Tips on picking, entering, and leaving gas stations

[ClearCreekRanch]

Ok, so yesterday in route to a horse show in Texas from Kentucky, I had an argument with a post in a Valero station. The post won and I returned home, sadly. It was one of those stations with slanted pumps and a McDonalds, i.e., too many people, not enough room. I should have known better, right. Well in my defense, I have only taken 2 short trips in my Winnebago Aspect and have owned it for only 3 months. I will never make THAT same mistake again. But my question is, how do you find the right gas station when you need it? And are there any tips that you can give me to help my confidence? I really like my motor home, but I am seriously doubting my abilities. I do fine changing lanes and driving in general, it's just the gas station thing. Another example is today, on the way to the dealership, I had gotten gas at a Pilot station(that I have used a few times) and a couple of dip sticks parked in the middle of the parking lot, only way out. So I walked over and checked it out and then went soooooooo slow between the two. I was nervous but I made it.:)

[johnnyrv]

Stop for gas before close to empty , maybe 1/4, so you don't feel pressured to fill up and therefore ignore good judgement. Choose end pump and park as far from pump as practical so you can turn at a lesser angle. Bring a five gallon gas can along just in case.

[Matt_Colie]

When I am planning to be towing, I lay out the fuel stops carefully. When I think I know where I want to stop, I first run Gasbuddy to see if the station has a history of competitive pricing. If yes, its over to Google Earth to see what the chance is to swing in there with the tow.

Haven't been stuck yet.

Matt

[tpi]

You're mobile so use it to your advantage. Out early in the morning? Great time to fill before the crowds appear. Happen to see a promising station? Grab some fuel if you're under half tank.

My worst fuel station experiences were when I got too low and I was forced into tight crowded stations.

My best tip is early mornings when you can.

[artguys]

Google Earth....

[luvztheoutdoor1]

PghBob wrote:
I always try to get the end pump island, so I have more room to turn and (usually) have more clearance for the rear-end swing. When on main highways, I usually try to use truck stops. Like posted earlier, when we find a good stop we write it down in our trip log.

Bob

x2

[ClearCreekRanch]

Wow, thanks everyone. Glad to get all of the good advice. I think that using apps on my phone will be a problem unless I look stuff up before I leave since it is only my dog and myself on all of my trips to the horse shows(which is why my most considerate hubby bought it for me). I know that I need to take a deep breath and take my time. I need to check it out before I pull in. And pass it by if it looks debatable. And I plan on practicing a whole LOT before my next trip. LOL And the marketing thing on the type of stations with the McDonald's, etc., makes sense to me now on hind sight. They are not trying to attract a MH/RV who most probable have their own lunch on board which is great perk to me!

[Hank85713]

I also have an aspect and the biggest thing with it is its a tail dragger! Any small bump will cause bars and the hose hanger I installed to hit. Even going over rutted drives are a problem. I use any station where there is maneuver room. I will wait to get an end pump but if I have to I will drive to the opposite side. Pilot and others generally have the pumps perpendicular to the roadways and can sometime be a problem, but again be patient and wait to use end pumps. Went to a TA yesterday and it was set up for cars so just pulled thru truck lot and left. When making turns, pull forward some before initiating your turns make the coach a square turn at first and adjust as needed. Towd will follow. Now if its a 31 or longer tail swing will get ya, got to account for that extra 3-4 feet back there. As above fuel when arounf 1/2 tank, gives ya more options. used a Safeway yesterday nice pull thrus from all directions. Look out at auto specific places like circle k's or the minimart types. Costcos and some walmarts have big station lots but small entrances.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

Pilot, Flying J, Loves are the stations we use the most. Even then I look them up on www.googlemaps.com earth view and zoom in to see the access and exit. If someone is parked and blocking our exit, we tell the manager of the station to ask them to move before we exit. We also fill up at half a tank so we will have plenty of fuel to move on and find a roomier station.

[tatest]

Rural areas and small towns, where station operators have planned for many customers having larger trucks and pulling trailers, and most of the business is fuel sales.

Suburban coffee shops and convenience stores are the worst, they are designed to trap cars long enough that the drivers will come in to spend $2-$3 for a dime's worth of drink in a nickle cup. That difficulty getting around is intentional, part of a corporate marketing strategy.

I know I can get my C into and through 3 of the 8 stations in my city of 36,000, maybe just one particular pump. Some of the 8 I won't even take my car into because I know I'll be trapped an extra 5-10 minutes, unless the place is almost empty.

Depending on the direction I'm going, I may delay fueling the C until I get to a particular station in a farming community 12 miles out of town. I look for the same type of station while traveling. But then, I'm not usually on the Interstate (scarce out here) and on the Interstate you are sort of trapped by the type of stations built at the exits, and often only truck stops are suitable.

[KristinU]

Another PFJ fan here. The copilot uses the PFJ smartphone app and tries to find one that has RV lanes. Those are sweet.

Otherwise, pumps parallel to the road are a second favorite. But like a PP said, not very many of those. So we stick to the outside lanes and take our time if it is a standard setup. And if a station looks too tight we just pass it up and keep going. Better to top off when you see one with good access than to wait until you're running on fumes and get desperate. We don't go under a quarter tank anyway for the generator (just in case we would need it at any given time.)

Practice will help you get a feel for how wide your swing is and to feel confident about making people wait a little bit for you - you're giving the station a bunch of money after all 😉

When we bought the C we viewed a series of training videos put out by Lazy Days. That helped me a lot in understanding turns and distance judging.

[JeepGuy]

i dont have a class C but i do drive a 36' long tow truck everyday and put fuel in it 2 to 3 times a week. id say practice and go slow,and keep and eye out for people who dont pay attention. ive never went to get fuel somewhere and couldnt, it does help that my truck has tanks on both sides though.

[j-d]

Our 31' C has an awful turning radius, so we aren't as maneuverable as we might look. And... our towbar isn't an "all-terrain" model so it's also easy to get in a bind where we can't back up. If we're staying over someplace, we like to do some recon and fuel next day, maybe hook up after. If not, unhook and go to the campground separately.
Reading all the comments here, I like the idea of GasBuddy and their Street View.
Most Flying J and nearly all Pilot have been RV-friendly, but I've run into Pilot stations that were gas station/minimart and not truck stop/travel center. And nearly didn't get out...

[ronfisherman]

We use mostly Pilot/Flying J. Even some of these have access problems. We always have the option of using truck diesel pumps when RV or passenger pumps are blocked. Near our home we have a couple of station that have pumps parallel to road. Easy in and out.

[tessa25]

Backing out is always an option. I once let the guy behind me know I was going to have to back out with my TT, because of angled pumps and crowded.