Hey Guys,
I'm slowly working away on my "SuperTruck" DIY Plug-in Diesel/Electric Hybrid Pickup Truck project.
Nothing against me on the project except for time, skill, and money!
See the overall thought of the project at:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...uck-22080.html
I wanted to focus in the Aerodynamics forum on an aerodynamic pickup truck cap.
So here's my idea.....
So far, I've experimented with a few variations on simple/cheap tonneau covers made from recycled materials, one setup open right behind the cab for tool-box access, and most recently with a
fiberglass flat cover, which turned out heavy and ugly.
What I've figured out from these exeperiments is that I do and do not have particular skills with particular materials, and other people around me with certain skill-sets.
In a nut-shell: Use what you have, Do what you know.
My Dad has been a carpenter and remodeler for his entire career. Recently, he built a cedar strip canoe. It turned out beautiful! Ended up building three of them between him and another guy.
In other news, somebody locally let me know of a barn that is slated to get burned down soon as part of a local fire-fighter training exercise. The barn is less than 50 years old, but the foundation is over 100, and in disrepair. I was offered salvage rights to strip off whatever barn-boards I wanted for projects, but when I saw it, was disappointed that it's "modern" boards, instead of the classic old-timey ones. What would be a good use for these boards.
That's when I realized that they were 14 feet long each, and I remembered that part of the expense of a cedar strip canoe is getting LONG lengths of knot-free wood.
I cut a sample of one of the boards to show to my Dad. To me, it looked like Cedar, but I wasn't sure. He looked at it and told me that it was Fir, which is sort of a hard softwood, and would bend fine once cut into strips.
So here's my idea; Build a "boat-tail" aero-cap for the pickup truck using actual boat building technology, in this case the style of a cedar strip canoe, using recycled barn boards.
I can work with wood easy enough, and there are plenty of extra boards for when I do screw up. My Dad has built the wood boats before and should be a great resource for advice and help on the project. His canoe is beautiful, light, and sturdy.
Mine will be more like a less graceful upside-down row boat!
Here's an example of a wood-strip cap from
Sensible Living | Spruce And Cedar Strip Canopy
I'd be doing something similar, but without the ladder rack and sloping towards the rear of the truck.
Anyways, that's my idea. I have a few sketches I started doing (possibly with blind-spot windows, possibly not) and I'll have to figure out the right angle and whether or not I want a "Prius-style" back window in it.
Anyways, let me know your thoughts!
In other aero for the truck project, I'd be looking at a belly pan, front air dam, and rear wheels skirts - much of that most likely made from coroplast and similar light and sturdy materials.