Question for gasoline-powered RVers

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One other helpful thing is to buy The Next exit, either in book form or App....it lists RV friendly gas stations at each exit off interstates.....not always 100% accurate but a big help
 
I'm not in the 1/2 tank refill camp as a general rule, but in the RV it does make a lot of sense. It amounts to about a days' driving distance, a fill-up is "quicker" and it often doesn't exceed the pump/credit card daily dollar limit. Psychologically less impact too.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 
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Simple curiosity: Do y'all have trouble finding accessible gas pumps? We did when we had a 34' Pump anxiety was one of the drivers for us going diesel.

On trips I stopped at Big Truck Places. Flying-J. Pilot, Loves. T/A and the like. The car pumps there are easy to in and out for the most part and some have dedicated RV aisles as well.
Around town.. Well I usually checked out the stations as I drove for Milk and Bread and Stuff.. Noted which I could easily get in and out of with the Rig and towed attached.. Never had a problem.
 
We don't have too many issues out West we do try to keep a close eye on approach and Gary's comments are how we manage.
 
One thing I've found is buy alcohol free gasoline when available. My gas mileage goes up 25% so I don't have to stop as often. Not common along interstates but becoming more common in smaller towns. Unfortunately many of these are smaller gas stations that are hard to navigate.
 
One thing I've found is buy alcohol free gasoline when available. My gas mileage goes up 25% so I don't have to stop as often. Not common along interstates but becoming more common in smaller towns. Unfortunately many of these are smaller gas stations that are hard to navigate.
I think you might just be lucky on the fuel and RV combination. I have tried that with my car, and cannot tell a bit of difference, and I top off every time and have a spreadsheet with over 600 fuelings and over $18K spent on fuel. I certainly think it should make a difference but was never able to measure any.

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I have a diesel pickup and a trailer and absolutely avoid pumps with large truck nozzles (I don't even think they fit the later RAMs but they do in mine) fuel from those large nozzles foams very much and so I avoid them. I also avoid Pilot, Flying J and Loves if I can. Fuel is much more expensive and nearly always 20% bio diesel. I got used to avoiding bio diesel when I had the motor home because Mother Benz said to not run it if possible, and also because it is not good to allow it to sit in the tank and my truck sits alot.

Diesel is nearly always at the end pumps, and many stations have newer installations that put diesel at all or nearly all of the pumps. I've only got in a tight spot once or twice and that was at Murphy stations at Walmarts, little room for maneuvering.

This last trip to the Black Hills taught me a lesson about not getting gas in big city/urban areas. Was on 435 on Kansas City's east side and saw a sign for a QT at the exit. Turned out to be a couple of blocks and was rather tight looking, but it turned out to be not too bad as I was able to circle the back of the building out onto a side street, but won't let that happen again.

Now, I'll stop at a Buckees anytime!!! Very good pulled pork sandwiches and homemade potato chips. Tried the Beaver nuggets, first few were OK, eventually threw out the last half of the bag. I'm not a brisket fan so I cannot say how their brisket sandwiches are.

Charles
 
One thing I've found is buy alcohol free gasoline when available. My gas mileage goes up 25% so I don't have to stop as often. Not common along interstates but becoming more common in smaller towns. Unfortunately many of these are smaller gas stations that are hard to navigate.
Which means that with ethanol gas we get a 33% increase in gasoline burned to save 10% by volume. It's an EPA scam. Follow the money.
 
I think you might just be lucky on the fuel and RV combination. I have tried that with my car, and cannot tell a bit of difference, and I top off every time and have a spreadsheet with over 600 fuelings and over $18K spent on fuel. I certainly think it should make a difference but was never able to measure any.

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I have a diesel pickup and a trailer and absolutely avoid pumps with large truck nozzles (I don't even think they fit the later RAMs but they do in mine) fuel from those large nozzles foams very much and so I avoid them. I also avoid Pilot, Flying J and Loves if I can. Fuel is much more expensive and nearly always 20% bio diesel. I got used to avoiding bio diesel when I had the motor home because Mother Benz said to not run it if possible, and also because it is not good to allow it to sit in the tank and my truck sits alot.

Diesel is nearly always at the end pumps, and many stations have newer installations that put diesel at all or nearly all of the pumps. I've only got in a tight spot once or twice and that was at Murphy stations at Walmarts, little room for maneuvering.

This last trip to the Black Hills taught me a lesson about not getting gas in big city/urban areas. Was on 435 on Kansas City's east side and saw a sign for a QT at the exit. Turned out to be a couple of blocks and was rather tight looking, but it turned out to be not too bad as I was able to circle the back of the building out onto a side street, but won't let that happen again.

Now, I'll stop at a Buckees anytime!!! Very good pulled pork sandwiches and homemade potato chips. Tried the Beaver nuggets, first few were OK, eventually threw out the last half of the bag. I'm not a brisket fan so I cannot say how their brisket sandwiches are.

Charles
Is the BBQ ethanol-free? Pardon the smartass -- I'm congenital. We have a Buckees 35 miles away on I-10, always a preferred stop in the car but their one RV+TOWD island is still difficult to get to, requiring a max-tight U-turn against the flow on oncoming customers. ED usually has to get out and block the outside side of the island for us to get to it. But I'm both grateful and dismayed to know truck stop diesel contains so much biodiesel, or any at all. Thanks for that mention.
 
One thing I've found is buy alcohol free gasoline when available. My gas mileage goes up 25% so I don't have to stop as often.
Curious- a number of years ago I tried E85 on my flex-fuel F-150 while pulling a Trailmanor (light TT), and discovered that I went from about 13 mpg with E10 to 11 mpg with E85. That was the only time I ran E85.
 
Which means that with ethanol gas we get a 33% increase in gasoline burned to save 10% by volume. It's an EPA scam. Follow the money.
Plus a study funded by the wildlife federation and the DOE found ethanol pollutes 24% more than alcohol free gas. The blending requirements expired in 2022 and a new decision is coming in May 2023. It will be interesting to see the outcome. Like Urban said "follow the money". If they vote to make gasoline even more polluting I wouldn't be surprised.
 
The worst part about ethanol gas is the quality of eating corn seemed to go to hell about the same time. Can still find good sweet corn on the hoof, but a lot of the frozen stuff is like feed corn now.
 
The political darkness with ethanol runs deep. If you follow the money it's not the EPA. It traces to agriculture, flyover states, and politicians who want to push E85 and 88 octane high-ethanol fuel blends because it's made using corn. I need to read up...I believe there is (still) good data which says ethanol blending can help with emissions.

I use ethanol-free for my project vehicles, and for small engines/yard equipment. All that stuff is designed to take ethanol and it runs fine on blended fuel (10%) but the equipment sits for extended periods sometimes and ethanol-free *with Stabil added seems to hold up better.

To answer the question, no, never really had any real issues buying (fuel) with a 35'+ RV. It's like anything else, the two biggest factors are any height restrictions because of awnings over the pumps, and approach/departure angles. Some of the more urban fueling stations can have very steep curbs and that can be trouble for a MH with a long rear overhang. When we travel, we typically try to fuel just off an interstate at a travel center or truck stop.

Fueling a gas MH with just one fuel filler neck seems pretty easy now. Our new MH is diesel and must be filled from both sides and I can only get that at places where big trucks fill. The crossover between tanks is too slow to fill from just one side unless you only want to fill to about half capacity if you're empty.
 
Our new MH is diesel and must be filled from both sides and I can only get that at places where big trucks fill.
What rig is that? My Ventana (and the Beaver before it) can be filled from either side (or both), but can be filled from one side or the other, so I don't normally (even at truck stops that can do so) use pumps on both sides.
 
What rig is that? My Ventana (and the Beaver before it) can be filled from either side (or both), but can be filled from one side or the other, so I don't normally (even at truck stops that can do so) use pumps on both sides.

It's a Newmar Super Star. It's on a Freightliner M2, and it has the tanks on either side of the frame rails under the cab. No filler necks, just a cap that screws off on each tank and you fill the tanks directly. There is a crossover between the tanks but it's very, very slow to equalize. (Edit: I'm actually not sure there's a crossover, but probably a dual feed/dual return system. Not something you'd want to sit and wait for if you could only fill one side. But it is nice in the regard that the DEF tank is right there next to the fuel tank. So no pulling forward (or backwards) or having to do a separate transaction to fill the DEF.
 
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It's a Newmar Super Star. It's on a Freightliner M2, and it has the tanks on either side of the frame rails under the cab. No filler necks, just a cap that screws off on each tank and you fill the tanks directly.
Those are called saddle tanks and are common on truck chassis (not Class A coach chassis). The engine can draw from both tanks, but they fill separately.
 
Is the BBQ ethanol-free? Pardon the smartass -- I'm congenital. We have a Buckees 35 miles away on I-10, always a preferred stop in the car but their one RV+TOWD island is still difficult to get to, requiring a max-tight U-turn against the flow on oncoming customers. ED usually has to get out and block the outside side of the island for us to get to it. But I'm both grateful and dismayed to know truck stop diesel contains so much biodiesel, or any at all. Thanks for that mention.
That is absolutely not true about the I-10 Bucc-ees.
I have pulled in there a few times in our 34ft class A with a 14’ box trailer.
Pull down to the edge, take a left, then find your pump (diesel is on the last island) another left puts you at the pump.
Once you’re fueled up (DO NOT LEAVE YOUR RIG THERE TO GO SHOPPING OR TAKE A DUMP), pull forward and veer right and you are headed for the exit. There is no U-turn involved unless you take a left BEFORE the pumps, then have to turn right to line up on the fuel island (but only a fool would do that…).
 
I must operate differently than others.

One takes diesel. The other one takes gas.

When traveling, I don't drive at night. My vision is poor at night, so I am reluctant to drive. There are plenty of others on the highways at night that shouldn't be. So for my safety and comfort, I try not to drive from dusk to daylight. I also prefer to run US highways over Interstate highways. I use a Next Exit book to see what is at the interstate exits where I cross over at or at the next exit up or down from where I cross at. Very handy book to have.

I set up my campers to stay overnight in a parking lot without hookups. My baseline is up to 3 nights without hookups and the 4th night is in a full or W/E/Dump park/cg so I can dump and fill the fresh holding tank. Although I have found that in actual practice, I tend to go a bit longer. I have done this with several campers. I plan my routes so I can pull off where I choose. I like to stay in Sam's Club and Cracker Barrel parking lots. I tend to refuel either in the evening when I first pull off the highway or before I leave out. I don't wait until my tank is almost empty. I find it easier to top off my tank daily. ONCE, I did the "wait until almost empty" thing. We were in a small town and we didn't want to use a very busy truck stop so we drove thru town looking for someplace to get gas (pickup truck with slide in camper). Drove all the way thru town and ended up doubling back to the truck stops since the three convenience stores we passed had no gas at their fuel pumps.

Typically I get fuel at Sam's Club. But, in my experience, their fuel stations tend to be a bit tight. Even in my Jeep, I have to be careful at our local Sam's and not use the row of pumps closest to the exit drive. It doesn't like to turn that tight. But I know the turning radius of my vehicles. I have no problem dropping a tow in the parking lot, going to get fuel and rehooking back up. When I tow my Jeep, I have a tow bar that is very easy to connect and disconnect. I drop the Jeep in the parking lot, refuel and either reconnect or take the Jeep to a nearby restaurant. It makes more sense and it's more convenient for me. While I disconnect and rehookup, I check wiring harnesses and make sure lights are all working correctly. I make sure nothing is missing. Makes my pre-departure "walk around" the next morning go much faster.

BTW, I make notes in my Next Exit book on the location of the diesel pumps in the Sam's fuel stations (or if they don't have diesel) as well as in the google "my maps" directories I work on for each state I travel in. This makes it easier for me to plan my stops. I often get fuel at Murphy fuel stations if I am unable to get it at a Sam's Club.

Does it sound like a lot of work? Maybe. But in practice, it's not and I don't worry about finding a place to get fuel at.
 
I also avoid Pilot, Flying J and Loves if I can. Fuel is much more expensive and nearly always 20% bio diesel.
We're gas and using the Flying J & Pilot card with the 5 to10 cent discount gas is almost always less than any other stations in the area. The diesel situation you mentioned is another factor of course.

I'd go as far as to figure that dedicated RV lanes at Flying J along with being able to get propane, dump, extra long window washer brushes etc. all combine are worth a couple cents/gallon. :)
 
We're gas and using the Flying J & Pilot card with the 5 to10 cent discount gas is almost always less than any other stations in the area. The diesel situation you mentioned is another factor of course.

I'd go as far as to figure that dedicated RV lanes at Flying J along with being able to get propane, dump, extra long window washer brushes etc. all combine are worth a couple cents/gallon. :)
If one needs the extras, yes, I'd agree.
 
The worst part about ethanol gas is the quality of eating corn seemed to go to hell about the same time.
Those are two very different crops and different varieties of corn. What is use do make ethyl alcohol for fuels is the same as used for livestock feed. The two are grown in different areas as well.
1674684714328.jpeg
The top one is what is used to make feed & alcohol. We eat the bottom one. Popcorn is different yet.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIELD CORN AND SWEET CORN?

 
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