Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Full-boat-tail trailer with gap-fillers for Toyota T-100 pickup

aerohead · 07-07-2009, 05:52 PM

Hello all.Short work day so got to come look at internet.Last Sunday,I logged my 67th man-hour on the trailer project.The complete forward outline is now defined in steel,and back to the rear of the trailer frame.------------- The front is prismatic,and will provide the "facets" which the gap-filler panel guide-wheels will contact for turn articulation.A "closet" will be provided for a spare tire,lug wrench and jack.This will also give me some tongue weight for stability.-------------- The whole nose will be clad in fiberglass panels recycled from the remnant of the Viking hull.----------- I purchased enough aluminum sheet a few years back in anticipation of skinning the underside of the trailer.------------- Fairings will be constructed for the axle,both leaf-spring/shackles,and both wheels.The designs are from Hoerner's book,and specifically from Messerschmitt research on bomb pylons,wing-tanks,and faired landing gear.I will also mimic the forward wheel fairings of the Honda Dream-2.------------ A frame must be fabricated to take the place of the existing tailgate which will support the four movable gap-fillers,and of course the panels themselves.------------------- Also,the rear of the hull ( the prow ) is too "fast" and will require side extensions to slow the exit architecture to 22-degrees,respecting Mair's work.This will help provide an alcove for the license plate and running lights.----------------- I'll look for off-the-shelf wheelcovers,but should that be a dead end,I've got some aluminum cookware that can be adapted.------------------ I've had good results "bending" the 1.25-inch square tubing by making kerf cuts with the metal chop-saw,bending to match the hull outline,then tack-welding to "fix" the shape.The 1/2-inch Square tubing I inserted into a heavy wall pipe,then slipped a "cheater" pipe over to make incremental bends at about 4-inch centers.--------------- All the final welding remains.Electrical.Body and Paint.--------- September will be here soon! I'll get some shots of the rig posted this coming Saturday.-------------- I've run numbers as best as I can.To my knowledge no one has published data on such a device,as not surprisingly,no one has been crazy enough to try it.Best I can tell,along with the kit already on the truck,the trailer is good for a 95% drag reduction for profile drag and the T-100's road horsepower will be about half of it's original.I'll collect what I've come up with and share that,but I want to post the material on the "mirror-imaging"for the "template" first.If there is enough time,I'll do both Saturday.

07-07-2009, 05:52 PM	#14 (permalink)
aerohead Master EcoModder Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sanger,Texas,U.S.A. Posts: 15,883 Thanks: 23,957 Thanked 7,219 Times in 4,646 Posts	Project Update #2 Hello all.Short work day so got to come look at internet.Last Sunday,I logged my 67th man-hour on the trailer project.The complete forward outline is now defined in steel,and back to the rear of the trailer frame.------------- The front is prismatic,and will provide the "facets" which the gap-filler panel guide-wheels will contact for turn articulation.A "closet" will be provided for a spare tire,lug wrench and jack.This will also give me some tongue weight for stability.-------------- The whole nose will be clad in fiberglass panels recycled from the remnant of the Viking hull.----------- I purchased enough aluminum sheet a few years back in anticipation of skinning the underside of the trailer.------------- Fairings will be constructed for the axle,both leaf-spring/shackles,and both wheels.The designs are from Hoerner's book,and specifically from Messerschmitt research on bomb pylons,wing-tanks,and faired landing gear.I will also mimic the forward wheel fairings of the Honda Dream-2.------------ A frame must be fabricated to take the place of the existing tailgate which will support the four movable gap-fillers,and of course the panels themselves.------------------- Also,the rear of the hull ( the prow ) is too "fast" and will require side extensions to slow the exit architecture to 22-degrees,respecting Mair's work.This will help provide an alcove for the license plate and running lights.----------------- I'll look for off-the-shelf wheelcovers,but should that be a dead end,I've got some aluminum cookware that can be adapted.------------------ I've had good results "bending" the 1.25-inch square tubing by making kerf cuts with the metal chop-saw,bending to match the hull outline,then tack-welding to "fix" the shape.The 1/2-inch Square tubing I inserted into a heavy wall pipe,then slipped a "cheater" pipe over to make incremental bends at about 4-inch centers.--------------- All the final welding remains.Electrical.Body and Paint.--------- September will be here soon! I'll get some shots of the rig posted this coming Saturday.-------------- I've run numbers as best as I can.To my knowledge no one has published data on such a device,as not surprisingly,no one has been crazy enough to try it.Best I can tell,along with the kit already on the truck,the trailer is good for a 95% drag reduction for profile drag and the T-100's road horsepower will be about half of it's original.I'll collect what I've come up with and share that,but I want to post the material on the "mirror-imaging"for the "template" first.If there is enough time,I'll do both Saturday.