Fillin’ Her Up Like a Trucker

September 26, 2010 by libertatemamo Leave a Comment

At some point in every journey you need to stop and rejuvenate. When you’re hauling around a svelte 32,000 lbs, 47 feet (with the car) and 100 gallon gas tank it helps to find places that accommodate to your special needs. So, when it’s time to say “fill her up, Scotty”, there’s nothing quite like a truck stop to make the beast feel right at home.

In fact truck stops such as Loves, Pilot or Flying J’s are the perfect mesh for diesel engine RVers. Not only are the bays large and spacious allowing ample room for the monster to maneuver, they have the bonus of high-flow gas nozzles. This cool little feature means that instead of pumping gas at less than 5 GPM (gallon per minutes) at a regular pump, you can get 2-3 times that speed at the truckers bay. It’s the difference between a 20-30 minute slog of a stop versus a quick hop and a skip to get out of the gas station. All you need to master this crafty trick is a little insider info on truckers’ etiquette.

So, how do you make like a trucker?

1. Pulling In – when you pull into a bay, make a note of the pump number and then either use the phone (if there is one) or go inside to unlock the pump.
2. Filling Up – Truck bays have 2 pumps (a “master” and a “slave”) that allow dual fill-up from 2 sides. Many RVs can fill-up either side, but most RV tanks are not designed for dual pumping, so you gotta chose just one. The left pump is usually the master and you have to unhook it if you’re filling up from the right. Truck fills are high-speed so stay close by until you’re done.
3. Finishing Up – Once you’re done with the gas, trucker etiquette says you pull forward before you go in to pay. That way, the working guy behind you can start filling up without a wait.

Truckers are great resources for road conditions and routes too, so feel free to have a quick chat with your neighbour before you move on.

So, next time you gotta stop go with the big boys and make like a trucker. You’ll feel right at home.