[GoodOak]

So you guys are talking about two different types of people here. People who use their trucks for utility, and people who primarily own a truck for show.

Regarding "construction people", yeah I don't think this cap will hit that market very well. For folks like that, there is already a cap or other accessories that are specifically designed for them. A few might be able to use an aerocap, but most would/could not.

However, people who actually use their trucks for utility on a weekly basis are in the minority. I would estimate that about 90% of truck owners are the folks bluetwo describes. People who might tow a boat a couple times a year, or pick up construction materials for a project once or twice a year or perhaps drive on a gravel road from time to time. In other words, these people would be find with a compact car with a trailer that they hitch up on rare occasion, but want a truck because it is "cool" or "tough" or whatever. I am looking through the clubfrontier.org forums right now, and it amazes me the $$ people spend on improving the power and off-road ability of their trucks, and yet these trucks are perfectly clean, no scratches or wear, indicating very little actual use. The first thing it seems everyone there does is jack the truck up 3" and get bigger, burlier tires. That said, most truck owners out there that want the utility and image but don't bother to take it to the extreme of the guys on the online forum, after all, most of the trucks and SUV's you see out there are quite stock in appearance.

My point is, I don't see why an aerocap can't appeal to this truck-for-the-image crowd. The latest aerocap on the white F-150 looks totally slick and it seems as or more functional than any other cap (for me, just removing the lid of the aeroback would be a lot easier than removing the whole cap on the one I am buying) and it can save you 20% on gas? What's not to love?

I agree that careful marketing is critical and the focus must be on on the performance improvement and practicality of it more than fuel economy, but the fuel economy thing should be in there too. Also a few stylish design elements and graphical flairs will appeal to this crowd. But in the end, a cap like this isn't competing for the hearts of the real gear heads, but instead it is competing head-to-head with other caps. And if bondo can get this design in the market when fuel prices start to rise again, I think he'll have a real winner. And I CAN'T WAIT TO GET ONE FOR MY FRONTIER!