Fill 'er up!, etc.

Topic: Fill 'er up!, etc. (Read 1195 times) previous topic - next topic

Fill 'er up!, etc.

July 20, 2013, 07:39:57 pm

Filled up with fuel at the Love's on I-20 just east of Shreveport ($3.83) for our first time. The pump would shut off at $125 and you would have to re-insert the CC for the next $125, etc.
Is this the norm at travel centers? Also, I never see MHs in the truck pump side. Are we not suppose to go where the 18 wheeler's go? I can't see those guys having to do multiple CC transactions.
Made a 2 night trip last week to Bossier City for our maiden voyage (400 miles RT). It was a nice practice run and we learned a lot. There was a newer FT there. Never saw the owners.
Peace,
Old Hippie

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #1 – July 20, 2013, 07:43:56 pm

Quote from: Old Hippie – July 20, 2013, 07:39:57 pm

Filled up with fuel at the Love's on I-20 just east of Shreveport ($3.83) for our first time. The pump would shut off at $125 and you would have to re-insert the CC for the next $125, etc.
Is this the norm at travel centers? Also, I never see MHs in the truck pump side. Are we not suppose to go where the 18 wheeler's go? I can't see those guys having to do multiple CC transactions.
Made a 2 night trip last week to Bossier City for our maiden voyage (400 miles RT). It was a nice practice run and we learned a lot. There was a newer FT there. Never saw the owners.
Peace,
Old Hippie

I always use the truck isles. There is no limit like the RV pump side. The RV lines will usually have a limit. Also the truck lanes have the larger nozzles and fills faster.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #2 – July 20, 2013, 08:24:10 pm

I go inside, give them my cc and then they let me fill up. If you have RV plus card that is only limited by your credit limit

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #3 – July 20, 2013, 09:05:56 pm

Ditto Fiedler's mode of operation. I leave a card, then go back inside to complete the transaction. Some places say, "Fill and then come back with the card." I tend to go back to those places.

I use Pilot/Flying J RV card less frequently because the rules and procedures seem to change for each trip. It seems to have become a gimmick that annoys me more than it serves me.

I have difficulty filling with the big nozzles on many truck pumps. They don't fit well in the space available in our coach. The area around the fill tube seems very tight when the nozzle is big. Also, they often fill so quickly and leave so little room for air to flow out, that they keep shutting off. However, we do what is required to fill, pay, and continue our travels. It's part of the adventure.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #4 – July 20, 2013, 09:32:33 pm

When using pumps that have a $ limit, you will find that different credit cards have different limits before you have to restart. We have a Flying J Frequent Fueler free card that gives us pump start, cash price for credit card use plus 3 cent /gal discount.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #5 – July 21, 2013, 09:16:08 am

I use the rv card from flying J and my CC and get 3 cents off plus 5% off the CC bill so it is worth it if I have to swipe twice.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #6 – July 21, 2013, 12:15:21 pm

Quote from: John S – July 21, 2013, 09:16:08 am

I use the rv card from flying J and my CC and get 3 cents off plus 5% off the CC bill so it is worth it if I have to swipe twice.

X-2! Using the Flying J RV Customer Rewards Card which gives you a 2 cent discount per gallon of gas and a 3 cent discount per gallon of diesel. The card turns on the pump so you don't have to go inside a leave you CC. You scan the Rewards card and then scan you CC. That should turn on the pump and allow you to fill. If you do it at the RV pumps is should give you the cash price. It should also allow you to pump up to $450 each time you fill, but that may vary with your cc.

On the 5% discount credit cards, it is my understanding that the AMEX card will only give you 1% back because of some type of agreement with P/FJ. My PenF card seems to give me the 5% reward anywhere, provided I pay at the pump or, in the case of P/FJ, even at the fuel desk, even thought they have a pay at the pump requirement. PenFed has a Rewards card and a Cash back card. I chose the rewards card because I can pick a Visa Gift card which is just like the 5 cents cash back per dollar spent on fuel. Or we can pick a similiar retailers gift card or even use it to make charitable donations. And anyone can get the PenFed card. If you do not qualify through prior military affiliation or the other qualifying requirements, you can join the National Military Family Association or the Voices for America's Troops organizations. They have a one time dues requirement of $20 and $15 respectively.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #7 – July 21, 2013, 12:30:07 pm

I use pen fed too. Works well.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #8 – July 21, 2013, 02:18:28 pm

My "Good Sam" Pilot/FJ RVPlus Charge Card provides $0.08 per gallon for diesel and $0.06 per gallon for gas off the cash price. I used it the last couple years when travelling between Canada and California. I did not use it when travelling from California to Canada in May this year because Pilot/FJ prices seemed to have been fixed to about $0.30 above the competition. I mentioned this to a Good Sam National Director and he indicated that this has been reported to Good Sam by others also. Get em carded and familiar with the convenience, then sock it to them. I will be checking prices when going to California at Halloween and anticipate not using the RVPLUS card because the honeymoon is over.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #9 – July 21, 2013, 03:47:41 pm

Wyatt,
Just returned home after a 4700+ mile venture, also use the Good Sm/Fly J credit card for that discount, but like your experience, sometimes they were tooo high, but at 1 station in Okie Cit area, got 154 gal @ $3.549 I think, funny the manager never saw ta many gal in a RV. The VMSpc still on track love that magic box.
Gotta keep em eyes open.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #10 – July 21, 2013, 08:18:16 pm

Also found the Good Sam/Flying J/Pilot card useful, but not to trust it to be the "lowest price in that area". Have found prices in small towns i drove thru before hitting the Interstate were sometimes lower and the access good.

Their big stations on the interstate sometimes had interesting price differences that raised my attention.

Now I'm back to... shop first, trust later. No blind faith/same old game.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #11 – July 23, 2013, 12:33:16 am

I too have the Good Sam Flying J/Pilot card and have also recently noticed that even with the discount of $.08/gal. the cost is still higher than other places. I will also be shopping around and agree with Memory Roads and Wyatt.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #12 – July 23, 2013, 07:00:53 am

I use gas buddy set for diesel.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #13 – July 23, 2013, 07:48:42 am

I have seen lower prices but use Flying J or pilot when traveling. I think some of the smaller stations do not move as much fuel so they price to move out the product at the end. I have always gotten good quality fuel at FJ. I do not want to have a fuel issue at any time especially out on the road. Pay a little more but you can count on fresh fuel. At Love's I found several times that the diesel car line is cheaper than the truck isle as some states tax trucks differently. DAN

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #14 – July 24, 2013, 10:31:32 am

I usually use the Pilot Flying J because of the convenience of the loyalty card and access for large vehicles

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #15 – July 27, 2013, 04:21:38 pm

Also the truck lanes have the larger nozzles and fills faster.

What year did the Foretravels start to allow use of the bigger nozzles? I use the regular pumps cause my '89 won't take the bigger nozzle.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #16 – July 27, 2013, 05:24:18 pm

Our 1993 U300 will easily take the truck nozzles. We filled at one truck stop that had so much diesel on the ground that we actually had to use wipes to clean our shoes off before we went back into the coach. So far I've not seen that much of a mess anywhere else. Now I look more carefully at the ground while pulling in and before getting out. If the ground is covered with diesel I'll go elsewhere.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #17 – July 27, 2013, 09:36:21 pm

Dan,

My '92 U-280 has the big nozzle; I used the RV/car (regular) pumps just once. It is so hard to navigate around the islands and filling up takes MUCH longer.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #18 – July 27, 2013, 11:14:29 pm

I use Gas Buddy as well to find fuel at lower prices but look first before driving in. The truck stops fill faster but they can be pretty dirty with spills which lead to dirty and smelly shoes. We filled up at a regular station in Austin, TX and it took 45 minutes. Most are not that slow. I found a small station in rural Iowa that had a set of truck pumps. Filled from both sides and it took maybe 15 minutes and the driveway was clean. The M&H station in Hastings is easy in and out and big enough that I don't feel like I am taking up the whole place. Buy when the price is right and filling is easy.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #19 – July 28, 2013, 02:57:31 am

I was at a Loves last week, and chose the RV pumps just because I like to give them my credit card to get around at-pump limits. I was able to tell them an amount to authorize and open the pump. It would automatically stop at that price. If I stopped before reaching the limit, I would only pay for what I used. And no need to go into the store a second time.

I also learned that the car and RV pumps paid the cash price even when using a credit card. Had I used the truck pumps, I would have paid the higher credit card price.

Another plus of the RV pumps was a sanitary dump right at the island.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #20 – July 28, 2013, 05:57:10 am

Since I do not trust the empoyees at any fuel station to hold my credit card, I do not turst them anymore than they trust me, so I leave my drivers license. Another reason I like the Fly J/Good Sam card, I get a receipt, they deduct from my bank acct. Not always the very cheapest, but a penny a gal, is $1.00 a hundred gal. Sometimes other choices are brighter.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #21 – July 28, 2013, 04:00:25 pm

on the Pilot/Flying J site they show a raised limit on RV pumps of $495. for diesel..... and $150. for gas, if using VISA.

Re: Fill 'er up!, etc.

Reply #22 – July 28, 2013, 08:25:39 pm

Quote from: Tom Lang – July 28, 2013, 02:57:31 am

I was at a Loves last week, and chose the RV pumps just because I like to give them my credit card to get around at-pump limits. I was able to tell them an amount to authorize and open the pump. It would automatically stop at that price. If I stopped before reaching the limit, I would only pay for what I used. And no need to go into the store a second time.

I also learned that the car and RV pumps paid the cash price even when using a credit card. Had I used the truck pumps, I would have paid the higher credit card price.

Another plus of the RV pumps was a sanitary dump right at the island.

Just to make it clear, I didn't need to leave the card. They used the card once to authorize the amount I wanted, then I took the card and pumped the diesel.

Affiliate Notice