Partial Bed Cover- '98 Frontier
 

Well, I decided it was time to try something else, and best of all, I got the time to do it...

What better to do on a Sunday morning in 45 degree weather?

I sourced the wood and built a partial bed cover for the truck.

4 - 1x12x4 white pine
1 - 1x10x8 white pine
1 - 2x2x8 pine

My bed is 54.75" wide at the rails
1x12 boards are NOT 12" wide!
1x10 boards are NOT 10" wide!

However, if you place 4 of the 1x12s and 1 of the 1x10s side by side, you get 54.375 (54 3/8) wide...

I have a 6' bed, so 4' long is plenty... and it is currently recessed into the bed about 3/8"

Here it is...

http://riley-music.com/BowsStuff/240...ver/01Side.JPG

http://riley-music.com/BowsStuff/240...ver/02Rear.JPG

http://riley-music.com/BowsStuff/240...3UnderDeck.JPG

The Best part?
The first run to work this morning gained me 3 MPG Avg... 27.1! and in 37 degree weather!!

It cost me about $35 for materials...

Now I'm thinking about a belly pan... :D

3mpg may have been a fluke, but looks good none the less.

Maybe so, I'll find out tomorrow on the way into work...

I do know that the truck doesn't drag from 40-50 MPH like it did before.

How long is the bed?

6'

7%
 

I think GM inferred that a 1/2-tonneau was good for about a 7% mpg improvement at standard conditions.

Thanks Phil!

If nothing else, it is a base for my future aerocap... ;)

Hey, Bow, I think it looks great! Far and away the best bang for the buck you're gonna get. Keep in mind too people, Bow has a big ol carry box back there too, that's gotta count for something, I'd say he has 4/5's of a tonneau.

Wanted to check this out so I made some Flow Illustrators of the build and the results impress me. For fun I put on an areocap too.

Base Nissan Frontier Flow Illus

Nissan Frontier W/ 1/2 Tonneau Flow Illus

AeroCapped Nissan Truck

Thanks Chaz...

I think I need to figure out a Cab extension/wing next... that should be quick and easy... (famous last words... ;) )

Nice work on the 2/3 tonneau cover. A 2/3 cover is not much better than a full tonneau. Took this from Aerohead's photo album:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1265053166
The carry box is probably not helping the FE that much since the weight of it is probably offsetting any aero gain.