1st Gen Toyota Tundra Aeroshell Build

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Shortie771

slowmover - You lost me... Maybe it's cause I slept too much and still waking up How do bushings help economy? Or were you just saying that a work truck would better benefit from fixing their bushings (due to safety concerns, etc.) than increasing aero.

Anybody had a picture of this HAD contractor package? I'm having a hard time seeing it in my head and my Google search results seem pretty useless.

"Aero" means as much storage efficiency. I see you've never worked from a truck. READING, KNAPHEIDE and others. Any railway or utility contractor. Tools and gear are protected. The truck can travel at 65+ without issue. Balanced and roadworthy.

Like the meaningless FE stunts around here: vehicles have a manufacturer weight rating. Who's posting MPG at full load out? (Ha! Who even knows that number without sneaking out to the car to look).

Solo = less than truthful as in, "I successfully drive for economy".

Truck is a work vehicle. "Aero" is about efficiency.

Driving for economy means having been at max for 10k miles to be able to make claims about FE "mastery ".

Sorry to sidetrack, OP. I run 10-12k miles monthly and forty percent or more of that empty. Fully loaded the vehicle increases in weight by more than twice. On can drive for economy -- my pickup or work truck -- but few will ever take the time to see it as practical (protests to the contrary not believable).

[deejaaa]

not ALL trucks are used for contracting. mine has hauled 2 loads of dirt, 1 load of steel but MANY times with just both kids in the back seat and nothing more than a fold up chair in the bed to watch a soccer game. most of the time it's just hauling my fat butt to work. i've had this truck since 9/4/08 but it sat in the driveway for 4 years.
i plan to put some money into it so we will able to pull a camper so it will get used more.

[freebeard]

slowmover — I thought I'd let you answer the question about bushings, but rather than let it fall between the cracks...

Just as there is an optimal line to follow through a curve, just touching the apex, there is an optimal line for a straight line; and it's ...a straight line.

Constant course corrections work the tires and affect wear and fuel economy.

Close enough?

deejaaa —

Originally Posted by OP

Fairly recently I decided to set up my truck for overlanding/road trips.

[gumby79]

Slowmover Who is burning more fuel to go camping the Aero Tonto or the other 6 5th wheels hear with me?
Another option would be one of those fugly 4x4 van conversions from ford talk about aero disaster.

Do the contractor packs have inside door handles? They are normally designed to keep people out not safety in side.

8501 lbs +10,000 tunge pull trailer "rating " 4,000 front axel 6400per tire pair. Empty is 3500 F 2500 R

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by freebeard

slowmover — I thought I'd let you answer the question about bushings, but rather than let it fall between the cracks...

Just as there is an optimal line to follow through a curve, just touching the apex, there is an optimal line for a straight line; and it's ...a straight line.

Constant course corrections work the tires and affect wear and fuel economy.

Close enough?

deejaaa —

Once the various body and suspension bushings age, they allow steering slop. It's serious enough to be a measured concern: course corrections per 100-miles.

With trucks it takes less of a problem to create more inefficiency.

Agreed.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by gumby79

Slowmover Who is burning more fuel to go camping the Aero Tonto or the other 6 5th wheels hear with me?
Another option would be one of those fugly 4x4 van conversions from ford talk about aero disaster.

Do the contractor packs have inside door handles? They are normally designed to keep people out not safety in side.

8501 lbs +10,000 tunge pull trailer "rating " 4,000 front axel 6400per tire pair. Empty is 3500 F 2500 R

I always like your posts, sir, but sometimes miss connections being made.

A vehicle for camping is compared by its capacities: X people over Y nights at Z rate of consumption. Where all else is identical.

Fuel to get to & from a particular location is less of a concern. Length of ownership, thus vehicle life, is the real key to economy. FE comes in as relevant after the big data set is done.



Don't put the cart before the horse.

[Flatstalker]

Update of my ZZ Topper project. I have no idea if this will work my 12-2019 photo of Ol' Squarshback after 9 years of faithful service. Cow catcher bumper is to avoid another deer disablement. I would not use polypro honeycomb again, it is best used for flat or at most a slight bend in the same plane. I liked it as the rot free bottom of a fly fishing drift boat I'm completing. To do another Aerocap I would use the builder friendly, quick and cheap, and lighter strip cedar planking from canoe craft.
Mostly this is a shameless entry into the anniversary drawing.
[IMG]<img src="https://mail2.spectrum.net/index.php/mail/viewmessage/getattachment/uniqueId/69916/account/0/filenameOriginal/IMG_5657.JPG/filenameModified/.JPG?folder=INBOX/"/>[/IMG]

[freebeard]

This is not cromulent:

[IMG]<img src="https://mail2.spectrum.net/index.php/mail/viewmessage/getattachment/uniqueId/69916/account/0/filenameOriginal/IMG_5657.JPG/filenameModified/.JPG?folder=INBOX/"/>[/IMG]

Try putting IMG_5657.JPG in an album under your user profile and point to that.

[sirskialot]

Perhaps I missed this in the thread somewhere, but what was the final mpg result of this aero bed cover?

[Macskyver]

Originally Posted by sirskialot

Perhaps I missed this in the thread somewhere, but what was the final mpg result of this aero bed cover?

It added around 1 mpg in my case so final was around 16.5 or 17 given normal Texas I-35 freeway speeds IIRC. This was with a front bumper that is pretty terrible aerodynamically. I am pretty sure the bumper and the lift was the limiting factor for aero on my truck. I think the shell on a factory truck would have a bigger impact.