Fueling up your (gasser) truck - how do you do it?

[Mr Lars]

I have been ‘jammed up’ one time, that was the Gulf station in Early Tx. Grabbed the left outside lane, as from pulling in I noticed a road circling back around the building(or so I thought) fueled up, got back in proceeded around the back of the building, HOLY CRAP!!! it was the exit lane for the car wash.
Back up as far I could, before the tow dolly twisted around too much. Screw it, that won’t work. Got out dropped the toad off, then unhooked the dolly, got the Motorhome turned around, rehook, reload, then down the road we went.

 

[DutchmenSport]

I am one of these die-hards that absolutely WILL NOT use a truck stop (and my truck is diesel).

I have a long bed, crew cab, diesel dually and my fifth wheel is 41.5 feet long. Added together, the total length is right at 60 feet.

I use NORMAL gas stations that sell "auto diesel". First off, diesel is very confusing and each state seems to run on a different set of rules.

Off-road diesel, road diesel, commercial diesel, taxed diesel, non-taxed diesel, which pump to use, what if I fill up with the wrong one?

Pumping diesel from a normal gas station pumps, along side the "gas" pumps eliminates all the confusion. This diesel is set up and priced appropriately for non-commercial or highway use for private vehicles..... THAT is why I use regular, normal gas stations that sell diesel.

So, that puts me in the same category as you, navigating a very long rig into normal, every day use gas / fueling stations.

It takes a bit of planning to do it and do it successfully. I always look for open, larger service stations with fueling bays that will permit easy in-and-easy out. Granted, sometimes I have to wait to get to the diesel pump because the ONLY diesel pump is between two regular gas station pumps at the end of the outer island. But, I sit and wait until traffic moves out of the way.

This is when you learn REAL fast how inconsiderate people really are. They will park their cars at the gas pumps and go inside and spend as much as 15 - 20 minutes inside. Meanwhile, no one can use that pump.

So, you know what ... I don't give a rats A** if my 60 foot rig is blocking everything moving on the lot. If the inconsiderate SOB would simply come out and park their vehicle in a normal parking spot, I could move forward and get out of the way. Besides, once in some of these positions, it can be impossible to move until THEY move.

I'm at the point where I simply do not care any more. People are pigs and they will not give others a break, so why in the H*** should I give a break any more either. I really don't care any more. I use to, but no more. So, I am only as rude as the inconsiderate slob spending 15 minutes inside the store. Move their vehicle and I can then get out of the way .... so don't blame me!

THAT is how I do it now. And I don't feel bad about it any more. People want to be rude and inconsiderate and selfish, well, when my 60 foot rig is blocking everything from coming and going from the service station.... yea! I just point to the car sitting empty at the pump I'm attempting to get up to!

 

[uchu]

I tend to use regular gas stations with ample maneuverability when using "George" by itself. At 33 ft, it's not a big deal. Not the same when we're pulling our trusty toad. Some would work, some not, so I tend to plan ahead and use suitable truck stops, if necessary.

There are plenty of inconsiderate, selfish people to be found in such places, but many more who are not. I tend to stay in the considerate, unselfish side. For the most part.

 

[workinonit]

Stop at Buck-ees. The one here has 70 pumps I think it is. And the nicest bathrooms on the road. I personally think their food sucks but the coffee and tea is good.

 

[RedForeman]

Off-road diesel, road diesel, commercial diesel, taxed diesel, non-taxed diesel, which pump to use, what if I fill up with the wrong one?

You're overcomplicating it. All of these will work and no cops will be called if you choose the wrong one.

The only one that could remotely be problematic is off-road diesel. That one is dyed red so it can be discovered by cops sampling fuel in vehicle tanks to look for tax cheaters. I've only heard of this happening during commercial vehicle inspections. In 13 yrs of driving CMV's, many inspections, and over 40 yrs driving diesels, there have been zero times my fuel was sampled. They wouldn't find any red fuel anyway. Only time I've ever bought OR fuel was in my reefer tank where it's legal.

If you'd rather risk navigating the car pumps with a large rig and buy all your def in a box, there ain't nothing wrong with that. You do you. I personally favor the easier access and def at the pump option with the truck island, also the savings with the Open Roads fuel card. Though I usually use the regular gas stations when at home because the truck stops are outside of my usual orbit. Downside is my gasbuddy card cuts off at $100 a day and I have a 50 gal tank. I usually fill at 1/4 tank and almost always hit the cash limit before full.

 

[markandkim]

The truck lanes are so much easier. Why do you put yourself through all the pain of the gas station headaches? I only use them when Im not jooked up.

 

[Onyrlef]

You're overcomplicating it. All of these will work and no cops will be called if you choose the wrong one.

The only one that could remotely be problematic is off-road diesel. That one is dyed red so it can be discovered by cops sampling fuel in vehicle tanks to look for tax cheaters. I've only heard of this happening during commercial vehicle inspections. In 13 yrs of driving CMV's, many inspections, and over 40 yrs driving diesels, there have been zero times my fuel was sampled. They wouldn't find any red fuel anyway. Only time I've ever bought OR fuel was in my reefer tank where it's legal.

If you'd rather risk navigating the car pumps with a large rig and buy all your def in a box, there ain't nothing wrong with that. You do you. I personally favor the easier access and def at the pump option with the truck island, also the savings with the Open Roads fuel card. Though I usually use the regular gas stations when at home because the truck stops are outside of my usual orbit. Downside is my gasbuddy card cuts off at $100 a day and I have a 50 gal tank. I usually fill at 1/4 tank and almost always hit the cash limit before full.

The Highway Patrol in La. are notorious for lighting up diesel vehicles around farming communities and checking for off road diesel. They don't bother big trucks so much as light trucks where the temptation to pull from the farms off road tanks presents itself. That's why you often see those shined up diesel trucks which will never see a turn row, with "farm truck" tags.

 

[Onyrlef]

Stop at Buck-ees. The one here has 70 pumps I think it is. And the nicest bathrooms on the road. I personally think their food sucks but the coffee and tea is good.

70 pumps is a lot, however the problem for RV's at buc-ees is it's overwhelmingly likely one of the cars at every island there is using the pump as a parking place while the family browses the store for an hour. Buc-ees prohibits 18 wheelers and they're not particularly large RV friendly either. Not that they need to be, the ratio of RV's to the volume of car and truck traffic there is infintesimal.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

I've read a lot of negative stories on buc-ees and RV'ers being told to move along. The only time I've even seen their stations was during our Southern state trip this past Spring and did not feel inclined to visit one.

The simplest way not to get your knickers in a knot looking for a fuel station is to stop before you are near empty. I start planning a fuel stop as I approach a half tank. This gives me roughly 300 + miles from a full tank so I'm ready for a break anyway. My DW will start checking the Open Roads App for a location close to the interstate, price, and how many miles out. A bonus during morning fill-ups is to stop at a Speedway station, they have the best freshly made breakfast sandwiches.

Dutchman, you can hear your frustration of pulling in smaller and not big rig-friendly "regular" gas stations. You can eliminate a lot of that frustration and save money too with an EFS/Open Roads fuel card and using truck stops. I have never seen anything other than standard #2 diesel so there is no confusion of what product to buy. The truckers are professional drivers and there is a level of courtesy and respect for everyone's time and convenience. My wife is a pretty good-looking trim and fit blond and I love watching the truckers eye her up when she's cleaning the windshield while I fuel up. Always friendly and polite. During the first couple of years of owning our DP, I avoided getting the fuel card because I too was a bit intimidated going to truck stops. That ended after probably the 3rd time using one. Probably the only time I see jerks at truck stops are other RV'ers that will leave their rigs parked at the pump to go in and spend time in the store or restaurant, and this seems to be more common with those driving expensive 45' motorhomes from Entegra and such.

My only complaint is not directed to truck stops, but with Coachman in the design of my DP putting the DEF tank on the curbside of the rig, preventing me from filling up the DEF at truck stops. So Walmart's blue jug for me.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Stop at Buck-ees. The one here has 70 pumps I think it is. And the nicest bathrooms on the road. I personally think their food sucks but the coffee and tea is good.

70 pumps is a lot, however the problem for RV's at buc-ees is it's overwhelmingly likely one of the cars at every island there is using the pump as a parking place while the family browses the store for an hour. Buc-ees prohibits 18 wheelers and they're not particularly large RV friendly either. Not that they need to be, the ratio of RV's to the volume of car and truck traffic there is infintesimal.

I really like the Buc-ee's pulled pork sandwiches. The Beaver nuggets become overwhelming after the first couple of handfuls however.

Actually 70 pumps is a small Buc-ee's. The one at Leeds, AL just east of Birmingham has 120 pumps, and I think the one at Warner Robins GA also has 120 pumps. The Warner Robins store has separate islands at the north and south ends that are especially suited to RV's and long vehicles as they have excellent access and are remote enough from the building that people won't be blocking the pumps.

Charles

 

[Onyrlef]

I've read a lot of negative stories on buc-ees and RV'ers being told to move along. The only time I've even seen their stations was during our Southern state trip this past Spring and did not feel inclined to visit one.

The simplest way not to get your knickers in a knot looking for a fuel station is to stop before you are near empty. I start planning a fuel stop as I approach a half tank. This gives me roughly 300 + miles from a full tank so I'm ready for a break anyway. My DW will start checking the Open Roads App for a location close to the interstate, price, and how many miles out. A bonus during morning fill-ups is to stop at a Speedway station, they have the best freshly made breakfast sandwiches.

Dutchman, you can hear your frustration of pulling in smaller and not big rig-friendly "regular" gas stations. You can eliminate a lot of that frustration and save money too with an EFS/Open Roads fuel card and using truck stops. I have never seen anything other than standard #2 diesel so there is no confusion of what product to buy. The truckers are professional drivers and there is a level of courtesy and respect for everyone's time and convenience. My wife is a pretty good-looking trim and fit blond and I love watching the truckers eye her up when she's cleaning the windshield while I fuel up. Always friendly and polite. During the first couple of years of owning our DP, I avoided getting the fuel card because I too was a bit intimidated going to truck stops. That ended after probably the 3rd time using one. Probably the only time I see jerks at truck stops are other RV'ers that will leave their rigs parked at the pump to go in and spend time in the store or restaurant, and this seems to be more common with those driving expensive 45' motorhomes from Entegra and such.

My only complaint is not directed to truck stops, but with Coachman in the design of my DP putting the DEF tank on the curbside of the rig, preventing me from filling up the DEF at truck stops. So Walmart's blue jug for me.

I've never heard of an RV'er at Buc-ees being told to move along, where are you coming by that piece of information? I could see that if the RV was causing a traffic issue but otherwise the employees there I'm pretty sure could care less, they always look busy doing their jobs to me.

 

[Kirk]

I've never heard of an RV'er at Buc-ees being told to move along, where are you coming by that piece of information?

I haven't either and we live in TX where Buc-ees began and most of them are located. But while we pass by two different locations fairly frequently, I rarely see an RV in one and have only seen small travel trailers or class C or B in one. They do not have any designated RV parking spaces, which really surprised me as I have looked for them.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

I've never heard of an RV'er at Buc-ees being told to move along, where are you coming by that piece of information?

Other RV Forums.

They do not have any designated RV parking spaces, which really surprised me as I have looked for them.

And, this seems to be the problem from posts I've read on other forums when an RV will pull to the curb, or wherever, away from the pumps to maybe take a break or have lunch, etc. and they were told to move along.

 

[CharlesinGA]

I've been in several Buc-ee's and never have seen or heard of any issues. I too was surprised that they didn't have dedicated RV parking, but possibly they don't want anyone to think they can stay overnight. The one on I-75 in Calhoun GA is the most crowded I've seen, and I have been thru there several times. What I do there to get out of the way is exit out the back onto a road behind them with a center "turn" lane and just park in that center lane (the road goes to some warehouses and that is all). Its packed and Loves across the street is empty except for trucks.. I usually can park across several spaces on one end or the other after I have pumped my fuel. Auburn Alabama is the easiest one I've been in for parking my truck and trailer out of the way. I've driven down there from the house a couple of times just to buy the brisket or pulled pork sandwiches.

Charles

 

[Onyrlef]

I haven't either and we live in TX where Buc-ees began and most of them are located. But while we pass by two different locations fairly frequently, I rarely see an RV in one and have only seen small travel trailers or class C or B in one. They do not have any designated RV parking spaces, which really surprised me as I have looked for them.

We stop at the one in Forney frequently and the one in McKinney ( 75) and just outside Lewisville on 35. No RV parking but I've always been able to find a spot out on the back 40 somewhere even on busy weekends and holidays. Parking along the curbs where people are coming and going into and out of the islands I wouldn't recommend ( but some do it), especially where the long rigs need to swing wide.

 

[Kirk]

Other RV Forums.

Interesting. I seldom visit other forums, except for the one that I moderate, and I have not seen that on it. There are now 50 Buc-ee's across the country with 36 locations in Texas. There also are locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri and Colorado. The flagship Buc-ee's travel center (the giant store that made the brand famous) opened in Luling in 2003. We first became aware of them back in 2003 when volunteering at San Bernard NWR, while commuting with a USFWS truck from the volunteer village at Brazoria NWR. They had an account for fuel with Buc-ees and we regularly got fuel for the truck at the original Buc-ees in Clute, TX. That location opened in 1982 and was just a very nice convenience store, only slightly larger than the 7-11 a few miles away. There were several of those locations open at the time, mostly around that same area.

 

[Larry N.]

There are now 50 Buc-ee's across the country with 36 locations in Texas. There also are locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri and Colorado.

The Colorado location just opened recently (I've never seen it -- it's 40+ miles north of me, near Loveland or Ft. Collins , I think -- or any other location at all) and it's only the last couple of years that I've even heard of them (only on this forum). So even if I were still traveling a lot, it's unlikely I'd see one enough to plan on them mattering to me at all. It's kinda like Little America, in that it may be great (I don't know) but there are so few that, to me, they don't much matter.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Parking along the curbs where people are coming and going into and out of the islands I wouldn't recommend ( but some do it), especially where the long rigs need to swing wide.

Perhaps this is what happened to those who were asked to move/leave from what I've read.

I posted on another thread on the forum about fueling at truck stops and the only time I've encountered rude people leaving their rigs parked at the pumps while they ran in to shop or eat inside were other RV'ers, never truckers. It might be the same thing at Buc-ees but they still complained like they didn't do anything wrong or inconsiderate.