RV novice travel planning

[Trainman327]

I am new to the world of RVing. Got a Reflections 337RLS from a family member. I have done a lot of reading on the web, but there are three specific questions I have not really gotten answers to.

I am not unexperienced at puling trailers. I have more than 50k miles pulling boats. My most recent rig was a 30’ LOA, 11,000# fully loaded Amberjack on a tri-axle. It was pulled with a ¾ ton gasser. This rig was pulled to three specific places, the furthest 1000+/- miles away from home. I knew the routes like the back of my hand, new every gas station it was easy to maneuver in and out of and every rest stop along the way. It was the usual plan to do the 1000 mile run in 24 hours. Leaving at around mid day Friday, drive until about 9pm, pull into a truck parking area at a rest stop, sleeping in the boat for several hours, leaving in the middle of the night and completing the run. Arriving mid-day Saturday. However, I can see by all the RVing advice out there that this is not going to work with an RV. With the boat, it was simple, start the Honda inverter, start the A/C and go to sleep. With an RV there is more setup and time needed to get a few hours rest.

My new truck is an F350 Diesel. My first Diesel. So this too has added a new thing to learn. So, here are my questions:

1) When refueling, it is common or taboo to pull into the truck fueling pumps at truck stops? I see this as an easier option for refueling a diesel than pulling a 35’ trailer into the regular auto pumps.

2) Is stopping at a highway rest stop for the night a thing? I understand the premise of 2/2/2 or 3/3/3 planning, but until I retire, I will not necessarily have the luxury of doing this as I learn the ropes and expand my range further from home. Some short stops, just to get some sleep, will be necessary if I want to get to the Rockies with the amount of leave I currently get.

3) There is far more negative feedback for the RV phone apps than for the purchased GPS systems. Are the phone apps adequate for identifying fueling stations with easy access and for overnight boondocking locations?

 

[Steven@147]

I am new to the world of RVing. Got a Reflections 337RLS from a family member. I have done a lot of reading on the web, but there are three specific questions I have not really gotten answers to.
snip

My new truck is an F350 Diesel. My first Diesel. So this too has added a new thing to learn. So, here are my questions:

1) When refueling, it is common or taboo to pull into the truck fueling pumps at truck stops? I see this as an easier option for refueling a diesel than pulling a 35’ trailer into the regular auto pumps.
We always use the semi truck lanes while hitched when refueling. At @53 feet length and 13.5 height there are not a lot of auto refueling lanes that can handle our rig. We have never had any problems using the truck lanes and we immediately pull forward after refueling just like the trucks do.

2) Is stopping at a highway rest stop for the night a thing? I understand the premise of 2/2/2 or 3/3/3 planning, but until I retire, I will not necessarily have the luxury of doing this as I learn the ropes and expand my range further from home. Some short stops, just to get some sleep, will be necessary if I want to get to the Rockies with the amount of leave I currently get.
We do not over night at a rest stop, we either over night at a campground or a harvest host site. Nothing wrong with a rest stop though if it is allowed, no different than a semi driver over nighting or a short stop, but its considered bad form to extend your slides.

3) There is far more negative feedback for the RV phone apps than for the purchased GPS systems. Are the phone apps adequate for identifying fueling stations with easy access and for overnight boondocking locations?

We use RV Trip Wizard for planning our movements. Then using the RV Trip wizard GPS app for iphone, we then connect our iphone into our truck NAV screen or just use our Iphones stand alone. We like it and it has worked great for us. We also have a garmin RV660 that we use as back up and it seems to almost always select the same route as the Trip Wizard. i am not aware of an app that will tell you if a particular fuel station is adequate for your rig based on rig size information. RV Trip Wizard does use your rig information for route planning. If you plan your fuel stops with RV Trip Wizard you can link to the fuel stations web site for satellite images of the specific station. But if your using the truck stops and truck lanes for refueling it shouldn't be a problem. Now RV Trip Wizard will only show you established camp grounds it knows about, it will not identify boondocking sites or Harvest Host sites. I don't know of any app that will show you all camping options along your route (campgrounds , boondocking, rest stop over nighters, harvest host etc)

 

[jmbopp]

I also use RV Trip Wizard along with RV Parky, campgroundreviews, and sometimes The Dyrt. If we're freewheeling for the day I still have my Garmin RV660 or Google Maps. I like the Garmin if we don't have cell service. You can download state maps to RV Trip Wizard if there's no cell service also.

 

[Trainman327]

We use RV Trip Wizard for planning our movements. Then using the RV Trip wizard GPS app for iphone, we then connect our iphone into our truck NAV screen or just use our Iphones stand alone. We like it and it has worked great for us. We also have a garmin RV660 that we use as back up and it seems to almost always select the same route as the Trip Wizard. i am not aware of an app that will tell you if a particular fuel station is adequate for your rig based on rig size information. RV Trip Wizard does use your rig information for route planning. If you plan your fuel stops with RV Trip Wizard you can link to the fuel stations web site for satellite images of the specific station. But if your using the truck stops and truck lanes for refueling it shouldn't be a problem. Now RV Trip Wizard will only show you established camp grounds it knows about, it will not identify boondocking sites or Harvest Host sites. I don't know of any app that will show you all camping options along your route (campgrounds , boondocking, rest stop over nighters, harvest host etc)

I suspected extending the slides would not be appropriate. It puts your width past the 102" mark. With that said, I can see how jumping up into the bed, when not extended, is no different than the v berth on a boat. And although the galley was accessible on the boat, we never used it while stopped on land.

I have joined RV Trip Wizard and planned to give that a try. However, I have seen a bunch of feedback recently that the latest update on the app removed some much desired functionality.

 

[Trainman327]

I also use RV Trip Wizard along with RV Parky, campground reviews, and sometimes The Dyrt. If we're freewheeling for the day I still have my Garmin RV660 or Google Maps. I like the Garmin if we don't have cell service. You can download state maps to RV Trip Wizard if there's no cell service also.

All the feedback I have reviewed leads one consider the Garmin RV660 among the best out there. I may not purchase right away, because I plan to do my first few long trips to the same areas I took the boat. I know those areas very well. But when we start traveling into unknown territory, I will definitely purchase the most up to date RV Garmin GPS.

 

[Rob+Kath]

I will mostly echo Steven@147,....

1) When refueling, it is common or taboo to pull into the truck fueling pumps at truck stops? I see this as an easier option for refueling a diesel than pulling a 35’ trailer into the regular auto pumps.
When hitched or if I need DEF, I always use the Truck Lanes/Pumps. Follow the rules and fill/move forward. Never had a problem. A few truckers have approached me to see if I need help, even though I am not having a problem or moving slow. I think they are trying to be pre-emptive and keep me moving. I get it and have no problem with others trying to get their job done. The other drivers have always been courteous and so am I. There are a couple of You-Tube videos out there that will be very helpful on RV's in the Truck Stop.

2) Is stopping at a highway rest stop for the night a thing? I understand the premise of 2/2/2 or 3/3/3 planning, but until I retire, I will not necessarily have the luxury of doing this as I learn the ropes and expand my range further from home. Some short stops, just to get some sleep, will be necessary if I want to get to the Rockies with the amount of leave I currently get.
Never tried this, we always us a campground for overnights (so far).

3) There is far more negative feedback for the RV phone apps than for the purchased GPS systems. Are the phone apps adequate for identifying fueling stations with easy access and for overnight boondocking locations?
We use RV Trip Wizard and a mobile device. So far it has been very good to work with.


Just a side note. Some trucks do not follow the general courtesy rules and you can see others are not happy. One of us (self or wife) is always with the rig in the truck lane. We don't want to ever look like we parked and walked away. Lots of things to do a quick inspection on during fueling. Once you pull forward, then all is good if you need 5 or 10 minutes to do something inside.

Rob

 

[D2Reid]

1) When refueling, it is common or taboo to pull into the truck fueling pumps at truck stops? I see this as an easier option for refueling a diesel than pulling a 35’ trailer into the regular auto pumps.

As stated above do use the truck stop lanes to get diesel. I also fill my DEF tank there. Also do a search on EFS fuel card and get the Flying J RV card through the Goodsams club web sight. If you don't have those at many truck stops you will have to note the pump number, go inside pre-pay for the approximate fuel you need, then pump. Don't worry about over estimating the fuel, they only charge the card what is pumped.

It is considered good form to fill the tank, then pull forward to allow the guy behind you to fill while you go inside and take care of business.

2) Is stopping at a highway rest stop for the night a thing? I understand the premise of 2/2/2 or 3/3/3 planning, but until I retire, I will not necessarily have the luxury of doing this as I learn the ropes and expand my range further from home. Some short stops, just to get some sleep, will be necessary if I want to get to the Rockies with the amount of leave I currently get.

I too was a camping boater. You can do exactly the same thing with your RV. Be considerate with your generator noise please. You will need to make sure that overnighting is allowed at the rest areas you are interested in. There are many that state "no camping". Also take a look at Campendium for a list of free campsites.

Things have become somewhat more restrictive over the last few years, it really depends on the area that you are traveling. You will find that more densely populated areas have greater restrictions.

Getting to the Rockies; Long hard runs, I have done a few... I don't like doing night time set up's, I have broken things doing that. Tired, road foundered, can't see. Also be cognizant that out west fuel stations may be far and few, preplan your fuel stops. If you haven't already get a Tire Pressure Monitor System. I could tell when I got a flat on my boat trailer (also 30' overall...), but not on the 5th wheel. It has to do with the solidness of the hitch.

3) There is far more negative feedback for the RV phone apps than for the purchased GPS systems. Are the phone apps adequate for identifying fueling stations with easy access and for overnight boondocking locations?

There are many many options out there now. I still use the old MS Streets and Trips program that was discontinued around 2015. One day I will have to change, but still works for me. I also use the Garmin Base Camp program, google maps, google earth. It mostly depends on your tech tolerance level, what you are comfortable with always works best.

I do a multi-pronged approach to navigation. Preplanning the route I use my laptop and plan the distances and general route using the Streets and Trips program and Google Earth. Google Earth allows me to get a general idea of roads and terrain, and somewhat of an idea on what the campground looks like. Then I port the route into my Garmin GPS, I double up the guidance portion with my google maps linking the screen in my truck with my cell phone. It is now possible to download maps for use when there is no cell service. It's interesting to watch the 2 devices argue about which way to go. Which brings up that final leg, pilotage. You still have to read the signs and pay attention to which way you are headed.

 

[Steven@147]

I suspected extending the slides would not be appropriate. It puts your width past the 102" mark. With that said, I can see how jumping up into the bed, when not extended, is no different than the v berth on a boat. And although the galley was accessible on the boat, we never used it while stopped on land.

I have joined RV Trip Wizard and planned to give that a try. However, I have seen a bunch of feedback recently that the latest update on the app removed some much desired functionality.

Accessibility inside the RV while buttoned up depends on the floor plan. On ours the bathroom and bedroom is easily accessible. the right side door of our fridge can be opened with the slides closed.

that's interesting on RV Trip wizard update. I haven't used the latest version yet. thanks for that tidbit, I'll have to try it out.

 

[Trainman327]

I will mostly echo Steven@147,....


[/COLOR]Just a side note. Some trucks do not follow the general courtesy rules and you can see others are not happy. One of us (self or wife) is always with the rig in the truck lane. We don't want to ever look like we parked and walked away. Lots of things to do a quick inspection on during fueling. Once you pull forward, then all is good if you need 5 or 10 minutes to do something inside.

Rob

I think I'll fit right in. I'm about as courteous as it get's. A pet peeve of mine is people who dawdle. every minute wasted is a mile lost. I'm also very into continual safety checks of the rig. Many things can go wrong on a long haul.

 

[Trainman327]

Accessibility inside the RV while buttoned up depends on the floor plan. On ours the bathroom and bedroom is easily accessible. the right side door of our fridge can be opened with the slides closed.

that's interesting on RV Trip wizard update. I haven't used the latest version yet. thanks for that tidbit, I'll have to try it out.

Ours is the same. restroom and bedroom fully accessible as well and the right side of the fridge. Albeit the bed is in almost touching the dresser. Still easy enough to get a few hours sleep.

 

[AustexGP]

Last year we purchased the FMCA road atlas to use with our long range travels. It notes truck stops in and around the route that you are taking. We also used Google search to find gas/diesel stations that had truck stop areas.

I will use the truck stop diesel pumps if possible. Had many truckers help me when I had a problem with the pump and walk around the trailer with me while checking the tires. Just remember those pumps are set for big rigs and not a 3500, so don't leave the pump or you'll have diesel fuel running all over the place which will slow everything down while they have to do a fuel clean-up. You will not be a popular guy!

If there was a truck behind me and I had to go in to pre-pay I always told him/her what I was having to do. This way they don't think that I'm going in to shop/restroom break or something else. I did get a pilot card before our last trip and it was much easier. I have tried to use my bank debit card but some truck pumps will not accept it. Haven't had a problem with VISA or Discover card.

 

[Hoopy Frood]

JMO, but if you're planning on covering fairly large miles, invest in an auxiliary fuel tank. Makes those stops at truck stops a thing of the past. Now you can stop at rest areas, city parks, and other much more pleasant areas.

 

[Rockhound 7]

3) There is far more negative feedback for the RV phone apps than for the purchased GPS systems. Are the phone apps adequate for identifying fueling stations with easy access and for overnight boondocking locations?

While I am not travelling a lot right now, when I had my diesel Class A, I used this web site to check on truck stops. While it has a trip planning function, we used others to actually plan the route. Once we had the route, we plugged it into here to find the actual truck stops. This sites main advantage is that it shows the Google Earth view of all the truck stops. Easy to decide if you can make it or not.

http://www.findfuelstops.com

 

[SollyST310]

I am new to the world of RVing. Got a Reflections 337RLS from a family member. I have done a lot of reading on the web, but there are three specific questions I have not really gotten answers to.

I am not unexperienced at puling trailers. I have more than 50k miles pulling boats. My most recent rig was a 30’ LOA, 11,000# fully loaded Amberjack on a tri-axle. It was pulled with a ¾ ton gasser. This rig was pulled to three specific places, the furthest 1000+/- miles away from home. I knew the routes like the back of my hand, new every gas station it was easy to maneuver in and out of and every rest stop along the way. It was the usual plan to do the 1000 mile run in 24 hours. Leaving at around mid day Friday, drive until about 9pm, pull into a truck parking area at a rest stop, sleeping in the boat for several hours, leaving in the middle of the night and completing the run. Arriving mid-day Saturday. However, I can see by all the RVing advice out there that this is not going to work with an RV. With the boat, it was simple, start the Honda inverter, start the A/C and go to sleep. With an RV there is more setup and time needed to get a few hours rest.

My new truck is an F350 Diesel. My first Diesel. So this too has added a new thing to learn. So, here are my questions:

1) When refueling, it is common or taboo to pull into the truck fueling pumps at truck stops? I see this as an easier option for refueling a diesel than pulling a 35’ trailer into the regular auto pumps.

We use the Truck Fueling pumps when necessary but somewhat typically are required to go inside for payment as we don't have their accepted card. Best to estimate what amount you want to pay vs. leaving your card till you are completed! We don't like paying the Loves, Pilot, prices! We have installed a Titan 65 gallon chassis mounted aftermarket fuel tank on our F350. That gives us much better flexibility as to when and where we get fuel. We also carry a 4% fuel discount CC from Costco.

2) Is stopping at a highway rest stop for the night a thing? I understand the premise of 2/2/2 or 3/3/3 planning, but until I retire, I will not necessarily have the luxury of doing this as I learn the ropes and expand my range further from home. Some short stops, just to get some sleep, will be necessary if I want to get to the Rockies with the amount of leave I currently get.

Several of our friends do use the rest stops and have not had any issues. They all carry protection however!

3) There is far more negative feedback for the RV phone apps than for the purchased GPS systems. Are the phone apps adequate for identifying fueling stations with easy access and for overnight boondocking locations?

We use the Gas Buddy app to locate fuel and to get an idea of prices. We are about to acquire an RV friendly GPS from Garmin to replace our Factory GPS unit as they have not updated their software since 2017 and want too much for it. (Last we checked).

 

[Wandering5thwheelers]

I find this comment regarding the fuel stops very interesting, as we’ve tried in the past to use the diesel fueling stations, but we found that nozzle was bigger than the tank filler. We’ve never been able to use them in Canada.
I will have to try next trip south!

PMRob+Kath
I will mostly echo Steven@147,....

1) When refueling, it is common or taboo to pull into the truck fueling pumps at truck stops? I see this as an easier option for refueling a diesel than pulling a 35’ trailer into the regular auto pumps.
When hitched or if I need DEF, I always use the Truck Lanes/Pumps. Follow the rules and fill/move forward. Never had a problem. A few truckers have approached me to see if I need help, even though I am not having a problem or moving slow. I think they are trying to be pre-emptive and keep me moving. I get it and have no problem with others trying to get their job done. The other drivers have always been courteous and so am I. There are a couple of You-Tube videos out there that will be very helpful on RV's in the Truck Stop.

 

[krsmitty]

What is a "harvest host" site?

 

[Steven@147]

What is a "harvest host" site?

Harvest Host is an organization that people can sign up for to allow RVers to camp at different kinds of facilities over night. Some are winery's, some are farms or ranches, some are old air forces bases. We recently stayed over night at a farm in Paris Kentucky. They even had water and 50 amp power but not all Harvest Hosts sites have that kind of amenities. Do a search for Harvest Hosts and you'll get the scoop.

We pay $5 per month as members, then we can search their web site or phone app of Harvest Hosts sites for stop overs while traveling. Once a member then an overnight at a site is free boondocking, at this farm in Paris we paid $20 for overnight for the power and water. It was a very nice place.

 

[Teledoc]

I have the exact RV as you....just got a trucker's fuel card (EFS) after a fellow RV forum recommendation and downloaded the TSD Open Roads app. Just did 9 hours driving yesterday, used card first time. LOVE using the spacious trucker pump areas, with high flow diesel pumps. Now I can:
1) pay at the truck lane pump instead of going in
2) get 10-30 cents off per gallon at many stops (Loves, TA, etc)
3) App shows truckers fuel stops on app in your area, discounted price. They are all truck stops.
4) will cover DEF
Yesterday fueled three times, each was a 5 min ordeal max.
Tip....high flow nozzle a little tight, and cuts off frequently. I squeeze half way on handle to prevent at expense of slower flow.
Anyway, never will look back.
Question to group as i have not tried....DEF nozzle will fit ok (have Ram 2500)?

 

[Boogiejack75]

I have the exact RV as you....just got a trucker's fuel card (EFS) after a fellow RV forum recommendation and downloaded the TSD Open Roads app. Just did 9 hours driving yesterday, used card first time. LOVE using the spacious trucker pump areas, with high flow diesel pumps. Now I can:
1) pay at the truck lane pump instead of going in
2) get 10-30 cents off per gallon at many stops (Loves, TA, etc)
3) App shows truckers fuel stops on app in your area, discounted price. They are all truck stops.
4) will cover DEF
Yesterday fueled three times, each was a 5 min ordeal max.
Tip....high flow nozzle a little tight, and cuts off frequently. I squeeze half way on handle to prevent at expense of slower flow.
Anyway, never will look back.
Question to group as i have not tried....DEF nozzle will fit ok (have Ram 2500)?

DEF nozzle fits fine on my F350. TSD will pay for DEF, but no discount.

 

[krsmitty]

I have the exact RV as you....just got a trucker's fuel card (EFS) after a fellow RV forum recommendation and downloaded the TSD Open Roads app. Just did 9 hours driving yesterday, used card first time. LOVE using the spacious trucker pump areas, with high flow diesel pumps. Now I can:
1) pay at the truck lane pump instead of going in
2) get 10-30 cents off per gallon at many stops (Loves, TA, etc)
3) App shows truckers fuel stops on app in your area, discounted price. They are all truck stops.
4) will cover DEF
Yesterday fueled three times, each was a 5 min ordeal max.
Tip....high flow nozzle a little tight, and cuts off frequently. I squeeze half way on handle to prevent at expense of slower flow.
Anyway, never will look back.

Is the EFS truckers fuel card part of the TSD open roads app?

Answered my own question...

I did find this online...

https://www.maxtruckers.com/best-fuel-card-owner-operators-truckers/

https://www.tsdlogistics.com/services/fuel-program/