Truck stops.

[grizz272]

After deciding to buy a Fifth-wheel I started thinking what I would need to know about this thing. One of the first things I realized is I have not been at a truck stop with a trailer hitched up since 2003. So what do I do when I pull up to a diesel pump at a truck stop now?

[okiejoe]

Most pumps for trucks at truck stops have a larger diameter nozzle to accommodate larger volume of fuel to fill tank faster so don’t use those as the nozzle won’t fit in your fill inlet. Most truck stops have an RV or pickup island or at the auto pumps most diesel pumps are on the outside island

[justme]

Travlingman wrote:

DiskDoctr wrote:

ppine wrote:
Ford diesel comes with a 35 gallon tank. Mine gets over 20 mpg empty. That is a lot of miles.

I like truck stops and do not see any price issues with them in the West. They have lots of stuff that can be useful on a serious road trip.

7.3L Diesel Excursions come with 44 gallons 😉

My 2017 F-350 came with a 48 gallon tank.:C

2012 F250/350 Ford SRW short bed 4/4 crew cab comes with a 26 gal fuel tank. The 2018 adds a few gallons, but is still too small for pulling large trailer. Carrying extra fuel is a good thing to do. The newer Fords are great trucks, but somehow they lost it with fuel capacity. In the past they offered saddle tanks, but I don't think they do any more.

[Travlingman]

DiskDoctr wrote:

ppine wrote:
Ford diesel comes with a 35 gallon tank. Mine gets over 20 mpg empty. That is a lot of miles.

I like truck stops and do not see any price issues with them in the West. They have lots of stuff that can be useful on a serious road trip.

7.3L Diesel Excursions come with 44 gallons 😉

My 2017 F-350 came with a 48 gallon tank.:C

[DiskDoctr]

ppine wrote:
Ford diesel comes with a 35 gallon tank. Mine gets over 20 mpg empty. That is a lot of miles.

I like truck stops and do not see any price issues with them in the West. They have lots of stuff that can be useful on a serious road trip.

7.3L Diesel Excursions come with 44 gallons 😉

[ppine]

Ford diesel comes with a 35 gallon tank. Mine gets over 20 mpg empty. That is a lot of miles.

I like truck stops and do not see any price issues with them in the West. They have lots of stuff that can be useful on a serious road trip.

[Cummins12V98]

fj12ryder wrote:

justme wrote:
Most highway truck stop charge premium for fuel as apposed to station that are a few miles from the high way. However the Pilot/Flying J discount card offers a discount. I installed and secured a 12 gal marine fuel tank in the truck bed for $100 and use a $12 battery operated pump to transfer the fuel. My F350 has a 26 gal tank that usually allows a driving range of 250 miles. The 12 gal tank is available if a fuel stop is unavailable. I had to use it twice in the last 3 years.

This is an excellent illustration of the different way different people use the auxiliary tanks. You can use it for emergencies, or you can use it for convenience, they work either way.

YEP, here is mine. Only used it once. Stop every 2-250 miles easy off and on the highway. Less hassle less money spent on fancy tank and extra weight being carried. Besides that would put me over my RAWR and I would not be able to justify that with a few on here!

A few bucks here and there are not worth my time or aggravation.

[DReisinger]

Sure would have liked to have an aux. tank when evacuating from Hurricane Irma, one station only had off road diesel and I was on fumes, they wouldn't willing sell it, I got some sneaky and they gave me hell for it, and they charged me the road diesel price.

[fj12ryder]

justme wrote:
Most highway truck stop charge premium for fuel as apposed to station that are a few miles from the high way. However the Pilot/Flying J discount card offers a discount. I installed and secured a 12 gal marine fuel tank in the truck bed for $100 and use a $12 battery operated pump to transfer the fuel. My F350 has a 26 gal tank that usually allows a driving range of 250 miles. The 12 gal tank is available if a fuel stop is unavailable. I had to use it twice in the last 3 years.

This is an excellent illustration of the different way different people use the auxiliary tanks. You can use it for emergencies, or you can use it for convenience, they work either way.

[cbshoestring]

fj12ryder wrote:
Well, I've been stuck behind truckers who fill up and then disappear for 15-20 minutes too. So not too much patience with them either. I fill up and then move, and I expect them to do the same, and many don't.

Another driver taking their 30 minute break on the fuel Island :M
It is the current joke, based on TRUTH, in all truck stops.

NOT an RVing issue. However, since there is much talk about fueling/sleeping in truck stops....be WARNED.


As of December 18th, 2017 the majority of trucking companies have switched to Electronic Log Books as mandated by law. Many fleets have had them installed in the past several years, anticipating the upcoming mandate.

Driver pulls into fuel island with limited, maybe zero, minutes of available drive time. Moving the truck would put him/her in violation, so they get lost in the convenient store.

Seeing more and more trucks on the shoulder with flashers on---not broke down---taking break so the computer doesn't violate them. They push to make the next truck stop/customer/exit...didn't make it. Need to shut down WHEREVER they are to avoid violation.

Guys that use to drive to the customer's lot, now fight for a spot in a truck stop because going to the customer would take 1, 2, 3 minutes longer than the computer will allow.

The ELD, in just the past month, has made truck stops even more overcrowded then they were. Busy areas (most of the east coast)now have over half that lot marked as RESERVED. Drivers pay to insure they have a spot when they get there.

FLEET stops---Pilot/flying J, LOWES, T/A, Petro are some of the worst because they offer those fuel discounts-reward points.

I would find a regular gas station, or Mom & Pop truck stop to fuel. Sleep in Camp grounds---yes truckers are aware of Walmart lots.

[justme]

Most highway truck stop charge premium for fuel as apposed to station that are a few miles from the high way. However the Pilot/Flying J discount card offers a discount. I installed and secured a 12 gal marine fuel tank in the truck bed for $100 and use a $12 battery operated pump to transfer the fuel. My F350 has a 26 gal tank that usually allows a driving range of 250 miles. The 12 gal tank is available if a fuel stop is unavailable. I had to use it twice in the last 3 years.

[sbergherr]

I have an RDS 40 gallon aux tank I use. Worth every penny I spent on it. Is gravity fed and have never had an issue with it. We prefer to spend less money on diesel close to home than much more on it while out on the road.

[Veebyes]

Regarding aux tanks there are multiple ways of doing it. Mine is set up rather like a diesel boat with multiple tanks. There is a draw & a return line controlled by valves which in my case are located on the floor directly in front of the drivers seat. If I wanted I can draw from one & return to the other. Why I would want to I don't really know but I can.

The aux tank is about 36gal & is half tank & half tool/storage box. Handy. Carrying a total of around 70gal gives an easy flat land with trailer range of over 600 miles. Nice to have that capability especially in areas where fuel is not on every corner, or even where there are not many street corners like headed to Alaska where depending on routes you can easily be 200 miles of less than ideal driving economy roads between fuel chances.

[n0arp]

fj12ryder wrote:
I have a Northern Tool 36 gallon tank, and a pump and nozzle. I didn't want to cut into my filler tube so I use a 12v pump and fuel nozzle with an inline filter. That gives me over 70 gallons of fuel, and pretty much lets me decide when and where to fill up instead of the truck deciding that. 🙂

I've actually had to cut my fuel filler twice now. Once for the aux tank, and once for the lift pump, which any LML Duramax owner (like grizz272, with a 2013 according to his/her profile) should do. Completely understand why you'd want to avoid it, though 🙂

[fj12ryder]

I have a Northern Tool 36 gallon tank, and a pump and nozzle. I didn't want to cut into my filler tube so I use a 12v pump and fuel nozzle with an inline filter. That gives me over 70 gallons of fuel, and pretty much lets me decide when and where to fill up instead of the truck deciding that. 🙂

[n0arp]

grizz272 wrote:
What is a good size for a aux tank? Do you have it plumbed right in to the truck or do you transfer as needed?

I run a RDS 51 gallon aux tank/ toolbox combo. The toolbox is sort of worthless, but large enough to carry a decent socket set, jumper cables, and miscellaneous items. I use their gravity fed kit to connect it to the fuel filler of the truck, which requires drilling a 3/4" hole in the bed to run the line through. It has a ball valve you open and close to open or cut fuel flow between tanks - depending on your year model, keeping it open may throw a CEL (fuel level indicator malfuction, or something like that), so I have to keep mine closed most of the time and open it only when I want to transfer fuel. It doesn't fill very quickly - but does outpace the rate at which my 15K fiver sucks fuel down, and I can drive a hundred or so miles with it filling the tank before the CEL comes on. Or you could just fill it when stopped, and never have to worry about it.