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on the flying J pilot topic. You should apply for their RV advantage card. You can just swipe that at the pump and get some cents off the fuel and pay it off at the end of the month. It is a no interest card. I use it because I can swipe at the truck lanes.
What he said. I got my Flying J card through Good Sam Club. I get the discounts on fuel as well as the dump station (which I have yet to use).
I second any mention of Pilot or Flying J apps and all. Many that I have been to are generally RV friendly. A number of them have RV related services such as Dedicated RV pumps, dump stations, Propane and other services. Some don't but are easy to move around in. When I travel down to Florida from NJ (which i haven't done since 2015), I tend to look for certain stopping points for fueling as I have a 35 gal gas tank in my truck. As others have said, plan on getting around 8 MPG while towing and factor gas to be about $3/ gallon. You should be fine. BTW, don't feel bad blocking up pumps. Others will get over it.
Those Pilot and Flying J apps for Android are nice. The best feature is you can pull up the app and right away it will display stores near your current location and indicate the distance and the amenities that particular store has.
go to toy store.. get a pickup truck with a trailer...
use your kitchen table.. make up little stations using wife' left-over containers...
do backing practice.... toy or real..... works the same..
make Fun.. it works.
my rig... 2012 F 250 supercab..LONG Bed... 32 foot bumper pull trailer.. rig is 19,000 rolling pounds..
I am able to get into or out-of any place... and I have ONE EYE... wife sits in the right seat.. and keeps her mouth shut..
unless she sees DANGER. ( yes married 45 years in 2 weeks )
My top concerns are tail swing and ease of exit/entry back to main road. Making a U-turn in a car/truck is no problem but with the 30'+ TT on the back becomes a no go.
A issue that has been very aggravating for me that I never foresaw was the $500 hold placed on my debit cards at the truck stop Big Rig diesel island.
Several times (becomes I am dense..) I have had my card shut off because my bank sees the $500 hold as a stolen card red flag. This only happens at the big truck islands not around the front where the autos fuel. I have wised up and now use a dedicated credit card for trip fuel stops.
My top concerns are tail swing and ease of exit/entry back to main road. Making a U-turn in a car/truck is no problem but with the 30'+ TT on the back becomes a no go.
A issue that has been very aggravating for me that I never foresaw was the $500 hold placed on my debit cards at the truck stop Big Rig diesel island.
Several times (becomes I am dense..) I have had my card shut off because my bank sees the $500 hold as a stolen card red flag. This only happens at the big truck islands not around the front where the autos fuel. I have wised up and now use a dedicated credit card for trip fuel stops.
Credit cards will do the same thing just not as often. My one bank card I think does a 400 mile radius from "home" . Anything outside of it, it can be flagged and has been on a few occasions. The worst was at a gas station in North Carolina. I think that was the closest I ever came from getting jumped, robbed or even worse. I have been in some really rough areas of NJ but nothing from that night had me on such a high alert. I'm on high alert in those sections of town. Our CC was flagged. Luckily, my parents had cash on them for when we found another gas station. My father and I had a plan for the fuel stop since it was still in not a nice area. The only thing that would have been faster would have been a a NASCAR splash and go. LOL I have another card which I have had for years. It will flag every so often even when I am in my home area. I just get a text to approve the transaction within seconds not to hold up the line at the store.
Best advice I could give is call the CC customer service before the trip. Give them an approximate direction you are traveling. They will note the account and allow charges to go through if you are in the general area. We do it on any vacation we go on with the truck and trailer.
Lots of great advice above. A few additional tips:
Practice backing teamwork. Get used to giving good hand signals and clear and concise verbal signals. Do this with your trailer in an empty parking lot somewhere with some cones or whatever. This will really help you out in the real world when there are fuel pumps, impatient motorists, planters, trash cans, buildings, etc. all around you.
Watch the top corners of the trailer too. It's east to forget to look up when you're watching bumpers, fenders, and land-based obstacles.
Plan to get down to a quarter tank, not less than that. Or even better, get a bit below half then start looking. That quarter tank will go from a quarter to "nervous" quickly if you get in a traffic jam ten miles from the station and you're starting and stopping 20,000 pounds over and over and over and over.
Avoid congested areas for gas stations. There are tight turns everywhere, and traffic all around, especially in gas stations. Especially in Memphis near the airport. Some pretty seedy stuff there.
Have an exit strategy for each station. Getting in is only about 40% of the "fun" in my experience.
Use Google Street View to see what the station REALLY looks like before you put it on your list:
For unfamiliar stations, I tend to like Flying J.They generally have pumps designed for RV's or trucks pulling trailers. Maybe plan your trip around some of the big stations mentioned. Loves is another station I have had luck with. One other thing to think about when getting fuel is how the tail end of the trailer is going to swing as you pull away from the pump. I have heard of people forgetting and having the tail take out a pump, trash cans, cars, etc.
Be careful with the Flying Js. Many times they advertise RV Friendly but bc of parking it may lead you into a tough situation. Be sure to scout them before committing.
If I’m towing my limit is (usually) 275-300 miles daily. I carry a steel gas can in my bed with an extra 5gallons as well. That way I can drop camper at site and while DW sets up I can refuel for tomorrow.... this works well for us. When and if I refuel with camper in tow I lace up my big boy patience pants and try to repress the urge to throttle the people block me, pass me or leave their vechicle at pump while they eat or Knick knack shop while I wait😂
The Flying J app lists all their stations on a map so you can plan accordingly. Would assume the other truck stop apps are similar. Never had an issue getting in and out of a gas station along the interstate. Now when needing gas in some small towns those can be a challenge at times. I tow a 32' Jayco.
One thing to watch for is the awnings around the pumps are usually no big deal, but the awnings around the main building can be way lower and sometimes stick out a ways. I've seen a camper or two scratch one.
My wife doesn’t like the fact that when I’m pulling a trailer I don’t allow the gage to go near 1/4 tank after I pass 1/2 I start looking at fuel station choices at 3/8 I’m stopping. I drive at night as much as possible when towing and if I get off an exit for fuel and don’t like what I see I’ll keep on trucking and try next exit. I have passed stations that were to tight or to many cars at pumps and parked around also passed a couple where there was large crowds of people hanging out at 3:00 am but pumps were empty. Just don’t let fuel get low enough that you can’t be picky. I even carry a 5 gallon can of fuel for those just in case times.
Shawn
That's why I have the transfer tank, it gives me an opportunity to shop and yes Gas buddy is your friend. I also look for Costco close to where I'm going through as they normally have easy in and out and plenty of room to turn. bad part of that is they are normally packed later afternoon and week ends so just gotta pay attention.
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