kit from J. C. Whitney that was a cartridge that allowed you to use toilet paper 🙂

[afrescopXx]

I changed our F-53 oil once a year per owner's manual/warranty requirements. We averaged about 5,000 miles a year for the almost four years we owned the coach. At the first oil change I switched to Mobil 1 and used it for the subsequent three oil changes.

[Bumpyroad]

donkeydew wrote:
follow what ford says you do not want to compromise your warranty.

of course one should follow the requirements while under warranty, I have had the oil changed on vehicles on the road myself, no big deal.
but if the fan gets hit with the excrement due to inadequate maintenance issues, don't come whining back here that mean old dodge/chevy/cummins/ford/et.al. did you wrong.
bumpy

[tropical36]

time2roll wrote:
Even 10,000 is not a big deal. JMHO
Do check the oil level and top off as needed because low on oil is a big deal.

X2 and it's a real shame of how much oil we waste in this country and all the while, some of these same people are worrying about fuel costs and mpg.
In fact there are a slew of them still out there from the old school that insist on oil changes every 3000 miles. Now imagine that and some probably even do so, with using full synthetics, as well. Geeezzzzzhhhh!
Even in the olden days, we as kids, would buy used oil that they sold in glass bottle containers and in a rack between the gas pumps of some stations. We ran those flat head fords, pretty hard too and with one that I remember, it didn't even have a filter.
Anyone ever use a roll of toilet paper, instead of a costly filter, back then. Yep, that too....lol

[donkeydew]

follow what ford says you do not want to compromise your warranty.

[DnK77]

ratfink09 wrote:
Thanks for the responses. Right now we have about 1500 miles on our rig. Probably will run it for a couple of short trips before we go later in the summer and change to synthetic.

Sounds like a good plan. Change before your big trip, check along the way as usual, change when you get home. Don't worry about it:)

[All_I_could_aff]

Bryan, you've got one awesome tow vehicle!
My 2006 E350 12 passenger (standard length) 5.4L still impresses me with its capability towing my trailer, my family, and all the "stuff" my wife loads in it for a trip.

Yours must be incredible

[carringb]

I've run mine regularly up to 15,000 miles on full synthetic. I've hardly ever changed it before 7500. 8-12,000 is more typical. 435,000 miles still going strong.

[xctraveler]

We are full timers. Even when we were most timers we would run into an oil change interval (usually time not miles) while on the road. Never had a problem finding a shop to change the oil and lube the lube points. Either I would call Coach-net and ask them to get me an appointment or I would stop by the campground office and ask who they recommended - or just look in the cg booklet for an advertiser nearby. Our coach then was an '04 Southwind on a WorkHorse chassis with the bulletproof 8.1L Chevy. Now we have a Cummins and just have it serviced by Freightliner once a year - I doubt I will ever get to the mileage for a required oil change.