Buying DEF at the pump or Walmart

[vsheetz]

Many coaches have the DEF fill on the passenger side. Very few truck stops have DEF dispenser on the passenger side. Hence, filling from jugs is done.

How did this mismatch happen, you may ask? Orginally the trucking industry was planned to have DEF dispenser on both sides, as commonly done with fuel. So RV engineers placed fill on the passenger side - as the drivers side space is already mostly taken by the wet bay, power bay, etc. But, at the 11th hour the trucking industry changed to passenger side DEF dispenser not required, so most fueling stations did not implement. The RV engineering and design coordination between chassis and coach builders took a few model years to make the shift to drivers side DEF fill.

[wingnut60]

I used to buy Peak Blue for my 450--lots of miles, lots of DEF. Then began to use WM Tech brand. Had no problems using it, and WM has improved the seal to where if it has been messed with, you'll know it. Bought a jug at a Buc-ees, NO SEAL on any of them. Tested it, was just fine. Kept the empty jug, use it to fill at truck stops and carry it.
As to the Platinum Peak Blue--would really know what 'cleaners' they add to it--would it not affect a refractometer reading? I think it is just a marketing term to charge more...

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by wingnut60

As to the Platinum Peak Blue--would really know what 'cleaners' they add to it--would it not affect a refractometer reading? I think it is just a marketing term to charge more...

Nah, they'd never do that. Would they?

Take care,
Stu

[wingnut60]

Well, since I picked up a Platinum box once, my coach mileage has jumped 0.002mpg...

[KingCruzer]

Originally Posted by lhoover118

We traded our 2017 Open Road Gas for a 2017 Allegro Red Diesel. This is our first diesel. I've researched the DEF item and have a question. I've seen numerous comments over the last year on these threads, about diesel owners buying DEF from Walmart and other places. I use Love's almost exclusively, as we travel the country. Love's has DEF available right at the pump, as do most of the other travel centers catering to diesel truck and RV owners. Buying DEF at the pump seems convenient to me, so I don't understand why I would buy DEF in cans at Walmart, Camping World, etc. What are the pros/cons of buying DEF at the pump vs. buying it in cans? I look forward to hearing the discussion.

There is the risk of the DEF at Walmart being too old. And it can be tampered with. At the pump of a high volume Fuel Truck stop, it will be fresh. I use my TSD Card at the truck stop. Of course I have to move my coach up 40 feet as the fuel filler is in the front of the RV and the DEF tank is in the rear. My wife drives the RV forward 40 feet so I can pump the DEF. and it isd generally cheaper at the pump.

[NC25T]

I use DEF at the pumps. I purchased my used RV in February and the previous owner had a extra container for DEF. I used it once but prefer just using the pump at the truck stop.

Yes like some state the diesel fill is 30ft away from DEF, on my coach the DEF is also passenger side only which isn’t where DEF is at the truck stops. So I sometimes drive I. The wrong way (a few times truck drivers have said something about it) or use the DEF pump front the aisle next to us. This obviously depends on how busy the place is….

I feel using DEF at a truck stop it should be fresh and not contaminated. Last trip we used Love’s pretty much exclusively on our 4-5k mile trip… this summer I hope to try the TSD card and purchase fuel from whoever has the best price.

[TomGur]

Next time you stop at a site such as Pilot, etc, top it off. Go to Walmart, get a jug, inspect the seal and carry it with you in case you need it. DEF goes a long way in miles. You’ll realize that the amount that you use is minimal unless you drive many miles. Just my opinion.

[Nwcid]

In my pick up I get the 2.5 gallon jugs from the farm supply store which runs about $8. That may have gone up since I have not bought any in a couple of months. I have to put 5 gallons in a couple of times/year. I don't use the pump as I do not typically fill up where there is DEF at the pump.

In my tow vehicle I fill up at the pump since it takes about 20 gallons. Also I am there since I typically only fill at commercials stations since I have dual fuel tanks. Those stations typically have DEF pumps.

[glenthompson]

My def tank is on the passenger side so it’s a pain to fill up t the pump. I do carry a couple of empty bottles and will fill them at the pump then move forward to free the pump. I can then easily fill add the def before the trucker behind me finishes. Since I get about 400 miles to a gallon of def, 5 gallons can carry me 2,000 miles. If I’m making a long trip I will fill the def tank before leaving which gets me 6,000 miles range.

[DJsAllie]

So, when we purchased our first diesel-pusher a couple of years back, we were told to never, ever run out and it is a good idea to carry one of the boxes with us and there was even a spot perfect for it. So, fast forward a few years, every year (since there is an expiration to the boxes) I would have to use it and (even with a funnel), ended up not using the entire thing (okay, I'm sloppy). Anyway, we fill the DEF at the pumps about every other fuel fill. Then we're always pretty much assured of never running out. As a PS to this, they are correct on the "DON'T EVER RUN OUT" as we had a mechanical issue involving the DEF gauge and the last service to repair it registered "very low" and it took me 35-45 minutes to go 4 or 5 miles, really--!!

[Reng8d]

I purchased our Phaeton last June and at the first fill up of DEF from a local truck stop the check engine light would come on intermittently and then finally stayed on. Since then, the coach has spent more time in the Cummins driveway than in mine so I have no idea how many miles one would get from a full tank as mine is still full (did have it checked and it is fine) and since the purchase I may have placed about 800 miles on it and 400 of those were driving it back from Texas. This is when the low DEF light came on and I filled it up, this is also when the CEL nightmare began.

We are fortunate enough and do have an oil company here that has a DEF pump that is stand alone and easy to get to and this is where I fill my truck with DEF, haven't had any issues with their DEF, they mostly sell to local businesses with fleets so their products move quick and do not sit in holding tanks long. The last fill for my truck was about $3.299 a gallon. My plan will be to stop there and fill either on our way out or on our way back. Fueling is simple there as well, a little more pricey than some locations but far more less than the local truck stops and nowhere near congested. Prior to buying the coach and finding out about Brewer and them selling publicly I would buy DEF from the Ford dealership, cost was about the same as Walmart and never had a trust issue with it.

[jellison76]

I have a 2018 Tiffin Phaeton 37 BH. As to DEF, etc. My coach has fuel fill just behind the front wheels, DEF fill just ahead of the rear wheels. I fill fuel first, move coach forward, fill DEF. The DEF tank fill is too close to the door hinge, shock absorber and limiting chain to allow full insertion of the pump nozzle. Tiffin's solution was to remove the shock absorber, which allows the pump nozzle into the tank. Piss poor setup.

As DEF is sensitive to ageing, temperature, etc., I buy at the pumps, payed approx. $3 per gal. last fill, plus don't have to wrestle the DEF jug.

CUMMINS says that B20 is approx. 1% less efficient than #2 diesel. My mileage drops approx. 1 or 2 tenths of a mile per gal. with B20. Of course the dealers charge you the same for B20 as #2 diesel. CS! bje

[robiwan]

DEF is on passenger side so filling it up at truck stops is too difficult. Bought 2 boxes of DEF at Walmart and then refill them at truck stop for saving money. Pour the DEF from the filled up boxes into DEF tank at the next camping stop. No issues with this for the last 4 months and 6K miles.

[Kjon]

I never had the problem you experienced but it certainly is a possibility. On occasion I have had problems with the pump key pads. I simply note the pump number and go inside to see the person who controls the pumps. They have always cheerfully fixed the problem.