[DutchmenSport]

I'm also a member of that club that doesn't care for truck stops. I use regular auto gas stations, although my truck is diesel. The challenge with diesel pumps, is finding them. Very few gas stations have the diesel pumps marked boldly enough you can actually see where they are located before pulling into the lot.

Still, I'd rather do this than put up with all the nasties at truck stops. Besides, in Indiana there are 2 different fuel prices, and they are always confusing, especially at truck stops. There is "Auto" price for the civilian drivers, which includes taxes. And then there is "Exempt" prices for commercial carriers. When pulling up to the commercial truck pumps, you never know which is right, since I'm not a commercial carrier. Very confusing. That's why I prefer the pumps at the "normal-regular" gas stations. Not to mention, I've not seen very many truck-stop big rig pump bays that are actually clean. The one exception is the I-80 Truck Stop in Iowa. Now that one is fantastic. It's the only exception I've seen.

But, maybe my mind set is different. I kind of like challenges, and I find it interesting to attempt to conquer awkward parking situations with my 41 foot 5er. So, navigating the truck and 5er to the pump and then navigating out of the fuel station add to the overall camping experience. Plus it forces me to sharpen my driving skills.

About overhead clearances? I've never had a problem with that. The fuel stations that have lower canopies? Well, almost always, they have very difficultly laid out pump lanes that are almost impossible to navigate with even a Volkswagon Bug. And, I've learned to avoid fueling in metropolitan areas. This also eliminates the really tight or impossible to navigate fuel stations. When towing, I try to fuel up in less populated or congested areas.

Also, we use the GasBuddy app, which is great for locating stations that sell diesel, and then comparing with Google Map (satellite view), helps a lot in determine if I even want to try the next station up the road. That's what my wife does when I'm driving. She's comparing GasBuddy with Google Maps for easier access to the pumps, because sometimes....they really are impossible to navigate with a 41 foot 5er!