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Old 10-03-2007, 04:01 PM   #1
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My wife and I bought a used 2002 Holiday Rambler Endeavor with 19,000 miles on it back in July of this year. The previous owner had traded it in on a new Sceptor and stated that he had just completed the oil change and all filters prior to trading it.
The dealership did not have any maintenance records on this as it was from another part of the state, and the previous owner did not supply them.
The filters appear fine, and all fluids are at the required levels everytime I check them.
My quandry is that we put 5,000 miles on it after picking it up in South Dakota, and are getting ready to embark on a 5 month, 4,000 mile trip. I check the oil regularly, and it is always full. BUT, it is very dark. My dilemma comes in that the filters all look good, and appear to be relatively new. Should I go ahead and change the oil now, to make me feel better, or wait til we get back in the spring and have it all done then< Filters, fluids, and oil?
Perhaps I am being too cautious, as the book calls for every year or 15,000 miles. I would have felt alot better if someone would have shown me the work order where the changes had been made. Give me some insight. Thanks.
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Old 10-03-2007, 04:01 PM   #2
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My wife and I bought a used 2002 Holiday Rambler Endeavor with 19,000 miles on it back in July of this year. The previous owner had traded it in on a new Sceptor and stated that he had just completed the oil change and all filters prior to trading it.
The dealership did not have any maintenance records on this as it was from another part of the state, and the previous owner did not supply them.
The filters appear fine, and all fluids are at the required levels everytime I check them.
My quandry is that we put 5,000 miles on it after picking it up in South Dakota, and are getting ready to embark on a 5 month, 4,000 mile trip. I check the oil regularly, and it is always full. BUT, it is very dark. My dilemma comes in that the filters all look good, and appear to be relatively new. Should I go ahead and change the oil now, to make me feel better, or wait til we get back in the spring and have it all done then< Filters, fluids, and oil?
Perhaps I am being too cautious, as the book calls for every year or 15,000 miles. I would have felt alot better if someone would have shown me the work order where the changes had been made. Give me some insight. Thanks.
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Old 10-03-2007, 04:11 PM   #3
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How much is peace of mind worth ???????????????
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Old 10-03-2007, 04:32 PM   #4
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Oil is cheap. Change the oil and filter.
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Old 10-03-2007, 04:48 PM   #5
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Many makers have both miles and time criteria for oil changes. We have yet to reach the 15,000 mile mark in one year for our diesel so I do the change by the calendar.

There is nothing anywhere that I've read that you cannot change more frequently than the recommendation. The only limit is what you are willing to pay for.
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Old 10-03-2007, 04:53 PM   #6
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You won't know for sure unless you change 'em unless the owner gave you any proof. BUT, the new oil will get black very soon in the big diesel ...just the nature of the big diesel engine.
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Old 10-03-2007, 05:02 PM   #7
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Anytime we buy a new-to-us vehicle, I always feel better after I change all filters and fluids, replace all fanbelts and put on new hoses. The belts and hoses on our Cummins cost less than $100 in total. Good luck, HarveyP
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Old 10-03-2007, 05:44 PM   #8
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Change the oil and filters, and don't forget to grease the chassis real good. Maybe $250. sleep well
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Old 10-03-2007, 05:52 PM   #9
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As stated above, new oil gets black in a few miles. You can take a sample to a truck shop and have it analyzed. That is a lot cheaper than doing an oil and filter change.
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Old 10-03-2007, 06:14 PM   #10
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This is exactly why I use this forum. Instead of wondering, the opinions received reinforced my thoughts of just changing it and the filters at the same time. That way, I KNOW when it was done, and done right. Thanks to all who replied, it helped.
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Old 10-03-2007, 07:59 PM   #11
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A couple of cautions:
- be prepared for the quantity of oil in the engine. Rather than fuss with a pan to hold 4 gallons, I installed a Fumoto valve. I can drain the oil back into gallon containers, making the change really easy.
- my Cummins needs to have the filter pre-filled. I didn't the first time and the oil pressure went through the roof. I was watching the gauge and shut down immediately. It is a bit tricky to snake the full filter up through the obstacles without pouring it out onto my head.

There are a number of other routines that you should also consider if you are not positive that they have been recently performed. The air brake filters (desiccant and coelessing)keep moisture out of your brake system. On mine, the power steering fluid and differential oil are on a schedule to be replaced every 24 months. As another poster pointed out, there are quite a few zerks on the chassis and on the slack adjusters. Ours was "professionally maintained" in the four years before we bought it and I wasn't pleased about how little grease was showing around the joints. The driveline particularly is prone to failure without proper interval lubrication. Now, I have grease tracks everywhere and a big smile on my face. Lastly, I believe that the transmission is the most important item on the chassis. You should find out about service on that and potentially consider that, too. My Allison calls for a fluid change every 24 months and, after the first time, I did it myself using Transynd. I was looking for the few degrees cooler that it is supposed to run and the greater wear protection. Allison actually extends the warranty for Transynd users but you have to do two changes to get to the 99% purity that is required after the changeover.
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Old 10-04-2007, 05:41 AM   #12
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The last new vehicle that we owned was in 1955, a then new Mercury. As a used vehicle buyer I have made a hard and fast rule that no matter what I am told about the vehicle, I change everything and start off fresh. That means fluids and filters. I will pull and inspect the spark plugs and with gas engine will replave the fuel filters and the O-2 sensor for the computer. Most of my vehoicles have been purchased with near 100,000 on the clock and without fail I have managed to get at least another 100,000 miles out of it without spending more than the interest on a loan for a new vehicle, never mind the amount of the note. Several vehicles ran well over 300,000 miles.

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