Filling up at gas station

[Npdchief07]

New to towing and I get a little nervous. When I go to had up is it possible to go where the big trucks fill up at the larger gas stations??

[jerem0621]

^^^^^

this is what I did! Give yourself pleanty of room.

And be prepared to wait on someone to move their car. They will block you without even realizing they have blocked you.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[LanceRKeys]

I have had to tell myself that I don’t need to get so close to the pump. There is usually quite a bit of hose on the pump, and if you give yourself an extra 2 feet or so from the pump, it makes it much easier.

[OleManOleCan]

Dick_B wrote:
It's a challenge most every time. Some of the truck stops, like Flying J, have RV pumps but not all do. If you are on the interstate I sometimes stop at an exit for fuel where there are lots of choices for fuel and pick the best one.
Obviously the stations where the pumps are at right angles to the road are the best. Where the pumps are parallel to the road I usually take the one on the far right when facing the pumps from the road. If possible I will drive around the station to use the pumps at the far left which makes it easier to get back on the road.

Good answers.
It's much easier to use pumps where there is room to pull thru, or room to back out after you fill up.

When we travel I also like to locate a parking spot that's out from restaurants,
where I can get out, and into traffic. I like to mingle near where 18 wheelers park while the drivers eat.

[Puddles]

I have a book called THE NEXT EXIT... it list every interstate exit and tells what's available at that exit... big rig stations/parking are printed in red... great if you're traveling on interstates... useless if you're on state hyws...

[bobndot]

sgfrye wrote:
our TT is 33ft long. gas truck for towing. there are smaller gas stations that just wont work for us. i usually plan fuel stops before we leave home. google earth is a big help checking out station layouts.

if there isn't a "rv" lane i usually am patient and wait on outside pumps.

x2,
interstates stops have never been an issue, small towns can be different. I always top of the tank before I venture off into tight places.

Being that you will have an idea of where you are heading (hopefully 🙂 )plan your trip ahead using google sat image , it has worked 100% of the time. I pick stops 150 miles apart because I have a shortbed truck with a 26 gal tank.
Some stations allow us to drive around the back of the building to reach those side islands.
While I understand your concern, don't lose any sleep pondering about this.

In an emergency....if you had to get into a tight station, you could always park at the curb and unhitch and just pull the truck in or carry an empty 5 gal can to do a walk-up. It's an extra 15 mns of your time and a much better option than taking a chance on running dry.
As long as you start thinking about refueling at the 1/2 point , you'll be fine and not ever get yourself into a dire gasoline situation.

[DutchmenSport]

I have a 35.5 foot TT and with tow truck and cargo carrier on the end of the trailer, I'm 59.5 feet long. I maneuver regular gas stations all the time (diesel) and only very, very seldom have I had problems. The bigger problems are car drivers who just don't understand how big and cumbersome an RV or trailer in tow can be. They can be very impatient and just darn right rude. So you have to be very patient. But as far as maneuverability, pick your gas stations with an eye to always move on to the next one down the road. That's why so many have the self-imposed rule ... start looking for a fuel station at half-empty. Consider half-empty as your "empty" mark and you'll never have problems.

About diesel. Many gas stations have diesel too. Sometimes only 1 island, and sometimes only 1 pump dedicated to diesel. These can be a bit more challenging, especially draging 59 feet of train. Finding the pump is usually the biggest challenge, considering you just can't whip around dragging a long trailer, where cars can do that easily.

But in 20 years of towing trailers with tow vehicles gas and diesel, we've traveled thousands and thousands and thousands of miles and always got gas or diesel somewhere and never ran out, left stranded anywhere. So, if others can do it, you can too.

A word about truck stops and their diesel pumps. Yes, the diesel pump nosels are larger in diameter than those at car island diesel pumps. And they pump about 100 times faster too! You can pump a gallon in 5 seconds easily. They are designed for the big rigs, where the nosel goes directly into the round tanks on the side of those trucks. Not only do they pump extremely fast (which the neck of your vehicle might not be able to handle without belching back up at you), the opening and the neck on your vehicle can be too small for those large diameter pump nozzles.

I don't use truck stops (unless there is absolutely no other choice)... or it happens to be the I-80 truck stop in Iowa (which is a fabulous place by the way) for this reason (and many more). So we always use regular gas stations for diesel (at 59.5 feet long).

[rbpru]

We prefer RV pumps and open driveways also, but these are not always an option.
So we approach the difficult pumps like maneuvering into a campsite. We use a spotter and study our entrance and exit.

Our biggest issue is sharp drive entrance ramp angle, which must be taken diagonally or the hitch will drag.

When our dash board readout says about 100 miles to empty, we start looking for gas. That gives us the option to pass up a few stations. Out West this was not always a option, so we would top off the tank before we left any bigger town.

We also carry an extra five gallons of stabilized gasoline, just in case.

Like many TT issues fill-ups get easier over time.

Good luck

[DustyR]

I usually try to stay away from the major truck stops due to the price. I have had trouble exiting twice because of the length of my TT 32ft and its over swing. I usually use the fuel feature on my GPS to locate my next fuel stop. If the tank is low all bets are off and I'll take the first available fuel.

[aftermath]

I am assuming that the OP has a gasser. As you gain experience, filling up at most stations will not be a big problem. When you are towing you always need to think ahead. Check out the station and avoid those with space restrictions. It is not difficult finding stations on the road with easy in and out layouts. I personally would avoid the big truck stops as I don't want to get in the way of the big rigs.

I also was not aware that the commercial pumps don't fit into the not so commercial tow vehicles that we all drive. I would never try to fill from a pump if the nozzle is not the proper size.

[falconbrother]

When I was driving the motorhome pulling the CRV I ended up in real tight situations at gas stations a couple of times. The trouble is that when pulling the toad 4 down I couldn't back up. The worst was at a crowded truck stop. It was super tight at those pumps but, I needed gas so I made it work. With the travel trailer I fill up before I start and try to not have more than a tank full of driving to do in a day. I suppose in a real crisis I could disconnect the trailer and gas up. I'd rather do that than tear something up.

[sgfrye]

our TT is 33ft long. gas truck for towing. there are smaller gas stations that just wont work for us. i usually plan fuel stops before we leave home. google earth is a big help checking out station layouts.

if there isn't a "rv" lane i usually am patient and wait on outside pumps.

[stickdog]

I alwys try to find fuel stations away from cities, land is cheaper in the country so most of those stations have larger lots to maneuver. We also travel US highways and state truck routes where you will find mini truckstops that cater to the local haul trade. Usally with two or three diesel pumps with easy access and egress. I have had to back out once due to convienence store shopper blocking my planned exit. Guess he/she had to wait on the nocho cheeze warm up or there was long line at the restroom.

[MarkTwain]

Npdchief07 wrote:
New to towing and I get a little nervous. When I go to had up is it possible to go where the big trucks fill up at the larger gas stations??

Unless you already have a 70,75 or more fuel tank, I recommend contacting "Transfer Flow" in Chico Ca. and have them install an auxiliary diesel fuel tank with the largest size that will fit your tow vehicle. A larger fuel tank will allow you greater flexibility in selecting fuel stations and more choices in fuel prices.

[dolbsss]

i look for travel stops like Pilot and Flying J's but sometimes they are a little tight even. I generally try to wait on the end pumps so it makes maneuvering in and out easier. Its never that simple, but once you know what you're doing, you'll find out some tricks that work for you. I really liked the comment of picking an exit with multiple stations. This is something I always do. I also get an eye open as soon as my fuel gets to a 1/4 tank. I have a 5 gallon can for emergency in my truck bed, but why push it. We also use fill up time to get out lunch meat, some bread, and get a little lunch in us, and more importantly, get lunch in our kids, while allowing them to stretch out as well. This will save you time every time.