Searching for diesel

2oldman wrote:

Redsky wrote:
Knowing where I can get diesel I can adjust the route for our trips accordingly and plan my fuel stops in advance.

I don't know what you're driving, but upping your fuel capacity to at least 75 gallons will let you drive where you want.

I'd dislike very much planning a trip around fuel stations.

Simple solution but not one that is an option for me unless I buy a new truck. Not an option as I have a camper in the bed so cannot put an auxiliary fuel tank there and no company makes a oversize replacement fuel tank for my 2011 GM extended cab short bed truck. NO ONE. Now I could sell the 2011 truck and buy a new long bed model so I could get the aftermarket fuel tank. Only it would cost me about $10,000 to do this so not really a viable solution.

With a camper the mileage is between 9.5 and 11 MPG depending upon the terrain and how windy it happens to be. With a 36 gallon tank I work with 30 gallons as the amount I draw upon and that means 300 miles. If it is 250 miles between fueling locations we can go 50 miles total on side trips or at most 25 miles away from the major highways. Anyone who does not think this is a problem does not get off the beaten path much if at all. I have followed the practice of using at most 1/3 of my fuel to go into the back country and 1/3 back and having 1/3 as a reserve as I go places where there is no cell service much less AAA to bring me 10 gallons of diesel fuel or tow me to the nearest town where diesel is available.

Problem is that we go to many areas where there are no towns much less gas stations much less gas stations that pump diesel. My route for a trip in June up through eastern CA, OR, and into Idaho involves a number of days where we drive an extra 100 miles or more to be able to hit a diesel fuel stop. That extra 100 miles also burns up another $50 in fuel as well as taking extra time.

If we stayed on the interstates it would be easy to find truck stops and places with diesel but it would also make for a very boring trip. We bought the truck and camper to avoid the tourist places as much as possible, only problem has been having to find diesel fuel.

The 4WD truck and camper work well for going into the back country overall. The problem was with my switching to diesel for this type of use. It was a mistake. When I towed horse trailers it was never a problem as the trucks had large saddle tanks and I used the horses and not the truck to get into the back country.

If I had it to do over I would have bought a long bed truck to be able to get the larger aftermarket fuel tank and it would have been with the gas engine instead of the diesel. I don't get enough extra range with the diesel engine to offset the fewer places where diesel is available and as a result the greater distance between fuel stops.
Live and learn.