My new Aerolid!!!

[bondo]

Hello Dave,

I see you got 22.71 mpg yesterday on a run from Denver to do some rafting in Utah, nice! Enjoy that whitewater!

I just paid $2.40 per gallon this morning for regular unleaded. I drove 360 miles today, from Little Rock to Memphis, and got 21.7 mpg. You beat me by a full one mile per gallon!

I hope you are enjoying the Aerolid and it works well as a camper for you too.

Working on number three now and the web page should be up this month.

Thanks again for purchasing the lid,
Bondo

[round.boater]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Looks pretty sweet! Can you also take some pictures of how it attaches to the bed?

I swapped out the clamps that Bondo included and replaced them with a set of brackets from SnugTop (pic below). I pop-riveted them through the fiberglass (hope that section was strong enough...). The motivation was to get a slim enough clamp to allow the carpet kit that I already owned to fit inside.

I'm also working on replacing the key-turn locking mechanism with a latching one. A single key in the center pulls a cable that releases the latches. I think the latches are also by SnugTop, or maybe that was the lock. The dealer I was talking to sold me some random parts that will work with the space available. Bondo - I'm pretty sure I can get the latches to use the U bolt that holds the support struts. I'll get pics when I'm done, but you may want to consider this for future lids and adjust the fiberglass accordingly.

I've slept in it for three nights now - one of which was raining all night. No leaks, so nice work! I was on the Yampa (Yampa River Rafting Dinosaur National Monument - Holiday Expeditions) and we hit the biggest rapid at the peak flow - yee-haw! Then 24 mpg on the way home. I'm pulling a trailer on the next drive though, so things probably won't look quite as good.

[bondo]

round.boater,

24 mpg equals my best run ever with my lid. Not bad fuel efficiency for a full size V8 motor. Nice job on installing the snugtop brackets. There should be plenty of structure in the fiberglass in that area for you. I don't blame you for wanting to go to a single lock with latching mechanisms. Prototypically the cylinder latches suffice, but for user friendlyness they are a pain.

I built some bed covers a few years back using the snugtop type set up. I have some rotary latches left over I can send you, no charge, if you would like to try them. If the snug top system does not work, I could send you a drawing of how I used a single centrally mounted cylinder latch attached to two aircraft cables that actuated the rotary latches to release and then open the lid. It is fairly simple and I feel you are crafty enough to install it. I am now going to use such a system in production, definitely.

Thanks again for figuring out how to fold the fabric sides up before closing the lid. I looked at those for over two years and never saw that solution. It works great! I have learned long ago you will learn more working with others than you can fugure out working by yourself.


Bondo

[round.boater]

I've actually got the 4.2L V6 in there - the guy at the dealership swore up and down that Ford didn't make the STX trim with a V6 until I popped the hood. Dunno how it came to be, I bought it used.

As for the 24mpg, I have the mechanical fan out, and my runs out to Utah include both some time at 55 in Glenwood Canyon and some time coasting. I actually felt a big difference coming down I-70 from the tunnel today, stretches where I used to have to push on the gas a bit I was still keeping up with traffic coasting, and I could get that beautiful 9999 on my ScanGuage for longer while engine braking.

Thanks for the offer of hardware, but I already have all the hardware I need. I'm just filling in the rounded edge of the fiberglass and getting ready to mount a piece of angle aluminum to hold the locking mechanism. The key latch is already in and ready for cable.

Also, one of the curtain latches fell off. I'm going to replace it with one of these: McMaster-Carr to avoid using tape - and I'll likely bolt it through the fiberglass for permanance.

[alohaspirit]

thats an awesome looking aerolid

can you post some pics of it in camp-mode

[bondo]

Fuel Economy rates the 4.2 liter V6 with 5 speed manual at 14 city/19 hwy. I'm thinking you might see 25 mpg under perfect conditions.

Apologize for the problem with the curtian latch. I knew I should have fiberglassed that in other than using Dynaglass only.

alohaspirit, here is a picture of the lid in the camping mode. You can drive with it in this position also but aerodynamics go all to heck. You can also remove the top entirely, if you need to haul taller cargo, and leave the bottom portion clamped in place.

Bondo

[alohaspirit]

thanks for the pics, looks nifty

is the tent able to go higher like a teepee

[metroschultz]

That is a really nice unit you made Bondo,
I may have to buy one for the Metruck I'm gonna build

[bondo]

alohaspirit,

That is about as tall as the roof raises. If it goes any taller, the aerodynamic forces may be unkind to it at high speeds in the raised position.

Thanks for the compliment metroschultz. I hope to build a whole lot of them.

Of course it will be nice to make money, but I think I will find it more gratifying creating jobs for people in manufacturing. We need to keep a strong manufacturing base in this country, and having spent many years in the transportation design field, I want the young people of this nation to have the same opportunities which were afforded me.

Bondo

[alohaspirit]

i dont think you should drive with the tent up anyway

just wondering if it could be raised higher like a regular tonneau


its really wicked tho
keep up updated with the mpg gains