Community Forums

Gary.Jones · 07-22-2019, 04:47 PM

Curtis

Here is what I do if I find myself at one of the truck stops and have to pre-certify. I just tell them that I need either 150 gallons or if they want money, I tell them the max that it could take.... $2.50 x 150 = $375 (Actually I just tell them $400 if they want to know a dollar amount). I am sure that your credit is as good as mine, so I know my card can handle whatever I tell them so I go for the max. I DO then say, "I assume that you will actually charge me for only the fuel that I pump", they always say, "Sure, you will be billed for only what you actually use", I smile and say "thanks" and am on my way back to the pump.

Now, I do always save my receipts, and as others, I keep my costs journaled in a log book where I note my ODO, fuel costs, location, etc., so I go back inside and get the final receipt which shows the final cost, but for the pre-fill, I always tell them "150 gallons" or "$400", whenever they want to know.

Now, I will try my damndest not to find myself at a truck stop going through all this business as the price of a non-truckstop fuel station right across the street is usually 30-50 cents less per gallon and I have a 5% further discount if I can pay at the pump with my normal fuel credit card (PenFed or now Sams Plus), so I will always fuel somewhere else if I have the choice.

Gary

maxred · 07-23-2019, 12:17 AM

couple of comments:
- if you want to find fuel mileage, filling tanks all the way is unnecessary. the main issue is consistency, which the fuel shutoff should ensure
- diesel is inherently foamy. trying to fill after shutoff causes spillage. it would take an extended period before the bubbles are absorbed
- poster who said leaving both tanks uncovered will result in on side overflowing is wrong. all motor homes since the 80's have separate tanks with backflow devices. also, the full sensor is in the pump handle which has no knowledge of the other side.

DeWat · 07-23-2019, 01:17 AM

I would beg to differ! Just look at ANY current Freightliner, Spartan or Powerglide chassis. They ALL have a SINGLE tank with multiple fill ports. As for the cutoff sensor being in the nozzle... exactly... depending on the level of the fill sides, the full tank is not going to reach the nozzle if the fuel is running out the other side!

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxred

couple of comments:
- if you want to find fuel mileage, filling tanks all the way is unnecessary. the main issue is consistency, which the fuel shutoff should ensure
- diesel is inherently foamy. trying to fill after shutoff causes spillage. it would take an extended period before the bubbles are absorbed
- poster who said leaving both tanks uncovered will result in on side overflowing is wrong. all motor homes since the 80's have separate tanks with backflow devices. also, the full sensor is in the pump handle which has no knowledge of the other side.

Gary.Jones · 07-23-2019, 09:13 AM

Maxred

Unfortunately, you are simply wrong about the fuel system in these coaches. There is a single fuel tank and it is fed from both sides. Maybe you are thinking about saddle tanks on semis and there it is true that there is little or no interconnection between the two tanks located on the sides of the cab. However, in Entegra coaches, and most luxury class A coaches, the diesel tank is located between the main chassis rails and is fed from one side or the other...

Gary

neoflyer · 07-23-2019, 07:17 PM

>>- poster who said leaving both tanks uncovered will result in on side overflowing is wrong. all motor homes since the 80's have separate tanks with backflow devices. also, the full sensor is in the pump handle which has no knowledge of the other side.<<

I don’t think so. I found out the hard way my motorhome will pour out the other side if you cate both caps off. Live and learn.

Ed
‘05 Ambassador

werni9 · 07-25-2019, 09:39 AM

If you have filling ports on both sides, I always open both when filling. No more clicking on and off. I an fill it up easy and with one try.

Gary.Jones · 07-25-2019, 10:09 AM

We all know that you can fill from both sides and take both caps off.... the issue is that many of us, who have used high pressure and high volume diesel truckstop pumps have found that you will blow gallons of diesel out the other side of your tank (through the other fill pipe) if that cap is removed because the hose does not sense the back-pressure. Many of us have dumped gallons of diesel out the other fill tube before either our hose kicks off or we realize we are blowing fuel out the other side and shut it down ourselves.

It depends on the pump and the tank and the volume of diesel pumped and at what force whether it is a problem or not.

Gary

TonyMac · 07-25-2019, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxred

- poster who said leaving both tanks uncovered will result in on side overflowing is wrong. all motor homes since the 80's have separate tanks with backflow devices. also, the full sensor is in the pump handle which has no knowledge of the other side.

Not true. I know, I did it on my 2006. I didn't lose even a gallon, but it is rather embarrassing. I would say the vast majority, if not the total population, of motorhomes with two fillers have one tank. My semi had three fillers and three tanks, but it carried 240 gallons, not some puny 90 gallons.