Filling up with diesel

[BurninDaylight]

I've had my Ford F350 pickup with the 7.3L power stroke diesel engine for a few years now. I have towed a smaller 26 foot fifth wheel for a couple of years, but now have upgraded to a 39.5' fifth wheel. With the shorter one it was not usually a problem to get in and fuel up in the car lane at most fuel stops. This new one I know is going to require that I use the truck fuel lanes at the truck stops. I have used the larger faster nozzle to fill up before at a local farm station, so I'm familiar with that part. My question is this---How do you work the pump in the truck lane and pay for it. I have been trying to research this a bit and some suggest the Pilot/Flying J card for discounts etc..., but when I need fuel and one of those is not around I need to know how to use the pumps at the nearest truck stop. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Barb

[VickieP]

I usually go in, give them either a credit card or enough cash to cover it, go out & pump the fuel, then go in & get the receipt & change. If there is someone in line behind us, Ronnie pulls up far enough for them to get to the pump & waits for me.

[snowball]

unfortunately they also charge more if you don't pay with cash
I pull a 36 foot and depending upon the station can fill up with the cars
sheila

[sharon]

I usually go in, give them either a credit card or enough cash to cover it, go out & pump the fuel, then go in & get the receipt & change. If there is someone in line behind us, Ronnie pulls up far enough for them to get to the pump & waits for me.

Just like that....go in...give cash or credit card....pump fuel...pull ahead so the next truck can get in....go get change or receipt. I don't care if it's a nickle more for fuel, it's easy in, easy out and I don't have to worry about some car blocking my way to get out of the pumps in front where the cars are. Plus, when I get back to my rig, the truck behind me is still fueling so I have time to go potty and grab a snack before I take off.

[BurninDaylight]

I usually go in, give them either a credit card or enough cash to cover it, go out & pump the fuel, then go in & get the receipt & change. If there is someone in line behind us, Ronnie pulls up far enough for them to get to the pump & waits for me.

Just like that....go in...give cash or credit card....pump fuel...pull ahead so the next truck can get in....go get change or receipt. I don't care if it's a nickle more for fuel, it's easy in, easy out and I don't have to worry about some car blocking my way to get out of the pumps in front where the cars are. Plus, when I get back to my rig, the truck behind me is still fueling so I have time to go potty and grab a snack before I take off.

Thanks for the advice Vickie and Sharon. My thought exactly on being easy and the convience of not getting blocked in or blocked out of the car lanes with 50' of truck and RV. I think the next time I have to fuel the truck I'll make a run through the pumps just to get a practice before the real thing.

[MelissaD]

The newer Flying J's, Pilots, TA's also have RV lanes which are set up like the truck lanes. The fuel price there is set for non-commercial vehicles. Since semi's pay fuel tax based on miles driven in a given state the diesel pump price is different from an RV's fuel price. The advantage of the RV lane is I can do it all from the pump like with my car.

When I go to the fuel island with the semi's I go in and give them my card. Fuel, pull up (watch what the semi's do) Go in and settle the tab. Normally takes 10-15 minutes to fuel a semi so you should have time to visit the ladies room and/or get a cup of coffee. The other option is if you drop your trailer at the CG and run out for dinner, I just fill up after dinner. If you try to run your CC on the fuel island the pump will ask you for your DOT numbers and then it will probably abort the transaction (commercial road tax issue). The new pumps may be different but the old pumps use to ask me for my DOT number when I fueled my semi.

I also have the Pilot/Flying J RV Plus charge card. As a lifetime Good Sam Club member I get 8 cents per gallon off diesel and 6 cents per gallon off gasoline. Discount on propane and dump service also. Once a month they debit it from my checking account. Some people claim a better deal on a cash back Visa. Whatever works for you. The truck stops often are not the cheapest option but they are convenient and their fuel should be cleaner and fresher. Seen some pretty nasty dirty diesel pumps in gas stations which I attribute to the low rate of sales. Water in fuel is an expensive proposition I'd rather avoid.

[BurninDaylight]

Thanks MelissaD, I just bought my good Sam club membership and had already considered getting the Pilot/Flying J card, and had also thought that I would search out fuel when not hooked up to the 5th wheel. My truck holds 50 gallons of fuel and even averaging 6 mpgs I can get a 200-250 miles down the road before needing fuel, which is far enough to drive in one day unless on a time schedule. Not sure what the true fuel consumption will be yet, I pulled it 150 miles home from Tx to OK and averaged 8 mpgs, but it's pretty flat on the route I took, and that rig weighs 12,300 unloaded.

I did get a bad tank of fuel at a Loves in Amarillo a couple of years ago. I tend to add Cetane to every other fill up, so I overdosed on that. I was running without a rig and my first clue was the fuel consumption. My truck monitors current fuel consumption, and went from 14 mpgs to 8. It was burning it but not very well.

[MelissaD]

I have the dreaded 6.0 and I get 10-11 mpg pulling mine and it weights 12,000#. When in PA I get closer to 10 mpg and around 11 mpg in the flatlands using the "tow haul". I got around 15 mpg running empty. I have a 39 gal tank but normally start looking for fuel around 1/2 a tank so the same 200-250 mile range. Get nervous below a 1/2 tank

My mechanic recommended Stanadyne http://stanadyneadditives.com/ as a fuel additive. I've been using the Performance version http://stanadyneadditives.com/performance-formula/ and have seen about 2 mpg boost. I now get a steady 17 mpg empty so I'll see what happens to my tow numbers at the end of the month when we go to Milton PA.

The aerodynamics of the front and rear make a big difference.

[BurninDaylight]

I have 7.3 power stroke and can't brag about mpgs unless I stay at or under 2000 rpm, which is about 65 mph. I had been at the dealership most of the day and got in a (70 mph) hurry to clear OKC before rush hour. Will be interesting to see what it is when I try to hold it down to 60-65 and actually work to conserve fuel.

[MelissaD]

Check the tires on you RV as most ST tires are only rated at 65 mph. I tend to run about 65 mph when empty and about 60 mph when towing. Try to stay at or below 2,000 rpms. Since I have 4:10 rear axle it tows great but suffers mpg, but that's the trade off.

[BurninDaylight]

I have the same rear axle ratio. I had not towed anything with truck before that had made it downshift even on a hill. With this load it is downshifting on grades if I don't work it a little bit and let it lug down. Are you referring to tow haul being the lock out button on the end of the gear shift, and when should I use that? Appreciate any advise on that.

[MelissaD]

The Tow Haul feature is in the end of the gear shift. You press it in when towing and it does a couple of things for you. It changes the shift points in the transmission to tow better giving you more power by holding the gear longer before shifting. It will also use the transmission to slow you down by keeping the torque converter locked up and downshift to aid in braking. Also if you tap the brakes you can also get it to drop a gear using the engine to help slow your rig. It also minimizes the truck from "hunting" for a gear. IE popping in and out of top gear for example which can cause the transmission to overheat.

I use mine pretty much anytime I have the trailer on back. Some people say they only use it in the mountains.

[BurninDaylight]

Melissa, thanks for the info. I thought that it only locked it out of overdrive to keep it from shifting. The next time I pull the Meatball I'll use that and see how it works. Thanks again.

[Bethers]

Melissa, My new Class C has the tow haul feature and I was told completely different things from different people at the dealership. I've been using it mainly when I'm in the mountains. (I'm towing a small, lightweight car). Should I be using it more? And is it ok to use it and cruise control at the same time?

Thanks

[MelissaD]

Yes, you can use cruise and tow haul at the same time. My favorite way to cruise

The old tow haul features would only lock out the OD (overdrive) gear and thus in the flat lands people got better mileage leaning it off, provided the truck would stay in gear and not hunt ( "Hunt" is shifting back and forth between 2 gears like it can't make up its mind).

Due to EPA and having to get the MPG's up on the new trucks, the computers were set to shift early and keep the power down for MPG's. The Tow Haul feature basically puts the power back by allowing the truck to rev the RPM's higher to generate more power, the turbo become more aggressive and the engine runs at its peak. While also use the engine/transmission to assist in braking power. That's why every time you turn the truck off, it switches out of Tow Haul mode. According to my research this is what I have found and I may not be 100% correct but it should be close. Varies a little between manufactures.

As for if you need to use Tow Haul, I'd look at how the RV shifts. If it stays in gear and does not seem to be looking or hunting for the right gear you're probably ok. If you are running near the GCVWR when pulling your car I'd use the Tow Haul mode and see if it improves things for me. The computers should prevent you from breaking anything. GCVWR should be in your chassis manual and a quick trip across a scale will give you your answer but I'd imagine while towing the car you will be close.