Gas station guide

Another tool (phone app):

TRUCKERS PATH

What I use for work. As noted above, “travel center” is the better term than truck stop. These businesses cater to all.

1). Location

Choose based on some distance from major metro areas. At least 75-miles to avoid most commuters and regional delivery plus contractors.

The ideal location is in the same direction of travel. Backups can occur when there are several truck stops clustered at an exit and it’s still a one-lane over the Interstate.

2). Time of Day

Most truckers are up and gone by 0800. Most commuters gone by 0900. The next couple of hours are slowest.

Mid-day sees trucking jerks using the big truck diesel lanes to accomplish their mandated 30-minute break (versus using a parking spot). Backups start to occur, and might last into evening dependent on location (staying away from cities thus key). It’s not always the reason (some lanes are just flat busy).

But, be assured that by 1600 many drivers are finishing their day. Some do this by buying fuel before parking for the night. This lasts till past 2100.

Nationwide, the hours 0800-1100 are the LAST hours traffic volume is low enough to make decent headway (highest average MPH). From 1100 until almost 2300 the plague of cars never subsides (apparently no one has a job).

3). How to Use

There’s no parking at the pumps (unless one is an American by virtue of paperwork). Use the satellite provision of T-Path to scroll down tightly to figure post-fuel parking, if needed. I wouldn’t. Buy fuel and leave. It’s not a vacation if more is necessary. You already carry food and have a bathroom. At these businesses one pays for convenience. That they have, and rightly charge for it.

If buying fuel is part of the mandatory 4-hour break, then choose location based on proximity to where you’ll shortly pull over for lunch.

4). What brand?

For my money I’d choose

Petro
T/A

over the competition. Most fuel lanes (plus a C-store out there); indoor sit-down restaurant, mechanic on duty, greatest range of services. Tends to long term employees.

Pilot & Loves are glorified C-stores. More locations, though. And more likely on non-Interstate routes (especially Loves). Discounted fuel (not the pump price) is the attraction. Driver competition can be fierce getting in & out.

Flying J is okay. They make noise about being RV friendly, but I in my observations, that’s more luck than reality. They can be heavily-used and ARE NOT staffed to meet high demand. I like them well enough, but only use them for overnight parking when my time is no longer a concern.

For any of these, set up accounts if possible. Otherwise one needs to pay in advance if using the truck lanes. It’s easy to fill my CTD at those; and parking is a few steps away and AWAY from the far worse (inconsiderate) car travelers.

Exits & Entrance to the truck lanes is ONLY via signs directing Truck traffic. Auto is a separate entrance, and there should be no cross-flow between the types.

5). Price

It’s the foolish RV’er who’s chasing pennies by trying to find the lowestc priced fuel. Can it be reduced 10-15 PERCENT? No. Thus the heightened risk of accidents and time lost plus aggravation.

Travel Centers (truck stops) make for a fast re-fuel with minimal time off the road. Using them early in the day (as you’ll be finished by 1500 anyway) is the prudent approach.
T-Path also features reviews, and while they don’t always apply to RV’ers, THERE ARE those locations you might want to use where sat pic has you head-scratching, and bad reviews about trucker use change your mind to find another spot instead.

T-Path also features a WalMart locator plus other services. Just choose filter. I set up company-directed fuel providers to trip plan, and then use the major chains to determine overnight parking as last. W-M I use to shop on the usual 5-6 week trips. (As with fuel I DO IT AWAY FROM CITIES).

Thanks for all of the good suggestions.

Gdetrailer wrote:

RRTom wrote:
When we had a diesel motor home we had a guide (hard copy) that we could look up locations that sold diesel fuel.

We now have a gasser and I'm wondering if there is a book or website that helps locate gas stations that are accessible while towing a car. In other words, gas stations that I can get into and out of with the car connected. Our motor home is 35'.

:R

USE YOUR EYES, you don't "need" a "guide".

You went from a Diesel to GASOLINE engine.

Far MORE stations sell GASOLINE than diesel.

You have made your life easier!

Size up the station before committing to enter, small station with restricted access to pumps, MOVE ON, there are plenty of other stations out there that will have the space you need.

I look for stations which moves the vehicle traffic side to side of the station building and avoid any station which requires the traffic to move towards/away from the station building.

Heck, I tow a 26ft TT with a full sized pickup, over all length of of nearly 50FT which makes it longer than your rig unless you have a "towed" behind. I have not had all that much trouble fitting into stations which are not small..

The problem is I am in Southern California and seeing the lay out of gas stations from the freeways is nearly impossible. Coming home last weekend, our usual stop was over run with off road vehicles fueling up and RV's. It would have been an hour before we could have got in. Pulled off at a T/A only to find the gas station was closed. Pulled off the freeway at several different exits only to find there was no way I could get in and out of the station. Finally remembered a station I used to stop at with the DP and struck gold.

I understand it is always a challenge in a strange area trying to figure out how to deal with a large rig. I have found Google Earth and Google StreetView to be invaluable for trip planning. They allow me to see the layout of the area and get an idea how I will maneuver through it.

Of course, if I am not planning out my trip & stops in that way, this all goes out the window. Maybe get yourself a co-pilot and mobile access point to help on the ad-hoc stops.

HTH,
-Eric

As far as i know,there is no such book or website that shows where you can get gas for large vehicles.It was always a concern when we had a gas vehicle. WE tried to use Flying J's as much as possible since many have separate RV islands. But they weren't always where we needed them.With the diesel we have fewer worries because we can always use the truck stops and fill up. Flying J does have an app to show you which locations have the separate RV lanes.

I use www.californiagasprices.com when I open the map I zoom in and go to satelite view you can see how stations are laid out. I know the range of my MH so I use Goggle Maps to plot my next fillup.

In more than 200,000 miles I doubt if I can count on my fingers the number of times that I have needed reverse to get into or out of a fuel station while hooked up to our 34' 5er. It is simply a non issue, & we rarely use the big truck stop stations. Cheaper fuel can usually be found less than a 1/2 mile further from the exit.

Stay away from old stations in the center of small towns.

RRTom wrote:
When we had a diesel motor home we had a guide (hard copy) that we could look up locations that sold diesel fuel.

We now have a gasser and I'm wondering if there is a book or website that helps locate gas stations that are accessible while towing a car. In other words, gas stations that I can get into and out of with the car connected. Our motor home is 35'.

:R

USE YOUR EYES, you don't "need" a "guide".

You went from a Diesel to GASOLINE engine.

Far MORE stations sell GASOLINE than diesel.

You have made your life easier!

Size up the station before committing to enter, small station with restricted access to pumps, MOVE ON, there are plenty of other stations out there that will have the space you need.

I look for stations which moves the vehicle traffic side to side of the station building and avoid any station which requires the traffic to move towards/away from the station building.

Heck, I tow a 26ft TT with a full sized pickup, over all length of of nearly 50FT which makes it longer than your rig unless you have a "towed" behind. I have not had all that much trouble fitting into stations which are not small..

Janss:
That pop-up menu next to the city window shows only regular, mid-grade, and premium on my browser.

I am using a Mac laptop. Verrry strange.
Roy

Wait a minute!! Now I see it! The pop-up menu has a scroll bar. I have to scroll down to see "diesel".

The light finally dawns.

Roy

RoyF, sounds like you're using the Gasbuddy website on a laptop, rather than the app.

I just opened the website in Safari on my Mac laptop. On the front page of www.gasbuddy.com, there is a pop-up menu for type of gas right next to the search box where you type in the city you are looking for. Diesel is listed in this pop-up menu. Is this what you are looking for?