rsbilledwards Report post Posted February 24, 2016 I change my own in the 3126 only 6 gallons at the end of the travel season usually around 5,000+ miles and change the oil filter at 10, fuel filter at 10K. The fuel filter is most important with respect to keeping the oil clean. I run straight Shell Rotella 15/40. Cat does not allow increased change intervals if using synthetic. Now I will probably rethink this with the C12 and 12 gallons of oil any input will be appreciated.ThanksBill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted February 24, 2016 Bill, Please verify the oil capacity of your C12. I am showing it as 36 quarts. A call to the Caterpillar RV Hotline (877 777-3126) with your engine serial number will get you the correct answer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted February 25, 2016 FIVE. I hope that when you found one, you bought two? Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted February 25, 2016 Since you brought it up Brett I will but I think I was it was 12 some place could be wrong, a good thing. It is OK I would have figured it out when I change it the first time before bringing it home.B Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ronandsue74 Report post Posted February 26, 2016 I change my own oil, filter, fuel filters, lube and other filters & oils & subs as necessary. RJ 2005 CC Inspire #51264 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted February 26, 2016 Since you brought it up Brett I will but I think I was it was 12 some place could be wrong, a good thing. It is OK I would have figured it out when I change it the first time before bringing it home. B Bill, I think the confusion is, your signature shows C12 CAT but you referenced you have a 3126 CAT above. The 3126 is a 7.2L not 12.0L. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted April 1, 2016 This has been an interesting post. It has been viewed 39,934 times with only 80 responses. Of those 80, 75% (60) say they change their own oil and 25% (20) say they don't. I was wonder of these numbers how many that do change their own oil are gas coaches and how many are diesel? I have no way to drain 24+ quarts of used oil nor a way of disposing of it. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
five Report post Posted April 2, 2016 One deceiving point regarding number of views is the number of times the same person has viewed it. This is post number 83. If the thread has received five posts a day, that means it's been a topic for about 17 days...which means I've been counted as a viewer 17 times. Herman makes a good point about the gas vs diesel...my coach holds 50+ quarts and it takes 41/42 at change time. I change oil in my other vehicles...not this one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hdrich Report post Posted April 2, 2016 I have a gasser with a Chevy 454 and I change my oil. It holds 6.8 qts. and I add Motorkote to my oil after I change it. Also use Motorkote in the tranny and my genset. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redandsilver Report post Posted April 10, 2017 Over a year since the last post - but since I've been a member for less than a year it's the first time I ran across this thread. No one will care about my MH more than me. So I will change my own. Not sure how there are so many millionaires on this site that can afford to pay the high prices a shop gets without much proof that it was done right or completely. But I do understand some don't want to mess with it and some are not as young as they use to be. When I'm 90 I may not want to change my fluids either. But until then I guess I will. Many of the tips I already knew - but there were some I hadn't heard before so I will try and use them when I'm ready to change fluids etc. Now only if it would stop raining and warm up - then I could start - but not until then........ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted April 11, 2017 When you turn 90, you wont have to worry about changing anything.. Sorry, it was the Devils fault. Millionaires? Don't know, don't care. But you don't have a DP and drive it further than around the block on SS alone. We know what you have, so please, we are not complete idiots! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CarlAda Report post Posted April 11, 2017 I can do my own maintenance. I choose not to. To each their own. Neither is wrong, IMO. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted April 11, 2017 I spent the majority of my career life working at a large dealership as a technician (or a few dealers for that matter, we wont go there ) anyway after seeing what I saw go on at each one with how they treat your vehicle, short cut repairs, miss stuff on the check list to make a buck by speeding up their times, heck I had one boss tell me if I didn't keep worn out parts in my tool box to show and use to upsell customers stuff they didn't need he was going to fire me, I quit that day! Not saying all are that bad but a good quality PM on your vehicle are far an few. Most will do what they need to just to check the boxes on the checklist, all the while missing something like a hose bracket that broke causing a hose to chafe since they are in a hurry to get you out and on to the next one. I'm not saying I'm perfect but I have a vested interest in that vehicle making it to its next service. If you have a place that you are 100% certain they are doing it correctly GREAT! Its not for me, I saw way too many crooks in my career, honestly all of them were and I got out after hoping around trying to work for an honest dealership. And yes we worked on RV's at each dealership, ambulances and fire trucks (think about that for a minute and let it sink in ), all of them had CAT, Cummins and one was a Navistar dealer on top of it, all franchises but we did mostly chassis work, I had a several customer's that would follow me and for them I worked on anything on their coaches, trucks ambulances and fire trucks etc...so there are some honest technician's out there, this one couldn't find an honest employer so I changed my career . We dealership techs had a saying to describe our employers, ill tone it down "same w....... different dress". When I cannot work on a DP any longer I will consider a switch to a gasser, when that becomes too difficult I leave the RV lifestyle, unless I find a younger version of me when the time comes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted April 11, 2017 Joe, a younger version of you? That would be too much ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted April 11, 2017 42 minutes ago, manholt said: Joe, a younger version of you? That would be too much ! I mean later in life, not now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted April 11, 2017 Joe, I was in the insurance sales industry for two years, I got out of that for the same reason that you left dealerships. I started to call you last weekend, had to change out the dryer purge valve on my coach, stuck open, ouch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted April 11, 2017 3 hours ago, kaypsmith said: dryer purge valve on my coach, stuck open, ouch Did you replace the valve or the entire dryer? Up here we change the entire dryer with a factory reman, seems like once you open them everything else starts to fail shortly after. But the winters and salt up here beat them up pretty bad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted April 11, 2017 Just the valve, the dryer appears to be in very good condition outside. It actually has a nice guard underneath that looks like took most of the winter blunt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Indyspecracer Report post Posted April 11, 2017 I purchased a "new to me" 2007 Newmar MADP about a month ago. Like many others in this thread, I've maintained my own vehicles ever since I've had vehicles. I've done the fuel filter, coolant filter and an oil change with filter thus far. I added a fumoto valve for the oil and other than the volume of oil, it is no different than any other oil change. Next on my list is hydraulic fluid and filter. I intend to get all fluids and filters changed so that I know when everything was last done. Whether or not I choose to continue doing all of the maintenance in the future, I will be very knowledgeable from the experience. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillAdams Report post Posted April 11, 2017 22 hours ago, RedandSilver said: Over a year since the last post - but since I've been a member for less than a year it's the first time I ran across this thread. No one will care about my MH more than me. So I will change my own. Not sure how there are so many millionaires on this site that can afford to pay the high prices a shop gets without much proof that it was done right or completely. But I do understand some don't want to mess with it and some are not as young as they use to be. When I'm 90 I may not want to change my fluids either. But until then I guess I will. Many of the tips I already knew - but there were some I hadn't heard before so I will try and use them when I'm ready to change fluids etc. Now only if it would stop raining and warm up - then I could start - but not until then........ While I do all the oil and filter changes on my genset, I have 2 problems trying to do my own diesel engine oil changes. 1st, we full time and most every campground would throw me out for doing this kind of work on my coach. 2nd, I don't know how to get the 8 gallons of oil out of the coach and to the recycling center without making a mess somewhere between point A and point B. So, I let the manufacturer (or Freightliner) do the oil change along with a full chassis lube. It's a once a year thing for me so being a millionaire is not required to afford a $400 oil change. Over $100 of that is the oil alone so shoot me for spending an extra $300 a year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redandsilver Report post Posted April 13, 2017 On 4/11/2017 at 6:16 PM, BillAdams said: While I do all the oil and filter changes on my genset, I have 2 problems trying to do my own diesel engine oil changes. 1st, we full time and most every campground would throw me out for doing this kind of work on my coach. 2nd, I don't know how to get the 8 gallons of oil out of the coach and to the recycling center without making a mess somewhere between point A and point B. So, I let the manufacturer (or Freightliner) do the oil change along with a full chassis lube. It's a once a year thing for me so being a millionaire is not required to afford a $400 oil change. Over $100 of that is the oil alone so shoot me for spending an extra $300 a year. Did you miss the line in my post that "I understand" that some don't want to mess with it? Shoot you? Why would I or anyone else? I wish I had any extra $300 to spend. But that's just for an oil change. Add all the other stuff and it might be more like $1000 or more. That and I haven't meet anyone that would treat my unit like I would. No I'm not perfect either but at least I CARE and for most others it would just be a job and if the BOSS is telling them to hurry up so they can get to the next one - well I doubt quality and quantity go hand in hand, if you know what I mean. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted April 13, 2017 3 minutes ago, RedandSilver said: Did you miss the line in my post that "I understand" that some don't want to mess with it? Shoot you? Why would I or anyone else? I wish I had any extra $300 to spend. But that's just for an oil change. Add all the other stuff and it might be more like $1000 or more. That and I haven't meet anyone that would treat my unit like I would. No I'm not perfect either but at least I CARE and for most others it would just be a job and if the BOSS is telling them to hurry up so they can get to the next one - well I doubt quality and quantity go hand in hand, if you know what I mean. I am with you I would rather put that $300+ in the tank or eat at a good restarant. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted April 13, 2017 Bill, your eating habit's and where you eat, has become famous... I'm with BillA on this one! anything that does not fit in a 5 gallon bucket, with lid, I'm at a loss, when it comes to 8 gallons +! Brett does it himself, but then how does he dispose of it? Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted April 13, 2017 9 hours ago, manholt said: Bill, your eating habit's and where you eat, has become famous... I'm with BillA on this one! anything that does not fit in a 5 gallon bucket, with lid, I'm at a loss, when it comes to 8 gallons +! Brett does it himself, but then how does he dispose of it? Carl I just use an old pitcher and pour it back into the gallon bottles and take it to a disposal place. There is an O'Rileys near by that I use. If you line the drain pan with plastic clean up is easy. For Bill A's use this mortar box. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Plasgad-Black-Large-Concrete-Mixing-Tub-20-9-Gallon-Mortar-Mix-Plastic-Bucket/322351259381?_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3D2c9ac05cba984da6872bed9b6f36f361%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D7%26rkt%3D11%26sd%3D222338236183 "Bill, your eating habit's and where you eat, has become famous..." I can't comment on this thread but will post an update on the appropriate thread. Famous, right Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted April 13, 2017 9 hours ago, manholt said: Bill, your eating habit's and where you eat, has become famous... I'm with BillA on this one! anything that does not fit in a 5 gallon bucket, with lid, I'm at a loss, when it comes to 8 gallons +! Brett does it himself, but then how does he dispose of it? Carl Carl, The Walmart 2 miles from the coach storage facility recycles oil. Buy the oil there, return the used oil there. Even in the same gallon containers/cases. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
