Gas RV Fill up tips

[prepilot_3ck]

RV Folks,

I've recently switched from a DP to a Gas RV. Lots of pros/cons etc, however there is one thing that is rapidly landing in the cons column that I would love some advice on.

Where do you all fill up with gas? How are you fining gas stations with gasoline in the truck lanes?

This is why I'm asking. When we had our DP, it was a little frustrating having to fine gas stations with diesel, but I could always swing through the truck lanes when they were available. I had a gas RV now, and I'm finding it VERY difficult to fill up, especially when I'm towing. Very few, if any, truck stop stations have gasoline at the truck pumps. So I end up having to fight for an end spot in the normal car area, and block traffic and multiple pumps and whatnot. I REALLY don't like doing that. AND those rotten car gas pumps are slow, and shut off at $50-$100. By the 3rd run of the credit card, my card is being flagged by fraud protection.

Anyway, are you all using mobile apps or websites to locate stations that might be RV friendly and have gas in the truck lanes?

Thanks,
Brian

[Cougarnewbie]

We use "Next Exit" for the interstates. RV friendly listings are in red. x2 Flying J has RV islands with gas.

[Lantley]

In the end. I don't think there is a real solution.
Filling up with gas will always be more challenging than diesel.
Familiarity, off peak hours, aerial views, are all beneficial.
But the challenge remains.

[rk911]

our Costco membership was $60. are there different types or classes of memberships?

what is meant by "uptight Flying J"?

[FloridaRosebud]

IB853347201 wrote:
We have used Flying J who have RV islands for the last 20 years. Use the Pilot/Flying J app for locations.

^^^. This

Al

[D_E_Bishop]

Brian, I'm not even going to read any of the replies, I've got DGS and his lovely BFF coming in a few minutes and I'm cooking.

We traveled for 13,000 miles to 27 states and 7 Canadian Provences in a gasser with a towed. 98 percent of the time we used Costco and never once had a problem with ingress, some egresses are tight but the ingress was always simple.

It might just be worth you paying the $60 membership fee if you do not have one already. We received a present of a Sam's Club Card and used it twice in thirteen Weeks.

We even bought all our gas in Canada at Costcos.

I hate Flying J and other uptight places like that and never once had a problem with the attendants or the customers at Costco. It was kinda like having a roaring fire in a campground on a misty evening in Seward. Attracts other folks like flies wondering what it's like living in a RV.

Other benefit, gas is on an average $0.05 per gallon cheaper that surrounding stations.

Good luck amd enjoy the smaller rig.

I forgot, call and write your CC companies and tell them you will be buying huge amounts of gas where ever you are planning on going. Tell them only to text you that you can't drive and talk at the same time and you will be out of cell range on and off.

[rk911]

gas buddy is a great tool and in urban areas it is very accurate. out in the sticks...not so much.

[prepilot_3ck]

Really great advice everyone! Thank you. Planning ahead seems to be the key, I do plan ahead but only in terms of "do I get gas before I park for the night, or when I'm leaving in the morning" but planning a stop 150-200 miles out seems like good advice. The timing thing is also a great point. Trying to get gas just north of las vegas at 11:30 in the morning on a Tuesday is probably not a great plan.

I need to fire up gas buddy again and see what has changed in the past few years. I've used it in the past for location and pricing, but haven't seen if they've added any other new notes.

Thanks!

[rk911]

accsys wrote:

prepilot_3ck wrote:
AND those rotten car gas pumps are slow, and shut off at $50-$100. By the 3rd run of the credit card, my card is being flagged by fraud protection.

The way we have avoided the credit card problem for the last ten years is for the DW to go inside and give them the credit card and get them to turn the pump on. Sometimes they ask for an approximate amount so they can get approval but then only charge for the actual amount filled. It works every time and we have no problems filling, even our 100 gallon DP.

orn the rare occasion i need to run the card twice i'll ust two different cards. but i try to drive on the top half of the tank if we're in a new area and there's no Flying J along the route. one tip...we get a new Next Exit book each year. it supposedly marks which gas stations are Big Rig friendly. our experience is their idea of Big Rig is sometimes...usually...a 22' class c.

[slider45]

enblethen wrote:
We use Loves car islands and other standard gas stations. We prefer islands that are not perpendicular to the building as they are more like pull throughs.
We use Costco early in mornings before store opens and have not encountered any back ups.

Good timing advice by avoiding the crowd.

[accsys]

prepilot_3ck wrote:
AND those rotten car gas pumps are slow, and shut off at $50-$100. By the 3rd run of the credit card, my card is being flagged by fraud protection.

The way we have avoided the credit card problem for the last ten years is for the DW to go inside and give them the credit card and get them to turn the pump on. Sometimes they ask for an approximate amount so they can get approval but then only charge for the actual amount filled. It works every time and we have no problems filling, even our 100 gallon DP.

[ljr869]

Get an account with Commercial Fueling Network (CFN), they have truck stops all over with all types of fuel.

[Dale_Traveling]

As a weekend camper I know which local stations are usable for the coach. When we adventure out further I'll plan the stops and use multiple resources to ensure I can get in and out with minimal problems. Except for maybe waiting a bit for the lane/pump I want to clear, haven't had a problem.

[Trackrig]

prepilot_3ck wrote:

Trackrig wrote:
Even though we have a 40' DP, I may use a truck stop for fuel only once a year, they charge too much.

I much prefer Sam's Club or Fred Meyers for their grocery/fuel discounts. Other then that, use Gas Buddy and the aerial view before you get to a gas station.

Bill

Thanks, yeah, we're Costco people, but those pumps are always jam packed. Much better prices for sure. I don't think we have Meyer's on the west coast, but I think some of the grocery stores have the discounts as well.

Yes, we do Costco also, but their pump spaces are both too small and too crowded. Sam's Club has a lot more room and while you're filling up the DW can grocery shop in Walmart and you can stay in the same parking lot. Go to Kroger's website to see all of the different names they operate under. There are Freds in Washington and AZ. You can use your gas rewards at any of them by either scanning your rewards card or putting in your phone number.

They closed the two Sam's Clubs in Alaska last summer, but we keep our membership just filling up the MH stateside.


It's less about the cost (although I'd love cheaper gas too!) is about getting maneuvering around the car area. We have a 40 foot RV with a car on the back and dealing with all the cars and the c-store is really a pain. Looking at the aerial view is a good idea also.

Thanks,

[Chum_lee]

Plan in advance. Don't wait until you are low/out of fuel.

Try to limit your fueling to off hours and less densely populated areas. When in unfamiliar territory, use google maps (both plan and street view) to look for potential fueling stations and traffic layouts. When possible, avoid making left hand turns when approaching/exiting fueling stations.

www.gasbuddy.com can give you online fueling locations almost anywhere in the U.S.A. with current pricing.

Chum lee

[rk911]

we're 56-57' overall length (Class A gasser + Jeep SUV). our first option for fuel is Flying J as virtually all of them (other than franchise stations) have two RV lanes with gas and diesel. every now and then we encounter a car or pickup blocking the lanes but usually tbe wait is short. if the lanes are tied up and the station is not busy we'll use one the 'car' lanes preferably one of the end pumps. option 2 is another truck stop...Pilot, Loves, Travel Centers,etc. option 3 is a "regular" gas station preferably with pump lanes parallel to the street or with a set of pumps adjacent to a side entrance. it's usually not a major issue to find gas.