An Oil Change at Walmart -- or not

So why are RV mechanics charging $100 more than this?

The last Wal-mart I was in charged $50 to change the oil and lube a gas motorhome.  Why are they charging less than the independent shops?  For the same reasons they sell soda and groceries for less than 7-11 ... volume and the efficiencies that come from a large operation vs. a boutique shop.

That may be the answer for some shops, but what about your CW's and high volume mechanics that you have to book a week or two out just for an oil change? These guys have the volume, so that isn't the answer. They just want the money. If I can get a lube and oil change for $50, I'm going.

John Stephens said:

That may be the answer for some shops, but what about your CW's and high volume mechanics that you have to book a week or two out just for an oil change? These guys have the volume, so that isn't the answer. They just want the money. If I can get a lube and oil change for $50, I'm going.

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It does make one wonder how unscrewing a drain plug, removing a filter and then putting on a new filter and refilling the oil can be any more expensive than doing the same to a car.  But I have an RV mech who charges $115/hr for anything he does and if it takes a second guy to help for just a few minutes, you get charged an extra hour for that.  They disputed that but I showed it to him on two different bills and he deducted an hour on my next visit.  Problem is CW is $129/hr and you can't even talk to those jokers.  What we need is a Jiffy Lube for RVs..............lol

Bill

Bill - You're absolutely right. My previous mechanic charges $140/hr and my present one charges $130.00. I know that the 8.1L takes more oil than your standard auto engine, but if a high school wrench monkey can change your oil at a Jiffy Lube in 15 minutes and check all your fluid levels plus lube in the same time, why does an RV mechanic charge an hour's labor rate to change the oil when it takes maybe 20 minutes plus the cost of the oil and filter?

I had planned on putting synthetic oil in my 8/1L the next time I changed the oil myself, but if Walmart will change it and lube for $50, I'll stick with the standard oil for a while longer.

At Walmart you can bring your own oil and filter.

Don't know if you have them but the neighborhood Mr. Lube does my class C.  Big door, pit and all.  Don't remember the price.  Don't care.  They do a good job.

Guess if I can drive it I can change the oil and lube it(greasing btw has become a lost art with all the new stuff on the road made to be thrown away because of no zerks)

Climbing under it also gives me the opportunity to see other issues if there are any.

Dang few folks I trust with a wrench anymore... But that's another story.. Craftsman tools are one way, only take things apart....

Daffy said:

Guess if I can drive it I can change the oil and lube it(greasing btw has become a lost art with all the new stuff on the road made to be thrown away because of no zerks)

Climbing under it also gives me the opportunity to see other issues if there are any.

Dang few folks I trust with a wrench anymore... But that's another story.. Craftsman tools are one way, only take things apart....

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Some of us are getting to the age we don't want to crawl around under a coach anymore. I'm sure not thrilled about it, even on the car or pickup. Getting down isn't the problem, but getting back up sure is. Then ya have to go thru the trouble of getting rid of the old oil and filter.

I lost an engine in a 81 Bonneville many moons ago because of a fram filter. Haven't bought one since. Fram was having a LOT of problems in the mid to late 80s. I use AC delco or Wix now. 

Bill N,
        Don?t know you at all, but you strike me as a really good guy. It seems to me that you were patient with the Walmart employees trying to do your oil change, even when it didn?t work out.
          One of my first jobs was at a gas station (full service service station). We didn?t just pump gas for customers, we checked fluids, tire pressures, washed windows, etc.) We had some great regular customers and we always bent over backwards to make sure they got all the service they needed, and more.
          Then there was the other 50% of people. We could just sense that they held us gas pumpers in disdain.... they were rude, acted like we were stupid, and obviously considered themselves superior in life. Even as young people we could feel that. The service those kind of people received was a direct reflection of how they made us feel about them. As a young man it really soured me on the general public.
            Most everybody in life wants to have a great job with great benefits and feel good about themselves. It doesn?t always work out that way. I try to think of that when waitresses or anyone else is providing a service to me, I know they would most likely prefer to be doing something else. I remember how that felt.
            A lot of times the same ones that always complain of crappy service on vehicles or anything else are the same ones that find a hair in their gravy. Wonder why? I try to be respectful of everybody, except for the rare few that just don?t deserve it. Kinda off topic maybe, but I wouldn?t be afraid to use Walmart at all. Beats laying in the snow under my truck. ?

Thanks Boonieman.  You echo my sentiments.  I have 'been there and done that' when it comes to doing a job that I did not want to do.  I especially respect waitresses and try to leave them a tip commensurate with their service but never leave anything that would embarrass them or me.  When I retired from the Air Force, I built myself a nice home in the wide open spaces of North Dakota and then a local farmer asked me if I would like to work for him during the summer season.  I have a Masters Degree in Industrial Management but I applied for one job where I was told my degree was just too old to be useful.....lol. Anyway, one day when working on the potato farm warehouse, we were cleaning out the supposedly empty bins of those potatoes left in the corners.  Most were rotten by then and the maggots were crawling all over them.  I took a moment to think - Why did I want this job?  Answer - I didn't so I moved on and went to work as the manager of a dry fertililzer plant.  It was tough work but, to me, a lot more rewarding.  Yep, I use Walmart for a lot of stuff.  Good grief, they are on about every corner in my neck of the woods - 8 within 20 miles of the house plus 2 Sams and 5 or 6 Neighborhood Walmarts.  Hard to miss them and the closest one is the only one in the area that has a wide and tall door and a pit for oil changes.  Most have the pits but not the wide/tall doors.

Bill

X2 I learned early in life that you get the respect you give. The company I work for has quite a bit of training for their management. It starts with basic stuff, as far as hands-on, nuts and bolts stuff. It then throws the Arbinger program at you, and really opens your eyes as to what the company expects of you. And believe me, the management of the company from the the gentleman that owns the company on down lives and operates by those principals. Great company to work for.

I think the majority of us learned a long time ago that the person telling you no at a business is not the person making the rules but they are the ones that have to enforce them. If employees are treated like crap then most likely the customers will be treated the same. There are some good folks working at Walmart but for the most part Walmart and most other retail or customer service type business employees have no loyalty to the company therefore could care less if we patronize that business. Customer service is all but dead in this country. Yes, we can all name a few places or a few people at a few places that really care and will bend over backwards to help you. It is my opinion that the decline in customer service is directly proportional to the decline of the family run business.

Boonieman, Appreciate what you said.  A young waitress once said to me "No one aspires to be a waitress".  I try to remember that when dealing with people who may not be quite where they wanted to be in life. 

CharlesinGA said:

I know it can start some pretty big arguments, but buy your own filter. Fram is the worst possible choice. If you have ever cut them open and compared brands, you would know how cheaply made they are inside. I gave up on them years ago after changing about three or four in a row, trying to get one that the anti-drain back valve (Ford) worked in. Oil would drain out at shutdown and next start was 15 seconds without oil pressure.

Charles

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On a motorcycle forum I used to frequent regularly, the mention of a Fram filter on a Honda motorcycle often created huge arguments. I never can understand how the discussion of oil or oil filters can turn into hatred and name calling.

I heard a new one today when I took my 27 ft. motorhome down to the local Walmart for an oil change.

"Sorry.  We can't work on anything longer than 24 ft because they goofed when they built the pit.  Anything bigger than that is too heavy and will collapse the sides of the pit."

This was in Pahrump, NV.  So I got a couple of good Wix filters at O'Reilly's on the other side of the parking lot and will change my own oil tomorrow. 

As I was checking out, I told the clerk I would get my oil at Walmart because their prices were about half of what O'Reilly's was asking.  He said he had already mentioned that to their head office.  The higher-ups wouldn't let him change the shelf prices, but did give permission to price-match.  He pulled a list of Walmart's oil prices out of a drawer and gave me the lower price.

Lou Schneider said:

I heard a new one today when I took my 27 ft. motorhome down to the local Walmart for an oil change.

"Sorry.  We can't work on anything longer than 24 ft because they goofed when they built the pit.  Anything bigger than that is too heavy and will collapse the sides of the pit."

This was in Pahrump, NV.  So I got a couple of good Wix filters at O'Reilly's on the other side of the parking lot and will change my own oil tomorrow. 

As I was checking out, I told the clerk I would get my oil at Walmart because their prices were about half of what O'Reilly's was asking.  He said he had already mentioned that to their head office.  The higher-ups wouldn't let him change the shelf prices, but did give permission to price-match.  He pulled a list of Walmart's oil prices out of a drawer and gave me the lower price.

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Then why not just post a sign that says "We will price match any like product from any store"? Why piss people off with higher prices and then lower them when the customer complains? Well, I know why. So they can still get the higher price from those that don't ask.

Got the price list from Walmart Auto dept manager:  Sign says reg price is $29.95 and High mileage vehicles is $34.95.  I would get the $34.95 price - Don't ask me why.  But, if I bring my own filter, they will deduct $2.10 for the price of the filter they use.  I will bring my own filter.  Actually not bad pricing compared to other places in town -  reg car oil change $39.95 at most. Boy I long for the days of the $16 oil change or better yet the ability to do it myself.

Bill

I long for the $9.95 oil and filter change. We used to change our own and pour the old oil around the fence line to kill the weeds.

I had a oil change on the Jeep a few months back. They were quick, friendly and did a good job. I always inspect under the hood after a service to check for any loose parts.  I could see the new filter, and no problems since. And the price was  good.  I had originally went there to get warranty coverage on the battery that I purchased there nearly 3 years ago. 

I was on the road in some other state and they were the biggest shop in town at the time.  They checked the battery that showed bad. They replaced the battery with a new one, no charge and did the oil. I was out in less than an hour.