xctraveler wrote: We are at the end of our annual 7,000 mile cross country trip. We have used Flying J more than any other single provider because of the RV Island, propane and dump station. They are not all well laid out, some did not start as Flying J - the Chiswell VA J started out as a Pilot and shows it.
We keep our list of stations and have marked up those we avoid and those that have strange entrance arrangements so we know what we face. DW has a regular correspondence with FJ Customer service reporting our complaints when the service or maintenance of store is lousy. The Deming NM J is gone and the new Lordsburg NM J is a pleasure. I could go on but enough!
That Chiswell, if it is the one I think it is (on 81 near 77) should be avoided at all costs. It took us OVER an hour to fuel up there a few years ago because it was not designed for large vehicles. Not only was their a traffic jam but the pumps were amazingly slow. I informed management but the guy looked at me like I was from Mars.
When we had our Ambassador it was never filled at anything but a Flying J. Same with our current gasser until last April when suddenly the price at FJ on I-75 at Resaca GA was"only" 15 cents a gallon higher than Pilot at 326. We found the Pilot access easy (keep in mind we are down from 41 ft to 32.5 ft - but still towing a Tahao) and can fuel at the regular pumps with no problem. We find the usual Subway/MacDonalds combo better as well, AND as I said the washrooms have been far better. Most of the Pilots we've stopped at look to be much newer than the FJ's we've been stopping at.
Don, Bev & Phil
07 Jayco 32SS on Kodiak May 07 Yahoo Kodiak Group
06 HR Amb 40PLQ ISC 330/950 9/05-5/07
04 Winnie Jrny 39W CAT C7 7/04-9/05)
00 Triple E Commander 5/03-5/04
Toad - 07 Tahoe LTZ 12/06 -
04 Colorado Z71 04- 06
we like flying j . it doesn't matter how many is in line ,we can use the break .we always stay their and fix something to eat .all though we are never in a hurry .if you are in a hurry you can go to the fastest place to get filled up and get on your way.
retired
havin fun with 1999 georgie boy 3515
and the wife too .
V-10 ford slow down and smell the flowers
I don't understand your point at all. Do you mean that going in to a Pilot that is within a few miles of a Flying J and filling up for 5 cents a gallon (and in one case 15 cents) less than at the Flying J is wrong. Baloney. Have Flying J reduce its price.
One thing we did notice on our return from Florida this year is that whenever they were at the same exit the prices were the same. When a few miles apart, Pilot was often less. That tells me that Flying J is keeping its prices higher when there is no direct competition.
Yes Flying J can TICK me off with its dirty washrooms and shoddy service.
A big parking lot, necessary for a decent truck stop, is very expensive, often into the millions of dollars. Then it has to be maintained. Loves and Pilots (and in times past more than now, Flying Js) would build a fuel stop next to a big truck stop to siphon off the fuel sales at the big truck stop. Therefore, they are a "tick" for the truck stops and the truckers that use them.
If you don't need the parking lot, you should definitely save yourself the cost of it by buying at what is, essentially, just a fuel stop.
Flying Js have to some extent suffered the same fate as Wal-Mart, since their owner/founder died in a plane crash not too long ago and the kids just don't run it as well.
I like Flying J for the opportunity to fill my fresh water tanks when we are going dry camping. Do any of the others offer this service?
As an aside, I too have had to wait in line to pay. Yes, a frustration. I also remember the time I pulled into the Flying J in Wytheville, VA, slept for about 4 hours. Went in to get a cup of coffee and they gave it to me free. I must have looked really bad that morning, but I filled up with diesel, and have remembered that act of kindness forever.
Lee and Heidi
Haley, Katie, and Zack
2005 Fleetwood Revolution LE
"Smile and wave boys, smile and wave"
old guy wrote: I don't know why it is the front person that is always the first to go or the last to be replaced. Companies never have enough checkers, I don't care who they are, whether it be the Post Office or Wal Mart, never enough.
Salaries are one of the few truly controllable expenses companies have. Soooo, when times are tough, the only way they can improve the bottom line is to reduce expenses... and that ALWAYS includes spending fewer salary dollars! Unfortunately, a company with big enough kahunas to bring in "enough" help to make us all happy would soon bite the dust. We might as well get used to it, it has been that way for years and won't change.
Dutch Star DP 4025 w/ 4 slides
370 HP Cummins
6 sp Allison
Spartan chassis
Magellan GPS
Sea Dog wrote: I have no idea why anyone with a self contained motor home would even step inside a truckstop washroom!
In our case we travel back and forth from FLA to Canada twice during the winter and obviously we don't take the MH back with us for a two week turn around in winter. During this trips we still stop at Pilots and Flyiing J's - but we have to use the facilities.
helperzack wrote: A friend was complaining about Home Depot the other day. Said there were no cashiers at all. He asked and was told to use the self check out lanes.
Needless to say, if this is the case, then I will go down the street.
The only thing worst than no cashier is one that does not speak English.
I didn't like the self check out lanes at first either but now I use them all the time. Seems like there is alway one open so no waiting.
But they typically are not set up for more then just a few items.
Was in a WM the other day and some woman had an entire cart full of stuff and was trying to use one of the self checkouts. Not enough room in the bagging area to put more than a few items and you certainly don't want to take something off the bagging area to put it in your cart before paying, otherwise all heck breaks loose.
Steve & Judy
1996 American Tradition
Spartan IC 2242 Chassis
C8.3L Cummins w/Banks Stinger, Allison MD3060
Doran 360RV TPMS, Progressive HW50C EMS.
Koni shocks, Safe-T-Plus
2002 Chevy Tahoe toad
ReadyBrute tow bar w/ReadyBrake
jrski wrote: I can't think of any reason for me to use Flying J if I can avoid it. I went into the one in Amarillo a couple of years ago. Tried to use the RV island with Class A pulling a toad. Card reader didn't work. Fuel was limited to $50 or 50 gallon(can't remember which, but in any event, I was going to have to go inside 2 or 3 times to fill up). Since the card reader didn't work, I went inside to give them my credit card. There were 3 or 4 lines about 6 people deep. It looked like I was going to have to go through this drill 2 or 3 times in order to fill up so I left and went to a Shell station and filled up without the hassle. JR
If you had the FlyingJ MC Credit card (even with a broken card reader) you would not have needed to have your card swiped more than once. Because the FlyingJ MC Credit card does NOT have any of those dollar or gallon limits.
Last summer/fall when Georgia was having fuel delivery problems FlyingJ was limiting your purchase of gas (all they had was regular) to 20 gallon or so. But IF you made your purchase with their credit card there was no limit on your fuel purchase. Sometime there are other perks besides a dump station when having a 'R.V. Real Value Plus' credit card.
I have run into the situation of a business not taking a CC that provides a premium to the CC holder. Ie. skymiles, cash back, etc. The reason, I think, is that the retailer has to "pay" that premium in the form of CC issuer discount rates.
Have any of you other guys run into this problem lately?
KIX
'02 Winnebago Ultimate Advantage
350hp Cummins ISC
'06 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
5.7 L HEMI
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