Questions about upcoming road trip (temporary mods to 2011 Ram 1500 pickup?)

[pryan37bb]

Hey all, I'm pretty new to EcoModder, joined because I recently bought a 2011 Ram 1500 which allegedly gets about 20 hmpg, although mine's less because it's 4x4. Anyway, the fuel economy is relatively pretty good as far as trucks go, but on an absolute basis is pretty poor.
My biggest concern is when I drive it between college and home, the former being in Florida, the latter in upstate New York, a 1,200-mile trip. I was wondering what kinds of things I might be able to do to boost the FE given rather limited options.
The first thing that jumped out at me was the gap between the bed and the cab. It's a bit wide for a single strip of tape, so my plan was to tape a strip of cardboard over the gap to make the body more streamlined. But can I realistically expect a significant fuel savings from this mod over the extent of this trip (and assumedly the return trip of the same length)? Because I love the look of my truck, and there's a direct correlation in my mind between being aerodynamic and looking dorky, case in point putting duck tape and cardboard all over your truck.
Second, should I be concerned about the significant change in temperature, since this trip will be made around December, where it's really warm here and cold/snowing at the destination? Considering the ideal gas law, as temperature increases for fixed volume, so should pressure. So, in theory, if I re-inflate the tires to 41 PSI (manufacturer recommended) while in New York in winter, and then drive down to Florida, would that cause an increase in pressure to the extent that I might be worried about a blowout?
And do you guys have any other tips for cross-country driving with regards to fuel economy along the lines of aero mods or otherwise? Much appreciated.

[MetroMPG]

Unfortunately, duct tape and cardboard (or better - score some free coroplast) is the best answer to your problems, if you're looking for "quick and cheap".

Because in an hour or so, off the top of my mind, you could easily fashion (in estimated order of impact):

• half tonneau
• partial grille block
• smooth wheel covers
• rear & partial front fender skirts
• fold back passenger mirror (if feasible)

And maybe you'll save yourself 5-10% on the cost of the trip.

If you have more than a few hours and lots of coroplast, an aeroshell style bed cap is your best bet.

Taping the cab/bed gap can't hurt, but it's not going to be high on the list.

Aside from that, slowing down is going to net you the biggest gains.

I'd slap the stuff on there and hit the road. No better way to excercise the "dorky" self-consciousness!

[MetroMPG]

FYI, I had a friend phone me last week with essentially the same question (pickup truck needed for 800km weekly regular commuting while the car is out of commission for a few months).

In the end he decided 10% in his pocket wasn't worth the trouble.

(Then again he makes more than twice the money I do )

[pryan37bb]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Unfortunately, duct tape and cardboard (or better - score some free coroplast) is the best answer to your problems, if you're looking for "quick and cheap".

Because in an hour or so, off the top of my mind, you could easily fashion (in estimated order of impact):

• half tonneau
• partial grille block
• smooth wheel covers
• rear & partial front fender skirts
• fold back passenger mirror (if feasible)

And maybe you'll save yourself 5-10% on the cost of the trip.

If you have more than a few hours and lots of coroplast, an aeroshell style bed cap is your best bet.

Anything I can do for free/low cost that could bump the mpg is something I'm interested in for sure. Although I'm not very handy, making the bed shell out of plastic is likely beyond my limited skills (nor do I think I could get my hands on that much plastic without digging into my wallet). Duct tape and cardboard is right in my ballpark. I'm certainly comfortable with folding my passenger side mirror in, I have plenty of visibility out the back window, but is it legal? I'm crossing through about a dozen states, should I worry that I might get stopped in some of them for doing that?
Another consideration is when I make the trip in May after the spring semester is over, and I'll have a bunch of big Tupperware bins in the back with all my stuff in them. Should I throw them in the back of the bed near the tailgate, sort of an "ersatz" partial tonneau? I also have a tarp, which given the inclination I could MacGyver into something resembling a tonneau using the bed side rails, but since it's not rigid and will start flapping about, I doubt it'd work very well.
And as far as the partial grille block, would I need to keep an eye out for the engine temperature? There's a bit in between the tow hooks that I'm sure doesn't go into the engine/radiator, and I could block that up without worrying, but I'm trying to baby my engine for as long as possible, and since most of the other mods reduce drag and therefore the load on the engine (all other things being equal), the grille block is the only one that could go either way, because if I don't stay on top of it, it could do some real damage. At least, that's the impression I get.

[JRMichler]

Stack the containers carefully, jam two or three 2x4's or pieces of thin wall conduit or most anything long and straight on top, pull the tarp over to make your own one-time use el cheapo streamline topper.

My brother's F250 cools nicely with only the tow hook holes open when the temperature is below 50 deg F. Above that, he opens the lower hole.

My truck has had the grille fully blocked for two years now. Engine stays at same temperature, so no need to open it up in summer.

If you grille block, you need to watch the engine temperature. If it rises enough to kick the cooling fan, open it up.

Photos are in my profile.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by pryan37bb

Duct tape and cardboard is right in my ballpark.

If you carefully tape the entire surface, the cardboard will stand up to the weather - to some degree.

Should I throw them in the back of the bed near the tailgate, sort of an "ersatz" partial tonneau?

If you don't cover the bed by any other means, you could do that.

I also have a tarp, which given the inclination I could MacGyver into something resembling a tonneau using the bed side rails, but since it's not rigid and will start flapping about, I doubt it'd work very well.

Maybe you could fit something underneath the tarp and pull it taut so it doesn't flap about ?

And as far as the partial grille block, would I need to keep an eye out for the engine temperature?

You need to watch the engine temps when blocking the grille - at least until you know in what ambient temperatures and driving conditions it's safe to use.

Use something that's easily removable at first to see how it turns out.

Getting your engine up to normal operating temperature faster is a bonus for its longevity. Cold starts are bad.