Searching for diesel

[Redsky]

Out in the western USA not all towns have gas stations and even fewer have diesel. Gasbuddy.com is worthless in these remote areas but I did happen upon a great resource on the Web.

It is the online Yellow Pages at www.yellowpages.com. It has a search function with a Browse Box where I put in Diesel Fuel and a Near Box where I put in the towns. The search would include the surrounding area so if a town like Whitefish, MT (outside of Glacier NP) did not have a station pumping diesel it would list and show on a map the locations in the surrounding area that did (Kalispell, MT).

Knowing where I can get diesel I can adjust the route for our trips accordingly and plan my fuel stops in advance.

[coolbreeze01]

I've seen stations without diesel pumps but haven't run across a one station town that didn't have diesel for sale. Have fun.

[Raften]

rhagfo wrote:
Diesel Power mag has a app for that Fuel Finder

I have tried that app but never had much luck getting it to work well.

[mlts22]

This won't help as much as a dedicated aux tank, but I'd consider some way of mounting Rotopax fuel cans on your rig. They can be mounted on the roof, on the side, on a hitch mounted cargo carrier, or anywhere there is a solid surface. With a locking T-handle, the fuel cans are protected from two legged varmints as well.

Gasoline cans come in the thicker three gallon fuel packs, diesel only comes in 2 gallon containers, but they can be stacked, and you can buy the "double-sized" four gallon containers if needed as well (although they take two pack mounts/T-handles.)

I am personally looking at getting a set of these on a hitch mounted cargo rack, or if I get a fairly narrow trailer, mount them securely on the sides. With a gasser, four three gallon containers can get me at least 100-200 miles more range and if boondocking, an additional 24-48 hours of onboard genset run time.

Of course, Rotopax are expensive, but if mounted right, they will stay put.

[Allworth]

Let me get this straight. You bought the truck camper to get away from civilization and then complain about lack of fuel points!

Duhh!

[ol_Bombero-JC]

nevadanick wrote:
We have a dsl pickup and car and have never had a problem finding fuel.

Ditto.

West Coast CA resident - (lots of travel in AZ, CA, NV, OR)

Diesel pickup/s since 1985. NO aux tank/s.

Drove the first diesel p/up (an '85 Ferd 6.9) all over the USA w/TT.

*NEVER* had any difficulty in (easily) finding diesel..:?

Never used or needed any diesel station "locators".

Must just be lucky, huh?

Worst "problem" has been *PASSING* diesel stations due to poor access to pump/s while towing 34' 5th..:(

~

[Redsky]

2oldman wrote:

Redsky wrote:
Knowing where I can get diesel I can adjust the route for our trips accordingly and plan my fuel stops in advance.

I don't know what you're driving, but upping your fuel capacity to at least 75 gallons will let you drive where you want.

I'd dislike very much planning a trip around fuel stations.

Simple solution but not one that is an option for me unless I buy a new truck. Not an option as I have a camper in the bed so cannot put an auxiliary fuel tank there and no company makes a oversize replacement fuel tank for my 2011 GM extended cab short bed truck. NO ONE. Now I could sell the 2011 truck and buy a new long bed model so I could get the aftermarket fuel tank. Only it would cost me about $10,000 to do this so not really a viable solution.

With a camper the mileage is between 9.5 and 11 MPG depending upon the terrain and how windy it happens to be. With a 36 gallon tank I work with 30 gallons as the amount I draw upon and that means 300 miles. If it is 250 miles between fueling locations we can go 50 miles total on side trips or at most 25 miles away from the major highways. Anyone who does not think this is a problem does not get off the beaten path much if at all. I have followed the practice of using at most 1/3 of my fuel to go into the back country and 1/3 back and having 1/3 as a reserve as I go places where there is no cell service much less AAA to bring me 10 gallons of diesel fuel or tow me to the nearest town where diesel is available.

Problem is that we go to many areas where there are no towns much less gas stations much less gas stations that pump diesel. My route for a trip in June up through eastern CA, OR, and into Idaho involves a number of days where we drive an extra 100 miles or more to be able to hit a diesel fuel stop. That extra 100 miles also burns up another $50 in fuel as well as taking extra time.

If we stayed on the interstates it would be easy to find truck stops and places with diesel but it would also make for a very boring trip. We bought the truck and camper to avoid the tourist places as much as possible, only problem has been having to find diesel fuel.

The 4WD truck and camper work well for going into the back country overall. The problem was with my switching to diesel for this type of use. It was a mistake. When I towed horse trailers it was never a problem as the trucks had large saddle tanks and I used the horses and not the truck to get into the back country.

If I had it to do over I would have bought a long bed truck to be able to get the larger aftermarket fuel tank and it would have been with the gas engine instead of the diesel. I don't get enough extra range with the diesel engine to offset the fewer places where diesel is available and as a result the greater distance between fuel stops.
Live and learn.

[pkunk]

Redsky wrote:
Out in the western USA not all towns have gas stations and even fewer have diesel. Gasbuddy.com is worthless in these remote areas

Open the GasBuddy Map and put in the Zip of where you want fuel. In the lower right corner change from reg gas to diesel. There you go.

[Pogoil]

Have a diesel pickup for 15 years and now diesel MH. In the states of Nevada, California, Oregon, Utah, Idaho we have never had a problem finding diesel. A couple times we have pulled into a station without it but within a mile we found it.

Pogoil.

[restlesswind]

When we first started full timing in 2006,I was afraid of being able to find diesel,so I carried a 5 gal container "just in case". Every couple of weeks I would dump the 5 gals into the TV tank and refill it with fresh fuel..Never needed the extra fuel.Finaly got tired of messing with the 5 gal container and gave it away.
The 35 gal tank on the Ram is plenty.Never had a problem getting diesel fuel,even "out west"

[bigB42]

I found diesel easier to find in west,farmers /ranchers are heavy into diesel and they have been for sometime,i have a 93 dodge,no longer a rv vehicle.we went to a mh when we retired ken

[2oldman]

Redsky wrote:
Knowing where I can get diesel I can adjust the route for our trips accordingly and plan my fuel stops in advance.

I don't know what you're driving, but upping your fuel capacity to at least 75 gallons will let you drive where you want.

I'd dislike very much planning a trip around fuel stations.

[John___Angela]

Thanks for the tip. Our smart car has a five gallon tank and with diesel sometimes harder to find in smaller towns we tend to keep it on the top side of the tank all the time when we are longer trips.

[mowermech]

Redsky wrote:
Out in the western USA not all towns have gas stations and even fewer have diesel. Gasbuddy.com is worthless in these remote areas but I did happen upon a great resource on the Web.

It is the online Yellow Pages at www.yellowpages.com. It has a search function with a Browse Box where I put in Diesel Fuel and a Near Box where I put in the towns. The search would include the surrounding area so if a town like Whitefish, MT (outside of Glacier NP) did not have a station pumping diesel it would list and show on a map the locations in the surrounding area that did (Kalispell, MT).

Knowing where I can get diesel I can adjust the route for our trips accordingly and plan my fuel stops in advance.

Interesting. I have purchased diesel in Coram, Hungry Horse, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, Polson, and Missoula.
I have no reason to go to Whitefish these days.
Diesel is also available in East Glacier and Browning.

Just out of curiosity, I checked yellowpages.com for diesel near Whitefish. It showed one station in Evergreen (near Kalispell), and one South of Kalispell. However, montanagasprices.com shows a Town Pump and Safeway in Whitefish that have diesel.
By the way, there are a LOT of other stations in Kalispell that have diesel fuel.
IMO, yellowpages.com is not very useful for finding diesel fuel.

[dapperdan]

Being from the midwest that was a concern I had when we did our five week adventure out west through MT OR CA NV UT NE and IA last August and September. We had no problems at all and a some of our trip was remote. Of course I have an in-bed forty five gallon transfer tank which made it easier to "plan" fuel stops. Love that extra tank!!!! I think there's more convenience style stores now days and a lot of those have diesel. I know the first time I biked out to the Black Hills years ago there weren't as many gas stations as there are now out that way. Just saying.

Dan

[rhagfo]

Diesel Power mag has a app for that Fuel Finder