Spartan vs Cummins Maintenance Schedule?

[specmga1]

They are not the same. Which one do you follow? I am using the Cummins schedule - would seem to make more sense to follow the engine manufacturer vs the chassis manufacturer.

[Dav L]

Are you saying that Spartan has an engine maintenance chart that differs from Cummins? What's an example of what's different? Is it a meaningful difference?
I would follow Cummins for engine maintenance.
Don't forget that you can also do oil analysis and throw out the time / mile recommendation.

[ghaynes754]

Yes they differ depending on what documents you look at. Spartan currently says oil changes every 6 months or 15,000 miles whichever occurs first. Page 66 of the Spartan Owners Manual Rev 22.0.

Cummins short form says 15,000/12 months, some say 20,000/12 months. My ISL9 CM2350 manual says 15,000/500 hours/6 months in one place and 20,000/500hrs/12 months in another (section based on average speed).

As to using oil analysis that is not mentioned in the Cummins manuals for RV usage. If you have something from Cummins that says that during the warranty period it would be great to have for reference if needed. There is a Cummins Service Bulletin from 2009 on Oil Analysis which mentions two ways of timing oil changes. SBN 3810340. 1)Fixed Method (time/hours) or 2)Duty Cycle (Operating Conditions).

All in all very confusing information depending on who you ask, moon phase, day of week.

[tom chelbana]

We have a 18 London Aire with a Spartan K3 chassis 605 and Cummins has 2 different oil change intervals listed at the 2 different information sheets. One says a year or 20K miles and the other says 6 months and 20K miles. If someone has these if they could share them in print that would be great. I read them but didn't make a copy for future use if needed. Engine is X15 for 2018 with 605 HP.

[Stuart W]

I called Spartan on this and they said it’s the Cummins interval not the 6 month.

[Mark71]

So I'm going to 3-day Spartan seminar in Dec. They pre-surveyed today and asked for any maintenance we request for that week. I looked at the Spartan Op manual and here's the 3-6 mo/ . 5-15K miles:

5,000 Miles or Every 3 Months (whichever occurs first)
Lubricate drive shaft – grease – NLGI #2 or Equiv. when motorhome is in regular use. NOTE: If motorhome is stored, lube driveshaft annually.
Lubricate engine cooling fan drive shaft (chassis with mechanical driven engine cooling fan) – grease- NLGI #2 or Equiv. when motorhome is in regular use. NOTE: If motorhome is stored, lube fan drive shaft annually.
Check all belts and tensioners - Retention Belts If Necessary - initially at 3 months or 5,000 miles whichever comes first.
Check all hoses and clamps including CAC system – initially at 3 months or 5,000 miles whichever comes

15,000 Miles or Every 6 Months (whichever occurs first)
Replace engine oil and filter
Reference engine manufacturer’s manual
Replace fuel filter(s)
Reference engine manufacturer’s manual
Replace coolant filter
Reference engine manufacturer’s manual

Since I'm about 8000 mi and 9 mo at that point, I should have ALL this done if I'm following the Spartan manual. Haven't checked Cummins manual yet as I don't have it with me

Does this sound reasonable to folks? ...especially the oil change which seems early.

[Mark71]

now I've just found a pdf of the Cummins manual and reco maintenance:

Maintenance Procedures at 24,000 Kilometers [15,000 Miles], 500 Hours, or 6 Months
• Fuel Filter (Spin-On Type) - Change1
• Lubricating Oil and Filters - Drain2
• Lubricating Oil Filter (Spin-On) - Change2
• Coolant Filter (if equipped) - Change
• Supplemental Coolant Additive (SCA) and Antifreeze Concentration - Check3
• Radiator Pressure Cap - Check
• Batteries - Check4
• Battery Cables and Connections - Check4

Guess this and the Spartan manual all add up to oil and filters change, lubrication, and checking various items for my coach at 8000 mi and 9 mos.

[ptw]

Has something changed? I have a Freightliner Chassis and did the one year maintenance at 6 months and every twelve months after that. The only thing I was told was to do at 6 months (after initial 6 months) was to check the coolant PH.

This is what I have for cummins.

[deaton]

One of the things adding to the confusion here is the vastly different service conditions that may apply based on the vehicle in question.

A Cummins engine in an over the road truck will have it’s maintenance interval based on mileage alone. Never time. If the owner operator of an OTR truck isn’t reaching a mileage change point every 60 to 90 days he’s not making any money on his truck. So they change the oil, lube the chassis and all is good.

In an RV, that same engine will almost always have a service interval tied to the calendar, not mileage. Spartan will tell you that what appears to be a short interval on the lube schedule is due to the fact that an RV sitting around a lot and not being driven so much tends to collect moisture in the lube points and that requires more frequent service.