gas stations

[Gillkid]

I just upgraded to a 29' TT from a pop up. I haven't had a chance to take it out yet, but got to thinking about gas stations the other day. Is there a map or maybe an app for a smartphone that has ideal places to stop and get gas? If not, what approach do you guys take? My guess is that truck stations are going to be the way to go. I know that I've been in gas stations where I wouldn't even take my pop up. I'd hate to get stuck pulling the TT.

[Heavy_Metal_Doc]

I pushed my limits as far as I want to this past weekend. We did 700 miles plus running around the area where we camped. 2 fill ups on the way up so it was nearly full when we headed for home. The TV is a gasser that I thought was a 25 or maybe 26 gallon tank. I stopped and filled up half way home and thought I'd be fine to run the rest of the way home and then a few miles over the dealer (need to drop it for a warranty part that is waiting). I started sweating when the low fuel light came on before we reached the house and we still had to go home first and unload the TT. By the time I was making the last up hill pull to the dealer I felt the engine surge / sputter and I began to cuss.... I essentially coasted in to the dealer after I topped that hill and shut down / unhooked the TT before actually running out. Thankfully, there's a station next to the dealer...where I put in just a hair under 27 gallons! I came away from that thinking to myself "Never again, dummy!...Just stop and fill up when it gets down just under a 1/4 from now on."

So far I have only had a half dozen fuel stops with the TT in tow since most trips have been short distances. I have already learned a lot of what others are saying here -- scope the potential stopping place out and circle the area if need be. Check how busy they are and if I don't like it drive right on by to a better spot. I have no issues handling the 35 foot of trailer behind me, but have already had "people" issues. Seems like they see a big trailer and think your gonna block up the whole place and so they cut ahead to get to a pump before you can or else they give you stink eye for needing a little more space to swing around for hard turn in or out of the place. I got blocked in by one guy who parked in the way and went inside the c-store for lunch or something. I backed around the side of the building and got turned around back the way I came in and all was fine, it just make me nervous to be backing up where others may be driving in behind me -- kinda made me want a rear view camera and back up lights on the TT.

[azchuckmo]

You can get Gas Buddy on Android also.

[CA_Traveler]

And carefully watch your turns for all of the things that you don't want to encounter.

[Dave_Mck]

If you have to back out or scope something out just take you time, don't rush. Like someone else stated hold up traffic if you have to. Stop get out and look if needed. Stop in the street momentarily. I know full well that their are idiots everywhere. I know they will get pissed off and beep. But who cares, take your time. I've gotten out to look behind me plenty of times. I know it's nerve racking when people are watching, just take a deep breath, think, and take it slow.

[CA_Traveler]

Gas Buddy, National Truckers Directory and my 5% cash back on fuel and we're good to go.

Oh and a sense of humor for the 4 wheelers and some of my fellow RVers. :B

[BarneyS]

No, never had to drop the trailer but there have been a couple of times in the past 20 years or so that I have had to back out after fueling with someone stopping traffic for me.
Barney

[daystrom]

Sorry for bringing this thread back to life...

We just completed a trip from Ohio to Florida and back without our trailer. Along the way in the back of my head I tried to see how many RV friendly fuel stations were along the way that sold diesel. I didn't see too many that would allow a 1/2 tank allowance for my 26 gallon tank and most if not all had their pumps aligned perpendicular to the store.

Has anyone been in such a pinch that you have dropped your trailer in a parking lot just to fuel up?

[Airstreamer67]

I used to have a one-ton C30 Chevy 454 gasser for towing. It had 40 gallons of gasoline on board, one 20 gallon tank per side. I had to fill one side at a time, since the pump was always on the "wrong" side for one of the tanks at any given stop. When I was towing a 27-foot trailer, I couldn't maneuver at the pumps, so I used to stop every 150 miles or so to refuel a tank, which was a couple of times a day at minimum. What stress.

When I bought a new truck, it was an F250 Ford diesel with 37 gallons on board. I added a 91 gallon auxiliary tank. Now I need only stop every 5 days or so while traveling, and usually while unhooked after dinner. How nice.

[Dave_H_M]

:h Guess i was bored this am so i read thru this post.

Since it has pretty well run the gauntlet I am gonna comment on a way tht keeps me from getting the 1/2 tank heebie jeebies.

It is an aux tank for me.

[Tachdriver]

I have a 25 gallon tank burning appx 8 MPG, my half tank would bring me to 96 miles. If I go long distance I plan ahead using the link I provided eariier.

For sake of dicussion I am going to Florida this summer, I have the route planned and what cities/off ramps I will take, maybe thats a bit obsessive but I try to leave some comfortable range in the tank between fill ups. I wish I had the range as some of the other trucks do. This is my first TT so the next truck will have more capacity, believe me.

Not a bad policy to go 1/2 tank as I believe we all need to get out and walk a bit.

[rhagfo]

JBarca wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
Someone may ask why do "we" aggressively look for a fuel station when we're only 1/2 empty.

We are one of the agressive lookers too at 1/2 a tank. However we are gassers...

1/2 a tank is in the 120 mile range for us. We have a small tank and she ( the TV and yes she is a she...) has a drink'in problem. The aggressive lets us pick and choose verse settle. If we are 30 miles or so from camp, well then odds are high we will go to camp and gas up when unhooked. But on the road when we know we are yet 1 or 2 more fuel stops away, we start the hunt. Some times we find a good station setup in 20 to 50 miles, some times there are no stations and 1/4 of a tank goes by. Since I have to stop anyway, pushing it to 1/8 tank and then hunting is more stress then I want to deal with when we are out with the camper.

We have managed several times to get hung up in a backed up line for hours in an accident or construction zone. Not much you can do about those areas, but sitting on low fuel all that time of sitting there going 2 mph is not very fuel efficient... We got stuck once real bad like that and had to settle to get fuel. DW had to direct traffic so I could back out into the street. While we are prepared for that, it is not fun.

There is no right or really wrong way to do this. What ever works for you, is all "you" need.

We we start looking for fuel at a 1/2 tank, mainly because I don't like to start looking at a 1/4 tank!

The main issue is that we have a 34 gallon tank, at 10 mpg (normally better than that), so that is about 340 miles, which at 60 mph is just shy of 6 hours driving time, so long before I need to fill the diesel tank, I need to drain mine.

[JBarca]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Someone may ask why do "we" aggressively look for a fuel station when we're only 1/2 empty.

We are one of the agressive lookers too at 1/2 a tank. However we are gassers...

1/2 a tank is in the 120 mile range for us. We have a small tank and she ( the TV and yes she is a she...) has a drink'in problem. The aggressive lets us pick and choose verse settle. If we are 30 miles or so from camp, well then odds are high we will go to camp and gas up when unhooked. But on the road when we know we are yet 1 or 2 more fuel stops away, we start the hunt. Some times we find a good station setup in 20 to 50 miles, some times there are no stations and 1/4 of a tank goes by. Since I have to stop anyway, pushing it to 1/8 tank and then hunting is more stress then I want to deal with when we are out with the camper.

We have managed several times to get hung up in a backed up line for hours in an accident or construction zone. Not much you can do about those areas, but sitting on low fuel all that time of sitting there going 2 mph is not very fuel efficient... We got stuck once real bad like that and had to settle to get fuel. DW had to direct traffic so I could back out into the street. While we are prepared for that, it is not fun.

There is no right or really wrong way to do this. What ever works for you, is all "you" need.

[Chock_Full_o__N]

Gillkid wrote:
Thanks Dutchmen...that's exactly what I was looking for. Perfect. To the rest of you guys, thanks for the advice. I usually start looking at 1/4 tank. I'm thinking I'll go ahead and bump that up to 1/2 when towing. Thanks again.

Yeah, we learned that lesson between Pecos, TX, and Loving, NM. AKA The True Middle of Nowhere! DH decided the price of gas was just too high, so he'd show them! He'd just buy gas in the next town.

So there we were, crossing the desert in 103 degree heat, praying for gasoline miracle. I swear, I have never been so mad. If you've never been down this road, let me describe it for you: dust, fences, oil pumps, cactus, dust, oil, fences, cactus, et al.
All it needs is a few bleached cow skulls.

We managed to make with less than a 1/2 gallon to spare. In truck terms, that's about 6 miles. Holy moly! I didn't even have to say anything. DH knew he had put us all in potential danger with his bull headedness.

Now we stop when it hits half a tank.

[Gillkid]

I thought about the 5 gallon myself. I don't plan on putting anything in the truck bed while towing, so It probably wouldn't hurt to tote the gas around during longer trips.