What would you do?

[jimcol]

Obviously you are concerned about it thus the post. If I were that concerned and have that much faith in your local dealership I'd go ahead and get it changed next week and enjoy the rest of the holidays. It will be one less thing you have to be concerned with during your trip.

[DutchmenSport]

Thank-you all for your feed back. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

The comments by Theunz and RMcNeal, and Carl n Susan... got my attention and spotlighted my biggest concern. My mechanic knows I'll be returning with my vehicle for future service. So, if they mess something up (like a beat up oil drain plug), they know I'll be coming back to them and then THEY will be the ones attempting to remove it, not me!) So if they beat-it-up, or do it wrong, they know they will be the ones "eventually" fix it. Plus, they always replace parts with genuine GM parts. I never have to worry about that.

Rigdon mentioned the climate change differences. I did not thing about that. But I do know, the LP (Propane) gas filled in my camper propane tanks is a different blend in the Southern US states and the Northern US states. So, this makes sense.

thedinobots makes a good point about the simplicity of an oil change, but even simple things can get messed up, as pointed out by the bad experiences others had. I just leary.

As mlh, MandK, and mhs4771 indicated, going over, won't hurt anything, or going under.

To answer mhs4771 question about the type of oil, it's not synthetic, but it is a 5000 miles oil. Actually, I'm not real sure what they put in it. (brand).

But after sitting on these thoughts over night, I think jimcol hit the nail right on the head. It all boils down to my own comfort level. I purchase only 1 lottery ticket a week (Powerball), because I enjoy the play, but I am NOT a gambler. I don't like to take risks. I can afford $2 a week. But I refuse to go deeper!

Anyway, I seriously considered my "comfort level" and realized this would gnaw away at me like a termite chewing on soft yellow pine in the walls of a house and would be a constant source of concern for the entire trip.

So, I called my repair shop and talked to my guy "John" the service manager and explained my upcoming plans. He recommended getting the oil change done before leaving. He will also inspect the truck carefully, check tires, and top off all fluids, make sure the truck is in tip-top shape (which is is already, but another set of eyes is always good).

I suppose he recommended doing the oil change now, before we left, so he'd get the business. If I did the oil change in Louisiana, my business for that event would go somewhere else. The nice thing about my shop, they do take care of their repeat customers.

He did not think towing the trailer 850 miles over due on an oil change in April was a wise thing to do.

So, I made an appointment for Friday, December 15 to get it done.

And oh ... for what it's worth regarding the percentage displayed on the DIC (instrument panel in the truck) regarding the oil change schedule?..... Here's something you might not know.

That percentage is calculated based on the number of times the engine starts. It is not a percentage based on the number of miles driven. You can drive 100 miles since the last oil change, but if you have started the engine 2000 times, your percentage could show 0% remaining. (however it's calculated based on the number of engine starts). So, I never go by the DIC percentage. I always go by mileage.

[Foldbak]

Having been a mechanic (in another life) for 19 years, there are a couple factors.

1. How many miles are on the truck. High miles I'd recommend changing. Low miles you should be fine.
2. The trip. Flat highway or elevation changes. If you're climbing mountains, I'd recommend a change.
3. If you're running full synthetic you should be fine.

In the end it's up to you. An early oil change is good insurance.

[DutchmenSport]

Originally Posted by Foldbak

Having been a mechanic (in another life) for 19 years, there are a couple factors.

1. How many miles are on the truck. High miles I'd recommend changing. Low miles you should be fine.
2. The trip. Flat highway or elevation changes. If you're climbing mountains, I'd recommend a change.
3. If you're running full synthetic you should be fine.

In the end it's up to you. An early oil change is good insurance.

1) .... 91,000 (truck is 10 years old), almost all of that (save maybe 15,000 miles of that) was done towing a camper.
2) .... Indiana, Louisiana, and Mississippi will be relatively flat. Kentucky and Tennessee will have long graded low mountain driving.
3) .... I'm not using synthetic.

[Mikelff]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

1) .... 91,000 (truck is 10 years old), almost all of that (save maybe 15,000 miles of that) was done towing a camper.
2) .... Indiana, Louisiana, and Mississippi will be relatively flat. Kentucky and Tennessee will have long graded low mountain driving.
3) .... I'm not using synthetic.

It’s just an oil change. I wouldn’t worry about it. If you use a local dealer of your truck brand when your oil change is due, wherever you are, you should be fine. I am a bit surprised you are not using synthetic oil. Unless you specify non synthetic oil when you get your local oil change, you may be using synthetic oil and not realize it. Many dealers use their private brand of synthetic oil which meets all their vehicle specs. I would double check to see if your dealer hasn’t been using synthetic oil in your truck. If not, I would switch to synthetic which is better for your older truck. Happy trails.

[Foldbak]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

1) .... 91,000 (truck is 10 years old), almost all of that (save maybe 15,000 miles of that) was done towing a camper.
2) .... Indiana, Louisiana, and Mississippi will be relatively flat. Kentucky and Tennessee will have long graded low mountain driving.
3) .... I'm not using synthetic.

Do an oil change Dutch. Worth the expense for a 4 state trek.