discus277 said:
I am looking at a 2003 Allegro with 32,000 miles. My first long trip would be to Alaska this summer.
Can I switch to synthetic oil and thus go longer between changes? If so, what do I have to do.....someone said something about flushing out the crankcase some way before you put in the synthetic??
Would appreciate your thoughts?
Thanks,
Jim
So you're out of warranty, no worries about what they think. You want to change oil to synthetic in order to avoid an oil change while on the trip? I would not make that an issue. Folks in Alaska change oil just like everywhere else so other than a little more money due to shipping costs, there should be no problem finding someone to do it. I'd take my favorite brand of filter(s) with me as a backup.
You've seen a variety of reasons for changing to synthetic, increased mileage, longevity of the engine, etc. The question is do these benefits outweigh the extra cost? Only you can decide as there is no cut and dried answer that fits everyone. If you believe that driving 3-8 hours a day is more severe service than starting the engine to drive 4 miles to the market and back twice a week, then you'll have one answer. If you believe that you will drive the engine more than 200,000 miles or so which is an easily reached mileage with dino oil, you'll have an answer. If you believe that your engine will rotate better, start more easily or whatever else with synthetic rather than the dino oil that the manufacturers engineers say to use, then you'll have an answer. If you believe that carbon and other contaminants build up cumulatively and that changing and having fresh factory filtered oil more often is good then you'll have an answer. Only you can decide which is the right answer for you, as there is no cut and dried answer that fits everyone.
I don't classify my MH use as severe. I don't drive dusty roads often. A hundred yard gravel driveway to a trailer park is as off road as it gets. I don't drive short distances or do stop and go driving. At 30 minutes minimum from one park to another, and most of the time at least an hour or more per "start" I don't believe I'm getting much water buildup in my crankcase. I don't overwork my engine. At 40,000 pounds or less I'm at half the weight that the same engine is used for in OTR trucks. In my estimation my engine has a very normal working life.
For me dino oil is just fine. I've been using it all my life, I'm comfortable with it. I also use synthetic oil in those engines I own that the manufacturer recommends it. I'm comfortable with that. If synthetic were the same price, I'd probably use it in everything. But, since there is a significant price difference, I'll opt for dino in those engines designed for it.
Ken