Nomad life - 5k vs. 10k OCI cost/longevity evaluation

[Bster13]

I did my first oil change last night in a buddy's garage with no ramp or jack, it was great! I just need a valve for the oil drain plug, but even without it it was still pretty simple and accessible. I certainly don't want to haul around ramps or jacks, but I will not need it for what I can tell.

 

[Bster13]

I can get it done at a Walmart with bring your own oil and filter service which I think is about $25, or let them do it, but I am a frugal [censored] (thus retiring at 41) and I will have the time. Also I will know that it is done correctly. 5000 OCI seems reasonable on a price vs performance scale. I'm not sure the amsoil oils will have the same UOA performance with anything like a 15000 mile interval. And if I did 10000 mile interval with something like AMSOIL, it would not be price competitive IMO. I plan to spend half my time in cities going to lots of museums while stealth camping, and half my time out in the wilderness camping and hiking.

 

[Gebo]

I'd do 5K ST Synthetic with the Toyota OEM filter.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted by tiger862

With so many starts and idling I wouldn't skimp on oil. I would use a name brand like Mobil1 and go by hours not miles. If it doesn't have hour meter then you can get them cheap.

What does the "brand name" buy in this matter.......... nothing.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted by Bster13

Well, I hadn't consider 15k OCI given the possibility of dirt roads and cycling/idling the engine occasionally for A/C. I added a 15k OCI to the calculations, and going with 15k OCI with the high-end mobile extended oil and filter is certainly cheaper, but I'm unsure what my UOAs would look like and I'm not willing to pay, nor figure out how to receive the packaging to ship off oil while on the road.

Given that you need to know the health of the oil and considering the long term cost savings by extending your OCI (not to mention the convenience), stating that you do not want to pay for the UOA does not make economical sense. All of the UOA companies deliver results by email or via phone app, dropping the sample into the mail is a simple thing, and the cost of some of them are incredibly cheap ($9.60 @ Rock Auto - https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=577668&jsn=1374). The WIX kit at Rock Auto while the most basic will still tell you TBN, Viscosity, and all the things you need to use to make a decision to extend. Buy 3 of them before you start your "nomad life" and it will give you enough of a baseline to go forward and even when adding the cost of the UOA kits and return shipping ($45), you are still saving overall by going to 15K OCIs--even if you have to go somewhere to have it done.

 

[tiger862]

Originally Posted by Bster13

Originally Posted by tiger862

With so many starts and idling I wouldn't skimp on oil. I would use a name brand like Mobil1 and go by hours not miles. If it doesn't have hour meter then you can get them cheap.

I am hoping to minimize running the A/C overnight while I sleep by following the moderate weather, but of course I will get caught every once in awhile. I'll also have solar and a lithium battery to run fans and other small electrical items. As for the other starts.... the nature of a hybrid engine. I've always wondered how hard all those starts are on an engine vs. a regular RAV4. Though a lot of the starts are on a warm engine, they still are starts.... hrmmm... are you saying you'd going to a 5k OCI ~and~ high end oil?

Yes It is considered severe duty. Personal opinion

 

[Bster13]

Originally Posted by 2015_PSD

Originally Posted by Bster13

Well, I hadn't consider 15k OCI given the possibility of dirt roads and cycling/idling the engine occasionally for A/C. I added a 15k OCI to the calculations, and going with 15k OCI with the high-end mobile extended oil and filter is certainly cheaper, but I'm unsure what my UOAs would look like and I'm not willing to pay, nor figure out how to receive the packaging to ship off oil while on the road.

Given that you need to know the health of the oil and considering the long term cost savings by extending your OCI (not to mention the convenience), stating that you do not want to pay for the UOA does not make economical sense. All of the UOA companies deliver results by email or via phone app, dropping the sample into the mail is a simple thing, and the cost of some of them are incredibly cheap ($9.60 @ Rock Auto - https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=577668&jsn=1374). The WIX kit at Rock Auto while the most basic will still tell you TBN, Viscosity, and all the things you need to use to make a decision to extend. Buy 3 of them before you start your "nomad life" and it will give you enough of a baseline to go forward and even when adding the cost of the UOA kits and return shipping ($45), you are still saving overall by going to 15K OCIs--even if you have to go somewhere to have it done.

I did not know the cost of the kits came down. I had them at thirty dollars a pop in my head. Thanks.

 

[tiger862]

Originally Posted by dave1251

Originally Posted by tiger862

With so many starts and idling I wouldn't skimp on oil. I would use a name brand like Mobil1 and go by hours not miles. If it doesn't have hour meter then you can get them cheap.

What does the "brand name" buy in this matter.......... nothing.

The difference between brand name and store brand is one does the approval and one meets requirements. Most see a savings of a couple of dollars for generic oil and while it works, me personally I would rather have the brand that does testing. Heck Havoline ProDs is cheaper then SuperTech.

 

[CarbonSteel]

Originally Posted by Bster13

Originally Posted by 2015_PSD

Originally Posted by Bster13

Well, I hadn't consider 15k OCI given the possibility of dirt roads and cycling/idling the engine occasionally for A/C. I added a 15k OCI to the calculations, and going with 15k OCI with the high-end mobile extended oil and filter is certainly cheaper, but I'm unsure what my UOAs would look like and I'm not willing to pay, nor figure out how to receive the packaging to ship off oil while on the road.

Given that you need to know the health of the oil and considering the long term cost savings by extending your OCI (not to mention the convenience), stating that you do not want to pay for the UOA does not make economical sense. All of the UOA companies deliver results by email or via phone app, dropping the sample into the mail is a simple thing, and the cost of some of them are incredibly cheap ($9.60 @ Rock Auto - https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=577668&jsn=1374). The WIX kit at Rock Auto while the most basic will still tell you TBN, Viscosity, and all the things you need to use to make a decision to extend. Buy 3 of them before you start your "nomad life" and it will give you enough of a baseline to go forward and even when adding the cost of the UOA kits and return shipping ($45), you are still saving overall by going to 15K OCIs--even if you have to go somewhere to have it done.

I did not know the cost of the kits came down. I had them at thirty dollars a pop in my head. Thanks.

Even at $90 for 3, are you not still money ahead by going to 15K OCIs?

 

[AZjeff]

Unless that 2.5L in his RAV suffers an unforeseen catastrophic failure that no brand or weight of oil would prevent it will easily run 200k miles on most anything with reasonable OCIs. Can't imagine living out of a RAV4 long term. Did you sell all your earthly possessions or put stuff in storage or ? Interesting story.

 

[Deontologist]

Just run an Amsoil Ea cartridge filter (rated for 15,000 miles) and install a Fumoto valve. You can drain the oil every 5k, 10k, whatever you wish easily without even jacking up the RAV4. Even without a Fumoto valve, you can easily reach the drain plug without raising the vehicle. Leave the cartridge filter in for 15 to 20k miles, and reap the benefits of a full synthetic media oil filter: better oil flow, better filtration than the standard Toyota cartridge filter, no cellulose to degrade in the presence of water, and the longer you use any sort of filter, the better it gets at filtering. Problem solved. I'd personally run an Amsoil Ea cartridge filter for 15-20k miles and change oil on a loose schedule of 7-10k miles, depending on factors such as weather, parking, etc. If it's 110 degrees in July, I'm not lying down on asphalt to change the oil even if it has 8k on it. I'm waiting until next week when it's cooler because 8.1k miles and 8.3k miles won't make a difference, as any synthetic should hold up in a RAV4, especially with outstanding filtration from the Amsoil filter.

 

[Fawteen]

A Toyota that new doesn't have an oil life monitor? I thought that just about all manufacturers had that as standard equipment for the last few years-even the Chevy pickup I had way back in 2005 had one, and I just changed based on that. I don't even worry about mileage any more, I just start thinking about changing the oil when the monitor gets to about 10% or so.

 

[ka9mnx]

SuperTech and OEM filter. Don't cheap out on the filter.

 

[atikovi]

Originally Posted by Bster13

Hello everyone, I'm preparing to sell my place and live full time on the road with my 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid requiring ILSAC GF-5 0w-20.

You mean you're going to sleep in it for extended periods? I can't even sleep on an airplane. Hope your back can take it and bring a good supply of Ambien.

 

[AZjeff]

Originally Posted by Deontologist

Just run an Amsoil Ea cartridge filter (rated for 15,000 miles) and install a Fumoto valve.

This has the cartridge filter on the bottom of the engine with the drain plug in the housing that you remove and plug in a plastic fitting that pushes open a valve that drains the housing. Not sure a Fumoto would work. Maybe it would bottom out in the housing and hold the valve open.

 

[Deontologist]

Originally Posted by AZjeff

Originally Posted by Deontologist

Just run an Amsoil Ea cartridge filter (rated for 15,000 miles) and install a Fumoto valve.

This has the cartridge filter on the bottom of the engine with the drain plug in the housing that you remove and plug in a plastic fitting that pushes open a valve that drains the housing. Not sure a Fumoto would work. Maybe it would bottom out in the housing and hold the valve open.

I have a 2013 and a 2018 RAV4. Both have drain plug bolts on the bottom of the oil pan. I just changed the oil on the '13 a few weeks ago, and was able to drain the oil without lifting the car. I later lifted it to change the filter, but looking back, I wish I used an Amsoil filter as I have in my other car.

 

[AZjeff]

Yeah, I was thinking of the stupid drain in the filter housing, of course the oil pan has a drain plug. Duh. Brain seize.

 

[Bster13]

Originally Posted by Fawteen

A Toyota that new doesn't have an oil life monitor? I thought that just about all manufacturers had that as standard equipment for the last few years-even the Chevy pickup I had way back in 2005 had one, and I just changed based on that. I don't even worry about mileage any more, I just start thinking about changing the oil when the monitor gets to about 10% or so.

I'm relatively new to the car, but I think it's just a timer based off mileage (every 5k). Now my 2015 MINI Cooper JCW had a monitor. Oh well.

 

[Bster13]

Originally Posted by atikovi

Originally Posted by Bster13

Hello everyone, I'm preparing to sell my place and live full time on the road with my 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid requiring ILSAC GF-5 0w-20.

You mean you're going to sleep in it for extended periods? I can't even sleep on an airplane. Hope your back can take it and bring a good supply of Ambien.

So far so good. I bought a 3in latex memory foam mattress and with the front seats moved up a bit, it can handle 2 people over 6ft tall. I sleep better in it when out in the country than in my apartment I am selling.

 

[Bster13]

Originally Posted by Deontologist

Originally Posted by AZjeff

Originally Posted by Deontologist

Just run an Amsoil Ea cartridge filter (rated for 15,000 miles) and install a Fumoto valve.

This has the cartridge filter on the bottom of the engine with the drain plug in the housing that you remove and plug in a plastic fitting that pushes open a valve that drains the housing. Not sure a Fumoto would work. Maybe it would bottom out in the housing and hold the valve open.

I have a 2013 and a 2018 RAV4. Both have drain plug bolts on the bottom of the oil pan. I just changed the oil on the '13 a few weeks ago, and was able to drain the oil without lifting the car. I later lifted it to change the filter, but looking back, I wish I used an Amsoil filter as I have in my other car.

When I started the first oil change without the 64mm oil filter housing, I wasn't appreciative, but in the end I dig it as I'm not susceptible to a poor oil bypass spring/system, just the filter media I pick basically.