Commercially produced aerodynamic pickup bed cap

[bondo]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

You don't even want to know the effect of 40 CFR 63 on fiberglass layup operations.

Elkhart, IN used to be a stronghold of fiberglass fabrication in the 1980s and 1990s. Now only a couple of hold-outs survive. All gone to Mexico when IDEM/EPA made it tough to make fiberglass parts.

You are so right. Styrene emission regulations are a constant concern to any company doing open mold fiberglass fabrication on a significant scale. With some unregulated fiberglass fabrication facilities just across the border in Mexico, how do you keep the styrene emissions from crossing over the border into United States air?

My good friend Mr. Jacuzzi, who owns a hydrotheapy bath manufacturing company I do alot of work with, said it is getting harder and harder to do business with all the layers upon layers of regulations. Heck, the new 1099 regulations associated with the new Health Care Bill are about to hit. Talk about a show stopper!

Futher more, how do we keep the the air from China, which is quite full of emissions from thier vast manufacturing depth, from eventually mixing with the air here in the United States? Maybe we can build a "Great Wall" around the border of our entire country that extends upward, to the ionoshpere to keep our regulated air from mixing with unregulated air. Then again, that might not work. It would disrupt air travel, for airplanes tend to operate in the lower troposphere (where all aerocaps operate) and the stratosphere.

Not to make light of pollution which is a definite cancer on the Earth. I do hope new more "green" materials will be developed to replace FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic). The camper shell manufacturer A.R.E. in Ohio has a zero emission sytem for their fiberglass operation. It is very expensive to build but it is one possible solution.

Bondo

[t vago]

I thought we were supposed to keep politics out of this thread. If we are not allowed to show thanks to our veteran "mercenaries" in this thread, then we should not be able to talk in this thread about environmental regulations and laws that hurt the US economy and don't apply one whit to countries that don't care about the environment anyway.

[bondo]

Originally Posted by t vago

I thought we were supposed to keep politics out of this thread. If we are not allowed to show thanks to our veteran "mercenaries" in this thread, then we should not be able to talk in this thread about environmental regulations and laws that hurt the US economy and don't apply one whit to countries that don't care about the environment anyway.

It is not good to confuse manufacturing business with politics and patriotism with politics.

Frankly, you know they are watching us.

[Big Dave]

The observation may be "political" but it speaks to why no innovation is coming out of the US right now.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

The observation may be "political" but it speaks to why no innovation is coming out of the US right now.

Barely. US companies have tax subsidies to export jobs overseas. Zero pollution laws (observance) and 27-cents per hour wages by those overseas operations are not US competitive, and only serve a tiny fraction of our population. Blaming the EPA is an irrelevancy, a red herring. Falling for the usual misdirection about what matters does not serve the rest of us.

[MetroMPG]

Let's keep the discussion on topic, thanks.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Let's keep the discussion on topic, thanks.

Yes, sorry. Should have ended my bit above by stating what seems obvious: for many if not most of us this will be D-I-Y all the way. We can hope for commercial production, but . . . .

[slime]

Great thread, so I thought I would give it a push! Bondo, I was just wondering why they would not give you the numbers from the wind tunnel test? I like your design as I want to have a covered bed, but be able to use that area without removing my cover. I have a standard "SNUG TYPE" camper on my '96 Chevy LB extra cab, but will be hauling a motorcycle on and off soon, so I need a better set up!

[bondo]

I can't answer why I was not privy to the wind tunnel data. I was not made aware of them not going to share the test data with me until the day of the test. I had driven 900 miles so I was going to see it through. As I stated earlier, the nice gal who ran the tunnel apologized to me for not being able to share the data and then said, "You saw the smoke test, you know it works."

I am currently in the final ranglings with the Patent and Trademark Office over getting my Patent issued, finally. I do hope with an issued Patent in hand, some venture capitalist may take better notice. Until then, I struggle like everyone else just to make my bills.

But, I must say, I enjoy driving my truck eveyday with the Aerolid on it. Almost everyday I am asked by people where I got it. I do hope it does go commercial someday, then a whole lot of people could enjoy driving their pickup truck with an aerodynamic camper on the back too.

Bondo

[electricman]

Originally Posted by bondo

Great use for all those left over Christmas trees. Glad I had the roof on my Aerolid last Sunday night. I would have been shoveling something other than mulch out of my truck bed if not.

Agree on the decals. Be looking for some in the mail.

Good to hear from you round.boater,

Bondo

Bondo / Brett - It is great to see you are still persuing the cap. I had to return my leased Dakota back to it's home for Christmas (Chrysler Canada)! so - my AeroCap Project is on hold untill I can finish up some other things, and get my self a place with a Garage! Working in a parking lot on this kind of a project was so very impractical, but I did get a good start on the idea!

I still have my Electricfly project, and am hoping to do a little Event here on April 10, 2011 - The First electricfly Event - "Electricfly Aero Mods" - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com. If anyone can help out as an Instructor or assistant, as well as exhibitor or observer - I'd love to have the input and sharing opportunity!