Stopping For Gas

My trailer is 35'7" and I've never found a gas station that I couldn't fuel up and get out of. I've fueled up in some pretty small stations. I've even fueled up at a station with a 9 ft canopy. All you need is for the truck to get to the pump. I use those little Murphy USA's at Walmarts all of the time. Most stations out there have plenty of room to get in and out of.

Truck stops can give you more room, but sometimes you'll run into truck stops that have plenty of space for the diesel islands, but the gas station side is no bigger than a normal station. Sometime the closest truck stop can be outside of your empty range or there are none in the area where you're camping. A time will come where you're forced to use a normal station.

One thing you can do to make things easier is have your co pilot pull up the satellite image of the station before you enter it. Sometimes there's easier ways to get in, out, and around that you may not see from the roadway. As you move throughout the station, take you sweet time constantly checking your mirrors. Think about how you're going to get out of a spot before you get into it. If you know you're going to pull forward to leave and there's an empty pump in front of you, just occupy both pumps. It's a little bit inconsiderate, but it's better than getting stuck behind someone who uses the pumps as parking spots. If there's no good way to get out by going forward then just back out the same way you came in. I can't see myself wasting time unhooking just to get fuel.

Use truck stops whenever possible. Easy pump access and acres of concrete for turning around or parking while you go inside. Most gas stations near freeway exits have ample room too. Google Earth is also your friend.

On long trips I have been know to get a bit anal about gas stops, here is an example, of using Google maps, street view and satellite view on a trip out to Black Hills:


I also carry extra gas and it came in handy one time, 20 miles from any station, lesson learned though.

Dean

Passin Thru wrote:
I started driving Tractor Trailer in 1966 and have never been where I couldn't get out unless a JB Hunt truck was blocking the pumps at J while he took a shower and 2 trucks were behind me. Plan ahead, that's what truck drivers and Pilots do. Come to think of it, I never left anyone up there because I didn't have a place to land.Whaich service station has a dump under the canopy on a fuel island. Never seen one.

I think you misread me...I didnt say the dumps were under the canopy. I wrote that the tanker may have to pull thru the pump aisles to get set up at the dumps...a much different thing.

And Ironically this would generally only happen at smaller stations. where the tanks are in close proximity to the pumps.

I started driving Tractor Trailer in 1966 and have never been where I couldn't get out unless a JB Hunt truck was blocking the pumps at J while he took a shower and 2 trucks were behind me. Plan ahead, that's what truck drivers and Pilots do. Come to think of it, I never left anyone up there because I didn't have a place to land.Whaich service station has a dump under the canopy on a fuel island. Never seen one.

Like most RV issues you will eventually just cowboy up and learn to do it.

Your wife, kids and dog are all part of the crew whose job is to make sure you do not hit or run over stuff.

Eventually you learn to judge where YOU can put you rig and where to pass.

Gdetrailer wrote:

fulltimedaniel wrote:

Johno02 wrote:
But the tanker trucks don't have to get to the pumps.

This is not always true. In some stations they must go under the canopy to be set up correctly to dump.

In any case if there is room in the lot for the tanker and the Coke Truck there is room for your TT and truck.

My combination TT and truck is a bit more than 53 feet long. I have never found a station I couldnt get in and out of. The vast majority are plenty big enough.

I think some folks have a bit exaggerated view of how big they really are and the space they need to maneuver in.

remember the length that really matters is the distance between your two pivot points...where your trailer connect to the truck and the centerline of the trailer axles.

A 40 foot 5th wheel may have the same pivot to pivot distance as my Bumper pull TT. and thus will maneuver in the same space.

Just "because" a tanker truck can get UNDER the canopy does NOT MEAN THAT YOU WILL GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE PUMP!

I have never seen a station yet that has the tanker dumping right at a pump.. Sure, they may drive under the canopy in order to get to the station tanks but they are not needing to jockey that rig into the pumps..

Most stations have no more than SIX FEET of pump hose, so you need to be able to get your entire rig within 4ft of the pump.. Many small stations just do not have the room to go straight in so you will find yourself backing up and pulling forward to jockey close enough just to get the nozzle in..

An experienced person with towing takes this for granted, NOVICE or NEW folks to the world of towing may not have the experience that you and I have and using your advice can get them into trouble like clipping a pump, damaging their trailer or another motorists vehicle..

Well what I was trying to say was that I have seen many cases where the tanker has to go Through the pump aisles to get set up correctly for the dumps. Thus there is plenty of room.

Everyone has to judge for themselves of course. But if you never try you will never learn. The stations in this country that cannot fit an RV are probably 1-2% of the total...mostly older out of date stations in central cities or small towns.

And with all due respect if a person cant get within hose distance of the pumps with their rig (ie they dont know how to set up that turn properly)...perhaps driving one isnt what they should be doing.

One more hint -- there are some gas stations that are set up for "one directional flow," in other words, an entrance on one side and an exit on the other. Costco is a good example of that.

If you can find that arrangement, you're much less likely to be boxed in with somebody facing you. You can just pick your lane and wait your turn.

bstar1952 wrote:
I especially like the inconsiderate SOB's that fill-up then go inside and do 15 minutes of shopping or order a meal while leaving their car at the pump. Sometimes I "ask" them to please be a little more considerate in the future, and most times I just get a blank stare.

"See the green pump? There are only 2 of them with diesel. Please don't block the green pumps. Thank you"

By some of the looks, you know they had no idea. Wink and smile, wink and smile ;)

In addition to the good advice of planning your exit, looking for pumps that don't force you into the parking spots in front of the store, and looking for stations on the corner;


Grow a thick skin. I have gotten myself swung around, heading for the front pump at a station, only to have a jerk back into the pump I was aiming for. So there I was, blocking the normal traffic pattern with my trailer, with no good way out until the jerk decided to move. (I'm usually rolling solo - no spotter) Those situations happen, and you just have to deal with them.

Like some others, I will put in 600 mile days and stop for the night without unhooking on my way to my destination. I want to spend my vacation time in Death Valley and Joshua Tree. I don't want to fritter that vacation time away on the way to the destination.