Most Profitable Vehicle For An Mobile Oil Change Operator

I talked about this in a previous post back in April of 2009 but its worth writing about again.

When it comes to making money off oil changes there is no vehicle I like more than those Diesel Cabovers. They are the most profitable truck you can perform an change oil change on as far as I am concerned.


No other vehicle I have come across gives me more money and less headaches for my time.

Sure, there are other much bigger vehicles that pay a lot more. But they take more time, are more difficult to work on and can be a real pain in the butt.

I have timed it and an Isuzu NPR Diesel takes me 15-20 minutes to do an oil change on. Every once and a while, when conditions are perfect, I have been able to do them in approximately 10 minutes (with two people doing multiple jobs). The reason being is that everything is easy and very accessible to get to.

I cannot praise the makers of this type of vehicle enough. Other should take note and do the same (they don't want to make their vehicles easy to work on).

All you have to do is:

1. Lift the cab up (which is the hardest part of the job as it can be heavy)
2. Unscrew the drain pan plug, which is pointing downward, and let the oil come out. It will usually be a 16 mm. Then tighten the screw
   
3. Unscrew the big round filter which will be on the right hand side of the engine. Again, very easy to get to. Pour some oil in the filter new filter and screw it back on.
4. Refill the vehicle back with fresh oil and check fluids.

I make anywhere from $60-$80 net off each one. There is no reason why you cannot do the same.

Some specifics:

• Engine holds 16 quarts of 15W-40
• Oil Filter: WIX 57521 (Napa 7521) (Cost Approx. $20)
• Newer models have no grease fitting. Older ones have two.
• Let the vehicle run for 10 minutes if its cold or the oil will take forever to drain
  

I love it when a fleet has several of these things. A smile washes over my face if I am fortunate enough to get them. No tweaking my back, no headaches and no surprises.

The gas ones are just as easy to do but they do not pay as much. You can charge a little more than you would standard passenger vehicle but not much more. They have a GM engine and will take a PO-167, PZ-48 or a PZ-5. Most gas Cabovers will take six quarts of 5W-30 but the newer ones coming out take five.

Try to find as many of these vehicles as you can. They are worth your time so actively search them out.

You want to get as many easy diesel vehicles as your possibly can so you can maximize profitability while not wearing yourself out at the same time.