Navigating Gas Stations and Restaurants While Towing

[WannaBeFree]

RVNevada,

You know. I thought about disconnecting the trailer. Just not for sure how to go about securing it. I have one of these lockable hitches that you can put around the rim - kind of like a boot.

https://www.amazon.com/Trimax-TCL65-.../dp/B0031XULF2

[WannaBeFree]

Thanks Thom,

Walkie-talkies are a great idea. It would certainly prevent added stress as we would not have to scream to be heard by one another :-)

[WannaBeFree]

Thanks skarlin1976 & chily3,

Costco is a really good idea as now that I think about it they normally have a clear path, in and out, of the gas islands.

[WannaBeFree]

Thanks SuperDuty,

Do you have any suggestions on ensuring a clear exit route. I definitely have a lot of anxiety over getting out of the gas/food stops.

[SuperDuty]

When travelling the interstates, many places will advertise RV, Bus, or Truck parking. I try to take advantage of these to be sure that they have adequate room for larger rigs. Other suggestions on this thread about using adjoining parking lots is also a good idea. For those not using diesel in their tow vehicles, many of the Flying J's, Pilot's, and Love's have RV fueling islands that have gasoline if you aren't using the diesel fuel islands for the big rigs.

My Voltage is 43', and I pull with an F-350 Crew Cab DRW long bed, so I an pushing 60' overall when hooked, so I am always looking to be sure I have an exit. There have been occasions where I have driven past a fuel stop in search of one more accessible, so I usually start looking for fuel at the 1/4 tank mark just in case I have to choose a "plan B". Hope this helps.

[thompwil]

Here's a couple suggestions...

https://pilotflyingj.com/rv-services

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/truc...636102179?mt=8

:: RV and Truck Stop Guide

[WannaBeFree]

Thanks SuperDuty,

Cool. So some of the Flying J's, Pilot's, and Love's have RV fueling islands serving gasoline. I'll have to track those down for each route I take. In mountainous terrain, with the 23 gallon fuel tank I probably have less than a 250 mile range. Hopefully I can get an auxiliary fuel tank added. One good think I've noticed in mountainous terrain is that the RV acts as an air brake :-)

[WannaBeFree]

Thanks thompwil,

I downloaded the PILOT & Flying J spreadsheet of RV locations - very nice :-) Looks like in addition to the RV fueling lanes these RV friendly locations also have overnight parking, propane refill, and RV dumps.

I wasn't able to find "Truck & RV Fuel Stations" in the Android play store but that string yielded a lot of interesting apps for this sort of information :-)

And lots of great stuff on the allstays site. Would you recommend their pro site, $30 a year I think, or any of the allstays apps?

[thompwil]

I use the Allstays Camp & RV app, shows campgrounds, fuel, and everything you could possibly look for by applying filters to it. I don't remember, but I think it was free..??..

[WannaBeFree]

Thanks thompwil,

For android searching for allstays I found this app for $9.99

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ays.app.camprv as an

It is called "Camp and RV - Campgrounds Plus". The author is AllStays so I think this is the one. AllStays does have some free apps.

The annual $29.95 fee was for AllStays Pro

AllStays Pro: Browser App for Windows, Macs or Anything

The website states is it updated more often than the app and has more information but they don't go into exactly what the differences are between the app and the pro website.

It sounds like the App would probably take care of my needs :-)

[thompwil]

Originally Posted by WannaBeFree

Thanks thompwil,

For android searching for allstays I found this app for $9.99

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ays.app.camprv as an

It is called "Camp and RV - Campgrounds Plus". The author is AllStays so I think this is the one. AllStays does have some free apps.

:-)

Yea, That's the one I use. I guess I must have paid $9.99 for it..??.. oh well, I can't remember anything anymore...

[wahoonc]

I use RV Parks & Camgrounds app by ParkAvisor. It is free and has a lot of settings. It is also available for both Android and Apple. One feature I like it's that it will show low clearance bridges.

Aaron

[bill_covert]

There is a book called next exit it's updated each year check amazon.

[MartyG]

Our TT is 28' long. When you get off the interstate go towards the multiple gas opportunities and continue through to find a turnaround. Find an island where the far, outside lane will work, with it's own exit, usually to a side street. From there you can make your entrance back to the service road, and back to the highway.

[DesertRat]

By the concern you have it sounds to me like you need to practice backing up. No matter how well you plan or what stations you fuel up there's going to be times you will have to backup.

[chily3]

Just got back from trip from Texas, to calif. Used Pilot for some of the gas (not an RV but UHual) Put in credit card then put in good sam membership card and got the discount. Also used loves as well , no discount. Gas was 30 cents cheaper across from texas to cali.

[WannaBeFree]

Thanks thompwil,

I wouldn't be surprised if you got it for free back when you first installed it. Once these apps get a following they'll often start charging a fee. Thanks a lot for checking out the link to see that it is the app you're using :-)

[WannaBeFree]

Thanks wahoonc,

The low clearance feature of RV Parks & Camgrounds sounds like a great feature. There is a YouTuber, The Willful Wanderer, who was talking about a campground close to NYC with a low clearance bridge which could prevent entry. It would definitely be a great idea to check out rig restrictions like this before booking a stay. I know there are some GPS units which will help with rig size restrictions but they seem rather expensive - over $300 as I recall.

[WannaBeFree]

Thanks bill_covert,

I found a web site, https://thenextexit.com/, for the Next EXIT. It looks like you can purchase the book and a subscription there - $17.95 + $6 shipping and $9.99 for a 1 year subscription. Does anyone have experience with the subscription. I kind of like the idea of viewing the content on a tablet as some were staying the font is a bit small. One reviewer mentioned that this book lists exits which are RV or bigger rig friendly.

Sounds like a great resource :-)

EDIT: I found a helpful video describing this book. The RV friendly vendors are listed in RED type. For each Interstate/exit/direction the books lists vendor info. It even tells you the direction to go after taking the exit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyEA51PQkDQ

[WannaBeFree]

Thanks MartyG,

Great point on exits with multiple gas opportunities. And I encountered a gas station with an exit to the side of the outside lane - that was nice :-)