Gas stations...tips?

[therealsafetya]

Hi,

Rookie question...are there any general theories or tips for getting fuel when hitched up? I am towing a 2013 Jay Flight 26BH behind my Ram, my total length is almost 50 feet.

I am new to this and somewhat "white knuckling". At some point when we starting doing longer trips I am going to need to get fuel while hitched up. I find myself looking at every gas station I pass when driving around now trying to think about if I could fit my set up in/out without removing half of the trailer siding in the process.

A bit of sarcasm there, there are much larger rigs out there (hell, the b-train rigs carrying fuel to gas stations are way longer). But are there any general rules of thumb you guys use when sizing up where you can squeeze in for gas vs. drive on and look for something better?

Cheers,
Corey

[Griswald One]

This has always been a challenge for me, and now with a motorhome pulling a toad it is an even bigger concern as I cannot reverse out if needed.

My first tip, never dip below a 1/4 tank. That way you leave yourself plenty of room for error should you have to hunt for a location. It probably means stopping every 3 hours to refuel, but really that is probably a decent schedule to strech your legs out anyway.

Secondly... Flying J ... Somehow in 9 years of pulling trailers I have never stopped at a Flying J until today.... Holy Carp what a difference. The one I was at had seperate RV designated lanes that were easy pull throughs. This one even had a Propane pump at it so I was able to drive up the lane, get my on board propane tank filled, pull ahead and fill my fuel tanks and then pay it all as one bill.

Finally if you do get stuck going into one of the smaller gas stops ... Don't be shy and go wide. You may get the occasional dirty look from Sally in her commter car... But wait your turn in line, turn wide and then take as much space as you need to get in and out safely. This will often mean blocking more then one pump, unfortunately there is just no way around it sometimes.

Some of the things I look for when approaching the smaller stations include: is there a long access/egress route where I can make a gentle turn into and out of the pumps. Having to make a sharp 90 degree turn inside a small parking lot is begging for trouble. Are the pumps parrallel to the station vs perpendicular. Stations where they are perpendicular often mean you have to battle vehicles parked out front of the store and your turning space may quickly disappear. It also means essentially performing a U-turn to get back to the road. Can I get to an outside lane where I am only battling obstacles on one side.

And last advice... Use spotters... I have had some tight spots and am not shy at all about having the wife and kids bail out and spot for me. I would much rather swallow my pride then dent my rig.

[Ont Pete]

My advise buy a diesel and then fill at the truck stops or at stations with separate pumps for diesel. I didn't plan it that way but it has been fairly easy because of it. But as Griswald said if you are not in familiar territory start looking early for the station that meets your needs and past any that don't look good.

[spoon059]

Ha ha... yea, getting gas can be stressful. For our longer trips we are usually on the interstate, so gas stations tend to be a little bit bigger to handle the higher volume. If we are driving on local roads, I start looking when I get to about 1/3 of a tank.

Make sure you plan ahead. As you are approaching the station be prepared for what you are going to do. Can you drive around the building to get turned around? Do you have a small lot to attempt to navigate? What angle do you need to take to get to the pumps? What angle do you have to take to get out of the station?

Plan ahead BEFORE you pull into the station. I had a 22' trailer to start and remember being stressed about it. Now I've got a 29' rig and am still a little stressed when its time to fuel up!

[Seann45]

Pilot/flying J have dedicated RV lanes. I try to always stop there just for the convenience. The GoodSam discount they offer does not hurt either.

[Iraqvet05]

I had the same apprehensions when we made a long trip a few months ago. We took lots of smaller highways to SE Missouri and we didn't run into any Flying J's or the larger chain stations but found lots of smaller stations (Casey's, Shell, independent stations, etc.) had easy access pumps. After a bit, you can tell which gas stations you can get into and which ones you can't. If the station is questionable, skip it. Look for stations with pump lanes parallel to the road. I drug the back of the camper on a steep incline at a station so watch those too.

I bought a 5 gal fuel jug just in case and I'm glad I did not have to use it. The newer fuel can nozzles have a mandated spring loaded valve in them and it was impossible to get the fuel in my truck because of that valve.

[DocBrown]

For Interstates get a Next Exit book. It shows which gas stations are RV friendly.

[norty1]

When I am in a bind for fuel and can not be unhitched, I look for a end pump with easy access out. They are hard to find so I plan my fuel stops accordingly.
I use diesel so truck stops are my first preference.
We can get an all day drive on a tank so it's not a every day thing.
Good thread because those 6 inch pipes in the gas lanes can eat up a trailer.

[FishAr]

I've seen afew stations where pull in was easy off of the main drag, but no room to go back out that way. Pulling out was a huge drop off to street. Drug my hitch on one like that (hitch in receiver, wasn't pulling trailer).

I'd hate to think what it would have done to the underside of the back end of a trailer.

Something to watch for at a small station.

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by Iraqvet05

I had the same apprehensions when we made a long trip a few months ago. We took lots of smaller highways to SE Missouri and we didn't run into any Flying J's or the larger chain stations but found lots of smaller stations (Casey's, Shell, independent stations, etc.) had easy access pumps. After a bit, you can tell which gas stations you can get into and which ones you can't. If the station is questionable, skip it. Look for stations with pump lanes parallel to the road. I drug the back of the camper on a steep incline at a station so watch those too.

I bought a 5 gal fuel jug just in case and I'm glad I did not have to use it. The newer fuel can nozzles have a mandated spring loaded valve in them and it was impossible to get the fuel in my truck because of that valve.

XX2! Always carry 5 gal fuel can. Also pick exits that have multi stations [watch signage] and do a drive by if necessary to find the best access [parallel pump islands and larger in/out lanes. 1/4th tank rule is always in affect. Oh, and DON'T BE IN A HURRY GETTING IN AND PULLING OUT.

[D&MAKAFUN]

therealsafetya..........welcome to the forums and CONGRATULATIONS on your Jayco. This thread is a prime example of the great people and info available. Great advice.
I'll just emphasize that you have a pretty good tail swing and gas pump islands are notorious for tail damage when pulling out. USE A SPOTTER
Look for signage that indicates a station has diesel pumps. That would indicate they have room for semis.
Also, remember you have 3 dimensions to adjust to: length, width and HEIGHT. Not all gas station canopies are tall enough for RVs. USE A SPOTTER WHEN MANEUVERING.
Last but not least, convenience stores, gas stations, fast food restaurants for the most part receive deliveries from semis. If a semi can get in and out, so can you.
ALLSTAYS, camp and RV is a great phone app with a variety of locations for camping, fueling, rest areas, RV related businesses.
DID I MENTION...........USE A SPOTTER WHEN MANEUVERING.
Relax and enjoy the journey.

[gcloss]

I have the Pilot/Flying J app on my cell phone. I use it to find it to find Pilot/Flying J stops with RV friendly lanes which are nicely setup for RVs. I ran into one Flying J west of Knoxville TN where the RV lane only had 87 octane gas which does not do well in my truck. I had to pull thru and maneuver to a pump island for cars. A little tight, but is was doable.

[bumbles75]

I was pulling my racecar trailer once and needed fuel. All the gas stations had too many cars to get into. I went to a large parking lot and dropped my trailer, drove across the street, fueled, hooked back up and went on my way. It was inconvenient but it was the only option at the time.

I think it was already mentioned but it's not just getting in, have an exit plan.

[Marml262]

I spent an hour before our last 2K mile trip using google earth to scope easy-in and easy-out gas stations at mileage intervals I know my TV could make. Took the stress out entirely.

[KLGard]

We have been full-timing for 5 years now and travel all over the U.S.. I look for truck stops, and easy to get in and out stations. We have diesel, so am always looking for where I can find non-bio diesel. We fill up when we get to about 1/4 of a tank. I like Flying J's/Pilot, along with Loves and other truck stop businesses. I have found only a few of them that were difficult to get in and out of. If I don't feel comfortable about pulling into a station, I look elsewhere. My husband and I do argue about this as he thinks I can get the truck and 5'er in anywhere. He also thinks I like to back out of places, especially in the dark. So, do what is comfortable for you.

[Blue Deuce]

I too look for the larger travel centers when fueling up. Of course, when out and about on side roads and towing you have to get a little creative sometimes and start looking a bit earlier than when on the highway.

I stay clear of your typical stations with pumps on both sides of a smaller building. Though I have made them work when that is the only option! Backed out of a couple stations in the last year but typically I can pull through or around even the small stations.

The big issue I have is the stations with pumps out front and you pull in with the front of the truck facing the store. The cars parked at the building are way too close to pull out and make a wide turn so I drive by those type stations unless I see an open spot on the ends.

[Edd505]

The longer you pull your trailer the more comfortable you'll get. I find fuel cheaper off the interstate at the smaller "home town" stations using GasBuddy app.

Note on the diesel: Lots of room to maneuver at the truck stop pumps but those truck pumps have MUCH larger nozzles than the normal pickup can handle as they're pumping 100-300gallons at a time not 30-40.

[Jagiven]

Congratulations on the new rig!

Finding gas will get easier with time. Like others I like to start seriously looking for fuel at a 1/4 tank. It is a bit like a game of chess, you need to think three steps ahead, basically my goal is easy out not in. End pumps are usually nice. If there are multiple pumps in a row, I pull all the way forwards so there is a less likely hood of entrapment. If the row of pumps, aim at the building, and I must use a center lane, I will loop around and aim the truck outwards bound, again easy out is my goal.

[Camper_bob]

My biggest tip: always know how you're going to get out BEFORE you get in. Having two or three different ways is even better. DW asked me once how I thought I was going to get out of a fueling situation; I rattled off exactly how I would get out 3 different ways depending on what other drivers did, and who showed up and who left while I was fueling. All those decisions were made before I even pulled off the street into the station.

If you aren't at least 100% certain how you'll get out after you fuel up, then move on until you get to somewhere you are.

[Ont Pete]

Note on the diesel: Lots of room to maneuver at the truck stop pumps but those truck pumps have MUCH larger nozzles than the normal pickup can handle as they're pumping 100-300gallons at a time not 30-40.[/QUOTE]


I have yet to find a nozzle to big for my truck! If it's a bigger nozzle all you do is don't squeeze the nozzle all the way. I put it on the first click and it works fine, but if you go to fast it still takes it but it will spit back when its full.