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Oil catch pan on the road. What do you use? Oil catch pan on the road. What do you use?
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Photo by Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

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Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
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  #1  
Old 29 Dec 2014
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Oil catch pan on the road. What do you use?
I'm in the middle of prepping for my first big bike trip and was thinking about service on the road.

What do you all use to catch the oil when you do your changes on the road? Looking for any ideas.

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  #2  
Old 29 Dec 2014
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Something I scrounge out of the trash, gallon oil jug, gallon milk/water jug. Cut it down to make catch pan.
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  #3  
Old 29 Dec 2014
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Sometimes I use my fuel can if not a 2lt coke bottle with top cut off. I then transfer it into used oil bottles and take it to mechanic to dispose of as they usually have a filthy great vat for used oils (not sure if they then just dump this in the same place they would usual waste but I hope not).
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Old 29 Dec 2014
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Those are easy options. I'll be in Central America and finding scrap plastic bottles is hard to find. So many people down there rummage through garbage and collect plastic bottles to sell them for money. I guess when I know an oil change is coming up I can buy a 2L water bottle and plan on using that.

I just prefer some kind of wide pan as the direction and trajectory of the hot oil stream coming out of the drain hole can be tough to calculate sometimes.

Another thought was to carry a small plastic basin/bowl and line it with a couple of plastic bags. But then I gotta carry that thing around...not ideal...
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Old 29 Dec 2014
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Don't bother carrying anything for your oil changes, I worked in CA for a year and never had any problems finding a suitable jug/container to drop old engine oil into, there are lots of bottles and used oil jugs around, if you want to make more of a pan then cut a large hole in the side of a 5 or 10L jug and lay it on its side, then you can use the spout to pour it into another container after. Same in South America if you head South, there's always a Muchacho to find you something at the hostels/campsites/hotels


By the way, unfortunately generally the poorer the country, the less people recycle, your old oil will normally end up in a landfill, in West Africa, Ive seen them just dig a hole in the sand under the vehicle and drop the oil straight into it, then cover it over, sad but a fact of life.
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Old 29 Dec 2014
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I lived in Honduras for 2 years, just got back about 7 months ago. Usually used a bottle while I was there but was asking to see if there was a different solution from the community. Thanks for the reply!
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Old 30 Dec 2014
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bike servicing on the road
The times that I changed oil on the road were a combination of slicing large plastic bottles in half or simply asking the shop that I bought the oil from if they had an oil pan to use. All the shops were very accommodating, and I would either by the owner a , pop or give him some gratuity for going out of his way.
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Old 30 Dec 2014
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Yup, many of the places you buy your oil from will change it for free--tips greatly appreciated (given to the workers, not the owner). Others will lend you the pan and tools. Still others will tell you who'll change it for a dollar or two.

I frequently used styrofoam cups, sliced-open soft drink bottles, or whatever other forms of trash I found nearby. It ain't rocket science, and it's not like there's a shortage of roadside trash. Service stations sell (or re-purpose or re-use!) used oil, so are generally agreeable to accepting your donations.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark
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Old 30 Dec 2014
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Talus View Post
What do you all use to catch the oil when you do your changes on the road?

Just surprised no-one's yet suggested a ditch.
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Old 30 Dec 2014
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Just surprised no-one's yet suggested a ditch.
I got quite close to that once but then had the idea to pile up dry grass leaves etc, drain onto that. Light it up and chuck on some wood. Camp fire for the night !
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Old 30 Dec 2014
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I've used the ditch method a time or two but didn't want to get flamed by the enviromentalists.
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Old 30 Dec 2014
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You could change your name from Juan to Exxon ROFL


It happens. It's made worse when so called civilised places have disposal charges (or ones invented by greedy workshop owners). The large coke bottle method works and at least gives the option of trying to do the right thing first.


Andy
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Old 30 Dec 2014
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Quote:
Originally Posted by backofbeyond View Post
Just surprised no-one's yet suggested a ditch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by juanvaldez650 View Post
I've used the ditch method a time or two but didn't want to get flamed by the enviromentalists.
Guilty your honour
In the outback a few times, just dig a hole & park on top of it
Pizza boxes are good for small amounts, because they can soak up oil nicely.
Randomly pause & pour into coke bottle or the like
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Old 31 Dec 2014
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Oil catch pan on the road. What do you use?
Environmentalists would probably cycle!I feel bad enough leaving a trail of garbage behind me all over the world. Anyway, maybe it's a good job we all don't just dump our shit by the side of the road otherwise we'd have a pretty bad rep
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