Panicked at the thought of fuel stops.

[Gavin1974]

Fairly new to caravanning, this will be our third year.

So far we've generally not been to sites much more than 3-31/2 hours away, so up until now we've been able to get to where we're going on one tank of fuel and I've not had to stress about finding a petrol station I can squeeze in and out of without hitting something.

Well, as we're now booked into Sandy Balls and which when travelling from North Wales is good 4-5 hour journey..I'm quite worried at the though of stopping for fuel along the way.

Do you plan you fuel stops in advance and if so how do you identify which petrol stations you can squeeze into?

I'll be on the M5 between junctions 6 and 11a before heading across country on the A417- Cirencester /A419 -Swindon /A346-Marlborough. If anyone can suggest stops along the way that would be much appreciated.

I'm probably making a bit of meal out of this, but it has been a quite a while since the cc towing course and I can't remember anything about manoeuvring in tight places!

Thanks

Gavin

 

[Dave_374330759]

Hi Gavin, the first time I took our van out I forgot to fill up first and realised about halfway through the journey. Stopped at a large Shell garage and had no problems whatsoever but since then I do try and fill up when the van is not hooked on but sometimes on a long journey that's just not possible.

Generally most garages are big enough although some with built-in supermarkets can get a bit problematical when the customer in front of you is parked at the pump and then does their weekly shop and buys their lottery tickets whilst your bum is sticking out in the road. Do try and make sure though that you refill in plenty of time so you don't get panicked to going into a small awkwardly placed garage without a bit of turning room. And its useful to get a pump on the ouside rather than right under the canopy although we've never had a problem.

The very worst we did was when we decided to stop at a Little Chef on the A.14 for a cuppa and suddenly realised that there isn't much turning room in a car park full of cars. We had to sit and wait in the car with the van hooked on until some people had come out and made sure that the vacated places weren't re-filled before we could extricate ourselves. We take a bottle of water and don't bother stop, although one day we have promised ourselves a treat with a layby stop somewhere

 

[thursdays child]

Gavin,yes I remember that feeling you are experiencing but worry not,we have traveled a great deal and the roadside services are accessible as a rule,Dont forget they have to have room for HGV"s.

Now here is a really scary tale!!.We are on our first trip to Spain with the van and the site we want has changed the entrance.The lane has been closed off and there is no turning area to top it all we are in a one way street.The temperature is in the mid 20"s and the air con has packed up,the BEARS are in the back of the car getting very stressed cos HIMSELF is about to abandon ship!!!!After much to-ing and fro-ing we are back on the straight and very narrow.The site we pre-booked had only 1 pitch left and HIMSELF left me and BEARS in the cool reception room to site the van.After an hour the car and caravan drove up to reception with a white faced HIMSELF expostulating"I have smashed the back in"!!!!!!!!!!It is Easter,Spanish Fathers Day,indicator out and we have nowhere to stay.Out comes the Europe book,phone call,pitch secured on a site just down the road! 2hours later we find it and having learned a costly lesson HIMSELF goes to look at the pitch to make sure there are no boulders in the way.We stayed for 2 months.LOVELY!!!!!!!!

Thursdays Child

 

[602]

Hi,

First question, how does 4 to 5 hours translate into distance? Can your car do that distance (when towing) on a tankful?

Have you thought about un hitching your caravan, and driving solo to the fuel pumps?

My worst incident of your type was when pulling my boat to Swansea from Northants. Trailer was 9 metres long, and the boat stuck out by another 1.2 metres. About 2.1 metres wide, and 3 metres to top of windscreen.

We chose to refill at a small country garage betweem Oxford and Cheltenham. Nobody else could get into the garage while we were there. Actually it was a very easy journey, cos everybody gave us lots of room, including the police car. That is until we got onto a council estate, and a biddy in a Ford Escort took offence at us lining up for a tight corner by driving on wrong side of road .... but we manage to pass each other eventually.

Don't panic, and don't let them force you to where you don't want to go.

602

 

[Gavin1974]

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

We're looking at a 200 mile journey; I will be filling up solo before setting out. Fuel capacity is 12 gallons, and I probably get 20-24mpg when towing so theoretically it could be done on one tank.

Thursdays Child- what a horrendous experience, I'm not sure I'd leave the house again after that.

 

[thursdays child]

No my friend we have no sense! The next year we set "orf agen".Us caravan folk are built of sterner stuff.You will be just the same soon you see!!! We have the pioneering spirit built in us.On the other hand we might just be "CRACKERS" gibber!!!gibber!!

Thursdays Child

 

[Sproket]

..........On the other hand we might just be "CRACKERS" gibber!!!gibber!!

 

[thursdays child]

Yes Sproket that's the very thing!!!!!

TC

 

[Thedoog]

Thank goodness some else worries about it. I started to think i was paranoid.

We are going to Norfolk from Wiltshire in July and i have already started worrying about fuel stops.

 

[Chris_374413356]

It's amazing when you are running low on fuel just how fast the needle drops and still no garage in site......And when you find one and pull in, it's closed.

Welcome to caravanning.

 

[Steve L]

Hi Gavin.

Most large garages and supermarkets have their forecourts laid out well enough so that you won't have much trouble.

If you do feel troubled by the fuelling issue, why not go to a supermarket carpark and unhitch the van, *** round to the fuel pumps and then re-hook the van. I've had to do this a few times especially at bank holidays when the garages are busy. Obviously you will need to put the clamp & hitchlock on, and I'd leave her ladyship to put on a brew while acting as security guard.

See you could kill two birds with one stone there mate.

Steve L.

 

[otherclive]

Don't risk trying the journey without a fill up as sure as eggs you will hit a traffic jam/accident and there is nothing worse than seeing the tank gauge near to empty when you can't go any where. I tend to do a pit stop quite early and top up the tank, and don't miss up the chance of popping into what looks to be a reasonable forecourt.

Cheers

Othet Clive

 

[Paul_374543684]

Having done a number of long journeys to France (up to 1000 miles over 2 days) filling up is rarely a problem especially if you "bite the bullet" and fill up on the Motorway. You may need to use the lorry sections that will often require the pre-registration of your Card. This is what we do in France - apart from the first of the Journey when "brimmed" in the local supermarket.

It is more than possible to judge it wrong and the worst episode we had was on the return from France for the first time with the van. We stopped to fill up in the Caen Carrefore. Theres was a hight barrier - no problem. Filled up, paid and then went to drive out through the barrier. OOPS not enough room to swing out and make the right angle turn - So with the French shouting and blowing their horns had to unhitch the van, move the car , oush the van out and re hitch up - all in full view of the car park.

Fortunately nothing injured but my pride. And I'm sure I was the butt of many anti-british jokes.

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Gavin

BP Supermart, Burford Road Harebushes Cirencester GL7 5DS. Tel 01285 648940.

As you travel along the A417 at the slip road junction it becomes the A419 and crosses the A429. It's signposted Cirencester services and has a very large area for HGVs and caravans.

It's down the road from me . You'll have no problem.

Cheers

Dustydog

 

[ChristineandAlan]

HI GAVIN,i think we all have that fear p/stations put your mind at rest carry spare gallon in the boot 4 long journeys like i do ,especialy abroad hope this takes the pressure off u in the future happy caravaning ALAN.

 

[steffanos]

I've been towing different things of all sizes (boats/caravans/trailers) for 30 years, and my advice to you would be to practice as often as you can.

Find an open space somewhere (may or may not be easy for you!), and take some markers/cones/buckets along with you. Place them in different positions to mimick maybe parking spaces, or petrol stations and imagine your 'line of approach' in your minds eye, (actually try to see your proposed tracks superimposed on the scene in front of you). A safe line usually means taking a wider sweep than you would with the vehicle alone, so as to give the caravan space to turn.

It also helps to get a helper/helpers with you, who can watch you back and generally help about the place - give them a whistle each to alert you to any 'real' dangers.

An important part is to stop the vehicle regularly whilst practicing and come out to see how the lines/approaches you have chosen compare to how you thought they would look, and how close you are to the ideal line. Keep practicing and take a slightly more 'risky' approach each time until you sense that you are cutting it too fine. As soon as you think you are - get out and check out the situation, are you where you thought you were in relation to the hazards? - this helps you build up a more accurate correlation, between what you imagine your line to be and where you are in reality.

Before too long you will be able to look at a situation/layout and envisage all the approach lines available to you and asses before hand what is, and just as importantly, what isn't safe!

Failing all that - just get the wife to drive!!

Good luck,

Steve.

 

[otherclive]

Once you hhave mastered fuel stops try finding a caravan bay on a French autoroute anytime between 1100 and 1400. They will be full of solo cars. Sometimes you pull in at 3-4 service areas before you find a spot, but often you say "blow it" and stick the outfit in the HGV area instead.

 

[602]

Hi,

I once entered a motorway service station, saw a sign indicating caravans should use the HGV pumps. Problen, I was towing with a 1960 Hillman Minx ..... and there were no PETROL pumps.

OT ...but it might aply to caravanners too.....

My farrier told me that people who have just bought their first horse stand and watch the first time he fits a set of shoes. The second time, they ask questions. The third time .... they tell him how to do it. His response it to hand them his tools. Its amazing how quickly you can become an expert.

602

 

[Guest]

Come come, Caravanners get enough flack.

If you're really worried about fueling up with a caravan in tow, have you made the right choice in taking up caravanning or should you even be driving?

Some garages may have limited space to turn in and out of, but how about narrow country lanes leading to sites or Cornish or Welsh roads or bad signage that takes you in to road or estates with no way out apart from making a series of reversing moves in narrow confines!

Many of our French Hypermarkets have narrow chicanes bordered by large concrete blocks as you pay from the car window at the kiosk and the chicanes prevent "drive offs". If we've run low near a hypermarket we and plenty of others have un hitched and filled up rather than mangle the van sides on 1 tonne blocks.

Plan and think out how and where you fuel up, it shouldn't ever be something to "worry about".

 

[joeby]

i allways try and fill up long before i am empty ,there's nothing worse than pulling up at the pump and seeing them locked with an out of order sign and having to reverse out if you are empty ,and least if you still have plenty in there you can drive straight through to the next filling station

 

[forestgump]

use motorway srvices you pay more but its easy to get in and out and its not a vast amount on the fuel.

 

[ALH]

Gavin,

If you are really paranoid, drive to the caravan parking area, unhitch and drive solo to the pump. Leave someone to look after the van of course! You will just have to be very careful that you don't exit onto the motorway on your own ;-)

Al

 

[Pat_374304630]

Gavin,

If yours is a diesel don't be tempted to use the HGV pumps as the nozzles are bigger and won't fit cars. Here's a tip. You will generally ( but not always ) find that BP garages tend to have larger spaces at the pumps.

 

[DeliDave]

I've used them and the only problem is they are more powerful so you can get a diesel shower if your not careful

 

[waffler]

When planning he journey go to www.petrolprices.com and type in the place where you think you might fill up. That will give you the 5 cheapest places. Use google earth to have a look. If in doubt phone them and ask.