Help Gassing Up

[chiavet]

Good Morning.
Well okay, not gassing up but dieseling up. We are getting ready for our first trip in our new to us DP. We had a Class A gas before and filling the tank was easy as just pull in and fill 'er up. Never had to fill up a diesel. Are there certain protocols at truck stops? Do I line up with the big rigs or is there a special RV pump? Any help and or advice is appreciated as I really don't want to look like a total jerk the first time.
Thanks,
Ken

[patmsp]

I'll take a stab at answering this....I've made most all of the mistakes that are possible to make.

Yes, line up with the Trucks (unless there is an RV pump). Truck pumps have 2 pumps, one on each side of the rig. Our RV uses the one on the passenger side and it does not have a meter or card swipe area. Take note of the pump number and go into the station. Give them your credit card and ask them to pre-authorize your credit card for pump #XX (number of your pump). I usually say $300-$400. Go out to rig. Take pump handle out of pump on the drivers side of rig, lay on ground and lift pump handle up. Go to passenger side, get pump handle out, stick in tank, life pump handle up and pump diesel. I can usually let it run full force except for the last 10-15 gallons and then I have to slowly finish the fill. After filling, go in and they will give you a receipt for the actual amount that you filled up with and the amount.

After filling and if it is busy, pull up far enough to let another rig/truck get in and use the pump while you settle your bill.

Good Luck,

Pat

[wa8yxm]

First: Line up with the big rigs or special pumps?
Depends.. Fuel (not just gas) stations come in basicaly 3 types

Some, you can fuel at the car pumps but there may be restrictions
Some have special RV pumps, again there may be restrictions
(Mostly Flying-J stations on this group by the way)

Others you line up with the big rigs, no restrictions.

So, what are the restrictions?

Well When I( gas (mine is a gasser) up in Quartsite AZ the sticker on the pump states that if I'm over 26,000 pounds (I'm not) I may not use that pump.... The restrictions are a matter of state law, have to do with tax rates on fuel and vary from state to state,,, In many states, they do not exist, and in some cases the fuel desk will fix it if you use the wrong pump.

[mlr1951]

I line up with the big rigs, pump fuel, pull foreword, then go inside and pay.
Do you have a Pilot RV Plus card? They offer a discount off of the cash price.
Mike

[Wizard]

We got a Pilot/Flying J RV Plus card so we wouldn't have to leave our credit card with a clerk. We just line up with the trucks, insert our card, pump our fuel the pull to a parking spot. We get the $.06/gallon discount

[MisterT]

Ok, this was a big concern for me when we purchased our 2014 Thor Palazzo 33.3 DP which is 35' + 3'bike rack + 3'blueOxbar + 12'FordFiesta = ~ 50'+.
I, at first, thought that I would only be able to use the truck lanes at truck stops. That would actually now be my LAST option! I find it VERY inconvenient since the pumps typically do not take your CC or DEBIT card, you have to walk all the way into the truck stop, wait at the trucker counter for someone faxing a 75 page document, pre-authorize your card for an amount you don't yet know since you are 'filling up', walk all the way back out to your RV, pump your fuel, walk all the way back to into the trucker counter, wait in line, and hopefully find the person that 'held' your CC or DEBIT card while you pumped. WAY too much trouble for me.


I just go to any fuel station that has DIESEL. Yes, some are easier to maneuver in and out of than others, but there is no law that says you must use a truck stop.


And, it's unbelievable how much LOWER the diesel price is at auto pumps.
Sure, you need to do your homework and google map the station maybe before you arrive, and you may even have to 'untoad' first, but the price difference will probably convince you. I use the GasBuddy.com APP, and google overhead maps, to plan ahead. The worst position to be in is not to know where the next stop is that you PLAN of fueling.
(the next worst position to be in is arriving at your rv park after dark!)

[GaryKD]

Hi chiavet,
Because this is your first trip using diesel, consider making the fueling as simple as possible. Join Good Gam at Good Sam RV Club – RV camping discounts and memberships Then go to Pilot/Flying J at https://www.rvpluscard.com/programdetails/ and get the PFJ charge card. Consider having them pull the amount owed from your checking account once a month. One can get a list of PFJ stations on the internet either a download document or an app for the phone. There may also be booklets of station locations at PFJ locations.

For your first trip this should make fueling as easy as possible. This is how I started out and have never changed. Based on the total package PFJ offers, I am at a time in life where the benefits and convenience are just what I require.

PFJ has more locations than anyone else. It is very rare I am required to use a fueling station other than PFJ. At Flying J stations, one can use the RV or truck pumps. I always use the truck pumps. OTR drivers get paid by the mile. Almost all the time they are in and out. The RV pumps can get backed up.

[slanted]

Originally Posted by patmsp

Take pump handle out of pump on the drivers side of rig, lay on ground and lift pump handle up.

I used to have to do this with a tow truck I drove. Never did understand why there was not a hook or something to keep the nozzle off the ground. I realize they want the fuel flowing on the ground as opposed to spraying in the air. Maybe a catch can or something.

[tom9615]

No one has addressed filling his DEF tank also. Just food for thought

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by chiavet

Good Morning.
Well okay, not gassing up but dieseling up. We are getting ready for our first trip in our new to us DP. We had a Class A gas before and filling the tank was easy as just pull in and fill 'er up. Never had to fill up a diesel. Are there certain protocols at truck stops? Do I line up with the big rigs or is there a special RV pump? Any help and or advice is appreciated as I really don't want to look like a total jerk the first time.
Thanks,
Ken

You have received many great answers and I love them all. I think two thing were missed, though not directly asked. I suggest that you avoid BP stations. Green on the pump handle is NOT for diesel. That is the company color of choice. You can pump gas if your not real careful.

When pumping diesel it likes to foam. The foaming will shut the pump off before the tank is full. Simply wait for the foam to dissipate and pump some more. The down side to this is that you can overfill the tank so be vigilant.

Happy trails!
Rick Y

[COdutchstar]

Some DPs have fuel ports on both sides of the coach, so when at the truck pumps you don't have to lay the nozzle on the driver's side on the ground and fuel from the passenger side. You can use both nozzles and fuel in less time. My coach is set up this way.

[znt1186]

I found out that pumps at truck stops are high flow rate pumps with a larger nozzle the first time I filled our Allegro Bus. The nozzle will fit in your filler neck, but the tank may not be able to vent quickly enough to keep up with the flow rate. If not, the fuel can be blown out of the filler neck by the venting air giving you a nice diesel shower. That is a great way to look like a jerk at the truck stop fuel pump. Not half as bad as your wife insisting that you disrobe down to your boxers before you can go inside the rv. Don't ask how I know.

[spritz]

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by znt1186

I found out that pumps at truck stops are high flow rate pumps with a larger nozzle the first time I filled our Allegro Bus. The nozzle will fit in your filler neck, but the tank may not be able to vent quickly enough to keep up with the flow rate. If not, the fuel can be blown out of the filler neck by the venting air giving you a nice diesel shower. That is a great way to look like a jerk at the truck stop fuel pump. Not half as bad as your wife insisting that you disrobe down to your boxers before you can go inside the rv. Don't ask how I know.

In this case, one picture would have been worth a thousand buck! DW has a sense of humor.

My old coach had tight tank ports. I opened both and pumped in one. Did spill a little once out the venting fuel port. But, what a pain to try to get fuel past that style port. Took forever to fill the tank and often I thought it was full just to find the gauge still reading a bit under. I could be short by 10 to 15 gals.

This new to me coach has large and vented fuel ports. No problem filling. I don't use 2 nozzles at once because I only have a 100 gal tank. A 60 gal fill goes pretty quick at a high pressure pump. Now getting DEF is another story for another day.

I hope you now where coveralls or a rain suet when you fuel!

Rick Y