An Easy Guide to Changing Your RV's Oil

Changing Your RV Oil can save money and prolong the life of your vehicle. Oil is the lifeblood of any engine and without it, any vehicle can become inoperable in a hurry. If you own a car, truck, RV, or any other vehicle, chances are you know that oil changes and oil checks are a vital aspect to the overall long-term health of your ride. Many of us go to the local quick lube store for oil changes and just make sure it happens within the scheduled intervals recommended by your auto manufacturer or mechanic. Some of us are our own grease monkey and like to tackle the standard maintenance on these vehicles ourselves to save a buck or two and make sure the job is done right.

If you are an RV owner, having at least a few mechanical skills can go a long way. Oftentimes, you might need to fix something on your RV when you are far from the nearest town and a little knowledge gained beneath the hood before you left town, will pay off immensely. Oil changes are a simple and easy way for the first-time mechanic or RV owner to get their hands dirty. It is a quick and easy DIY fix that just about anybody can do and is an empowering and important skill to have. In fact, due to its large size and height of the undercarriage, changing the oil on an RV is actually usually easier than a smaller passenger vehicle. You can save yourself some money and prolong the life of your vehicle by learning how to properly change your engines oil. Let’s take a look at the steps to do the job the right.

Related Read: Why You Should Fix Your RV Yourself

Your RV needs oil changes but… you don’t HAVE to do it.

Like we said earlier, every vehicle needs to have its oil changed on regular intervals to prolong engine life and let it operate at full capacity. Over time and as oil moves through the internal components of an engine, it begins to wear down and degrade. Oil basically serves as a high heat lubricant in an engine and keeps all of the working parts operating effectively and efficiently. Without it, your engine can literally burn up. Old and used oil can also lead to problems and that’s why it is important to change regularly.

A typical oil change schedule calls for the engines oil and filter to be changed every 3,000-5,000 miles. Conventional oil typically needs to be changed more frequently while you might get over 5,000 miles with synthetic oil. You RVs maintenance manual should tell you the important info of how often and what type of oil and oil filter you need for your oil changes. If you don’t have a manual, a simple online search should reveal the relevant information needed to get started.

If you don’t want to change the oil yourself, simply take it to a mechanic. Oil changes are routine and easy things that mechanics do almost every day and are pretty inexpensive. It does usually cost more to take your RV to a mechanic and have the oil change than doing it yourself, but if money isn’t an issue, it’s an easy way to do it. Some quick service businesses like Grease Monkey or Jiffy Lube may change the oil of your RV but, depending on the size of their shop or policy, they may not work on RVs.

DIY RV Oil Change Instructions.

To get started with doing the oil change on your RV, you should get the proper tools, equipment and fluids assembled for the job. Here’s a quick list:

• Oil – whatever amount and weight is recommended by your manufacturer. Get a little extra than what the engine holds, just in case of a spill or something.

• Oil Filter – this will also be decided by the specific engine you have. You can choose from different brands but the size will be specific to your vehicle.

• Oil Drain Pan – an oil pan will catch the old, used oil out of your RV so you can dispose of it safely and properly.

• Oil Funnel ­– this will help you pour new oil back into the engine.

• Oil Funnel Wrench – this will give you torque to get off and replace the old oil filter.

• Wrench and Socket – needed to take out the oil pan plug on your vehicle to drain the old oil.

• Rags, Paper Towels – for cleanup of tools and hands.

Related Read: RV Electrical for Beginners

Now that you have these materials in order, let’s take a look at the process for the oil change. Follow these directions and you’ll have the skills to do your own oil change anytime you want to.

1. Park your RV on a flat, level surface and make sure the transmission is set to park and the emergency brake is set.

2. Place your oil drain pan underneath the drain plug of the oil pan on your RV. This is in a different location on each vehicle but is usually a black pan with a small bolt on the rear end. Refer to your vehicles manual for exact location.

3. Take your wrench and socket and loosen the bolt on the oil pan until it is almost out. Twist the last few turns of the bolt with your hands so it doesn’t fall into the oil pan.

4. Let the oil drain from the vehicle into the drain pan. This will take a few minutes to get every drop out.

5. While the oil is draining, remove the oil filter from your RV. Use the oil funnel wrench to loosen if it is tight. The filter usually holds a bit of oil so be careful not to spill.

6. Install new oil filter. Be sure to rub a little clean oil on the gasket of the new filter before screwing on. This will keep the filter from seizing and allow for easy removal on the next oil change. Screw new filter on hand tight but not too tight.

7. Re-insert drain plug in to vehicles oil pan and tighten.

8. Locate your oil cap in your engine compartment, remove, and place funnel in the tube.

9. Fill engine with recommended amount of specified oil.

10. Check oil dipstick to make sure oil level is correct. Add more if needed.