Cap vs Trailer: Trailer wins!

[bennelson]

Hey everyone,

I have an S10 pickup truck with 5 speed and a 2.2L 4-cylinder.

I had a fiberglass cap on it for running around with my work gear to keep it safe and dry.

My previous tank, I have the cap on there half the time, the other half, I had it off for carrying the motorcycle to various events.

This past weekend, I had the cap off, and went camping and took the cycle to an EVent.

The previous tank, with the cap on half the time, I got just under 23 MPG. My immediately last tank, pulling the trailer half the time, got just over 26 MPG.

Temperature was pretty similar between these two tanks of gas. I did a better job at keeping a slower speed on the freeway on my last tank.

Still suprising that I got better economy pulling a brick of a trailer down the road.

[dcb]

That's a cool little trailer. Though I'm not clear why your shelter needs a shelter

[Daox]

How did your driving conditions change between the two tanks though? I'd guess the cap had less highway driving?

[bennelson]

The cap had a fair amount of freeway driving.
This is not a very scientific comparason, it's just how it turned out with two tanks of gas.

My shelter needs a shelter because the sides are wood and I need to re-do the clear-coat. There was a MASSIVE thunderstorm Friday night. I didn't want the trailer to take any more water damage.

Follow this link:
http://web.mac.com/benhdvideoguy/iWeb/Home/cbtl2.html
for more photos of other cool little trailers.

[dremd]

Wow Ben, you just keep getting cooler all the time. That trailer is really nifty.

[Cd]

Mileage variations can be weird at times. I got my best trip mileage to date ( 56 MPG ) in my Civic automatic with around 200 lbs of added weight to the car.
( I moved from Houston to Austin and made the move just cramming all my stuff into the back of the car ( it's a hatchback )
On this particular trip, I had forgotten to remove the barbells from the floorboard of the backseat, plus I had all my other crap shoved in the car.

I checked and rechecked the figures and I got an honest 56 MPG ... how ... I don't know.

[johnpr]

thats a pretty neat observation, i wonder if you might get better mileage with both the cap and the trailer. . . hmmm

[meemooer]

you know i thought i was crazy when i got better mileage with my trailer i just sold. Mine was very similar. I had a Little Guy 5wide, and whenever i went camping it was either all in town towing, or all highway, either way, my gas mileage seemed to be 1-2 mpg better with the camper. I think the teardrop shape of it was helpful for aero, and it only weighed around 600Lbs, couldn't even tell it was there.

[Cd]

I had read that drafting can be good for both vehicles in some cases.
Could it be that the trailer is reattaching your airflow and smoothing it out ?

( It looks like the angle of the trailers roof is too steep to keep airflow attached to the edge of the trailer in your case.)

[bennelson]

Originally Posted by johnpr

thats a pretty neat observation, i wonder if you might get better mileage with both the cap and the trailer. . . hmmm

Actually, I sort of did wonder that.

What would be really cool is some sort of flexible material that could connect a tow vehicle and trailer aerodynamically.

I am imagining spandex and snaps, but something clear would be nice.