Filling up at gas station
New to towing and I get a little nervous. When I go to had up is it possible to go where the big trucks fill up at the larger gas stations??
Forum Discussion
I have a 35.5 foot TT and with tow truck and cargo carrier on the end of the trailer, I'm 59.5 feet long. I maneuver regular gas stations all the time (diesel) and only very, very seldom have I had problems. The bigger problems are car drivers who just don't understand how big and cumbersome an RV or trailer in tow can be. They can be very impatient and just darn right rude. So you have to be very patient. But as far as maneuverability, pick your gas stations with an eye to always move on to the next one down the road. That's why so many have the self-imposed rule ... start looking for a fuel station at half-empty. Consider half-empty as your "empty" mark and you'll never have problems.
About diesel. Many gas stations have diesel too. Sometimes only 1 island, and sometimes only 1 pump dedicated to diesel. These can be a bit more challenging, especially draging 59 feet of train. Finding the pump is usually the biggest challenge, considering you just can't whip around dragging a long trailer, where cars can do that easily.
But in 20 years of towing trailers with tow vehicles gas and diesel, we've traveled thousands and thousands and thousands of miles and always got gas or diesel somewhere and never ran out, left stranded anywhere. So, if others can do it, you can too.
A word about truck stops and their diesel pumps. Yes, the diesel pump nosels are larger in diameter than those at car island diesel pumps. And they pump about 100 times faster too! You can pump a gallon in 5 seconds easily. They are designed for the big rigs, where the nosel goes directly into the round tanks on the side of those trucks. Not only do they pump extremely fast (which the neck of your vehicle might not be able to handle without belching back up at you), the opening and the neck on your vehicle can be too small for those large diameter pump nozzles.
I don't use truck stops (unless there is absolutely no other choice)... or it happens to be the I-80 truck stop in Iowa (which is a fabulous place by the way) for this reason (and many more). So we always use regular gas stations for diesel (at 59.5 feet long).
About diesel. Many gas stations have diesel too. Sometimes only 1 island, and sometimes only 1 pump dedicated to diesel. These can be a bit more challenging, especially draging 59 feet of train. Finding the pump is usually the biggest challenge, considering you just can't whip around dragging a long trailer, where cars can do that easily.
But in 20 years of towing trailers with tow vehicles gas and diesel, we've traveled thousands and thousands and thousands of miles and always got gas or diesel somewhere and never ran out, left stranded anywhere. So, if others can do it, you can too.
A word about truck stops and their diesel pumps. Yes, the diesel pump nosels are larger in diameter than those at car island diesel pumps. And they pump about 100 times faster too! You can pump a gallon in 5 seconds easily. They are designed for the big rigs, where the nosel goes directly into the round tanks on the side of those trucks. Not only do they pump extremely fast (which the neck of your vehicle might not be able to handle without belching back up at you), the opening and the neck on your vehicle can be too small for those large diameter pump nozzles.
I don't use truck stops (unless there is absolutely no other choice)... or it happens to be the I-80 truck stop in Iowa (which is a fabulous place by the way) for this reason (and many more). So we always use regular gas stations for diesel (at 59.5 feet long).
