picking gas stations

When you get off the interstate/highway there is usually more than one station to choose from. I look for the one that has the easiest on/off access back to the highway assuming they all are reasonably competitive on price. As you approach the pumps, when in doubt look for a rig bigger than yours, I like the outside lane. If you pull in to pump will someone accessing the parking in front of the station store block your ability to swing wide enough to get back out?

As noted above never get below one quarter of a tank as this will leave you with more options. Usually one of us will need to stop before we get that low on fuel. :C

In general, stopping at stations off the freeways between the big cities seem to offer the nice tall, straight thru lanes to the pumps.

The gas stations located in the middle of town or where you can't see their tall sign off of the freeway are usually the ones to avoid, as they are set for the neighborhoods they are in and deal with cars mostly..

That's been experience anyway... ;)

I also start looking for gas around the 1/2 tank mark and never go past 1/4 tank, just in case I need to go to the next station for whatever reason..

Good luck!

Mitch

We just drive by, look at it and either pull in or move in. Most gas stations off the interstate are fairly big as they accommodate travelers. It's when you get in town that things get dicey. Before we got our new 5'er we were 52' OAL. I didn't worry too much. Just looked for one with an easy in-out. We don't mess with that RV GPS stuff or anything else as sometimes to find one you have to drive several miles off track. I have more trouble filling up in the town where I live than out on the road.

This does not help find gas stations but, when I find one that has easy access I list it in a log for future use. It helps when planning gas stops on routes I've previously traveled.

we use truck stops or travel centers. You can look at them on google maps and get some idea of the room. Some states are putting "RV" on the road signs to denote RV friendly stations. Not sure about CA.

You can buy a book from Amazon titled "Next Exit" that provides information on what gas stations are available off interstate highways. Usually truck stops have a little more space. Of course, sometimes you have to just eyeball the situation. Stations with pumps sets horizontal to the road are usually easier to navigate. On shorter trips, I will set up at the campground and then just take the truck to find diesel fuel.