Quote:
Originally Posted by Drifter
I also worry that the receiver would muck up the diffuser aerodynamics and scrape the ground leaving steep driveways when not in use. Since you keep such good track of your mpg I wonder if you'll see a decline because I assume it'll hurt aero more than your mirror helped...
PS: Did your Prius come with Firestone Champion Fuel Saver tires already? I've never bought a second hand vehicle with low rolling resistance tires already installed and always find myself debating throwing out perfectly good tires for marginal mpg gains...
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Those tires were on the car when I bought it. That was a nice bonus.
I'm also curious to see how the hitch receiver will affect aero. Hopefully not much. But if/when I make a belly pan, it can attach to the bottom of the receiver. That may change the departure angle of the diffuser section, but at least there won't be a bar hanging down into the airstream.
Speaking of which... while I was under there I took a look at the underside of the car. Looks like it shouldn't be difficult to make belly pans for the front 1/3 and rear 1/3 of the car. The front 1/3 looks especially easy, since the subframe has bolt/screw holes all over the place. And the front bumper has conveniently placed holes on the bottom of the front lip.
Edit to add: I got a utility trailer instead of a truck, for the reasons you described. I don't need a truck often enough to justify the cost of ownership. On the rare occasion when I need to transport something too big / heavy for the trailer, I can rent a truck or pay for delivery.