Aeromod this, if you dare! (2004 Chevy 1 ton, cab and chassis truck)

[iamnotahippee]

So reading about the mods some of you are doing has me inspired to try some things on my personal drivers. But it got me to thinking about my work rig. I use it to move portable buildings.

The rundown...2004 Chevy 1 ton with a duramax diesel. It is a cab and chassis pickup, so it has a narrower rear end than a full bodied dually pickup, it has the same track width in the rear as a regular single wheel pickup. It is an extended wheelbase with a 12' flatbed. Load3d to work and full of diesel it weighs in between 9000 and 9500.

I am wondering what could be done to help the truck when it is empty, which is over half its miles. Loaded is another story. I am thinking that skirts under the bed would be relatively easy to build. I have plenty of metal sheeting to use, it is ribbed panel used to build buildings, but i think it would work. Both sides of the truck have toolboxes, so my thought is to come back straight off the boxes. I don't know though if it would be a total waste.
Here are a couple pics loaded with my trailer...




A whole other ball of wax would be finding a way to improve aero with a building loaded up.

So, hopeless case?

Rob

[tvbd56]

There's never a hopeless case!
Can't remove mirrors because of towing
Can't use a full grill block because of towing but you can probably do a partial grill block
Increase tire pressure. I have my Tacoma at 45-50psi
An under belly pan for the whole truck
Side skirts
A front air dam that's larger than the stock one

I personally drive ~60mph w/o trying to be an asshole to others when I'm not towing.

[iamnotahippee]

A grille block is an idea, but I don't know if I could have any at all in summer months, as I have a tendency to run warm loaded. The front bumper is currently damaged, so i am going to replace it soon, and a small air dam might work out nicely. It cant hang too low because i do get into some hairy spots from time to time. I have been thinking on the belly pan. My biggest issue is probably that the exhuast comes out under the bed (factory setup on cab and chassis), so there would have to be something done to allow an opening for the exhaust. Another towing related concern is covering the trans oil pan. That deep sump hanging down is part of the cooling, so may have to trim pan to allow exposure of the pan. That might actually help with the cooling of trans, then the pan is getting blasted with fresh, non-preheated air...
Another concern with a grille block would be restricting air flow over the intercooler. I don't know what kind of effect that would have on air intake temps, and in return power output and exhaust Temps.
Do you think side skirts would be a lost cause? I looked at the website for the Bullet Truck and kind of got me inspired.
On the tires, they are 10 ply they are already inflated to 80 psi. Ish...

[DonR]

Make the grill block easily removeable, so you can use it when empty.

Side skirts would probably help. Beware of ground clearance. Big rigs use a somewhat flexible material so it will bend out of the way. Metal sideing probably won't be as forgiving.

Try to smooth out the transition from the cab to the front of the toolbox. It appears to be a big flat edge. I know you don't have a lot of room to work with there.

Make a removable AeroCap. Something with a stiff, light framework maybe with some quick release fasteners and hinges. You need to be able to break it down and store it when the truck is loaded, maybe under the bed. A sheet metal box that it can slide into. Although it would be nice, you don't necessarily need to see through it, you can't see through the buildings when loaded.

[iamnotahippee]

I am thinking side skirts that are even with the bottom of the tool boxes. I am def gonna look at something in fron of the boxes between the cab. My thoughts on an aerocap....with the louvered headache rack, it seems all it would turn into is a sail, filling up with air thru the headach rack. My concern with a gap filler for the bed to cab is the cab is on rubber mounts with some flexibility. The bed is rigidly mounted to the frame, so there is a flex issue between them. I also dont want something that could/would damage the finish on the cab. When i get back to work next week i will have to soend some time measuring, looking, and trying out some things.

[JRMichler]

An improvement to the barn doors that you haul/tow will do far more for your total fuel consumption than anything that you can do the truck. I'd guess that hauling just one of those buildings cuts your mileage by about half.

Most of the drag from the building is from those square leading edges. Is there any way that you could make some sort of collapsible tube and fabric rounded leading edge contraption to fit over the front of the first building? It would cut total aero drag by almost half.

[aerohead]

*I yanked the bed off my Dodge and lost 2-mpg
*Skirts would help simulate restoring part of the bed.
*An inflated 'bedcover' would give you another 2-3 mpg.
*Inflated fairings on the empty trailer would gain you even more.
Energy to operate the 12-V inflation fans would be nothing compared to the savings you'd see.
*Inflated fairings strapped onto the buildings during transport could cut drag by maybe 75%.Just a SWAG.

[freebeard]

I now understand your avatar, Mr. isecretlywishiwasahippee.



According to that the front and underside is 55% of the drag.

• Active grill block
• Active airdam
• Moon disks
• Running boards transitioning to the toolboxes
• Front wheel air curtains
• Rooftop deflector that stores on the bed behind the cab for dead-heading.

[crashnzuk]

For a grill block, you could use an easily removeable "winter front". There are many types and styles to choose from, pick the one that would work best when empty and just pull it off when loaded.
Travis..

[tvbd56]

You said you'd use sheet metal right? Maybe make side skirts from the back of the tool box, while screwing it to the flatbed, and make one large sheet all the way to the end of the flatbed. Which will also cover the rear wheels.