You have just purchased your new prized possession, drive it around for a while and then your gas light comes on alerting you that it’s time to refuel. No big deal…just pull into your friendly neighborhood gas station and fill up. You soon realize that this is not as easy as it used to be. Many gas stations cannot accommodate large, diesel-powered recreational vehicles. That’s why many RVers prefer fueling up at truck stops. They are easily accessible from interstates; the islands and driveways can accommodate the largest of RVs; pump nozzles on both sides can fill two tanks without re-positioning; and, the cost of diesel tends to be less expensive.

Truck stops fueling can be intimidating your first time. In a truck stop, like anywhere else in life, consideration for others goes a long way. Follow these guidelines of things to do and not to do while fueling at a truck stop and your pit stop will go smoothly:

• Do not unnecessarily delay others waiting behind you. Professional truckers are looking to get in and out as fast as possible.  They’re not making any money while sitting still.
• If you have tanks on both sides of the RV to fill, position the vehicle so that both nozzles reach. Using both pumps simultaneously allows you to fill up quicker.
• If the only tank you are filling is on the right hand side, you must remove the nozzle from the left pump and turn it on before the right pump will operate. This is because the pump on the right side is a “slave” to the controlling pump on the left.
• Cleaning windshields is acceptable while pumping fuel, not after.
• When you are finished filling up your tank(s) and washing your windows, pull forward enough to allow the truck or RV behind you to pull in and begin refueling. Once you pull forward you can go into the truck stop store, pick up any needed grocery items and pay the cashier for the fuel you just pumped.

To ease your discomfort at entering the truckers’ world, truck stop managers have been asked how they feel about RV’s fueling up. Their answer: You are a paying customer, just like the trucks. If you feel intimidated, just be a courteous consumer and truck stops will be happy to do business with you.