Hi sorry of this has been asked before but I can't see anything under search.
How does everyone manage refuelling with a caravan on tow? We've managed so far but had a few scarey moments in petrol stations! Are the hgv pumps suitable for cars?
We always set off with a full tank but on really long journeys we need to re fuel eg we live in yorkshire and travel to the eurotunnel or southern ports each year
Never really had a problem going down to the south coast ports / tunnel; with HGV pumps the fuel comes out much faster, not very good for a cars small tank. Always use A1M, A14, M11, M25 & M20.
The nozzles are bigger so I don't think they fit car tank filler necks for a start...
The fuelling pump it's self is bigger too, so it comes out at a high flow rate and pressure, thus helping us truckers.
Even if you did get the nozzle into your tank, will the air get out quick enough when filling? As you may burst your tank if it can't 'vent' quick enough...
Just use normal car pumps...
Park a little further off the pump when lining up... And let the hose come to you - not you get as close as possible to the pump / hose...
Plan ahead so you can Google maps and Google Street view the fuel station layout beforehand.
The motorway pumps are usually "easier" but you pay dear for fuel purchased that way.
In France I have found with the unmanned 24 hour Hypermarket pumps, using a credit card these can often be used. In times past I uncoupled in Hymermarkets and left my good lady to care for it as I went off to refuel.
Luckily these days our tow cars can do more miles than I am prepared to tow each day, so fuelling can be done solo more often than not.
HGV pump will fill your car tank way too quickly, its likely to just overflow before you can blink. Thats if the nozzle actually fits your filler.
I filled my lorry up at a station one day and some guy in an Astra or Escort van pulled up. I said you shouldnt use that pump. He swore at me and said i can use any (((bleep...bleep))) pump i like..
I just thought OK. and then nearly wet myself laughing as he squeezed the nozzle like a car pump and it went everywhere... Probably half a cupful into the tank and a gallon all over him and the floor. I mentioned it to the garage owner who was not pleased at all.
If you are ferrying out of Portsmouth for eg. theres a big Sainsburys petrol station at Fareham just off the M27, which is about 3 miles from the port. I always fill up there after also travelling from Yorkshire.
I know there will be those that are happy to get to the other side and fill up there to save a shilling. But the thought of landing in France, with a caravan on the back and running on fumes, in the hope of getting to a fuel station thats open/big enough/not full of tractors, scares me to death.
On the flip side, theres a place about 20k from St.Malo in a little village whos name escapes me, that i fill up for the return trip up North.
Quote: Originally posted by Mick S. on 29/7/2017
If you are ferrying out of Portsmouth for eg. theres a big Sainsburys petrol station at Fareham just off the M27, which is about 3 miles from the port. I always fill up there after also travelling from Yorkshire.
That must be Sainsbury's Broadcut. I would be reticent to recommend that one as only one lane is viable with a reasonably sized caravan.
Using Google Maps, Street View check it for yourself at these coordinates; 50.857584, -1.174276
An alternative with a couple more viable lanes to choose, and very little of a detour is Tesco's North Harbour at 50.845437, -1.096759
Of all the easiest, lowest detour option is to just overshoot the port turn off and use the Shell service station along side the port at coodinates 50.809552, -1.086967.
Simply don't use the run-off signed to the port but run off the end of the M275 onto the dual carriageway, pulling to the right to do a U turn on the quickly reached roundabout. Then up the return leg left lane turn into the Shell station; several lanes are viable and exiting and going into the port is easy and only a few 100 metres.
Thank you everyone. I thought that re the hgv pumps but wanted to check.
We've never had a problem in france as find the forecourts are normally quite spacious.
The scary moments relate to smaller filling stations in this country. We have a big car and big caravan so manouvering around some in the uk can be tricky!
Quote: Originally posted by peter1474 on 29/7/2017
Never yet had a problem at filling the car+van at any petrol pump.
Tango55, read the post properly, a car/van at an HGV pump yes scary.
Yes, I agree that the OP was asking about HGV pumps but didn't actually say that it was related to their scary moments but now they have replied (above) the question was actually related to manouvring issues. I think that's why they asked about the HGV pumps merely because there is more space available adjacent to these pumps in comparison to a standard pump on the forecourt.
However, I only have a small car and caravan in relation to some of the outfits on the road and can well understand the OP's concern regarding small filling stations being a little on the small side which some of them are. What I usually do is plan my route via Google Earth, calculate the mileage when I need to refill with fuel then look on street view for suitable fuel stations directly on the main route and then decide which are suitable and which are not.
We always carried a 5 Litre container of diesel "just in case".
Brittany Ferries allow 5 litres.
http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/faq/travel-information/can-i-transport-petrol/diesel-cans
The Tunnel, 5 in a plastic container, but 20 in metal. No more than 30 in total.
https://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/carriage-of-reserve-fuel-containers/
Cherbourg & Calais both have big spacious fuel stops soon as you roll off, 24hr take cards , plenty space
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Sorry to hijack the thread, but I'm wanting to plan my refuels on a long trip we're going on but being new to towing I'm not sure what mileage I should expect.
Tow car is a 1.5 diesel Scenic, 1095kg is max weight of van. I normally get about 50mpg when driving it solo (bit of a heavy foot ) so what (at least very roughly) should I expect when towing with a lot of motorway miles?
Quote: Originally posted by Mick S. on 29/7/2017
If you are ferrying out of Portsmouth for eg. theres a big Sainsburys petrol station at Fareham just off the M27, which is about 3 miles from the port. I always fill up there after also travelling from Yorkshire.
That must be Sainsbury's Broadcut. I would be reticent to recommend that one as only one lane is viable with a reasonably sized caravan.
Using Google Maps, Street View check it for yourself at these coordinates; 50.857584, -1.174276
An alternative with a couple more viable lanes to choose, and very little of a detour is Tesco's North Harbour at 50.845437, -1.096759
Of all the easiest, lowest detour option is to just overshoot the port turn off and use the Shell service station along side the port at coodinates 50.809552, -1.086967.
Simply don't use the run-off signed to the port but run off the end of the M275 onto the dual carriageway, pulling to the right to do a U turn on the quickly reached roundabout. Then up the return leg left lane turn into the Shell station; several lanes are viable and exiting and going into the port is easy and only a few 100 metres.
I cannot argue with your local knowledge, but the station doesnt strike me as 'awkward' in any way. My outfit is 13 metres, and i've never struggled.
Quote: Originally posted by hightower on 16/8/2017
Sorry to hijack the thread, but I'm wanting to plan my refuels on a long trip we're going on but being new to towing I'm not sure what mileage I should expect.
Tow car is a 1.5 diesel Scenic, 1095kg is max weight of van. I normally get about 50mpg when driving it solo (bit of a heavy foot ) so what (at least very roughly) should I expect when towing with a lot of motorway miles?
Thanks,
If you think that you will get, at best, 60% of the non towing consumption, then you are looking at 30 mpg at the very best, more likely 25.
We get, with a larger engine 70/40 at best, but nearer 35 when towing on motorways up mountains in France.
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Topic: Re fuelling with Caravan
) so what (at least very roughly) should I expect when towing with a lot of motorway miles?
