Gas station help!

[Bryanpark2]

We recently purchased a 30' TT. After only camping seasonally we are planning on traveling extensively around the country. I was curious how you experienced RVers plan ahead on gas purchases so you don't get caught low on gas or at a station where you don't fit. We use gas not diesel so just truck stops won't work. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Hondavalk]

I use to worry about gas but after years of never having an issue I did quite worrying about it. As i approach a station I just look over to see if it looks doable and go from there. Never had it happen but worst case scenario if I pulled in and couldn't pull forward to exit I would have the DW stop traffic and back out.

[lots2seeinmyrv]

I plan our route and write notes in a spiral notebook for DH, gas station and exit number.

We start looking for gas around 150 miles. I use findfuelstops.com.

You can put in Point A to Point B. It will tell you how many miles to each gas station. You can also pull up the satellite view of the station to see how to get in and out of there...and some have the street view.

Really helpful and a lot less stress. A lot of Flying J's and Pilots are hard to get in and out of. We avoid them.

[gat75]

obgraham wrote:
It's easier now that I've driving a B (now the issue is "does he have diesel?"), but when we had a 38 footer with toad, I would stop well away from the pumps -- in the street if necessary -- get out and scout out the route on foot.

Just because it looks like you can exit by going around the back of the building doesn't mean you can actually get through!

X2 on maybe not being able to go behind business. We stopped for fuel at a station in Colorado that had pumps perpendicular to feeder road. Filled up with diesel, was about to move when my wife suggested that we just circle around back of building, (due to sudden congestion).

I did, only to find out that there was a hidden car wash (with no signage) on far end of business. Boy, was that a trick backing a relatively small (27.5 ft) 5V out of that mess of traffic.

Nowadays, I buy enough diesel for a max 400 mile run for one day. We try to use the ole 300 mile, 3PM rule when traveling. I add about 15 gallons of diesel in my 51 gallon aux tank to keep from so much weight on my 2500 D/A. The 28 gallon OEM tank on this truck is just a little on the small side when pulling.

I try to fill up after stopping & disconnecting, (in event that I don't find a real convenient station to stop at close to overnight stop).

[rbpru]

I am with the group that fills up at 1/2 tank or 100 miles left on the tank. That is about every two or three hours about 12 to 15 gallons. It is usually time for a break and leg stretch.

We use the Garmen or the Kindle to find stations, often a Pilot or truck stop if we are on the Interstate. Smaller towns we look for easy access.

[DeanRIowa]

Depending upon the trip, if we go local then most rural stations around here allow for larger rigs.

However, when we went to Black Hills and Yellow Stone this year, I used Google and mapped ever station and used Google street view to determine my entrance/exit to each station.

Dean

[ECones]

RavensFan24 wrote:
We had a whole debate about this topic on another thread. Most gas stations you'll be able to get in and out of, but sometimes you have to pull out your driving skills to maneuver through properly. Some stations don't make it easy, but you can always make it happen. We have the same size trailer and many times we pull in to a spot and then just back out of that spot instead of trying to make a loop.

The 1/2 tank rule is a good time to look for gas. Don't push it past 3/4 of a tank cause that last bit will seem to drop way faster than you expect. Running out of gas is no fun.

We've just starting pulling our car on a dolly, so backing up is not an option. We do have a 55-gallon tank, so we can wait 'til we're down to a quarter and still have enough fuel to give us some options.

Like others have said, we plan our fuel stops to avoid stopping in busy metropolitan areas; we'll stop early so we can go on through.

We also try to stop where there are multiple stations. Having two or three to choose from sometimes helps.

[Steeljag]

I try not to let it concern me...........buy it does...LOL !

[mosseater]

Obviously, the easy in and out ones are better and faster, but I stopped obsessing over the perfect gas station long ago. I generally stick to Flying J, or Loves, or Pilot, etc., but it really doesn't matter to me. I don't worry too much, my truck has reverse, and it will come out the same way it came in, even if I have to discuss it with the person who pulled in behind me first. Most people seem to enjoy helping get you backed out when necessary, just don't trust their spacial judgment too far.

Stop worrying and go camping!

[Ron3rd]

All good advice above. We have a 35ft travel trailer so filling up while hitched up can get interesting. I always try to fill up when unhooked, but this is not always possible. With some experience to learn what to look for in a gas station so you can get in and out. Of course, the big truckers gas stations (Pilot, etc) are great but they're limited to mostly the interestates and not always a viable option.

[hawkeye-08]

I haven't had the need yet to have extra gas along for the generator, but may in the future so I have 5 gallons of gas should I need it. I have also considered taking along an empty 5 gallon gas can so I could park on the street and at least get 5 gallons at a station that I am unable to get into with truck and trailer. Of course if I was real low and not sure when the next station is, I would not be opposed to unhooking trailer somewhere and going to get gas with the truck only. I am like others, I don't wait much lower than half on fuel gauge to figure out where we're getting gas.

[kcfissel]

We use Flying J/Pilot as our first choice because of the RV islands and the Good Sam discount card.

There is usually plenty of room to get in and out, depending upon what the other citizens are up to at the adjacent pumps. We've had to wait a few times, but not much. Also there is an app and the stations are pretty plentiful all over the country. Most all are on or very close to the interstates as they are primarily truck stops.

[lhenry8113]

When traveling we never let the tank get below 1/4 tank. Also, use 2 App's on the cell phone quite a bit--GasBuddy and iExit--both are recommended by Consumer Reports. They really give us a good idea of what is in the area as well as what is available down the road. Lars

[WyoTraveler]

Gas buddy app, planning exit before entering, I try to pull in from the station side with my exit towards the street.

[Opie431]

I put notes in our copy of the next exit. A great in and out station in Ohio was closed when we counted on it. Had to stop at one that was a tight squeeze.
Now we do not wait until we NEED it.

[Golden_HVAC]

I look for Pilot Stations, they are pretty large.

Most places are OK for my 30' motorhome, and even when I was driving a 40' DP, I had no problems with the car islands. In Arizona, the truck lanes have a extra fuel tax that is not applied to pickups or motorhomes, and it is worth it to move to the car pumps to buy 50+ gallons.

Most of the time when they see a larger RV in the area, cars pick the other side of the station to fill up, and give you room to get in and out.

At least you could stay overnight at a campground. Then go out to dinner, and pick up fuel on the way there or back to the campground.

Yes mom's like not cooking a few nights per week.

Fred.