[narclepticfool]

Hey all!

I just recently got my 2023 Ford Maverick. I wanted a small truck, but didn't want to sacrifice fuel efficiency, so this seemed like the ticket (and also it wasn't $100k electric truck, which would have been sweet!). Because I tow all the time, I needed the 4k tow package, which meant I could not get the hybrid. The 2.0T Ecoboost is rated 24/29 mpg, which for a little non-hybrid truck is pretty good. I recently went on vacation with my family and needed the extra space for camping gear, so took the Maverick. To make sure I had covered/lockable storage, I threw together an Aero Cap. This is iteration 2, as the first aero cap build I did was for a 2009 Toyota Tacoma (profile pic, I4, 2WD, Manual trans). I learned a lot from that build and the longevity issues with how it was constructed. I also learned that the aero cap on that truck was good for +4-5 MPG.

Long story short, on my ride down to the Cape, I was doing 65-75mph fully loaded, with a hitch carrier and got 31.8MPG. I would say that this aerocap is useful, but maybe not as easy to hypermile as the Tacoma was because its an 8 speed auto with no manual control. Also, I know, 75mph is not a hypermiling speed, but the fact that I was able to exceed the EPA highway mpg estimates fully loaded, and well above the EPA testing speeds, means the cap is doing something!