Fuel along Oregon Coast

[Bob Jae]

Are there any truck stops along the Oregon Coast Hwy 101?  We are near Lincoln City heading down to Seal Rock and would like to top off the tanks.  A search on the internet is not turning up much.  The stations we saw look pretty tight to get a coach and toad into.  Hoping some of your Oregon folks would know where to fill up.

[Grant Ralston]

Bob,

I live in Lincoln City and I always fuel up in the "valley" before coming home.  Your best bet in Lincoln City heading South is the Shell station on the East side of Hwy 101 just South of City Hall and the Goodwill.  It will require a left turn onto the hwy to continue South, but there is plenty of room around the pumps.  If you are at the Casino, as you leave at the top of the hill at the Hwy 101 intersection is another Shell, much smaller layout, but it can be done since you will make a right directly into the pumps and another right out onto the Highway.  Are you already South of LC?

[Roy C Tyler]

There are no truck stops on 101 on the Oregon Coast.  Most trucks use Pacific Pride or CFN on the coast. I don't think there is any place to fuel up between the bridge in Newport and Seal Rock.

[William Jordan]

Truck stops ? , no but there are plenty of fuel stations and lots of workers with pickup trucks and trailers  that use fuel stations that can accommodate them as there are a bunch  Since my onboard fuel can get me up and down the coast I normally don't fuel there mostly because the cost is higher.

[Bob Jae]

Grant we are in Neskowin until Tuesday Morning.  Thanks.  Planning to go out Route 20 after Seal Rock stay.  We may have enough fuel on board but would like to take some on just to be sure.

[Grant Ralston]

Bob,

I just checked and the only station in Lincoln City that currently has diesel is the Space Age station, west side of Hwy 101 just south of the D-river.  You should be able to shoulder your way to the pump easy enough and it is easy on/off when going South on Hwy 101.   The central Oregon Coast just isn't very friendly for diesel motorhomes low on fuel, but it is hard to beat for the nice scenery. 

[Bob Jae]

Thanks Grant.  We are enjoying the views.

[Roy C Tyler]

In Newport, the Chevron stations carry diesel but be aware that they only dispense on pumps 1 & 2.  These are the inside pumps near the store front.  The Chevron just a few blocks south of Walmart on the west side of 101 would be your best bet.  There is another one just before you cross the bridge in Newport and it is also on the west side of 101 but it is smaller and looks to be a little harder to get in and out of.

[Bob Jae]

Thanks Chuck

[Bob Jae]

I just checked out the Space Age and fueled up our Honda CRV.  They have B20 diesel.  They actually suggested the Chevron up the road and so I pulled in there and they have #2 straight diesel.  Hopefully we can pull in there tomorrow if they are not busy.  Otherwise I will try  in Newport.  I may have enough but I never like to let it get too low.

[David T. Richelderfer]

I have topped-off my fuel tank a couple times using a 5-gallon and 6-gallon gas can.  When I go shopping I just fill them and drop the diesel in the coach's tank.  When I am parked in a spot for several weeks, like we will be in the Foothills of Yuma in Nov and Dec, it's easier to fill the tank using the little gas cans than packing up the coach and driving to a service station.  Between all the trips to Fry's, WalMart, Los Algodones, etc., we drive right by service stations with expensive diesel, cheap diesel, and, I suppose, all B-levels.

The biggest problem I have since becoming retired 15 1/2 years ago is getting enough exercise.  Holding a 6-gallon gas can up to chest level while it empties is good exercise.  Of course, 18 to 27 holes of golf four or five times per week is good exercise too.

Part of my point here is that if you had a gas can, then you could get a few gallons at a time to get you past the small service stations until you get back to the truck stop stations.

[Joel Ashley]

Once again I find an opportunity to recommend Pioneer Fuel.  There are plenty of Pacific Pride (and perhaps other outlets these days) with which Pioneer is affiliated scattered across the West, and especially Oregon and Washington.  After going dead half way up a hill between Bandon and Coos Bay 15 years ago in our old Pace Arrow (because I thought I had a quarter tank but the hill changed all that), I was so embarrassed that I made it a point afterwards to look for fuel at half a tank or thereabouts.

I find it pretty difficult to get 200-300 miles from a Pacific Pride facility in Oregon, and they are almost always easy in, easy out, and the bulk of the time I'm the only machine of any kind in the station.  When fuel may be reaching the half tank mark the next travel day, the night before I try to check their website for appropriate locations;  it usually gives some description of the locale's orientation, access, and directions, so I know what I'm getting into well ahead of time.  Pacific Pride used to issue an annual book of their locations, but during the recession there was such a surge of suppliers closing down, that the listings were all too often inaccurate.  So I'm not certain they still publish that guide;  more likely not now because so many new suppliers come on line so regularly that an annual book coudn't keep up anyway.

Their prices may not be posted at the pumps, but I've always found them competitive ultimately, so I quit fretting about that aspect;  easy in, easy out was most important.  They used to charge credit accounts, but a few years back they changed to an automatic first of the month withdrawal of whatever the previous month's cost was from our checking account.  Since I record my fill-ups in a log, I can estimate what that amount will be and manage for it.

I've often filled up at Pacific Pride along the coast, and recall feeling secure from passing them often along 101.

Joel

[Bob Jae]

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions.  I did get fueled up today at the Chevron in Lincoln City.  We did not tow today and I did have to back up but plenty of room if there are not a lot of cars filling up.  They sell straight #2 diesel.  The Space Age station is B-20.  So we should be all set now.

[Bob Jae]

Joel how does one sign up with Pioneer Fuels

[David T. Richelderfer]

Generally in the state of Oregon one has to have a business and be able to prove it annually, and must use a minimum gallons of fuels annually to qualify for self-service fueling.  Only Oregon and New Jersey do not allow the public to dispense fuels into their vehicles' tanks.  I do not recall the annual minimum gallons required to be purchased in Oregon, but I think it's about 900 gallons.

I have both CFN and Pacific Pride cards.  They rarely get used for various reasons, one being prices are not posted and another is prices in my experience are usually a bit higher.  Why they're higher I have no idea.

I am required to submit a Schedule F from my tax filings and a listing of my fuel usage, both annually, to maintain access to the CFN and Pacific Pride fueling stations.  This fuel usage, one summation, is for all fuels purchased in any and all states, not just the fuels dispensed using CFN and Pacific Pride cards.

My CFN and Pacific Pride cards are issued through Bend Oil Co., an owned subsidiary of Mid Columbia Producers.  Inn any event, I would recommend getting a RVPlus Card from the Pilot-Flying J network.  This card does not require much - only an adequate credit rating - and saves from 4c to 12c per gallon depending upon the station location and fuel type purchased.