My MV Modifying a Dodge Caravan

[bteck]

So I am fully aware how ridiculous it is to expect my mini van to get good mileage. That said, with a low economy car, incremental gains of just a few MPG are more significant. Given that my car is bluff backed, sits a bit high and pretty dang huge, there is a lot of room for improvement.
Anyhow I have done a few things, and I thought I might share, I am working on several mods in the future, I have an overall goal to get my MV up to 40 MPG.
the current state:
-Dual Mirror Delete
-Smooth Wheel Covers
-Interior Seat Removal
-Center Console Removal
-Lower Grill Block
-Roof Rack Delete
-Antennae Delete
Pictures:
My pics are too hi res for EM. I will size them down later. tell me what you all think I should do to it, I want some input.
Thanks
--Bteck

[aerohead]

I was thinking the Cd for the Caravan was around 0.32.------------ Back in 1922,Kamm and Klemperer developed a "minivan" shape with Cd0.16,half of the Caravan's.--------------------- With a receiver-hitch type cargo box,you might be able to fashion a short boattail extension which would mimic what the Germans did.----------------- You might not get it to 0.16,but you might see in the neighborhood of 0.24,and you wouldn't have to cut into the roof or sides.Vans respond well to boattails and it might help you to get closer to your goal of 40.

[bteck]

Thanks for the advice, I am working on a kammback design right now, I don't really want to take my hatch off right now, I am hoping to keep most of the resale value by making my mods mostly un-doable, but the boat tail is very intriguing. I'll let you know how the Cardboard kammback works for me tomorrow, if it does well, I will use the sheet of poly-carb I just bought.

As far as the Cd I would have guessed it was around 0.32 also, i know that a Honda Oddesy (their minivan) has 0.30, but according to what I have seen it is actually really high, like .45 not sure why it is so high. but that is what I found on Mayfield. Maybe they are wrong, but it means I have a lot to gain if they are correct.

[bteck]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Back in 1922,Kamm and Klemperer developed a "minivan" shape with Cd0.16

Can you shoot me a link to a picture of this? Maybe some info about it?

[bteck]

here are the pictures i promised.

[Frank Lee]

Mayfield is just educated guesses.

Why is 40 the target? Why not 50? Or 46?

[Sean T.]

Those vans are so fun to drive... I'm sorry but I fear that if I had one of those I would be getting like 12 mpg.

Good luck though! You're off to a good start and those wheel covers look sweet!

[bteck]

I figured Mayfield was just an educated guess, but I figured more educated than me pulling a number out of my butt... Plus the difference between .32 and .45 is definitely no small margin of error. Oh well it is doing much better right now.

40 is the goal because it is an approximate increase of 100% above EPA, which seems to be the best anyone is really doing. Doubling my mileage would be awesome, and who knows of another MV that gets 40?

[bteck]

okay so I added another grill block today this one is not clear poly carb, but instead a SAWEET job of duct tape. this makes my grill 2/3 blocked, but since it is like 20 degrees and I will only be on the Highway, it should be fine. I also added a cardboard version of my Kammback, it is not a big or awesome as I had hoped, I was kinda lacking in cardboard sheets that were 10'x10'. I am just testing it with Cardboard, if it rocks the house, as I suspect it will, I will do it is Poly Carb next.

[bteck]

okay so I made my normal 100 mi commute today, did pretty well, with the Kammback I averaged 32, including some city, which is about the best I have done so far, at one point in my run, I even hit 39.9 MPG (a new record).

I have some more pictures for your viewing pleasure