Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > Aerodynamics
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 01-03-2009, 12:34 AM   #1 (permalink)
high school
 
ModelE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Boston, Ma.
Posts: 86

sabre - '02 Buick LeSabre Custom
90 day: 23.45 mpg (US)

frontier - '04 Nissan Frontier XE
90 day: 18.97 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
aerocap or tonneau? (build thread?)

hey all-
i've decided to make an aero...something for my frontier's bed.

for the use of mine, mostly 45-55mph with a bit of city driving, whether a tonneau cover or a aero cap would be more beneficial. because i would love to try making an aerocap like bondo and others have, but i think that a tonneau would be a bit easier to make and if the benefits were same/similar then i'd go with that. also, wouldn't a back half-tonneau with something trailing off the back edge of the cab do the same as an aero cap?

any input would be awesome

__________________
  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 01-03-2009, 12:43 PM   #2 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
aerohead's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Sanger,Texas,U.S.A.
Posts: 15,861
Thanks: 23,922
Thanked 7,207 Times in 4,640 Posts
cap vs tonneau

The aerocap,with plan taper gave me 13% at 70-mph with the T-100.A 1/2-tonneau on the same truck was good for 5%.A cab-wing/sailpanel extension of 18-22 inches,combined with the 1/2 tonneau has been shown to up mpg by 9% at 55-mph.I realized this on the T-100.Results are going to vary from truck-to-truck.-------------------------

I spent 200 man-hours on my original cap and never really finished it.You can slam a piece of primed/painted/reinforced plywood across the bed rails for durable proof of concept experiment.( house paint is ok ).
__________________
Photobucket album: http://s1271.photobucket.com/albums/jj622/aerohead2/
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2009, 03:02 PM   #3 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Big Dave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Steppes of Central Indiana
Posts: 1,319

The Red Baron - '00 Ford F-350 XLT
90 day: 27.99 mpg (US)

Impala Phase Zero - '96 Chevrolet Impala SS
90 day: 21.03 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 186 Times in 127 Posts
My jerry-built fastback fairing, even thogh it is too steep (17 degrees) improved my MPG by 1.5 MPG over a flat tonneau. They do work.

If you haven't the time or skills to make an aerocap, flat tonneaus (hard or soft) are available off the shelf. In fact if you have a Ford Super Duty short bed, I'll sell you one cheap.
__________________
2000 Ford F-350 SC 4x2 6 Speed Manual
4" Slam
3.08:1 gears and Gear Vendor Overdrive
Rubber Conveyor Belt Air Dam
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Big Dave For This Useful Post:
Gtaw (04-30-2011)
Old 01-04-2009, 07:47 AM   #4 (permalink)
Cause I'm an 80's Baby!!
 
festivaWES's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Strafford, MO
Posts: 37

Festiva hauler - '02 Chevorlet S-10
90 day: 27.98 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I's there a specific site to coifecient (sp) drag numbers of different trucks? All if seen on wiki is .60 +or-
__________________
In search of the ideal gas mizer.....METRO
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2009, 09:31 AM   #5 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
Check the "notes" at the bottom of the aero/rolling/power/mpg calculator, here: Aerodynamic & rolling resistance, power & MPG calculator - EcoModder.com

There are a couple of sites listed.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2009, 06:22 PM   #6 (permalink)
high school
 
ModelE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Boston, Ma.
Posts: 86

sabre - '02 Buick LeSabre Custom
90 day: 23.45 mpg (US)

frontier - '04 Nissan Frontier XE
90 day: 18.97 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
sorry dave, i have a nissan. and my budget is sorta tight so i can't really shell out for a off the shelf tonneau right now. my truck has the TracRac rails on them so i'm wondering how i can incorporate them into the design or whether they make my job easier or harder.

would picking up a regular bed cap and taking a sawzall to it to get it to the aero wedge shape, then taking, say.... fiberglass reinforcements and reattaching it in the aero shape be at all a simple undertaking? or is that more difficult than i think
__________________
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2009, 07:13 PM   #7 (permalink)
Cause I'm an 80's Baby!!
 
festivaWES's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Strafford, MO
Posts: 37

Festiva hauler - '02 Chevorlet S-10
90 day: 27.98 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
yeah wiki say typical truck .60
__________________
In search of the ideal gas mizer.....METRO
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2009, 07:38 PM   #8 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 460

WonderWagon - '94 Ford Escort LX
Last 3: 51.52 mpg (US)

DaBluOne - '99 Ford Escort SE
90 day: 48.97 mpg (US)

DaRedOne - '99 Ford Escort ZX2 Hot
Thanks: 0
Thanked 15 Times in 4 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by younggun View Post
my truck has the TracRac rails
Didn't know what those are so I googled it. For anyone else reading this thread who wonders what TracRac rails are, here are a couple of pictures.

TracRac rails in use.



TracRac rails only.
__________________
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2009, 07:58 PM   #9 (permalink)
high school
 
ModelE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Boston, Ma.
Posts: 86

sabre - '02 Buick LeSabre Custom
90 day: 23.45 mpg (US)

frontier - '04 Nissan Frontier XE
90 day: 18.97 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
oh yeah, sorry about not clarifying that, sorta figured everyone knew what they are, there's a lot of tradesmen around my area, gotten used to seeing them on every other pickup
__________________
  Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2009, 09:36 PM   #10 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
metroschultz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Norfolk, Va. USA
Posts: 869

CPT SLO - '93 GEO Metro plainjane
90 day: 53.91 mpg (US)

SilverHairBeauty - '01 Toyota Avalon XL
90 day: 24.06 mpg (US)
Thanks: 14
Thanked 33 Times in 28 Posts
Send a message via AIM to metroschultz
Thats what you get listening to angry squirrels sing bad songs

__________________


When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity.
Albert Einstein
  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Tags
aero cap, aerocap, bed, tonneau, truck

Thread Tools


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Ben Nelson's Electro-Metro Build thread bennelson Fossil Fuel Free 1499 12-22-2019 07:24 PM
Daox's 2003 Matrix Build Thread Daox EcoModding Central 76 01-11-2016 01:47 PM
DPoV's Jeepin' Build Thread DifferentPointofView EcoModding Central 26 12-16-2009 04:31 AM
The UnNamed Wagon's build thread - Let it begin! Work in Progress XFi EcoModding Central 38 08-01-2008 12:21 AM
JohnPR's oficial recumbent trike build thread johnpr Alternative Transportation 5 05-22-2008 12:50 AM



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com