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Not enough room

d1h
Nomad III
Nomad III
When traveling is there any way to know ahead of time if a gas station off an exit has enough space to maneuver a travel trailer into in order to get gas? Been in some there is barely enough room without taking out pumps, canopies. other cars, etc. Even in truck stop gas stations.
49 REPLIES 49

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
PA12DRVR wrote:
Lantley wrote:
FlatBroke wrote:
With hydraulic jacks you can unhook a fifth wheel In acouple of minutes. Head to the pumps.

If I have to unhook to fuel I having an awfully bad day.
If I have to unhook to fuel regularly I need to find a new hobby/ lifestyle


Exactly.....due to not planning ahead/thinking/daydreaming, I found myself w/o fuel at about 1:30 a.m. on the wrong side of San Antonio. No real problem but a major league PITA. Just left the 39' 5th wheel in the HEB lot, drove the 350 across the street to fill up, then hooked up again and got to the CG about 4:00 a.m.....wife was not happy so ...

Decided convenience was worth something so I had a 65 gallon aux tank installed. Between the saddle tanks and the aux tank, I then had about 1200 miles towing range. Problem solved. Stop for food and restroom when needed. Fill with fuel (on the every 2nd day or so it needed to be filled) in the evening after the trailer was parked for the night.


Noooo! You’re not listening to all the rv.nuts who claim you have to stop n pee every 25 gal of fuel burned, so slip tanks are dumb and frivolous! Lol
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

JRscooby
Explorer II
Explorer II
From the day I bought it new the 1/4 mark has been called MT. If not traveling, put in 5 gallons. That will last 2-4 weeks.
Last week I pulled into a station with trailer, filled tank, pulled out with no issue. 2 days later, needed to fill without trailer. Had to wait a few minutes for another to fuel so we both could pull out. Why is it a big deal?

valhalla360
Nomad III
Nomad III
pappy43756 wrote:
Google Earth


This...plus 9 times out of 10 we fill up before we hook up. Very few gas stations can't accommodate the truck by itself.

When we do have to fill up with the trailer in tow, usually look for rural truck stop type places as they tend to have more space but we aren't afraid to back out of the pumps. Just take your time and use a spotter.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

bsbeedub
Explorer
Explorer
I’m planning a trip to Yellowstone next September and have all my stops planned out. As others have mentioned, Google Earth is fantastic! Street view and a view from space. Once I get into Wyoming from South Dakota, even if I have to stop after only 150 miles or so, I’m stopping. The last thing is want to do on a lonely two lane road is run out of gas.
I have a large Rubbermaid tub that I normally keep my firewood in but for this trip it will be holding three, five gallon cans….. just in case.
Bob & Susan
Shelby the Beagle June 8, 2005 - Dec. 24, 2016
2018 Ram 3500 6.4 HEMI, long bed, 4.10’s
2021 Coachman Chaparral Lite 25 RE
2011 Gulfstream Ameri-Lite 23BW - retired
2003 Dodge Ram 1500 - retired

camper19709
Explorer
Explorer
Fizz wrote:
I never wait till I "need" gas.
If I see a great gas stop I use it if I'm anywhere near the half full mark.

Me Too !
Chip
06 SurfSide
30ft class A
2 slides
Ford V10 chassis
04 Chevy Astro van toad

Veebyes
Explorer II
Explorer II
Been back &forth across the country a number of times now and have rarely caught myself in a small station with little wiggle room.

By far the most frequent problem is cars parked at the only diesel island with the driver nowhere to be seen. Of course there are multiple gas only pumps that the driver could have used.

We never plan specific fuel stops. We also try to get fuel when the trailer is not on the back.
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter

2007 Alpenlite 34RLR
2006 Chevy 3500 LT, CC,LB 6.6L Diesel

Ham Radio: VP9KL, IRLP node 7995

PA12DRVR
Explorer
Explorer
Lantley wrote:
FlatBroke wrote:
With hydraulic jacks you can unhook a fifth wheel In acouple of minutes. Head to the pumps.

If I have to unhook to fuel I having an awfully bad day.
If I have to unhook to fuel regularly I need to find a new hobby/ lifestyle


Exactly.....due to not planning ahead/thinking/daydreaming, I found myself w/o fuel at about 1:30 a.m. on the wrong side of San Antonio. No real problem but a major league PITA. Just left the 39' 5th wheel in the HEB lot, drove the 350 across the street to fill up, then hooked up again and got to the CG about 4:00 a.m.....wife was not happy so ...

Decided convenience was worth something so I had a 65 gallon aux tank installed. Between the saddle tanks and the aux tank, I then had about 1200 miles towing range. Problem solved. Stop for food and restroom when needed. Fill with fuel (on the every 2nd day or so it needed to be filled) in the evening after the trailer was parked for the night.
CRL
My RV is a 1946 PA-12
Back in the GWN

Lantley
Nomad
Nomad
FlatBroke wrote:
With hydraulic jacks you can unhook a fifth wheel In acouple of minutes. Head to the pumps.

If I have to unhook to fuel I having an awfully bad day.
If I have to unhook to fuel regularly I need to find a new hobby/ lifestyle
19'Duramax w/hips, 2022 Alliance Paradigm 390MP >BD3,r,22" Blackstone
r,RV760 w/BC20,Glow Steps, Enduraplas25,Pedego
BakFlip,RVLock,Prog.50A surge ,Hughes autoformer
Porta Bote 8.0 Nissan, Sailun S637

Grit dog wrote:
Lantley wrote:
We here in the shadows of megatropolis, outside the Sanctuary city of Philadelphia do not have a lot of choices for those items…. Now Opioids, crack cocaine, fentanyl, we got that and then some !


Thats Funny!


I assume you meant choices for good gas. While I hate to hear that your city is a dump, know that ours is too, so I get it.
But at least I can buy like 7 or 8 different flavors of hot rod gasoline within about a 20 minute drive!
Don Smalls even has 2 flavors of unleaded race gas at the credit card pumps next to the premium non ethanol. Leaded comes in 2 flavors out of bulk tanks at a couple different locations.
Cenex has 3 flavors of non ethanol. Reg mid grade and premium. Can fill up cans while filling the slip tank (wink wink) with farm fuel with a credit card.
And most any local airstrip, pull in and get however much Av gas you want!


I am about 40 minutes from down Philadelphia,PA.. we have the usual 3 and a diesel… never looked for AV fuel, never thought I needed to … as far as a city dump, actually I am far enough away in the burbs to not know it’s there.. the news is 10 minutes on city shootings, 10 minutes on the ex Prez, 5 minutes on sports and 5 on weather…. I like it here, but the bad stuff is moving closer each year…
Me-Her-the kids
2020 Ford F350 SD 6.7
2020 Redwood 3991RD Garnet

FlatBroke
Explorer II
Explorer II
With hydraulic jacks you can unhook a fifth wheel In acouple of minutes. Head to the pumps.

Hitch Hiker
"08" 29.5 FKTG LS

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
Lantley wrote:
We here in the shadows of megatropolis, outside the Sanctuary city of Philadelphia do not have a lot of choices for those items…. Now Opioids, crack cocaine, fentanyl, we got that and then some !


Thats Funny!


I assume you meant choices for good gas. While I hate to hear that your city is a dump, know that ours is too, so I get it.
But at least I can buy like 7 or 8 different flavors of hot rod gasoline within about a 20 minute drive!
Don Smalls even has 2 flavors of unleaded race gas at the credit card pumps next to the premium non ethanol. Leaded comes in 2 flavors out of bulk tanks at a couple different locations.
Cenex has 3 flavors of non ethanol. Reg mid grade and premium. Can fill up cans while filling the slip tank (wink wink) with farm fuel with a credit card.
And most any local airstrip, pull in and get however much Av gas you want!
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Lantley
Nomad
Nomad
Michelle.S wrote:
I've had a Diesel since 2005 and have yet to find a nozzle that wouldn't fit.
Now if you have a Diesel Passenger Car, that's a different story.

I have to agree the diesel Nozzle is simply not an issue.
Getting diesel is far easier than getting gas, simply because the 18 wheelers need fuel.
Rv'ers using diesel are able to take advantage of fuel stops designed for 18 wheelers.
Gas engines for the most part have fewer options.
Once upon a time I towed a 38' TT with a V-10 Excursion and I played the Next Exit, Google Maps, plan your stops carfully game.
Eventually I traded that V-10 Excusion for a 7.3 PSD (diesel) Excursion
and discovered getting to the diesel pumps while towing is much easier.
Now days I don't plan my stops at all and have no station access issues.
19'Duramax w/hips, 2022 Alliance Paradigm 390MP >BD3,r,22" Blackstone
r,RV760 w/BC20,Glow Steps, Enduraplas25,Pedego
BakFlip,RVLock,Prog.50A surge ,Hughes autoformer
Porta Bote 8.0 Nissan, Sailun S637

Lantley
Nomad
Nomad
We here in the shadows of megatropolis, outside the Sanctuary city of Philadelphia do not have a lot of choices for those items…. Now Opioids, crack cocaine, fentanyl, we got that and then some !


Thats Funny!
19'Duramax w/hips, 2022 Alliance Paradigm 390MP >BD3,r,22" Blackstone
r,RV760 w/BC20,Glow Steps, Enduraplas25,Pedego
BakFlip,RVLock,Prog.50A surge ,Hughes autoformer
Porta Bote 8.0 Nissan, Sailun S637

Dtank
Explorer
Explorer
Michelle.S wrote:
I've had a Diesel since 2005 and have yet to find a nozzle that wouldn't fit.
Now if you have a Diesel Passenger Car, that's a different story.


"Ditto" to post/s by Ford Truck guy -and- Michelle.S:

First diesel truck was a 1985 Ford (1T, crew) - drove it all over the US a couple of times Towing a TT. NEVER had a problem with a nozzle that wouldn't fit...:h

Same for/with the Ram/Cummins I have now & 34' 5ht wheel.

Yes - had to "plan ahead" once in a while for station & pump locations - no big deal, and......no Google Earth back in 1985 !!...:W

~