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Old 01-05-2018, 03:21 AM   #1
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Quick (and likely dumb) question

My 2017 29.4 Thor Ace is the biggest gas RV I've ever owned and it's sometimes hard to get in and out of the automobile section of a truck stop. In general, do the pumps around back where the Big Rigs fuel up with diesel also have gas pumps? That would simplify things a lot when pulling a tow vehicle.

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Old 01-05-2018, 03:37 AM   #2
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Not dumb at all. I am fairly new at this thing too. I tried pulling into the very area you mention. All diesel. I usually try to find a Flying J. They have a place to fuel up just for RVs although you may find a car gassing up there. If you can’t find a Flying J make sure you scope out the station before you commit to it. I learned that lesson the hard way.
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Old 01-05-2018, 03:38 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Moondoggie View Post
My 2017 29.4 Thor Ace is the biggest gas RV I've ever owned and it's sometimes hard to get in and out of the automobile section of a truck stop. In general, do the pumps around back where the Big Rigs fuel up with diesel also have gas pumps? That would simplify things a lot when pulling a tow vehicle.
Most that I have seen do not have gas there. I have found it's usually easiest to use either the first or last lane to be able to exit with my toad. That is the one big advantage of using Flying J; they usually have a couple of separate lanes designed for RVs with gas, air, dump tanks (for an additional charge), and long handled window washer/squeegee. One issue you will find at most gas stations is their air systems max out at about 60 psi. You need considerably more than that in your motor home tires. Truck stops usually have good air compressors.
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Old 01-05-2018, 03:49 AM   #4
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Like others - I tend to use 'outside' pumps at auto gas section.. I stay further away from the pumps than I would with my car - towrds the limits of the hose reach - especially when towing. Gives me more room to 'swing' getting out. I'm at 33 feet plus Wrangler toad.

Surprising how tight you really can get in/out of with some forethought - even so I have certainly passed by some stations appearing to be 'too tight'.
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Old 01-05-2018, 10:12 AM   #5
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I've seen some gas rigs that are pushing 40 feet on the market, (Forrest River Georgetown for one). But yes. The outside pumps have saved the day for me but it sounds like Flying J may be the way to go. I'm also finding that stations with pumps lined up parallel to the road are helpful.
I assumed the pumps in back were all diesel but I would have felt foolish continuing to gas up with the cars if there was gas in the truck lanes.
Thanks for the input.
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Old 01-05-2018, 12:55 PM   #6
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This sure wasn't a dumb question at all...

Unless I'm the dummy : I've never given this a bit of thought, and I learned a lot in here!
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Old 01-05-2018, 12:56 PM   #7
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The newer dive in pumps do create a problem for longer gas RV's. My RV is 36' plus the Wrangler toad. My gas tank is on the rear of the motorhome. That means I have to be 36' past the pump in order to fuel, which can put my RV at the store's front sidewalk. I have found if a station has double stack pumps I can fuel from the pump furthest from the store front and still be able to swing out and around to get out. I always pull in to the outside pumps on the right...this allows me to either choose that side or loop around to the other side facing out. If I can't get to either side I simply pull on out and try another station. I have never had to disconnect to toad to get out by using this system and looking ahead. Good luck!
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Old 01-05-2018, 01:24 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Miramar Owner View Post
The newer dive in pumps do create a problem for longer gas RV's. My RV is 36' plus the Wrangler toad. My gas tank is on the rear of the motorhome. That means I have to be 36' past the pump in order to fuel, which can put my RV at the store's front sidewalk. I have found if a station has double stack pumps I can fuel from the pump furthest from the store front and still be able to swing out and around to get out. I always pull in to the outside pumps on the right...this allows me to either choose that side or loop around to the other side facing out. If I can't get to either side I simply pull on out and try another station. I have never had to disconnect to toad to get out by using this system and looking ahead. Good luck!
Even with our seemingly short 24 footer we'll still block both pumps when we're pulling a toad. The fuel filler is right behind the rear wheels on the driver's side which means if I pull forward enough to the 2nd pump the toad is blocking the first set and if I try to use the 1st pump the RV will block the 2nd pump. Just no way around it at a standard gas station.
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Old 01-05-2018, 01:42 PM   #9
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my diesel like the 'normal' fuel stations, not the diesel pumps that the 'semi trucks' use, they are filthy with diesel all over the ground and very messy - plus, you have to walk all the way into the 'truckers desk' to pay BEFORE you pump, since the pumps there don't take 'normal' credit or debit cards...
my diesel's fuel fills are at the front, on both sides, so I actually have 30' behind me at the pump, but it does make getting to the pump on the first try a breeze. I've delivered new Gas motorhomes from the factory to dealers, and gassing up is always a chore, compared to my diesel. The gas fill is always near the rear, at the rear, or even in the MIDDLE of the rear of the coach(the worst! because you can't tell if you are either even with the pump, or, close enough for the pump line to even reach!). I'll keep my diesel, much easier.
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Old 01-05-2018, 01:57 PM   #10
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That is certainly one thing I won't miss about our recently departed Challenger 37GT. With the motorcycle trailer attached we were well over 50' long. I used my Pilot/Flying-J phone app the last couple of years to find the Flying-J stations that had RV lanes. I would estimate about 1 in 6 or 7 have the RV lanes, and almost none of the Pilot stations have them.

Our fuel stops were carefully planned so say the least. Going out to the Oregon coast last summer we couldn't find any Pilot or Flying J stations after a certain point. I had to go so far as to investigate several stations on google earth that appeared rural and note what exits they were at for the next day. When we would get to them we could check, sometimes without exiting, to see exactly how open and busy they were.
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Old 01-05-2018, 01:57 PM   #11
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Plan ahead on where you will need to fill up, then look on google maps with satellite view and see what lane will be best and how you will get on and out of there. The best way is to use the Flying J, but not all have the RV lane, but most do. Get a app like Alstays or gas buddy and it will make it easier to find the right gas station.
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Old 01-05-2018, 02:29 PM   #12
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I also don't worry about blocking pumps when fueling. I own a gas station and love to see RV's pull in for fuel. The average auto fill is 12 gallons. The average RV fill is over 40 gallons. The RV can take the space of 3 cars and still is a benefit to the station. My only concern is getting in and getting out without disconnecting the toad.
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Old 01-05-2018, 02:32 PM   #13
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Here is a Google map list I started putting together with many gas stations with RV lanes for us gassers. It's not perfect but I am sure missing many but I continue to add to as I travel. The majority are Flying J and Pilot since I get a discount there. I hope this helps.

https://goo.gl/maps/TWWzdVKAgtF2
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Old 01-05-2018, 02:41 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Techn0 View Post
Here is a Google map list I started putting together with many gas stations with RV lanes for us gassers. It's not perfect but I am sure missing many but I continue to add to as I travel. The majority are Flying J and Pilot since I get a discount there. I hope this helps.

https://goo.gl/maps/TWWzdVKAgtF2

http://www.thorforums.com/forums/att...1&d=1515163283
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Old 01-05-2018, 04:52 PM   #15
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I almost always scope out stations on Google maps at the start of a day when I will need gas. Like most of respondents I look for end pumps and stations that have pumps parallel to the buildings. I generally try and stay away from Pilot, Loves, etc. as they are way too crowded and full of folks who are overly focused on where they are going and not what is around them. I’ve had my share of the “lets get lunch while the car is filling” people.

One of the reasons we moved up to the ACE from a Nissan Armada and a Keystone 24BH trailer was the frequent fill ups. The Armada had a 25 gallon tank and while towing got 7-8 MPG. We usually were hunting the next suitable station right after a fill up and often had fill up twice a day when enroute. It got to be routine to pull into camp, unhitch and then go find a gas station. With the ACE’s 80 gallon tank we usually can go 2 or 3 days between fill ups.

With the Mini in tow we are about 47 feet, but I find the turning radius isn’t really an issue as the rig’s tail wag tends to move the Mini’s back wheels close to the rig’s track....but always careful and slow and pull far enough forward before starting the turn. So far I’ve never gotten into somewhere I couldn’t get out of, traded paint with a bollard or have had to pull the Mini off the dolly, but the year is new.

Our ACE has a rear fuel fill and despite the marketing promises, I find I have to pull in with pumps on the left side. The fuel fill is off center to the driver’s side and seldom have I found a pump hose that is long enough to reach from right. Costco is about the only place that I find that has extra long hoses.
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Old 01-05-2018, 09:31 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DenverTransplant View Post
I almost always scope out stations on Google maps at the start of a day when I will need gas. Like most of respondents I look for end pumps and stations that have pumps parallel to the buildings. I generally try and stay away from Pilot, Loves, etc. as they are way too crowded and full of folks who are overly focused on where they are going and not what is around them. I’ve had my share of the “lets get lunch while the car is filling” people.

One of the reasons we moved up to the ACE from a Nissan Armada and a Keystone 24BH trailer was the frequent fill ups. The Armada had a 25 gallon tank and while towing got 7-8 MPG. We usually were hunting the next suitable station right after a fill up and often had fill up twice a day when enroute. It got to be routine to pull into camp, unhitch and then go find a gas station. With the ACE’s 80 gallon tank we usually can go 2 or 3 days between fill ups.

With the Mini in tow we are about 47 feet, but I find the turning radius isn’t really an issue as the rig’s tail wag tends to move the Mini’s back wheels close to the rig’s track....but always careful and slow and pull far enough forward before starting the turn. So far I’ve never gotten into somewhere I couldn’t get out of, traded paint with a bollard or have had to pull the Mini off the dolly, but the year is new.

Our ACE has a rear fuel fill and despite the marketing promises, I find I have to pull in with pumps on the left side. The fuel fill is off center to the driver’s side and seldom have I found a pump hose that is long enough to reach from right. Costco is about the only place that I find that has extra long hoses.
Agreed, Rick. They should just drop that claim from their advertising/features videos and literature.

One thing I have been careful about when I pull into a gas station to fill up and use the far right lane so I can get out easily is that I am not far enough forward to block a handicapped parking spot. I pulled into a station in my hometown earlier this week to gas up and since I wasn't pulling the toad, I decided to pull into the next lane over (a guy in a pickup was in the outside lane and was nowhere to be seen, so didn't have a clue as to how long I was going to have to wait for that lane to open up). When I pulled into the second lane and pulled far enough forward that I knew the fuel hose would reach, I noticed the parking spot right in front of me was a handicapped spot, so I backed up as far as I could and the hose would still reach to make it as easy as possible for someone to maneuver into that handicapped parking space. I really learned to appreciate those spaces when my wife was crippled up with a severely broken ankle and leg a few years ago.
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Old 01-05-2018, 11:16 PM   #17
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If you are in Texas, Bucee's has great pump setups. they are far enough from the parking you can pull up to any pump and there is plenty of room between pumps. Great set up.
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Old 01-06-2018, 02:00 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Techn0 View Post
Here is a Google map list I started putting together with many gas stations with RV lanes for us gassers. It's not perfect but I am sure missing many but I continue to add to as I travel. The majority are Flying J and Pilot since I get a discount there. I hope this helps.

https://goo.gl/maps/TWWzdVKAgtF2
It would be great if you could create a POI file and submit it to POI Factory | GPS and other interesting topics
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Old 01-06-2018, 03:07 PM   #19
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I found a Flying J list in Excel format on the Internet that lists every station. With that I arranged the list to only show the stations that have RV Fueling Islands, RV Parking, RV Dump, and Bulk Propane. I scanned it into a PDF format and will try to attach it to this post.
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Old 01-06-2018, 04:07 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by RayDK View Post
I found a Flying J list in Excel format on the Internet that lists every station. With that I arranged the list to only show the stations that have RV Fueling Islands, RV Parking, RV Dump, and Bulk Propane. I scanned it into a PDF format and will try to attach it to this post.
I appreciate the work you went through to create this PDF. Only problem is the low res PDF is too poor of quality to read on my MacBook Air. Any chance you have it in high res format?
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