Another truck aero cap idea...

[BamZipPow]

Originally Posted by hemitheroadrat

My local metal scrap yard has tons of old road signs of different sizes and shapes you might contact a few in your area and see which ones the dot uses. In my area useable metal sells for about .30 cants a pound however aluminum may be higher.

I have been checking in with my local metal recycler...nothing yet.

[hemitheroadrat]

You might contact the city or county road shops to ask where they go when they are done with them your not out anything but time by trying. One caveat about road signs though. The reflective "stickers" dont want to come off by any means I've found and if heated to much they give off some toxic fumes. Another source might be commercial truck salvage companies. Delivery trucks and van type trailers use alot of 1/8" sheet aluminum in the sides and roofs. Often the roofs are fiberglass sheet which might also be a viable material. Depending on the amount and thickness needed you might look into buying it by the sheet. Last time I got a sheet a couple years ago a 20 ga 4x8 sheet it cost about $120 bucks. Just a thought.

[BamZipPow]

Driveshaft setup fer the gap cover...now I can lift the entire gap cover from either side. Just two 4" angle brackets, ¼" bolts/nuts, and slotted a ½" Sch 40 PVC pipe.

[BamZipPow]

I think I have my side access doors figured out. Did a lot of brainstorming...

Ideas went from using cabinet pocket hinges (European hinges) to building my own hinges. Figured out I could git away from a hinge setup and go to a sliding concept. Gonna use Sch 40 PVC ½" pipe, Class 200 PVC ¾" pipe, ¼" poly tubing, screws, FRP doors, and some zip ties.

The Class 200 pipe will be used as the track and the Sch 40 pipe will be used as the runner. The poly tubing will be used as a spacer between the access door and the runner. The Sch 40 pipe slides into the Class 200 pipe...nice and easy. The Class 200 pipe will be ziptied to the aero cap walls. The access doors will be secured to the Sch 40 pipe with screws...shimmed/spaced with the poly tubing to allow fer the thickness of the aero cap wall (4mm Coroplast).

Haven't figured out how to secure the doors yet. I want to use a mechanical fastener to make sure it doesn't open on it's own but I don't want it to be too much of a hassle to use.

Piccies to follow...

[BamZipPow]

Access doors are still giving me a problem...gonna try the custom hinge instead.

Meanwhile...I had a chance to heat form the FRP gap cover and add the silicone seal in. Installed in some eye bolts and added in some bungee cord to keep the tension on the gap cover.

[BamZipPow]

Updated piccies of the gap cover seal...

[BamZipPow]

Access doors are done with my custom hinge...








Still have to heat form the top so it sits flush with the top of the cap...

[aerohead]

Bam,it's like going to Oshkosh and seeing jet fighter air brakes.
I can tell you're having 'fun.'

[BamZipPow]

Hopefully I've engineered the correct mechanism to keep the access doors closed and locked. Bungee cord on the inside to keep it tightly closed and eye bolts on the outside to keep it from popping open.

Got some rain and I noticed the gap cover was leaking a little. I figured out where it was leaking...the pop rivets! Some hot glue and now it's watertight...

[BamZipPow]

Got just under 26mpg to San Antonio (25.7mpg estimated). After playing around with the access doors, I want to automate those with a touch of a button. It would pretty neat fer them to open up kinda like the convertible top covers or spoilers on higher end cars.