[GoodOak]

I need a truck for my business that can haul big loads, tow a trailer and drive off-road in variable conditions. So I chose a Nissan Frontier V6 4x4 as the best value among small trucks that could do most/all of what I wanted.

A good truck, but not the most fuel efficient EPA mileage is 15/19, but with careful driving I get ~21/22. Still I would like to do better and I am looking to some aerodynamic improvements to do this. So far I have had the local glass shop cut some 17" plexiglass circles for me to act as wheel covers since I couldn't find anything else that would work in that size. I also had them cut out some elipses to cover the fog lamp holes on the front bumper.

The next easy thing to do would be a partial grill block. I think that blocking the lower portion of the grill in the area around the license plate is the best idea. I can get some plexiglass cut to shape, I just need to figure out how to mount it... probably some l-brackets will do. Alternatively, a single piece from headlight to headlight would do. I presume that blocking both portions of the grill would be overkill.

I think I want to try rear wheel skirts (which is photoshopped in the photo below). Not only should this increase MPGs, but it will also give me more area on which to apply the logo to my truck. I have a feeling anything I construct is going to turn out terrible, so does anyone have any recommendations as to where I would go to get one built? Would an auto body shop be able to make this for me in fiberglass? And how can it be securely attached to the truck so that it will still be relatively easy to remove when/if we have to change a tire? Are there any practical concerns with rear wheel skirts, especially for a vehicle that will be driven off-road?

The last (and probably most expensive) aero mod I am thinking of is a skid plate and belly pan. This mod has the added benefit of making the truck more durable for off-road use. I'm not sure at all where to go for this metal work, and if I do find a shop that does this kind of work, will they be willing/able to do a belly pan that focuses more on efficiency and less on toughness? For example, could the skid plate be big and thick for durability while the majority of the belly pan is thinner, and there mostly for the aerodynamics? Also, trucks with skid plates usually have big brush/grill guards on the front, which I don't think would help the aerodynamics much. In fact, it would probably hurt the aerodynamics more than a belly pan would help. Still, I wonder if some shop out there would be able to integrate something practice and durable that would also maintain aerodynamics.

So, does anyone have any experience or thoughts about this?