I have been contemplating my truck's aerodynamic drag for, well, ever since I have had it. I've also been contemplating improving my Cd. My truck's cruising shortcomings became much more obvious after driving a better eco-vehicle than my own.
This summer, I drove my friend's chevy prizm. It was shocking just how big of a difference there was between it and my jeep. It was lightweight, had a smoother engine, and, the best part, was aerodynamic and had low frictional losses (well, it felt like that anyway), oh, and don't forget; it was a stick shift.
Anyway, I was able to coast much farther than in my truck on the same hills at the same highway speeds. I'm sure some of that comes from its smaller tires and that it is FWD, but it also seems much more aerodynamic than my truck.
Getting 30 MPG highway in a cube is not too shabby. Especially considering that it has more than 10 inches of ground clearance. How much farther do you think I could push my FE (highway, of course) with aeromods? Another 30%, I'd imagine (and hope for).
I would like to build a more aerodynamic bed cover than the one I have now. As it is, I may as well be driving an SUV with my profile. I would like to make a
full boat tail, that comes to a
point, behind the rear bumper. Like this:
(the line on the front is not something I am too concerned with ATM)
(dimensions of my truck are
here, and are probably accurate within a few inches. They are just to give a general idea.)
It comes off of the back of the truck in a gradual sweep, is tangent with the tailgate, then ends 3 (or 4, or 5) feet beyond the back of the truck.
For the construction, I am thinking 4 mil plastic stretched over a 1/2" PVC frame. 4 mil plastic because I have a roll that shrinks when heated, and PVC because it is A) cheap, B) lightweight, and C) easy to machine/cut/shape.
This is a project that will be on the back burner for a while, with my schedule filling up again, so I am collecting ideas until I start building, whence this will become my build thread.
I have a few questions. What are your opinions of the profile in general? Should I delete the lower part of the "wing" profile? How would I attach the plastic sheet to the PVC? Other thoughts, etc?