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Oil prices……………..??
What do you folks pay for mobil delvac 1300?
I just had Jeff change all my oil……….he charged me $32.90 per gallon!!
I buy it at my Farm and Fleet for $12 per gallon/ $60 per 5 gallons.
Every month I get it for $12 minus $5 rebate per gallon/…or $60 minus $25 rebate for 5 gallons.
That means I’ve always paid $8 per gallon for this product………
Sorry guys, I can’t afford his prices………….
He ain’t the ‘go to’ guy, cuz I missed the lottery by 4 numbers!
“If it sounds too good to be true?…one has to go ahead and prove it to oneself,eh?”
………….Ol'(wiser) Ben
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62 Replies
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Ben,
Don’t want to be argumentative, but value is
what I look for when I have work done on my house, car or bus. Value isn’t always the lowest price. Different parts of the bill may look
expensive, but if the work is done correctly and holds up, then that is better
than a cheaper bill that costs you more in the end after a breakdown or damage. On the subject of oil changes – this site has
many examples of improper workmanship. Never read a complaint about work at ETLC. -
I doubt Jeff is thrilled about oil changes, it’s likely more for customer convenience. You can’t compare his oil prices based on Walmart or any other source. If you want to pay 120 a gallon, you have to change your own oil.
I would venture to guess you got a lot more than what you paid for at ETLC.
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I agree my oil prices are not what you maybe can buy at Walmart or wherever else. I do not do enough oil to get a good break on oil. However I do not get my oil at prices like prices he describes. I do also try to perform more than a oil change when doing services on a coach.
Since I haven’t received paymnent for the services provided what is that value to me not having received payment even though the customer has been gone for a week. Before I knew of this post I through email offered to take $100. Off the price of his invoice.
I personally think PC is a great resource for owners and I am all for open forums. I
As a word of note you can always buy things and do your own work Cheaper than any shop can.
Walmart or tractor supply doesn’t have 50 amp electric for your use either
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Come on Ben
If your looking for a Jiffy Lube, they don’t have them for buses.
Later
bv -
yes they do Bernie, they’re called Speedco…. use at your own risk
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Thx for correcting me Orren, must be an E Coast thing but if there is one out West I don’t need the address.
Later
bv -
This is my second response to this thread. The first one I deleted before posting, thinking I wasn’t going to weigh in on the topic.
I don’t buy oil from Jeff Rowe at ETLC. I probably NEVER will buy oil from Jeff. What I buy from Jeff is “an oil change”. As part of the oil change I buy from Jeff our coach was plugged into 50 amp electric and city water the night before, its typically lifted off the ground by $60,000 worth of state of the art heavy duty wheel lifts that weigh the coach and allow the technician and Jeff to perform an indepth inspection of the underside of the coach, the filter is replaced in a competent manner reducing the chance (actually probably eliminating the chance) of the bolt holes being stripped, and if our timing is right we get donuts for breakfast and oftentimes invited to join the staff for lunch.
I will continue to buy oil changes from Jeff and gladly pay his price. I also pay by check (before I leave ETLC and with money in the bank to cover it) and don’t give Jeff a credit or debit card sticking him with the bank’s interchange fee (this is something I’ve started doing with all my “preferred vendors”).
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Dick, you beat me to it and probably said it better than I can. Geo.
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Geo … please don’t let me stand in your way. I’ll point you around.
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I can say that you get more than just a oil change when at Jeff’s , I have worked on most of the people’s coaches that have answered here expect Benries and Geo but have talked to Geo on the phone , so more than a oil change you get just about 24 hour help from Jeff on the phone what’s that worth about your problem or just a question about the coaches what’s that worth , plus all the other things looked at when under there , I don’t think you will see what he sees when under there looking around or his guys , so oil prices are a non issue when it comes to service , do you want it done fast and cheap or done right the first time and not have to come back , if there is a air leak they will let you know it needs fixed That’s worth a hole lot , or spin the fan to see how the fan clutch is working or the hoses look or drain the air tanks for moisture, or the pressure protection valves are working or the check valves are right , I could go on and on , but why!!!!!!!
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I have bought my own oil over the years in containers ranging from single gallon jugs to 5 gallon pails to 55 gallon drums. Based on today’s prices I am not sure anyone can buy MOBIL at the prices posted by Ben. Possibly recycled oil, possibly a no-name brand, but not Mobil, or Rotella or any of the popular name brands.
Having said that I think Jeff should change his billing practice. Obviously it has gotten at least one customer upset. My suggestion is an oil change should be a single price service. I have seen Jeff under a coach doing an oil change and it is not just draining the old and dumping in the new. It is a process that involves buying the oil, draining and disposing of the old oil, disposing of the containers, the time spent doing the change, but most importantly Jeff goes far beyond just changing oil. His eyes are everywhere and even if he finds nothing that has to be fixed he is looking everywhere to verify all is OK beneath the engine and the area around the engine. If he is lubing the coach also, his visual inspection is the entire underside of the chassis.
If Jeff is to make money (that’s why he is there) he needs to be paid for all the effort associated with the oil change including what it costs for garbage disposal, oil disposal, and his labor to take care of all those things. Then on top of recovering his costs he has to show a profit. He has to somehow pay his overhead, insurance, utilities, rent and for the time he spends on the phone, email or in person answering questions and providing advice.
So my free advice is to charge a set fee for an oil change. I don’t know what it should be, but it needs to be high enough to cover all the expenses including the 50 amp power his customers have been provided.
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So let me get this straight… Ben has has all this work done, then in the dark of night skips town and doesn’t pay his bill with Jeff, then bitches about high oil prices! So Jeff offers him a 1000 reduction in good faith and Ben still refuses to make good on the invoice?
No point in even discussing this anymore. Step up and pay your bill Ben, that’s the right thing to do.
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$80 a gallon for mobile oil? Even with the Napa discount, I paid like $220 a gallon last week for diesel oil.
at $80 a gallon, you should start stocking up and become a wholesaler! Or bring your own supplies and only pay for shop time/fees.
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Always take my Delo 100 to Prevost for my oil changes as they never have it. Wonder if Somebody can get Delo for $8 bucks a gallon. Paid $20 bucks a gallon back in Spring. I’d buy a 55 gallon drum at 2 bucks a quart.
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Another thing that I don’t think was mentioned is that Jeff has a bunch of money tied up in inventory. That is not cheap. That way he can get you back on the road faster. He has ordered in parts for me a couple of times and has not asked for a deposit. Most other shops would make you pay for the parts up front.
I also pay before I depart. And I will go back for more work as needed. It is a good value for the money I spend.
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