gas at truck stops

[mussfly]

i plan to head south for the winter which i do have a spot saved. and i am towing a 35' fifth wheeler with a gas ford f-250 and i am wondering if most brands have gas lanes in their truck lanes?
the reason i ask is last yr traveling rt 95 and rt 75 in a class c with toad i got in real tight places in car gas lanes and now with a bigger setup i would be up the creek.
so what brand should i look for with gas in their truck lanes and where are they usually like near the store end or all lane's or? and are the marked with gas. the reason i ask is that there is a truck stop near me and they have a gas lane but it is not marked and if you are not acquainted with that station you would have to go in and ask then startup your rig and move it again .
last yr i pulled into i forget what brand truck stop and pulled up on the truck lanes and they did not have a gas lane pump in their truck lanes so i pulled around to the car lanes and it was very tight but i did make it but boy was it tight , like the mrs had to get out and move a trash can and i had to wait because of people opening the store doors, so i wouldn't hit them. and i also found out that cars have very little mercy with this type of experience . i even had cars pull in front and so i had to wait on them to leave.
so give me truck lanes please!

[one_strange_tex]

IdaD wrote:

one_strange_texan wrote:
The advice about scouting out your stops ahead of time with Google Maps or Google Earth is very sound. You can get the satellite view then zoom down to street level to assess you entry and exit strategy. There are several apps that have maps of RV friendly stations. Many are free.
I set the target maximum distance between fuel stops, then use Google and an app to set exactly where I will stop before heading out. It removes a degree of stress from the trip.
Good luck and safe travels.

I think I paid $10 for Allstays in the App Store. It's a slick app that's well worth the small expense - it has a ton of pertinent information in it and is very easy to use.

There are actually several AllStays travel apps. I believe you are referring to the "Truck Stops & Travel Plaza" app. There are other AllStays apps for campgrounds, rest stops, Walmart overnight parking, etc.

Others I use include "RV Parks & Campgrounds" (free version, includes RV fuel stops, rest stops and chain stores & restaurants. There is a Pro version to buy) and "Trucker Path" (free and pay versions). I like the ability to consult multiple sources if need be.

I am sure the AllStays truck stop app is very good, considering their other products. $10 is really not much considering the problems you are trying to avoid. Some may wish to try a free version first to determine if they like the features and to see if the methodology of using such a tool fits into their way of doing things.

[IdaD]

one_strange_texan wrote:
The advice about scouting out your stops ahead of time with Google Maps or Google Earth is very sound. You can get the satellite view then zoom down to street level to assess you entry and exit strategy. There are several apps that have maps of RV friendly stations. Many are free.
I set the target maximum distance between fuel stops, then use Google and an app to set exactly where I will stop before heading out. It removes a degree of stress from the trip.
Good luck and safe travels.

I think I paid $10 for Allstays in the App Store. It's a slick app that's well worth the small expense - it has a ton of pertinent information in it and is very easy to use.

[mussfly]

i will be traveling rt i95 and then i10 in fl. to i75 than south again and i found findfuelstops.com used for tractor trailer with rest areas and fuel exits
which i have exit #'s and picked all pilot/flying j's and if some could tell me if tell me if i am making a good choice for my 5er and f250 for rv lanes let me know! exit #'s are 104 in va,106-nc, 170-sc, 109-ga, i10 exit343-fl,route i75-285, 139-fl and each one is aimed at 212 miles or less sense i am good for 315 miles give or take!
the rough one for me is my first stop of 212 miles cause i will be traveling hills and could cause my mileage to drop very close to the empty point ,but i do not want to stop near baltimore or dc if i don't have to!

[scrubjaysnest]

Flapper wrote:
The other thing to think about is your credit card, if you use one at the pump. When you first insert your card, a predetermined amount is charged to your account to "hold" the funds. Usually in auto lanes, that is anywhere from $25 to $75. Then when you complete your actual purchase, the true amount is billed, and the remainder (if any) is freed up on your card for other uses. The kicker is how long it takes the station to "settle" the transaction - it can be very soon, overnight, or several days. Not too much of an issue with normal gas fills. But if you go to the trucker lanes, your initial amount could be as high as $500. And if your bill is only $75, you run the risk of not being able to use the remaining $425 for a number of days. If you hit a few stations that are slow to settle, you can exceed your credit limit, and your card will stop working for a while.
So if you plan to use a card at a pump, make sure it has a high limit!

Never have seen this, only a dollar shows up on ours.

[Flapper]

The other thing to think about is your credit card, if you use one at the pump. When you first insert your card, a predetermined amount is charged to your account to "hold" the funds. Usually in auto lanes, that is anywhere from $25 to $75. Then when you complete your actual purchase, the true amount is billed, and the remainder (if any) is freed up on your card for other uses. The kicker is how long it takes the station to "settle" the transaction - it can be very soon, overnight, or several days. Not too much of an issue with normal gas fills. But if you go to the trucker lanes, your initial amount could be as high as $500. And if your bill is only $75, you run the risk of not being able to use the remaining $425 for a number of days. If you hit a few stations that are slow to settle, you can exceed your credit limit, and your card will stop working for a while.
So if you plan to use a card at a pump, make sure it has a high limit!

[ckwizard777]

If you are ever in Texas, Stop at Buccees.
There is enough room at all of their pumps for 45 foot 5vr and no big rigs are allowed to use them.
Anywhere alse I use google maps to scope it out before I get there.
Ken

[one_strange_tex]

The advice about scouting out your stops ahead of time with Google Maps or Google Earth is very sound. You can get the satellite view then zoom down to street level to assess you entry and exit strategy. There are several apps that have maps of RV friendly stations. Many are free.
I set the target maximum distance between fuel stops, then use Google and an app to set exactly where I will stop before heading out. It removes a degree of stress from the trip.
Good luck and safe travels.

[dahkota]

Pilot/Flying J has an app. One can pull up the information on stations (from a map) that includes if there are RV pumps, RV parking, a dump station, and propane.

Love's and T/A also have apps but they tend not to have RV pumps.

We typically use google maps to get an eagle-eye view of stations along our route. We put in our route then use the "search along route" to find truck stops. Once we find them we look at them in satellite view to see how tight they are.

When we pre-plan we rarely have an issue (with 2.75 years of fulltiming).

[Jack_Diane_Free]

We had a 36ft 5er and crew cab truck and really never had a problem getting gas. Pick stations that have an outside gas lane with a side street exit. Don't be afraid to block things up a bit or to back out the way you came in. Have done that many times. I also found the major retailers at expressway interchanges usually had large areas for large vehicles. Just don't be shy about it.

[Judgerr]

Sometimes you can pull into the far right pump, then backup a bit and swing real wide right, and make a left in front of the pumps and get out. Sometimes I have had to back out! I usually start looking for something I can get into when gage gets down to a quarter tank. It can get a bit tricky sometimes.

[Allworth]

You will almost NEVER find gas on the truck lanes. High speed diesel pumps only (and go inside to pay).

I am usually able to get a 35 footer in on the end island when I have to fuel up at a location without truck lanes. Just plan ahead and don't be afraid to "push out" or block small cars if you must. They can wait their turn and don't have the clearance problems that you do. Be courteous but be firm.

Watch overhead clearances.

[jnharley]

Truck stops usually do not have gasoline at their truck pumps and only have diesel and DEF. Some like Flying J have dedicated RV lanes but it seems most of the Pilot/Flying J (PFJ) truck stops do not. You may be able to maneuver enough at an outside pump and still get out.

The Next Exit book also has an app, IEXIT which is much easier to use than the book and will update without having to buy a new book.

We have a diesel truck but the stock tank is ridiculously small so we replaced it with a much bigger OEM tank so we never have to fuel on a travel day.

[Charley67]

My truck is diesels, and I pull a 35' 5er, but I mostly refuel at the auto diesel pumps which also have gas. These are on the outside lane, and many places have sufficient ways to exit. I refuel well before my tank is empty, and think about the way out before pulling in. I really don't think you'll have a great deal of trouble. The 5er will give you much more back up capability than pulling a toad, should you need it.

[campinginthewoo]

The next exit book is good has exit information ie fuel,food etc....tells you what's available at the exit. There are also some apps available although I'm not familiar with them.