Gas station help!

My general rule is: stay the heck away from crowded urban areas. That's where you're likely to not fit.

Look for stations with pump lanes parallel to the main road. When you get close, pay attention to the exit...sometimes you can easily get into a station but you cannot get out as easily. Also watch the approaches. A few months ago we pulled into a station and my only way out was down a steep hill and I drug the back end of the camper. Most of the modern chain stations are being built with trailers in mind so don't worry to much. You may want carry 5 gallons with you but beware the new fuel jugs have a mandated valve on them that maybe difficult to use on your truck. I wasted $20 on a jug from Wal-Mart that I cannot use in the filler neck of my Silverado.

When the gas gauge reads 1/2 tank its time to start looking for that gas station that has easy access. When on the interstate avoid stations in town and hit the stations before or after the main part of town as there is less traffic. Before you even pull into a station plan your exit and if the quarters are tight move on to the next station. Once you gas up a couple dozen times it becomes second nature. I don't worry about gas prices when I tow so much as I worry about getting in or out of the place so I'm willing to pay a few cents more for gas if a station has more room or a better angle on the pump islands.

number one tip - don't obsess over saving small amounts per gallon. even at 100 gallons, saving 10 cents/gal is only $10 versus how much frustration you could deal with getting into that cheaper station that's super busy.

number two avoid high density retail areas ... if the exit sign is advertising 6+ gas stations, 6+ fast food outlets and who knows what all at one exit, chances are it's all crammed together on a busy street. look for exits that have a truck-stop type gas station, often times they'll have a huge (tall) sign you can see well before the exit.

30 ft trailer and a 18-20 ft tow sounds big, but just take it easy, be patient and go slow - you can fit into just about any gas station as long as there's clearance. that station has to be able to accept the huge fuel hauler that delivers fuel, so it can accept your RV combination too.

regarding "just truck stops" I've never met a retail station that didn't sell gasoline. there are some fleet-based ones out there (where it's just a fuel island but no store/building), but those are pretty rare. just about any truck stop you pull into will sell gasoline. there's plenty of gasoline powered delivery vehicles out there, mostly smaller bread trucks / box trucks.

The ones I avoid are those that have the pumps perpendicular to the building.
Quite often, people will park right in front of the doors and pretty well cut off your exit.

I basically haven't found a station I haven't been able to get out of.....yet.
I also start looking for gas at 1/2 tank.

I wish other states would adopt what the state of Iowa has done on interstate highway signage. Gas stations that are RV friendly have a red RV sticker on their blue interstate next exit advertising. That really helps in my area!

GordonThree wrote:
number one tip - don't obsess over saving small amounts per gallon. even at 100 gallons, saving 10 cents/gal is only $10 versus how much frustration you could deal with getting into that cheaper station that's super busy.

x2

Be willing to pay a few cents more for convenience, because you likely will have to. Everyone is looking for the cheapest price, hence those stations will be more crowded.

Bryanpark2 wrote:
We use gas not diesel so just truck stops won't work. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

???

I don't think I've ever seen a Diesel Only truck stop.

At 9MPG, with a 30 gallon tank and out in the sticks, gas planning is foremost on our minds. We start thinking about it when the gauge reads 1/2 tank.

The smartphone comes up and one of us starts searching for gas stations. As for 'not fitting', we're 11' 3" and so far I've only had one problem this season.

I use Gas Buddy--not necessarily to search for price, although that is sometimes useful---but you can get addresses and look on Google Maps. Switch to Earth view to get an idea of the exit options.

Pumps parallel to the road is OK as long as you have space to get in reasonably straight and not block other traffic.

If you are at a larger place with pumps perpendicular to the road, use the outside pumps and you are less likely to have an issue getting out.

Try to pull forward so the trailer is not hanging out in a traffic lane. Of course that means you will block 2 pumps, but do your best to be quick. It beats getting T-boned because the trailer is hanging out.

Always have more than one CC. I've had some weird things happen at gas pumps that can cause your card to not work, or get shut down. Often the readers are not in good shape and if one card doesn't work the other one will.

It's always important eyeing your exit route from the pumps before entering the station. As well as overhead clearance, which is generally not as much of a problem.