RV friendly fuel stops
 

This is a thread to post fuel stops that are "considerate" to RV'ers by making the pumps easier to get to (and away from). Also, it would be good to note if they have other features that accomodate RV'ers, such as types of fuel available, dump station, rv parking, etc. If you want to note if the food is good or not, I'm sure that would be helpful too.


Dennis

Illinois, Effingham, Flying J
 

I-70 & I-57, Exit 160

I stopped here for fuel coming back from Jackson Center.

They have all flavors, including bio-diesel.

Pumps have good clearance and pulling in and out is not difficult.

Restrooms appeared clean. Coffee was good. I didn't get anything to eat but it looks like they have quite a variety.

Here's a link to their web-site that shows their amenities
https://www.flyingj.com/highway/ameni...s.cfm?state=IL#

This one shows detailed information.
https://www.flyingj.com/highway/ameni...site_code=5107

I have to second that on the Flying J's. We pretty much uses their stations exclusively on longer interstate trips. Easy access to pumps (most have special RV lanes), LP Gas, Free Dump Station, Water, Air, etc and free overnight parking. Plus they have a loyalty card which saves RVers another penny a gallon.

Dump stations, U.S.A.
 

I remember this from a thread 2-3 years ago. Think the 1st one was mentioned at that time; just happened across the 2nd and haven't really compared them:
https://www.rvdumps.com/
https://www.americanrvrentals.com/dumpsites.htm

From Virginia on south, I77,I26 and I95, I like the Hess stations. They seem to have real good fuel prices and RV/Auto/Pickup diesel pumps seperate from the big rig fueling islands.

I find more Wal-Mart Supercenters than Flying J's in NC/SC. You can't always count on them to have fuel though. The prepaid gift card saves you 3 cents a gallon over what is normally the lowest price around.

On I-95 the TA at SC261 Manning SC has a free dumpsite.

also a discount on propane...:cool:
norby

Great thread!
 

:) We have had some good luck in the midwest with Williams Travel Centers, I understand that Pilot is buying up many of their locations so I'm not sure how this will affect them in the future. They had some great strawberry smoothies at one outside of Knoxville,Tn. Thanks to all for sharing, I'm taking notes for our next trip. We usually travel from MI to NC at least once a year and see fluctuations between states for gas. Wytheville, Va had better prices on our Oct trip than NC or WV, I guess each trip we learn. We might pay too much coming south but going back home we remember where the cheaper prices were! Great idea about knowing where the dump stations are too.

Flying Js
 

We have run the road south from Minnesota several times either to Florida or to New Orleons. I always get on the web now and find the Flying Js enroute. They are always clean and have good parking for rv's. their buffet is really good too.
Their web site has a map of all locations.
Their is not a single one in Minnesota. They were going to build one northwest of the Twin Cities, but something happened and it never appeared.
I especially like the peach cobbler they always have on the buffet.:chef::brows:

Where to buy diesel when traveling?
 

Today I stopped at a Petro truck stop to buy fuel. Their fuel price was about the same as our local stations. I got one of their Petro Passport Cards while their and the cashier said I would save $.01/gallon with the card and earn free showers...that I won't need, and other things.

Where do you guys with deisels buy fuel when you are traveling? What about other truck stop chains?

Various
 

I use truck stops a lot. The big nozzle fits easily into my in-bed tank and gives me a quick fill. I have to hand hold the nozzle for my OEM tank, but I have a conversion kit for my filler neck, not yet installed, that can accept any large truck stop nozzle.

I like Flying J. The $.01 discount is about useless, but I like the dedicated RV pumps, cheap propane, and dump stations. There is also convenient overnight parking that I often use.

Around Texas, HEB grocery stores don't all have diesel, but when they do, it is cheaper than almost all truck stops. The down side is that I have to be unhitched since few HEB stations have a lot of room.

I got addicted to the Loves Truck Stops when traveling I-40 from NC to AZ. I also utilize Sheetz and WaWa when I can find them.

Aaron:cool:

I like flying J just because I know I can get in and out. Pulling a 34' does have some drawbacks.

Ditto on the Flying J comments.

When you use the large volume nozzles take care as fuel can quickly belch back at you.

I think there is less chance of getting bad fuel when you fill at decent truck stops, whatever the brand.

Gene

Diesel At Truck Stops
 

:cool: I like the Flying J because it provides with a couple of things, 1. a .01 cent discount if you use their card on diesel and it has propane with the discount and 2. it has a dumping station along with fresh water to refill. Love's gives us a .01 cent discount but has no dumping station. :blink:

Flying J!! Try the buffet and peach cobbler.:D

lets get on the same page people!!!
 

cooperhawk, i assume that peach cobbler must be really good? i have liked the few f-j's i've visited......but the buffet was way to high in grease, salt and starch.....made me sleepy just when i needed to drive....of course with the condo nearby i managed a nap.

cheees
2air'

so far flying j's are leading.......and no one has mentioned the famous jelly chain.....

cheers
2air'

You know I never thought much about bad fuel until my last big trip. I had been stopping at Flying Js or Pilots from Louisville almost all the way through Arizona. We pulled off 93 in Kingman AZ right before the 93 split to Vegas fro some fuel and a bite. The Flying J was packed full of trucks and RVs so I just turned left into a no-name station instead of right. Gas was the same price so I topped off and off we went.

It didn't take long to figure out I had bad gas as I was getting pinging and sputtering all the way through the hills into and out of Lake MEad and the Hover Damn. I stopped just over the NV line and bought five bottles of octane booster which allowed me to burn through the rest of the tank. At the next fill up (Flying J) everything was back to normal.

I'll never do that again - brand names for my baby only!

jelly?.....cant think of that, do you mean stuckys?....i havent seen one of them in years....
norby

What memories, pecan shakes, pecan cake, pecan pecans, etc....

Stuckey's (note the "e") are remote relatives of mine (4 generations back) and I advocate Flyin' J as RV friendly places. One will learn all about their showers at night at some places, but some other of their places are a good to spend the night. Their restaraunt's offer "trucker's portions" which exceed what normal mortals may want, but they are friendly and wecloming, and that is very refreshing on the road.

Did I mention that they usually have good gas, diesel, and propane prices?

Lamar

i havent been to stuckays in a long time...

They're still around, but I think they sold many of their locations or they went bankrupt a few years back. However, about 15 years ago the family bought the office building where I worked across the street from Delta's headquarters at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, (Whew, that's a mouthful. Try saying that three times) and after renovating it sold the building to Delta.

Ocassionally, you can still find some of their stores along the interstates but not like you used to be able to. I don't know if the Stuckey family still owns them or if they are fanchises or what. I thought they were all family owned and not publically traded back in the day.

They have a web site https://stuckeys.com which includes a search for their locations. In Arizona we have one in Green Valley, located between Tucson and Nogales (Mexico).

There is plenty of bad fuel out there. On our recent trip to Canton, OH my son and I stopped at a Marathon for diesel, fortunately I did not fill it up. My mileage dropped to about half of normal along with performance. The next fill cured the problem. I like Flying J and next TA truck stops they have a RV lane for diesel and will most always give me the trucker price.

I think what happened is most of them were relics from the pre-Interstate days and got passed by when the Interstate system took off. I see many of them along the US routes that I travel, but they are closed or have been reworked into some other type of business.

Aaron:cool:

Maybe they could change their name! :smartass:

Just went and read the history on the website...typical...they built an empire in the 30's and 40's, sold it for big bucks to a corporation that used the name. Now they are rebuilding the empire, but they appear to be interlocked with truckstops and convience stores, few if any stand alone's. There is one along I-95 below Florence, SC that is like the Stuckey's of old...

Aaron:cool:

Stuck on Stuckey's
 

Well shucks, if that don't beat all! There's a Stuckey's Tribute website with the theme song and a 1960s flashback family road trip to Stuckey's... :)https://www.stuckonstuckeys.com/

the virtual tour was cute
 

Here's another cool one. One stop I would not want to miss is Wall Drug in South Dakota. You see the signs for miles. It's huge with attractions.
https://www.walldrug.com/virtual_tour.htm fun for all ages :lol: :lol:

Back to the main topic a little bit...
 

I stopped at the Petro truck stop on I-285 in Atlanta on my way home this afternoon and the security guard refused to let me into the back area where the pumps are.:angry: She said as of 1/1/06 Petro no longer sold to non-commercial vehicles. She showed me a three page memo that had a one sentence paragraph on the last page that said no four wheeled vehicles except those driven by CDL drivers or operated by a certain company would be permitted into the pump area. Is that legal?:huh:

I guess I'll have to find a new place to buy diesel fuel when traveling!

Bummer about Petro--guess they don't need our business/money.
 

Bummer, we've now got a diesel tv wouldn't ya know it! You know on their website they claim to serve both both professional drivers and interstate motorists. So fewer rvers buying stuff at the truck stop, eating at the restaurant, etc. Guess they can afford to turn away customers huh?

Apparently it is just this one truckstop in Atlanta. It is on Hollowell Road one exit north of I-20 and I-285 on the west side of town. A little seedy if you know what I mean and only one of two Petros in Georgia that I am aware of.

how's this for an 'rv friendly fuel stop!

it would be neat to read about more like this one...

good find moosetags.

https://www.airforums.com/forum...16-post23.html

cheers
2air'

I had no idea that Flying J had a dump station......that's great to know....

Flying J not only has a dump but it has as good a price on propane as you will find. I buy on I-95 SC for less than $2.00 a gallon.

The Petro Truck Stop on I-81 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, offers 30 amp RV electric hook-ups for $10 ($9 with a Good Sam's card). They have about 20 hook-ups. We have stayed there 4 times in the last year. We wish all the truck stops had these.

Just about any truck stop. I like the truck lanes. Fast pumps plenty of room.

website?
 

I know flying J has a website with locations.......but is there a comprehensive website for truck stops? We would love to know them when we take a trip.

We bought a book last year that gives complete info as it petains to RVers on every truck stop in the country. It is titled the 2006 RVer's Friend. We bought it at a truck stop last year.

It is usually in the RV lane. For which there is usally a line. Dumping on top of fueling would be frowned upon by the people waiting.

If you like FJ you will love this site

Flying J Fuel Prices Gasoline & Car-RV Diesel Fuel Prices Propane Pricing

Garry

I myself am ever so happy to see that 2air resurrected this particular thread. There is nothing like reading back and being suprised to see onesself acting the fool and off topic no less (must have been the Stuckey's video that made me snap.):blush: You sure it wasn't about must see stops? :huh: Oh well...um....

I like Travel America stops the best, Flying J's a second. Beyond gas and food I usually have to find a place to walk the dog. Flying J's seem a lot more truckier and I feel more out of place pulling up between them to park.

I have a This Exit book but it is basically unused traveling solo. I sure would like to know where the next stop or RV Wash would be. I won't take the time to exit to stop and look at the book.

This is a STANDARD RV stop


I was here last week, no problem with room just had to wait for this guy to top up!