40% Tonneau Cover on 2019 Tacoma

[herektir]

Had a second gen Tacoma before a drunk driver totaled it out on me. Over 26 something k miles was 29 mpg with a soft cover as only mod. 4 cylinder manual transmission. Soft driving and coasting where applicable got me that.you should get 25 to 27 with auto.

[elhigh]

Try pushing your tires up to about 37-40psi. They'll sound a little harsher but that's all.

If you're going to install a deep cycle battery, why keep the original battery at all? That's extra weight you don't need. And if your recordkeeping bears out you could maybe take the belt off the alternator and run without it, if the solar panel pumps enough amp-hours back in when parked. NOTE: for the sake of recordkeeping, fudge the numbers super-conservative by running the HVAC blower on HIGH and the radio and lights all on the whole time you're recording.

Keep an alternator-included length belt in the vehicle, just in case.

[Vwbeamer]

Thanks for the ideas.

Been busy with other stuff. So no time to mod truck.

I am going to lower the truck, I know this will not have a huge effect on mpg, but should help.

These trucks sit High. I parked next a friend's 2 gen 4x4 Tacoma and my Truck is couple inches higher.

I expect better handling, slightly better mpg and it will be easier to get in and out. I also like to zig, when everyone else zags. Seems the trend is lifted trucks.

The kit I got from sos performance lowers front 2 rear 3.5

Good news my average mpg is up, just getting used to driving an auto. I getting around 23.5

I will do an a-b-c test on tire PSI. Been meaning to do that

[Vwbeamer]

I'm going to get a scangauge. I had one and sold it. Now I don't think I can do much more without it.

[Vwbeamer]

Lowere the Tacoma. 2 inches in front and 3.5 inches in the rear. truck still sits pretty high. I would say it's as high as a 2wd truck from the 90's.

Trucks are so high off the ground recently. All trucks for sale now days look like they have a 3 inch lift. Obvisouly this something consumers want.

I don't have any scientific data, but there is an improvemnt. last tank I ended up at 23.5 per the trucks computer for the tank, a little over 400 miles.

Halfway thru on this tank and it say 24.1, which would be way more than I though the gain from lowering would be. first to admit, that this is not any kind of proof of the actual gain.

Even with that, the lowering would never make economic sense, because the kit to lower it was 550 bucks.

My reason for lowering-

Every redneck in Georgia has a jacked up truck. Don't get me wrong, I like rednecks, but I didn't want to be one. all my co workers think I'm crazy for lowering a truck.

I'm short, 5'7" and the truck was kinda hard to get in and out of.

Better fuel economy

Better handling- Truck corners a lot flatter.

Looks better to me.

Ride stayed the same, since the kit didn't change any springs, it relocated the rear springs from atop the axle, to below. The front lower the mounting point for the coil spring, but the travel and spring stayed the same.

Cons-

if I sell it, I will have to restore it to stock.

[Vwbeamer]

Originally Posted by elhigh

Try pushing your tires up to about 37-40psi. They'll sound a little harsher but that's all.

If you're going to install a deep cycle battery, why keep the original battery at all? That's extra weight you don't need. And if your recordkeeping bears out you could maybe take the belt off the alternator and run without it, if the solar panel pumps enough amp-hours back in when parked. NOTE: for the sake of recordkeeping, fudge the numbers super-conservative by running the HVAC blower on HIGH and the radio and lights all on the whole time you're recording.

Keep an alternator-included length belt in the vehicle, just in case.

I went from 32 PSI to 42 PSI. Actually this was a good gain for me, because of time I haven't done any a-b-a testing. amazing what a little air can do.

[elhigh]

If you sell it, you don't have to change it back. Just include the parts so the buyer, if they so choose, can change it if they want. Maybe the next owner will only be 5'6" and want it exactly the height you have it.

If you want to make aero mods, the general consensus on these pages is that a front air dam, though it increases your frontal area, radically decreases how much drag the very, very bad underside of a truck contributes. You get like 75% of the results of a full belly pan for 25% of the work and expense. Side skirts and tire spats can help too, but the air dam will be your biggest bang for the buck.

For example, look at ecomodder Big Dave who in 2008 modded his F350 to very un-F350 economy:

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...ckup-3171.html

Notice he lowered his truck too. He also had a whaleback cap on his bed so you can't attribute all of that result to an air dam.

In the time I've been recording its results here on EM, my truck has saved over $1100 vs. the EPA sticker. That pays for some mods. If it takes time, it takes time. Wait it out.

[Vwbeamer]

Truck has a factory air dam.

Interesting that the TRD offroad model tacoma does not.

Toyota list the CD of the tacoma at .39 and the TRD offroad model as .40

I was thinking of extending the air dam, but I know that might not actually help, as I read that the front air dams can be too big.

[Vwbeamer]

testing my signature

[Vwbeamer]

Recently took a 762 mile trip ( oddly that's the exact mileage, both times when I filled up , the tenths position was 0). I used 28.07 gallons of gas. Average mpg on the round trip is 27.14 mpg .

the temp was in the high 80's, low 90's so A/C was running 85% of the trip. I was running a steady 70 mph( measured by my GPS on phone) I would have to go faster at times to get around traffic, my top speed on my scangauge was 78 mph.

Gas used was 87 octane, 10% ethanol.

I was pretty happy, since the EPA EST on the truck is 23 highway.

Cost per mile for fuel worked out to 9.55 cents.

Again my mods so you don't have to reread thread-

• 40% tonneau cover,
• lowered 3.5 rear, 2.5 front.
• 42 PSI in tires.

It does have running boards, or tube steps. I read where they may help a little, it has aluminum rims which maybe a little lighter than stock. Other than that it's completely stock.

If I lowered speed to 65 mph and had cool weather , it's no doubt in my mine this truck could touch 30 mpg.