User friendly petrol stations - is there a map??
I'm new to touring and luckily have the excellent Subaru Forester 2.5XT as a family car, and now tow car.
The only problem being 17-18 mpg when fully loaded with the Van on the back which means a 160-180 mile range.
Has a 'map' available for user friendly filling stations?? Our outfit is loooooong, and I don't like the idea of having to rely on 'the next petrol station we come across' as access could easily be impossible.
Thanks in advance
Comments
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I'm not aware of such a map, we too have a long outfit.
We usually look on the satnav for petrol stations near our route if we need to fill up, and find that supermarket ones are generally pretty good for access, plus most of the big names like Shell, BP etc.
On routes we use a lot, we now know where all the good fuel stops are, and these days, apart from our first and last day, we rarely go so far between stops that we need to fill with the van hitched up.
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Don't know of such an app I'm afraid, as I have had a vehicle capable of 350 miles between fill ups, longer than I have had a smart phone. However, back when we used to tow with a petrol Mondeo and got terrible mpg, we always stuck to stations on the main
trunk roads, unless we new them. Not the cheapest I am afraid but we never had any problems.0 -
Ye Gods, Adingley that question takes me a very long way back !! In the early 60's there was an ESSO map, thin & fragile tho' it was that shewed the ESSO stations certainly as far North as the Scottish "Central Belt"
but it would be very Out of Date now, thats assuming you could find one without raiding a Museum !!Reckon you'll have to spend an hour or three in Smiths, Waterstones etc etc ploughing thro what ever they have in stock !!
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The only problem I have had is that I take up more than my fair share of pumps which is a bit frustrating for the guy behind.
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I don't think there is such a map, Adingley, but in all honesty I doubt your outfit will be any longer than the average tow car and caravan. I think the secret is to fill up before you get too low on fuel and that way you will have enough to carry on in
the unlikely event of a garage being unsuitable.0 -
Ye Gods, Adingley that question takes me a very long way back !! In the early 60's there was an ESSO map, thin & fragile tho' it was that shewed the ESSO stations certainly as far North as the Scottish "Central Belt"
but it would be very Out of Date now, thats assuming you could find one without raiding a Museum !!Reckon you'll have to spend an hour or three in Smiths, Waterstones etc etc ploughing thro what ever
Ye Gods, Adingley that question takes me a very long way back !! In the early 60's there was an ESSO map, thin & fragile tho' it was that shewed the ESSO stations certainly as far North as the Scottish "Central Belt"
but it would be very Out of Date now, thats assuming you could find one without raiding a Museum !!Reckon you'll have to spend an hour or three in Smiths, Waterstones etc etc ploughing thro what ever they have in stock !!
Haha! Well I was thinking a digital map but same problem remains, I don't think there is one
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I don't think there is such a map, Adingley, but in all honesty I doubt your outfit will be any longer than the average tow car and caravan. I think the secret is to fill up before you get too low on fuel and that way you will have enough to carry on in
the unlikely event of a garage being unsuitable.You're probably right, there's probably only a meter or 2 difference in any total outfit length. Thanks for the tip of simply trying an earlier station than needed to at least give myself I chance if it's too tight etc
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Have never had a problem at any petrol station in any country.
Drive in slowly and normally the outside lanes/pumps are the easiest
I just had the problem of the tail of the Van swinging towards the pumps as I go to pull away. My filler cap is on the right and many pumps just aren't long to reach round
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I'm not aware of such a map, we too have a long outfit.
We usually look on the satnav for petrol stations near our route if we need to fill up, and find that supermarket ones are generally pretty good for access, plus most of the big names like Shell, BP etc.
On routes we use a lot, we now know where all the good fuel stops are, and these days, apart from our first and last day, we rarely go so far between stops that we need to fill with the van hitched up.
Ok so after reading all these I figured it needn't be stressful.
* just use Google satellite view and Street view to scope out a couple of stops at approx fillup mileage to give myself a chance
* take my time entering to suss the best pump for me to depart from
* if in doubt...just take up a couple of pumps!
Thanks all!
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Adingley, thanks for acknowledging the responses. So many people don't bother and it can be disheartening for those who've taken the trouble to offer advice.
Good luck on your travels.
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Would it not be worth having a word with the forecourt attendant to see if you could use the pump(s) designated for HGV use?.....
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Apart from the higher pressure as Steve suggests ..... Costco have a high pressure button on the pump - it's a bit high for a car - apparently!
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the only time I've pulled up at a HGV pump, the nozzle was too big to go into the neck of my car.0 -
Would it not be worth having a word with the forecourt attendant to see if you could use the pump(s) designated for HGV use?.....
I think Adingley's car has a petrol engine.....
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Would it not be worth having a word with the forecourt attendant to see if you could use the pump(s) designated for HGV use?.....
I think Adingley's car has a petrol engine.....
Ooooops
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never found a forecourt I couldn't get my car and caravan on to fill up .......
Far north of Scotland, there can be a few! But always possible to unhitch to get car into a tight space.
We did find one in Ullapool a few years back where we decided it was not caravan friendly.
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You should have no problems on motorways either in this country or abroad but beware some of the supermarket stations on the Continent, some are deliberately designed to discourage HGVs. Tinwheeler gave the best tip, don't let your tank get too low. I used to tow with a car which gave a similar mileage and when I was down to a quarter of a tank full always started looking for a convenient garage, I still do this even with my motorhome.
peedee
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I've never had a problem either - and most supermarkets have ample space. I tend to research my favourite supermarkets in the areas I am going so I can get filled up at them rather than expensive motorway ones. And of course keep the loyalty points going.
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Would it not be worth having a word with the forecourt attendant to see if you could use the pump(s) designated for HGV use?.....
I think Adingley's car has a petrol engine.....
Ooooops
......Yup, not sure how many HGV's like 99 Ron petrol!
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Adingley, thanks for acknowledging the responses. So many people don't bother and it can be disheartening for those who've taken the trouble to offer advice.
Good luck on your travels.
No problem at all. Specialist forums are invaluable!
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You should have no problems on motorways either in this country or abroad but beware some of the supermarket stations on the Continent, some are deliberately designed to discourage HGVs. Tinwheeler gave the best tip, don't let your tank get too low. I used
to tow with a car which gave a similar mileage and when I was down to a quarter of a tank full always started looking for a convenient garage, I still do this even with my motorhome.peedee
1/4 tank gives about 30 miles before the petrol light comes on towing, might start looking at half a tank!!
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On topic ..... What's a user friendly pump?
Too many variables for a map .... How long is the set up? How confident are you behind the wheel of a 40 ft unit? Etc etc etc ...
Good point! What's handy for me won't be handy for everyone!
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You should have no problems on motorways either in this country or abroad but beware some of the supermarket stations on the Continent, some are deliberately designed to discourage HGVs.
The worst ones are the ones where they want you to pay at a kiosk on the way out. High kerbs to funnel you to the kiosk and sharp corners. Even if there are no height restrictions they are bad news as far as I am concerned.
peedee
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Although I have a range of over 400 miles whilst towing, I've usually had enough of towing after 150 - 170 or so miles. If we're doing a long trip we tend to stop off after that sort of mileage and I take the opportunity to fill up once the van is unhitched.
But then, we're retired so we can take our time if we want to - not everyone can do this.0 -
It can be entertaining. When I used to tow a caravan we drove onto a forecourt only to find the exit was impossible to get out of. Ok for a car but not something towing a 27ft caravan. So SWMBO gets out walks to the back and holds the traffic up while I
reversed out. All done by mirrors no cameras in those days.0
