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Old 12-04-2020, 05:09 PM   #41
Slow Hand
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Originally Posted by beeje View Post
Not that its a big deal, but know one mentioned that the extra sized fuel tank and fuel adds weight which reduces your payload by possibly, 2-300 pounds. Not a big issue if you have the payload to spare. The SRW 1 ton guys could have an issue. The 3/4 ton guys will more that likely have an issue. Just saying.
I have a super cab short bed so I can't even add a larger tank under the truck.
 
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Old 12-04-2020, 06:49 PM   #42
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On my 3rd Ford diesel without a problem! The truck stop pumps are great, fast fill! Not to mention room to maneuver and much safer. With TSD card the discounts are great at Petro, T/A and others. I also have a long bed so a 48 gallon tank plus an aux tank. Easily go 2 days pulling 16K # without needing fuel towing. So much time wasted fueling every 200 miles, stop when and where you want not when your fuel dictates. We stop often but prefer truck stops or rest areas, never a gas station on the road with the 5er and car drivers. Been there, never again!
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Old 12-04-2020, 08:21 PM   #43
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Find an old Ram 5.9 Cummins, all problems solved.
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Old 12-05-2020, 08:30 AM   #44
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We are both retired. We have been traveling the country and having fun. We have no particular schedule. Driving 10,12,14 hours is not fun and we do not do it. The average travel day may be 9 or 10 hours and that includes fuel stops and lunch breaks . We both drive the rig and normally would swap drivers at each fuel stop. We prefer FJ/Pilot and use the RV plus card. We are frugal but not cheap. We will not drive 5 miles for cheaper fuel 5 miles to get the fuel and 5 miles back is 10 miles and a gallon of fuel. We each have a travel mode .We are fortunate that we can travel as we do. After 14 ears and well over 100K miles our map is full and we are slowing down. It has been a good ride.
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Old 12-05-2020, 08:35 AM   #45
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Find an old Ram 5.9 Cummins, all problems solved.
I had a 97. Mash the gas petal and the RPM,s would go up, but it would not go much faster. Nearly impossible to pass anybody. LOL

Night and day difference from todays diesel trucks.
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Old 12-05-2020, 02:20 PM   #46
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One more thought... you never know when you may decide to upgrade to a larger coach.

That was one of the things the DW and I talked about early on. Our dream coach is the 3120RL. It's actually just a bit longer than we want. But the layout for us is perfect. We're used to packing light, and being fine with it. Plastic cups, melamine plates etc. We've had good practice keeping our current rig light as I tow with an ecoboost and keep the RV around 8300-8500 lbs. I'm fairly sure if we get one, our travel weight will be well below the maximum cargo rating. We'll see how it plays out. Thanks for everyone's help
When I was shopping for a TV with the intension of getting a 5er, I really looked at all aspects of gasser vs diesel. I went with diesel because it is superior for towing. Better mpg, much better torque to the wheels, better for mountains/hills running lower rpm’s, as far as I know all 2500-3500 and larger come with engine/ exhaust braking as a standard feature though I know gassers also have this available. Never had an issue with DEF fluid and add it after about 6 or so fuel fill ups. I usually get a warning with 250-300 miles in advance. When leaving on a long trip I’ll throw a couple gallons in the truck bed and never worry I’ll run out. I run a chevy diesel 3500 SWR and 36 gallon tank. My mpg towing a 41’ Monty is 10-12 mpg depending on road and weather conditions. Traveling In Montana and Wyoming in the mountains I averaged 10 mpg towing my 5er. If you decide to get even a slightly bigger RV, you will want a diesel. I never have had an issue finding fuel, especially with just a little advance planning. Download the GAS BUDDY app and you can easily plan gas stops, with cost savings in mind. Good Sam has some good discounts at Flying J and Pilot travel centers. When Sams clubs have diesel, they are usually the cheapest and with some careful maneuvering not a problem getting in and out. If not sure, Google earth and street view will give you a good idea of room to maneuver. I have never had an issue with cover heights. Hope this helps. IMO, diesel is the way to go if towing is in the future. Safe Travels.
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Old 12-05-2020, 09:55 PM   #47
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...oh man and I bought another RAM, lol.

I didn't even put a single tank through the OEM tank before I upgraded it to a 52 gallon titan tank.

Oh well, it cost a few bucks but now I should have enough

Brad
I put the 55gallon Titan tank in my Ram but I had already purchase a 20 gallon remote ... so now i can carry 75 total. The 55 gallon meets all our needs for a regular day of towing - oh so nice to fuel at convenience
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Old 12-07-2020, 07:47 PM   #48
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Been using a Ford 350 6.7 for 9 years and never had a DEF problem. . I use the commercial side of truck stops getting both diesel and DEF. Just tell them your private party. I pull a 40.5 3790 and depding on the terrain I ave 9 -12 mpg. Switched to a Pullrite SuperLite saved the back and easy to remove from PU
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Old 12-08-2020, 08:54 AM   #49
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As to our use of Gasbuddy... I'm not talking about searching after the fact and driving back 10 miles, or to drive miles out of the way to some tiny gas bar in the middle of a town to save a few pennies.
But it sure has been nice to know well ahead of time that the truck stop on the far end of town is 40+ cents cheaper than the ones on the near side.... or that the one on this side of town is the place to stop. That has happened regularly... once I calculated we saved over $100 in a single week of travel; I figure GasBuddy has saved me $500+ since I started using it (I don't manually track how much I saved on each fill-up from highest price... that would be way too much work! But I've traveled 30,000+ miles in 3 years so it adds up...)
So we're not talking pennies here; you can buy some tools with that right there ... and I didn't do anything other than pick which truck stop to use when I needed one...

Like you, we start looking for fuel about 100 miles out. Gasbuddy makes that so easy - I tell my wife I need fuel in xx miles and my wife starts searching on the app. Often she will skip the town ahead because she knows we can get to the next one where it's cheaper. Once she finds the ideal stop, she tells me well ahead of time how many miles ahead, which exit to look for, what station it is, and whether to turn left or right at the bottom of the off ramp.

I also like how easy it is to use when fueling up: enter just 2 things - your odometer and the dollar amount. From the built in GPS it already knows which station you are at, what the fuel price is, then calculates how many gallons you filled. If the fuel price is off, you adjust it and it adjusts your gallons filled; then the next user gets the updated price.

Also when you enter just those 2 things, it will automatically create a fuel log that calculates things like the total mileage, accurate fuel consumption rating and the total cost for the trip. My wife likes that it has the history of which stations we used last time we were there, so on routes we travel more frequently she always searches for them first... I could open the app right now and tell you those details about every trip for the past 3 or 4 years that I've been using it and it takes me about 30 seconds per fuel stop to have all that.


So, that's why I like it... if you don't use Gasbuddy, what do you use? I'm always open to suggestions if there is something better ...

Brad
I was not aware of this feature in Gasbuddy. Where do you access it? I'm looking at it and not seeing it. I'm not much of a techie though.
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Old 12-08-2020, 09:09 AM   #50
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I was not aware of this feature in Gasbuddy. Where do you access it? I'm looking at it and not seeing it. I'm not much of a techie though.
Sorry Jim, which feature are you curious about?

Brad
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Old 12-08-2020, 10:19 AM   #51
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Love Gas Buddy. Sometimes we have found fuel 60 cents cheaper just by driving a few blocks.
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Old 12-08-2020, 11:30 AM   #52
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Here in western Va you pay more in gas taxes if you live close to I81. They are letting travelers help pay for improvements to the interstate.
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Old 12-08-2020, 05:47 PM   #53
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Sorry Jim, which feature are you curious about?

Brad
Where you enter the mileage and amount and keep a log. It appeared that is a feature in Gasbuddy.
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Old 12-08-2020, 06:04 PM   #54
kowbra
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Where you enter the mileage and amount and keep a log. It appeared that is a feature in Gasbuddy.
For sure!
The way I usually do it is to go to "my car" then "add fuel log".
I'm not at a pump right now, so it won't come up with all of the details for me, but try it out and see if that works.

Brad
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Old 12-09-2020, 04:57 AM   #55
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For sure!
The way I usually do it is to go to "my car" then "add fuel log".
I'm not at a pump right now, so it won't come up with all of the details for me, but try it out and see if that works.

Brad
Nice, I never noticed that. I'll give it a try.
Tks.
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Old 12-09-2020, 10:32 AM   #56
Randy E
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Lerd,

I'm a big believer in extra fuel tanks. I use TransferFlow 75 gallon tank in the bed. I have a dually diesel 4x4, and can leave my home in western PA, (not far from Akron) and make it to Disney World Orlando FL. without filling up. I'm on fumes when I arrive, but I know my limits. No better peace of mind than knowing you can fuel up when you want to, and not when you have to. I can always get a better price on fuel by looking on gasbuddy app and saving money. I usually fill up once we get to the campground and are unhooked. It's much easier this way. 109 gallons of fuel is fantastic. No need to stop unless you want to. The fuel transfers automatically and my fuel gage is always correct.
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Old 12-09-2020, 12:41 PM   #57
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Love my Ram

I started in 1991 with a 91 1/2 Cummins to tow our new 12,000 pound Avion. Had a 30 gallon tank and the first 2,000 miles I drove her empty trips around town, 50 or hundred mile trips to get an idea of fuel usage. Old pilot rule - NEVER TRUST THE FUEL GUAGE ! I watched and as soon as the low fuel light came on and stayed on I topped her off. I put over 400 K on that rig and she was consistent. always 8 gal left in tank when the light came on. 19 to 20 mpg empty I fudged at 17 mpg and knew I could go another 90 miles with reserve. Three more rigs since, a 98 1/2 with 35 gal tank, a 99 ditto, and now a 2006 same. The lights on those were not as kind giving only 5 gallons left but the mileage was a little better. The last three get 18 in city and 14 towing a 329RL Mountaineer. When we purchased the Avion I was driving a 1975 Power Wagon. Towed ok but 5 to 6 MPG was just ridiculous.

Anyway, Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all and let's hope we can get out there next year!
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Old 12-09-2020, 08:02 PM   #58
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Lerd,

I'm a big believer in extra fuel tanks. I use TransferFlow 75 gallon tank in the bed. I have a dually diesel 4x4, and can leave my home in western PA, (not far from Akron) and make it to Disney World Orlando FL. without filling up. I'm on fumes when I arrive, but I know my limits. No better peace of mind than knowing you can fuel up when you want to, and not when you have to. I can always get a better price on fuel by looking on gasbuddy app and saving money. I usually fill up once we get to the campground and are unhooked. It's much easier this way. 109 gallons of fuel is fantastic. No need to stop unless you want to. The fuel transfers automatically and my fuel gage is always correct.
Before COVID, the wife and I would meet our friends from near Clarion in Hermitage about once a month. That was our half-way point. Or close enough anyway. When you can, get some good Italian food in Sharpsville at Muscarella's. I was checking out external and replacement tanks the last few days. I noticed that you can't use gravity feed on gasoline. It's a simple enough fix by adding a return line and vapor hose with a powered fuel pump. But, it's one more possible failure point. Just more decisions to mull over this coming year. One thing that crosses my mind when I think of extended fuel tanks is being able to fuel in PA, and making it to Maine without any NY, CT or MA fuel taxes!
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