Sponsored by Hot Shot’s Secret
Veteran Lubrication Company Offers Additives Line to Ease RV Maintenance
Hot Shot’s Secret might be a new and slightly odd name to the RV maintenance crowd, however for automotive enthusiasts, particularly diesel truck fans…it’s a well known provider of high quality additives for fuel, engine, and transmission.
Parent company Lubrication Specialties Inc. (LSI) recognized the need for a line of quality, U.S. made products for RVers. The RV crowd is typically a pretty self-sufficient group with a lot of do-it-yourself initiative. Those RVers recognize the need, and have the desire for an occasional fuel, engine, and transmission additive, but are left with few choices that are suitable for an RV. Given the investment involved, particular in the diesel realm, they aren’t willing to dump just anything down their respective spouts.
Hot Shot’s Secret sent me a sampling of some of their latest RV additives to review. Included were; RV Trans Protector, RV Engine Protector, Premium RV Diesel additive, RV Slide-Out Lubricant, and a Premium RV Gas Additive.
Hot Shot’s Secret line offers a 100% Money Back guarantee. They stand behind these U.S. made lubricants.
Hot Shot’s Secret Guarantee
Truck and RV Maintenance Born From Experience
The Hot Shot’s Secret stellar reputation was built on their flagship product, Stiction Eliminator. They were commissioned by International Truck and Engine to formulate a product that eliminated the performance and warranty issues caused by stiction in the Navistar and Ford Powerstroke Hydraulic Electric Unit Injectors (HEUI injectors). Over the past 25 years, they have continued to test, improve, and find additional uses and benefits from the Original Stiction Eliminator.
That kind of pedigree is what RVers look for to trust their truck and RV maintenance to. As RVers, we want to do anything we can to keep things running smoothly, reduce maintenance, and keep those vehicles out of the shop. However, with the costs of diesel trucks and diesel motorhomes ranging from $50,000 – $500,000 or more, trust is key.
Hot Shot’s Secret is a well respected brand in the industry and is, as they say, Powered by Science. They research, develop, and test their products continuously until they are certain their additives are the strongest and most effective on the market. Hot Shot’s Secret products are used in semi tractors, pickup trucks, agricultural and manufacturing equipment and now of course…RVs.
The RV Additives – Liquid RV Maintenance
With those decades of experience with Stiction Eliminator, Diesel Extreme, and other successful products in the Hot Shot’s Secret line, it only made sense to introduce a line of products specifically for the RV crowd. Special RV formulas, packaging, and sizes were developed, making it easy for the RVer to choose the correct products. The complete line of RV products is as follows:
- RV Trans Protector
- RV Engine Protector
- Premium RV Diesel additive
- Premium RV Gas Additive
- RV Slide-Out Lubricant
- 15W-40 RV Generator Oil
- 10W-30 RV Generator Oil
- RV Engine Antifreeze/Coolant 50/50 – Red
- RV Engine Antifreeze/Coolant 50/50 – Pink
How Are Hot Shot’s Secret Products Better?
At the end of the day, those that are responsible for their own RV maintenance want to know, how are these products better than what’s already out there? For that analysis, we’ll group these products into three categories; Fuel, Oil, and Water.
Fuel Additives
You’ll find that both the gas and diesel additives for easy RV maintenance contain what Hot Shot’s Secret calls LX4.
LX4 LUBRICITY EXTREME is a premium lubricity additive for Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) and gasoline. Ultra-low Sulfur diesel additive contains the highest level of lubricity performance on the market and can put even the poorest quality fuel back into specification and exceed OEM requirements for lubrication. Use this diesel fuel lubricant additive to greatly increase fuel’s lubricity and prevent the wear and scarring of key components inside the fuel system, including pumps and injectors. This diesel fuel lubricant is warranty safe and emissions equipment safe.
LX4 is stated as offering double the lubricity of other brands, in addition to extending fuel life, reducing pintle (injector) scoring and wear, and protecting the fuel pump.
Gasoline RV Additive
We’ll first look at the gasoline additive. It’s important to note here that the Premium RV Gasoline Additive created by Hot Shot’s Secret is not only created for RVs, but specifically for fuel only. This isn’t a random brew of chemicals that’s “great for everything” (i.e. your engine, fuel tank, transmission, gearbox, or coffee maker). It’s a formula engineered specifically for your RV’s gasoline fuel tank. An increased fuel economy of up to 5% is stated on the package. With an 80 gallon RV fuel tank, any gain in MPG, no matter how slight, is welcome.
Engines like the big V8’s & V10’s found in motorhomes based on the F53 chassis will benefit from more than a slight uptick in MPG. One bottle of Hot Shot’s Secret Premium RV Gas Additive treats 160 gallons. With the addition of an RV-sized dose of fuel stabilizer built into the formula, it will help preserve that fuel that’s often sitting for long periods of time, as RVs are prone to do. That custom formula for RVs also contains the strongest cleaning agent available (polyetheramine or PEA) as well as the aforementioned exclusive LX4 lubricity additive.
Diesel RV Additive
The Premium RV Diesel fuel additive also utilizes LX4 and claims up to a 3% fuel economy gain, increases lubricity, and cleans injectors. Unique to the diesel crowd of course is the up to 50% reduction in smoke and soot so common to diesel engines. A huge benefit for those seasoned and part time RVers is the diesel fuel stabilizer that lasts up to one year. So when you park that diesel pusher for the winter with a full tank of fuel, you know you’ll be good to go in the spring or summer when you are ready to RV again. One package treats up to 200 gallons.
Oil Additives
When it comes to oil additives, die-hards will often state that there is no substitute for simply changing the oil. For your daily driver, there is truth to that. However, RVs are rarely considered a daily driver. When it does come time to change that oil, it can be anywhere from 6-quarts to 29-quarts. That’ll put a ding in your RV maintenance budget.
Most RVs get their oil changed due to time, rather than miles…once per year at best. If your oil is going to sit in that RV engine all year, Hot Shot’s Secret RV Engine Protector might be just the thing you need. RV Engine Protector is for both gas and diesel engines, and is poured into the oil fill. One container treats up to 16 quarts of oil.
RV Engine Protector reduces wear and scarring by up to 62% more than oil alone. It cleans and reduces engine sludge, improves power and compression, fuel economy, and oil film strength. Much of this protection is due to the proprietary nano lubricants in their FR3 formula. According to Hot Shot’s Secret, FR3 contains three proprietary synthetic lubricants that have unique lubricating properties even compared to PAO or mPAO synthetics of the same viscosity.
The anti-wear component of the FR3 formula is a unique carbon nano lubricant that fills microscopic irregularities on the machined surface.
These carbon-based nano lubricants are 1-2 microns in size and actually attach to the inside surface of the engine and fill in the microscopic pores in the metal, causing a stronger oil film to form. The RV Engine Protector also contains a proprietary synthetic cleaner. This isn’t a dump and run product either. You can use RV Engine Protector at the beginning of an oil change cycle. It will continue to clean and lubricate the engine throughout that cycle, dissolving and separating carbon pollutants back into solution where anything large enough will be then trapped by the oil filter.
Generator Oil
The Hot Shot’s Secret 1-quart RV generator oils in 15W-40 & 10W-30 weights also contain the patented FR3 Friction Reducer Oil Additive found in the RV Engine Protector. Why not treat your generator with the same care you treat your engine? In addition to simply being a high quality RV generator oil, the FR3 additive also increases your generator’s oil film strength for improved protection and efficiency to help reduce engine wear.
As in the RV Engine Protector, the FR3 formula in their generator oils use carbon-based nanotechnology to create particles that stay in the oil solution, not separate and drop to the bottom of the oil pan.
Transmission Additive
We’re sneaking the RV Trans Protector in here because it fits the oil category more so than the others. The bottle treats up to 20 quarts of fluid which will cover most folks sufficiently. The bigger diesel pusher folks may need a second bottle.
Slated as a cleaner and enhancer, RV Trans Protector improves shift performance, reduces operating temperatures, and dissolves gum and varnish. This can be particularly important for motorhome owners that consistently pull a toad and rarely use the reverse gear in their transmission. Keeping the reverse pathways in the valve body clean and clear is essential in eliminating a potential failure or inability to get into reverse smoothly, or at all.
Water Additives (coolant)
One doesn’t immediately think of engine coolant when they start talking about performance additives. Here again however, Hot Shot’s Secret has added features, and simplicity. With their Pink formula for Cummins diesel engines and their Red formula for CAT diesel, it’s simple enough to choose the right one.,
Their 150,000 mile maintenance free liquids are developed with added thermal, rust and corrosion inhibitors that ensure exceptional cooling and long-lasting protection and feature a hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT) additive package and stabilization system. This unique formula, though developed for RVs and motorhomes, extends the range of compatibility with other antifreezes on the market so it can be also used in most light and heavy-duty vehicles.
RV Slide-Out Lubricant
Finally, deserving enough of its own special mention here is Hot Shot’s Secret RV Slide-Out Lubricant. This lube, like all of the others in the Hot Shot’s Secret line offers a 100% Money Back guarantee. They stand behind these U.S. made lubricants. This particular one is designed to be sprayed on slide-out mechanisms to lubricate, reduce noise, squeaking, and premature wear. The no-drip formula also protects against corrosion. Quick-drying and long-lasting, it is safe for use on multiple surfaces including paint, metal, rubber, vinyl and plastic.
Conclusion
Hot Shot’s Secret will be celebrating their 25th year in the industry. Their products have been rated #1 by MotorTrend and enjoy a high standing in the aftermarket diesel truck world. By using their advanced technical knowledge to formulate products specifically for RVs, they are giving those RV maintenance do-it-yourselfers an opportunity to enjoy those same quality products. Visit Hot Shot’s Secrets for more information on their line of RV additives.
