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Aero a tank
Hi, I'm new here and want to begin helping my 2500 Ram, its a 2012 with the CTD.
Until I get the nerve to do rip it all off, the factory mapping and equipment will need to stay on the truck, cause its under warranty, but 'regen' is driving me nuts; it drops instant MPG by over 30%, no tow, or about 20% towing. The tank MPG effect depends on driving conditions; city vs. highway, etc. I have no way to calculate tank-by-tank or mile after mile effect. But, am quite sure the way I drive, this government silliness is costing me somewhere near 8%; maybe more. The truck is set up to meet 2024 EPA numbers, so I am told. I am not educated on it, but why is burning off the little bit sot; changing it to 'white' smoke, while pumping an unnecessarily rich mixture of diesel fuel helping the environment? Could it be that the impact of the chemicals pumped into the air, are not being considered; or not being tested for? I'm off my soapbox now.
So, even with the nonsensical 'regen', I want to work on the aero and save dollars. I understand that the lack of a bed cover; essentially the air-ugly shape in the back-end is the first priority; that and a front air dam.
One of the members had built a nice metal air dam, but I was thinking more of a cut to size conveyor belt or equivalent mounted to allow hitting something not prove to be fatal to the dam. My truck is not lifted.
I see many of your ideas and want to try making one myself. I would need it to have a hatch for loading and access, but don't think windows are worth the pane.... oops, pain. I would use a good rear camera and a 7" of better display. I am fairly handy with wood and consider building the bed cover from cedar used for ribs and cover with door skins or foam and coated with fiberglass and then painted. The foam seems like the best material since it can be shaped and will keep the insides cooler.
The large towing mirrors is something that I fiddled with a few times. Kind of like your A-B-A thing. Since the truck went into regen, the numbers are a guess-tamation, but I think the mirrors folded in resulted in about .005 to .01 % improvement. Even folded in they still hang out quite a bit. I need these for towing, so I was thinking that maybe a convex could be fitted to the mirror that would still allow folding.
Just for fun, compared open windows (all 4) to closed. The result was about .2 of a MPG.
I have mud flaps, which I know are hurting, but until I make some kind of aero flap, they have to stay. I often travel muddy roads.
I read that blocking the grill might not be a good idea. I do wonder if blocking the top half, all the way across might work. It might help warm up times and could help the MPG. This beast has to be hot to get its highest MPG. I can see both water and trans temps and would be able to monitor the result. If the block was easily removable, it will try it.
I am including a photo with the template overlay and any of you old timer ecomodders could comment, I will appreciate it very much.
Wolf
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