Cap vs Trailer: Trailer wins!
 

http://web.mac.com/benhdvideoguy/iWe...s/DSC06075.jpg

Hey everyone,

I have an S10 pickup truck with 5 speed and a 2.2L 4-cylinder.

I had a fiberglass cap on it for running around with my work gear to keep it safe and dry.

My previous tank, I have the cap on there half the time, the other half, I had it off for carrying the motorcycle to various events.

This past weekend, I had the cap off, and went camping and took the cycle to an EVent.

The previous tank, with the cap on half the time, I got just under 23 MPG. My immediately last tank, pulling the trailer half the time, got just over 26 MPG.

Temperature was pretty similar between these two tanks of gas. I did a better job at keeping a slower speed on the freeway on my last tank.

Still suprising that I got better economy pulling a brick of a trailer down the road.

That's a cool little trailer. Though I'm not clear why your shelter needs a shelter :)

How did your driving conditions change between the two tanks though? I'd guess the cap had less highway driving?

The cap had a fair amount of freeway driving.
This is not a very scientific comparason, it's just how it turned out with two tanks of gas.

My shelter needs a shelter because the sides are wood and I need to re-do the clear-coat. There was a MASSIVE thunderstorm Friday night. I didn't want the trailer to take any more water damage.

Follow this link:
http://web.mac.com/benhdvideoguy/iWeb/Home/cbtl2.html
for more photos of other cool little trailers.

Wow Ben, you just keep getting cooler all the time. That trailer is really nifty.

Mileage variations can be weird at times. I got my best trip mileage to date ( 56 MPG ) in my Civic automatic with around 200 lbs of added weight to the car.
( I moved from Houston to Austin and made the move just cramming all my stuff into the back of the car ( it's a hatchback )
On this particular trip, I had forgotten to remove the barbells from the floorboard of the backseat, plus I had all my other crap shoved in the car.

I checked and rechecked the figures and I got an honest 56 MPG ... how ... I don't know.

thats a pretty neat observation, i wonder if you might get better mileage with both the cap and the trailer. . . hmmm

you know i thought i was crazy when i got better mileage with my trailer i just sold. Mine was very similar. I had a Little Guy 5wide, and whenever i went camping it was either all in town towing, or all highway, either way, my gas mileage seemed to be 1-2 mpg better with the camper. I think the teardrop shape of it was helpful for aero, and it only weighed around 600Lbs, couldn't even tell it was there.

I had read that drafting can be good for both vehicles in some cases.
Could it be that the trailer is reattaching your airflow and smoothing it out ?

( It looks like the angle of the trailers roof is too steep to keep airflow attached to the edge of the trailer in your case.)

Actually, I sort of did wonder that.

What would be really cool is some sort of flexible material that could connect a tow vehicle and trailer aerodynamically.

I am imagining spandex and snaps, but something clear would be nice.