Getting gas with long trailer?

Hi Lantley, I think that’s absolutely right. Know in advance where you want to stop to fill up and Google Earth it to make sure the place is set up right. Someone said earlier if push comes to shove you can always unhook. And that’s true, a fifth wheel makes it pretty easy. But far better to find a station where that’s not necessary.

Mondooker wrote:
Our trailer is 42’ long and when we go out west we put in 400 mile days. With a 48 gallon tank we will have to get gas along the way, mostly on interstates. The newer stations seem to be set up better for RV’s. But what your saying if I understand you correctly. Even though you’ll block multiple pumps. You can get gas with the trailer attached right?

You mentioned that a 40 foot gas truck can get into the station. But gas trucks don’t go to the pumps.

Don't buy into the fuel tanker gets in there nonsense.
It is much more difficult to get fuel with a gasser vs. diesel.
Gassers have less fuel range which meansthey require more fuel stops.
Truckstops and many large covenience store have seperate diesel islands with lots of access for large vehicles, however dedicated easy big rig access is not gurateed for gassers
Rfeueling a gasser is more difficult but not impossible. Google satelite view is your friend.

You will need to scope out accessible stations along your route and learn to frequent those stations.That works well when traveling to familiar regular places.
However when traveling in unchartered territory you will need to scope out stations. Before pulling in , make sure you see a path out!
Refuel without the trailer as much as possible. Use sattelite view and Next Exit book when possible.
Lastly avoid waiting until you are almost empty. Always give yourself the option to check outthe next exit down the road.

Our trailer is 42’ long and when we go out west we put in 400 mile days. With a 48 gallon tank we will have to get gas along the way, mostly on interstates. The newer stations seem to be set up better for RV’s. But what your saying if I understand you correctly. Even though you’ll block multiple pumps. You can get gas with the trailer attached right?

You mentioned that a 40 foot gas truck can get into the station. But gas trucks don’t go to the pumps.

Use whatever gas station you want. There are very few stations that won't accommodate a trailer. You need to be careful, go slow, and know how to maneuver the trailer. Being able to back it up is a very important skill.
I've gotten fuel at all kinds of places with my Suburban towing my boat which is about 27 feet long. I also sometimes have my crew cab long bed pulling my equipment trailer that is about 30 feet long. Just take your time and wait for a good opening.
Keep in mind that all gas stations are fueled by 18 wheeler tankers; most of them with 40' or longer trailers. They are all able to get in and out so you should be too.

Getting into a non truck stop fuel station is seldom a problem. We are 55'LOA & diesel. The end islands are usually the islands that have diesel, but they also have gas.

If you hang back aways because of the trailer, oh well, that's life. If the fuel supply truck can get in there, you can too.

You are not hitched to the trailer all of the time. It is no big issue to pick up fuel without the trailer. Top off before travel day or right after travel day. Easy.

If you're going to disconnect don't forget to chock those wheels.

This is one great reason to buy a shorter camper.

I would imagine plenty of large RVs filling up at Florida fuel stations, I know out west in the four corner states it is a common sight, particularly along interstates. We used outer fuel lanes to make entrance and departure easier, but primarily we would fuel up before and after hitching/unhitching RV.

When RVing in areas where we did not know what type of refueling options we have, we used google satellite to choose stations with easier access. As we primarily do most of our RVing where fuel stations can be scarce, we did at times carry a 5 gallon tank in case we miscalculated.

To that point, there was a few times over a decade where we had to unhitch RV to gain access to small backroad fuel stations, no biggie as it takes just a couple of minutes to do via powered Barker tongue jack. Practice locally at some of the larger stations, best to do it when fuel station is not too busy.

Look carefully including height, enter slowly, exit slowly. Don’t be afraid to park and do a walking check. You’ll be fine!

You need to check the gas station out BEFORE pulling in. Use the outside lanes and make certain there is room to exit. Easy in/out is what you want. Reject any station that you are not sure of. And just to puncture your diesel visions, there often is no truck stop handy and we have to do the same thing. Especially away from the Interstates.