| Author | Message | ||
| Darrell Black, DVM (Darrelldvm)
Registered Member Username: Darrelldvm Post Number: 59 Registered: 6-2005 Posted From: 72.4.181.208 Rating: N/A |
I drive my 4106 from coast to coast 2-3 times a year and I've always used Flying J as my fuel, food, sleep, walk dogs choice. I would plan dinner time according to when I would be arriving to Fying J (loved that buffet, esp breakfast). My favorite is North Platt NE.-Great place to walk dogs. With the Flying J card I could do all transactions at the pump and still get cash price. Had RV parking & dump stations. Well, Flying J has been sold and we no longer can do transactions at the pump and get the cash price when using card. No buffet!! QUESTION: Where do you buy fuel? And what truck stop do you use? | ||
| tony denny (Papatony)
Registered Member Username: Papatony Post Number: 20 Registered: 10-2010 Posted From: 74.206.82.239 Rating: N/A |
Try Wilco cheap fuel not a Flying J but not bad. All major fuel stops are banking down. Try Petro they have great dinners | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1402 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 66.82.9.23  Rating: N/A |
Flying J did have RV parking. With so many states "saving" money many roadside parking areas have been closed . Perhaps the truckers leaving gallon jugs of wizz all over for others to clean was part of the probalem, but the truckers feel "truck stops" are theirs , not for cheap RV's. F-J solved the problem by seperating the two groups. Hopefully who ever takes over F-J sites will continue this . FF | ||
| Phil Smith (Phil_smith)
Registered Member Username: Phil_smith Post Number: 57 Registered: 3-2006 Posted From: 24.116.71.31  Rating: N/A |
We just got back from a 2450 mi trip to MO. and back (from AZ) and we used FJ almost exclusively. FJ has been bought up by Pilot and they are remodeling the FJ's a little. The ones we stopped at were in various stages of changes -but they all still had the RV pumps and the cash price at the pump. We asked at the fuel desk if we could park in the rear to get some rest and they all said it was fine (they also appreciated being asked). I think Pilot is trying to keep the RV friendly portion of the business intact. Visit their website and you'll see what they are doing. Most Truck stops are friendly enough if your not getting in the way of the 'working drivers'. just my 2 cents - phil | ||
| Luvrbus (Luvrbus)
Registered Member Username: Luvrbus Post Number: 989 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 74.32.86.38 Rating: N/A |
Denny's has the food now in F/J I am sure that some locations will change like Phil we use F/J and in AZ the dump was free and a credit card at the RV pump was same as cash with the 8 cents a gal off for RV's | ||
| Teresa (Happycamperbrat)
Registered Member Username: Happycamperbrat Post Number: 72 Registered: 5-2009 Posted From: 173.25.102.41 Rating: N/A |
RESTAURANT??? LMAO!!! Guys.....umm, ..... arent we supposed to be ahh... c-a-m-p-i-n-g HAHA What a bunch of wussies we all are!!! | ||
| Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Registered Member Username: Gusc Post Number: 1232 Registered: 11-2005 Posted From: 72.173.192.59  Rating: N/A |
Brat, Bus conversions cover all types of uses, not just camping. We mostly travel, not camp. Vacations include wives not having to cook!! I never bought fuel at FJ because my observation was that their prices averaged $0.05 more than others all across the country. | ||
| Brandon Merritt (Brando4905)
Registered Member Username: Brando4905 Post Number: 28 Registered: 3-2009 Posted From: 74.97.195.66  Rating: N/A |
I pretty much exclusively fuel at truck stops, which ever is cheapest. Much easier than attempting smaller stations. We also eat there, some actually have good food sometimes. As far as hanging out in the lot, we just stay as long as we need, sometimes an hour or six. The way I look at it is, if I'm taking on $800 of fuel, I can park for awhile. Brandon | ||
| Teresa (Happycamperbrat)
Registered Member Username: Happycamperbrat Post Number: 73 Registered: 5-2009 Posted From: 173.25.102.41 Rating: N/A |
Wussie lol | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1403 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 66.82.162.20 Rating: N/A |
a credit card at the RV pump was same as cash with the 8 cents a gal off for RV's This is true BUT as an RV using the truck pumps , where we can use the slave fill on the right side of the bus the discount never came. One had to use the tiny RV fills in front of the place which means 3X as long to take on 100G . Hopefully the next bunch will do better, tho CASH works for the best price in most places. FF | ||
| Roderick W. Chandler (Rod)
Registered Member Username: Rod Post Number: 68 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 173.184.52.227  Rating: N/A |
When I used the RV lane at the Waco FJ it did not take any longer than when I used the truck lane in Sweetwater. I only have one fill opening and the pumps ran at the same speed. | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1405 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 66.82.9.60 Rating: N/A |
The nozzle at the RV side is usually about 1 inch , so it can fit small diesel vans . THe truck fuel in the rear will usually have (2) two inch or so fills, so the fueling can be done from both sides. We have found the 1 inch fill takes lots longer . YRWV FF | ||
| Bruce Henderson (Oonrahnjay)
Registered Member Username: Oonrahnjay Post Number: 661 Registered: 8-2004 Posted From: 166.82.164.179  Rating: N/A |
Gus said "I never bought fuel at FJ because my observation was that their prices averaged $0.05 more than others all across the country." Gus, I drive Washington DC to SE North Carolina to Knoxville and back about every 2-3 weeks. Up until about 2 years ago, Flying J's were a good $.10 less expensive (& in some cases more) than the "average" price of diesel and the other stations and truck stops would go down to meet them. Fuel within 5 miles of a Flying J was notably cheaper than most anywhere else on the route; for instance, fuel prices at the Exit 104 truckstops on I-95 in Virginia (near Kings Dominion) were generally 35-40 cents less than retail in the Northern VA/Washington DC area. That gave two good things; you knew where prices would be lowest and you could get good fuel at low prices (my experience was that fuel from Flying J would give me lower MPG and more smoke from my VW TDI but it was nice to go to a place with Cetane marked 5 higher across the street and get good prices on it.) But about 3 years ago, Jay Call - founder of Flying J - had died in a plane crash; at that point the bean counters stepped in. One of the "easy" ways to increase profit was to hike fuel prices and prices went up quickly. About 18 months ago, as the New Recession started to bite and fuel prices fell, Flying J went into one of the bankruptcy categories (bankruptcy used to mean you were out of money and going out of business - now it means lawyers, bankers, and politicians have found a way to cheat people out of millions of dollars and make a profit on it; see GM's recent history.) So a sale of Flying J to Pilot (known for the highest prices and glitziest restaurants in this area) is not a big shock. But it's likely to mean ever less competition for fuel prices and thus higher prices. Fred said "We have found the 1 inch fill takes lots longer." Yes, and if you're filling a big tank, the 1" nozzle foams more; if you need to assure a full fill for range on that tank, it takes a lot longer to get full liquid fuel in as the foam settles out. Use the bigger nozzles if they're available. | ||
| Luvrbus (Luvrbus)
Registered Member Username: Luvrbus Post Number: 990 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 74.32.86.38 Rating: N/A |
More to it than that Bruce my wife is a member of the Call family don't believe everything you read on web all the British owned Pilot corp got was the retail part good luck (Message edited by luvrbus on January 02, 2011) | ||
| Laryn Christley (Barn_owl)
Registered Member Username: Barn_owl Post Number: 677 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 70.110.15.72  Rating: N/A |
FJ was my favorite. I planned many of my stops for fuel, dump, food, propane, etc. by their maps showing where they were located. One time I even backtracked to a FJ. If they squeeze too hard, they will loose a loyal customer. | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1407 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 69.19.14.17 Rating: N/A |
IN one area F-J was a pioneer. They would leave their shiney fuel trucks in the sun all day to expand the fuel. Since every penny counts , and you are purchasing fuel by VOLUME , a gallon , their ploy was worth a few percent on the bottom line. The pro truck folks complained loud enough that temperature compensated fuel pumps will be required in the future. FF | ||
| Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member Username: Sean Post Number: 1230 Registered: 1-2003 Posted From: 67.142.130.16  Rating: |
A few percent? C'mon, Fred. The coefficient of expansion for diesel is .00046/°F. So even if they could increase the fuel temperature by, say, 10° (not possible), that would still be just one half percent more volume per unit weight, not "a few percent." Note that raising the temperature of an entire tank truck of diesel by 10°F would require a LOT more heat than you could get just by parking the truck in the sun. Also note that a shiny truck will absorb a lot LESS heat than one painted with dark, flat paint. I hear this argument all the time, how we should buy fuel in the morning when it is cool. It is an urban legend -- the temperature of fuel stored in underground tanks changes less than a tenth of a degree over the course of a day. For diesel that translates to 2.3 cents on a $500 purchase -- I'll burn that two and a half cents worth of diesel just by missing the dispenser and having to back up two feet. Not worth worrying about. FWIW. -Sean http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com | ||
| john degemis (Degemis)
Registered Member Username: Degemis Post Number: 104 Registered: 3-2008 Posted From: 68.118.42.248  Rating: N/A |
RV customer! http://www.pilotflyingj.com/loyalty/default.aspx | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 1408 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 69.19.14.28 Rating: N/A |
Hot Fuel Myths & Facts MYTH: Fill up in the morning when it�s cooler. FACT: 35,000-gallon tanks do not dramatically change temperature in daily cycles. MYTH: In-ground tanks at gas stations keep fuel at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. FACT: The insulated, fiberglass tanks tend to keep fuel at the temperature it was delivered� for a long time. Also, larger retailers turn over fuel supplies very rapidly, greatly reducing the time the fuel spends in the tanks. Ask a station attendant for the automatic gauging meter report. It will tell you the temperature of the fuel in the underground tanks. MYTH: Temperature only causes tablespoons of difference in amount of fuel delivered. FACT: A 25-gallon fill-up of 75 degree F gasoline equates to a loss of nearly one quart. The same fill-up at 90 degrees F equates to nearly a half gallon. MYTH: Fuel expands and contracts in a truck�s tanks, so there shouldn't be a problem, right? FACT: The only point that fuel temperature expansion and contraction have an impact on the wallet is at the retail pump. MYTH: Cold winter fuel offsets warm summer fuel, so it�s an even trade off over the long term. FACT: Statistics show this is not the case. Consumer losses are ten times greater in warmer states than consumer gains in cool states. MYTH: With temperature compensation, the consumer will rarely receive an actual gallon of fuel. FACT: Consumers will receive equivalent BTUs per gallon with temperature compensation, and can shop by price. MYTH: 90 percent of fuel retailers are small �mom and pop� operations. FACT: Several large oil production companies and refiners own 25 percent of the stations that sell their brand fuel. MYTH: The cost to retro-fit the pumps will far outweigh the benefit to the consumers. FACT: It's a one-time cost of doing business, and retailers regularly replace pumps already. MYTH: The cost of retro-fitting the pumps will raise the price of fuel for all consumers. FACT: Consumers have suffered the burden of hot fuel sales for decades. Once the problem is fixed they will reap the benefits for future decades. For CONVERSION COSTS for Automatic Temperature Compensation, click here. Background on �Turn Down Hot Fuel� * In 2002, OOIDA staff began investigating the differences in mileages in diesel fuel from varying retailers, based on reports that truckers were getting different mileages from different fill-ups. It was in this investigation they discovered that temperature was making a difference in costs. * It was learned that some fuels are sold as high as 90 degrees F. An all-time high was sold to one driver at 118 degrees F. * OOIDA began taking its findings to the National Conference on Weights and Measures and lawmakers. * In 2006, some states began paying attention and set forth bills to address hot fuel. * Large consumers, such as the U.S. armed forces, have had temperature-adjusted purchase agreements for decades. * In 1990, the oil industry successfully lobbied for temperature-adjusted cold fuel in Canada. * In 2000, the IRS approved a new rule to close the loophole but the regulation was quietly withdrawn in 2001. * State officials in California and Texas are investigating how they can stop hot fuel overcharges. In 2007, the United States Congress began addressing hot fuel. Fuel Illustration | ||
| Bruce Henderson (Oonrahnjay)
Registered Member Username: Oonrahnjay Post Number: 664 Registered: 8-2004 Posted From: 64.134.188.230 Rating: N/A |
Please note: "MYTH: Temperature only causes tablespoons of difference in amount of fuel delivered. FACT: A 25-gallon fill-up of 75 degree F gasoline equates to a loss of nearly one quart. The same fill-up at 90 degrees F equates to nearly a half gallon." Yes, for gasoline. But diesel fuel (being an oil and not a "distilled spirit") expands much less than gasoline. For my VW diesel car, it is literally tablespoons the difference between filling and after the car has set in the sun. I can't get it full enough to make it overflow (not that I'm trying to). As Sean said, I spill more (or have more froth out of the tank as foam bubbles) as the difference between the real-life cold temp and the warm temp. It is an issue in places with great temp changes and for gasoline. Also, if you're filling a big storage tank with thousands of gallons, it's a factor to consider. But for us, with the tank sizes we're dealing with, it's the difference between a "value meal" or leaving off the fries and just buying a drink with your Big Mac. | ||
| Sean Welsh (Sean)
Registered Member Username: Sean Post Number: 1231 Registered: 1-2003 Posted From: 67.142.130.41 Rating: |
Fred wrote: "FACT: A 25-gallon fill-up of 75 degree F gasoline equates to a loss of nearly one quart. The same fill-up at 90 degrees F equates to nearly a half gallon." Sean replies: NOT TRUE FOR DIESEL (as Bruce also just wrote). Please go back and read my earlier post on the coefficient of thermal expansion for diesel fuel. You can look that number up in any reference book -- that's what we call a "fact" in scientific circles. Also, I dispute the source of your dubious set of "facts" as I will point out that the OOIDA, which is where you got these, has an axe to grind. Here is a relatively independent refutation of the above drivel: http://www.consumerenergyreport.com/2007/07/17/hot-gas-is-a-bunch-of-hot-air/ And please remember that, should the OOIDA succeed in their quest to mandate replacement of fuel dispensers nationwide, the cost of this retrofit will be borne by CONSUMERS, not fuel suppliers. That's how the free market works. These guys are making a mountain out of a molehill based on pseudo-scientific babble in order to justify the dues they collect from their membership, IMO, and nothing more. Do you really think, even if temperature-compensated dispensers were the norm, that the average driver will pay less for fuel? Of course not -- the commodity price of ALL fuel will go up commensurately to compensate for any possible revenue loss from temperature-compensated dispensers. Again, this is simply how commodity markets work. Lets dispense (pardon the pun) with the conspiracy theories here. Otherwise we might as well talk about how NASA faked the Apollo landings, or the auto industry suppressed the invention of a combustion engine that runs on water. FWIW. -Sean http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com | ||
| Dal Farnworth (Dallas)
Registered Member Username: Dallas Post Number: 266 Registered: 7-2004 Posted From: 72.172.32.121  Rating: N/A |
You mean NASA really did go to the moon? Why don't we have chunks of green cheese in the Smithsonian? And the auto industry did build a vehicle that runs on water... DUKW's! LOL http://www.olive-drab.com/images/id_dukw_full_2.jpg | ||
| Brian Elfert (Belfert)
Registered Member Username: Belfert Post Number: 91 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 209.98.146.235 Rating: N/A |
I used to buy all my fuel at Flying J. On my trip to Arcadia I didn't buy a drop of fuel at a conventional truck stop. In some cases there was a truck stop and another station on the same street and the truck stop was usually 10 to 15 cents more expensive. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 1444 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 97.226.68.51  Rating: N/A |
Yep....me too...same reason. FWIW RCB |
