Fourjs wrote:
...FYI, our TT is 35 ft. TV is 176" truck....
Looking for what you do and how you handle filling up. Any suggestions
Jimmy
My TT is 35.5 feet long and with my carrier on the back it's 2.5 feet longer. My truck is 252 inches (21 feet). That's a total length of 59 feet from bumper to bumper. I'm long.
And I will say, except in a very few situations, I've never had any real problem filling up with diesel at normal auto gas stations. But, here's why?
First, I don't make any attempts to use fuel stations in larger towns, or down-town areas. Those stations do have smaller pump areas, and often positioned completely wrong to get any kind of RV in the bays.
Second, I don't mind driving past a fuel station to find another one if it looks like it's too tight to fit once I get to it. I've passed several up, just to go on another mile and have much better options.
Third, I look for fuel stations that advertise diesel. My truck takes diesel, and if they sell diesel, they most likely have a diesel pump situated so that a larger vehicle can reach it.
Fourth, I always plan on fueling when the tank is 1/2 empty. In the remote event there is no diesel service available in the immediate area, this gives me an extra 150 miles or more to find one! I'm never in panic mode because I'm breathing fumes.
Fifth, sometimes you just have to be patient to get up to the pump in a traditional gas station if you are towing a longer trailer. But.... because you are so big ... well ... folks ARE going to get pi$$ed-off at you because they have to go around you, but they'll get over it!
Sixth, Sometimes you have to wait to exit because of the flow of traffic or parked cars in your way. You have to be prepared to go backwards at every fuel station, so pick your pump wisely grasshopper!
Seventh, if you DO have to back up, even a few feet, so you can get a wider swing, or avoid a parked car, or for whatever reason, have your spouse spot you behind the camper.... always! Why? Because jerk-off drivers, even though you are actually moving backwards, will STILL try to get round you, squeeze between your camper and the curb, or your camper and the next bay, or your camper and the front parking row! They zoom around you and you don't even know they are there! They ARE rude, so you need your spotter to warn you. When your camper is in a backing angle, you cannot see what's going on, on the blind side of the camper!
Eighth, sometimes you have to around the building, or come into the pump bay area a different way, other than the main road. Many, many, many times we've pulled into a gas station and drove completely around the building to get the only diesel pump at the end of the row of bays.
Ninth, you ALWAYS have to be aware of which side your gas tank fill is on. Nothing worse than finally navigating up to the pump, just to suddenly remember.... oh ****! The tank is on the other side of the vehicle. That means leaving and circling around somehow different. I've actually had that happen. We ended up just pulling on around and found another fueling station. Turning the rig the opposite direction was simply impossible.
Tenth, you REALLY have to be patient, and somewhat forgiving of stupid, inconsiderate, idiots and jerks who just don't realize you can't move 60 feet of train like a VW bug!
Eleventh, I use the app, GasBuddy and have it set to Diesel on my Smartphone. Not only does it give the locations of stations that sell diesel, but the mapping program allows you to zoom in and see the gas station layout. If it looks too tight, you know to skip it. There have been very few we've skipped after making a selection, mostly, NOT because of the layout of the fuel station, but because of the access and existing traffic around the fuel station.
I think in 20 years of RV ownership, I've gotten myself jack-up only once! Only because it looked like I could get around the building and once I got around it, it was closed off. I had to back out clear to the road and back onto the road to get out. Talk about a LOT of pi$$ed-off drivers on the highway! OH MY! My wife was wonderful as a spotter!
Last: I don't use truck stops. I despise them. The bays for the trucks to fill up diesel are almost always oily, spills of diesel, cat litter everywhere to absorb the oil and diesel spills, and usually very busy with the big rigs. I just don't like the dirty oily mess everywhere. And states like Indiana are very confusing, as Truck Stop pumps are set up for Tax Exempt Commercial drivers. You've got to look for the "auto diesel" pumps anyway. Because of living in Indiana, I never know what to expect at a truck stop, so I simply don't use them. I prefer normal gas stations that sell diesel.
