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This is from another post I did and have already been challenged on it but here it goes:
That fast back crap won't help a bit, it will only add weight. A pickup truck already gets that effect by the turbulant air behind the cab with no extra weight.
If you want to better the aero in the bed area: use a tonneau cover and put a 6-8" piece of aluminum extending the roof off the back of the cab and tonneau cover over the tailgate. that should get you up to 2mpg at highway speeds with minimal weight. A truck cap with the extension off the back would also do.
Plug any holes in front, lower truck, add a front air dam, remove trailer hitch and replace rr bumper with roll pan, remove all extra weight. Get smaller mirrors. Use under-drive engine pulleys. tune up the truck. Increase gearing.
*Keeping weight down is absolutely necessary!!!!! Fuel economy is impacted most during acceleration where weight is the largest factor. Every vehicle gets decent mileage cruising. My 8,000 pound diesel truck (non ecomodded) gets 27mpg cruising at 85mph but accelerating from stops or slower speeds reduces the average to 18-20mpg.
Don't get me wrong, drag is important, but under 35-40 mph it is minimal compared to weight. We have done studies on taking 1200 pounds out of a "C" sized car and with the stock drivetrain and stock aero it got over 85mpg in EPA testing. The EPA rating was 32mpg before.
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