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Ranger with a shed on top
My 1998 Ranger is my only driver. My truck needs require it to be nothing less than a giant multi-tool on wheels. To that end, I recently acquired an A.R.E. "Deluxe Commercial Unit" utility cap. It is already proving to be tremendously useful for my needs of versatile, locking, accessible storage. It's also proving, unsurprisingly, to be a huge drag on my fuel economy.
https://i.postimg.cc/zfPpRxHQ/Red-Ranger-DCU-RHside.jpg |
I used the aero template to get an idea of what to shoot for. Short-term plan is to fashion a deflector to sit atop the cab. Medium-term plan is substantial modification of the cap and building a front-hinged fiberglass box to deflect air and provide storage.
https://i.postimg.cc/nz4jtzx1/Screen...6-19-40-PM.png |
Just don't put it on a lift with all that weight.
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The other short-term goal is to cover the cap's roof rack with a removable smooth sheet of material to span and cover the busy grid up there when not in use.
Medium-term goal is to remove it completely once I've come up with another solution for carrying ladders and the like. That will likely be lower-profile longitudinal rack tracks with removable crossbars. Long-term goal will be radical altering of the roof shape and structure above the horizontal drip rail/top hinge for the side hatches. https://i.postimg.cc/RhZWnJNV/Ranger-cap-top-rack.jpg |
Inappropriate use of The Template. You're dealing with a box not a teardrop.
https://unitimages.northtrailrv.com/...7246-p-800.jpg https://unitimages.northtrailrv.com/...7246-p-800.jpg Don't add frontal area. Seal the bed/cab gap as best you can. |
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While it definitely feels heftier than the cab-height fiberglass cap it replaced, the older gent I bought it from and me were able to lift it off of his truck and onto mine without help or undue strain or injury. The cap is built from 1x1 aluminum square tubing with .035 aluminum skin and a few aluminum extrusions forming the corners and hinges. My first deflector will likely be made from .040 aluminum, because I happen to have a decent-sized piece of it. The curb weight of the 2WD Ranger Supercab is around 3,300 lbs, so I doubt it will even hit 4,000 lbs. post-modifications without a significant load onboard. |
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Truck below (as been posted here before, but photobucket ate the images) is from a report you can read: Fairing Well. It's on page 29. Rounded leading edges reduced the drag by 30%. |
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it's proved to be more aerodynamic also better hood designs push the air from the top of the hood to the sides rather then over the top of the SUV.. I see this on my tahoe hybrid .. at lest that is what is happening to the rain water on the hood.. these are both 2008 models one hybrid and the other non hybrid one 0.34Cd and the other 0.38cd the square rear edges is standard from the 2015 model onwards |
FYI:
Old thread on a similar problem. New and seeking aero advice for my "brick" https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...4&d=1538852832 https://ecomodder.com/forum/attachme...5&d=1538858550 |
Compare to the Airstream motohome. The roof cap has a shallow angle (like the Cybertruck) at the top edge and the edge radii behind the doors extend upward with the caps lower edge arcing upward as well. A Colani truck would be even more pronounced.
IIRC aerohead found no benefit to the raised cowl. |
That is a huge cap.. Mine is 254 pounds and its fiberglass.. I'd wager that has to be close if not more.
Does it extend over the sides of the cab much? Do you have a front picture? |
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The cap is about 1” narrower than the cab at the leading edge of the bed. From there it tapers at a steeper angle than the cab, so it protrudes a couple of inches from the top of the cab. This cap was originally on a 2004 Tacoma, so some of the fitment anomalies could be due to that, though it didn’t match the Taco cab especially well, either. I suspect A.R.E. makes the roof panel the same size across the DCU line, so the sides get more vertical if a raised roof is spec’d. My longer-term plans are to narrow and change the roof panel so that the sides lean in and the cap tucks in behind the cab proper. This will be a major de/reconstruction of the cap to optimize its work/play/travel roles. I’m accumulating parts and materials for now in hopes of diving deeper into the project this coming spring. I worked for over a decade making signs and awnings with 1”x1” square aluminum tubing, so I’m very familiar with the material and look forward to tweaking this cap to my liking. Later in the week, I’ll post some sketches of what I’m thinking about. |
Square rear edges appeared on Civics because they aided separation, but rounded front corners will aid attachment.
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The first two would be effective if they were boxed in on the sides, but those red arrows that don't respect The Template? Ridiculous.
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deflector
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Only a gap-filled,bulbous modification would have made a diifference. |
Here is a front view of the steep angle of the cap. Long term plan is to nip and tuck the angle inward so that it matches that of the truck cab and no longer protrudes thusly.
https://i.postimg.cc/7h5kQLk4/ranger...trusion-rh.jpg |
The other goals at the front end are to remove the protruding lip at the bottom, replace the protruding window with a more flush-mounted one from another cap, and angle the front of the cap to better match the cab.
https://i.postimg.cc/MHgSk86Q/ranger-cap-gap.jpg |
Here's a quick doodle of the elaborate ending I'm dreaming up. The sides lean in, the front angles forward, enabling it to slide a couple of inches forward from where it currently sits (note rear overhang), the top gets cut out and braced with a removable crossmember across the rear and a front-hinged fiberglass tonneau (which I already have from a previous Ranger iteration) attaches to the top. I either need to narrow my tonneau or swap it for a narrower one from a step-side Ranger if that width works as-is (obviously much less work. Front-hinged cargo box will mount on roof rack tracks and hinge forward similar to a 1968-1973 Westfalia camper pop top, using the same seal for the edges.
The tonneau would serve two purposes: 1) can be opened or removed to accommodate tall items. 2) A three sided tent (think VW Westfalia pop top) snaps in for an airy camping setup. https://i.postimg.cc/PrLXSSXD/Cap-aero-doodle.jpg |
Looks like starting from scratch to get what you want would be easier.
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I dunno, the front hinged storage option seems like it would be a pretty cool idea imho.
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I want to mount some manner of wind-deflecting cargo container atop the cab, but still have the flexibility to remove it to carry long items and such. I've been using a clamp-on Yakima setup, but it's a bit clunky to install and remove quickly and squashes the upper weatherstripping for added wind noise. My solution: turns out the Ranger Supercab roof has about the same curve as a 1986 Honda Civic wagon, so I installed a pair of those tracks which I happened to have. It's always a little nerve-wracking to drill holes in the roof, but they came out well, and the middle bolts lined up with the internal roof support beam. I sealed them well with butyl sealant left over from a recent window replacement. They're not too obtrusive as-is, so I'm satisfied. Next step is to figure out how I want to mount the cargo platform and/or a rack, and design it.
https://i.postimg.cc/76PDSMFZ/Ranger...ack-tracks.jpg |
I also towed my old cap to New Jersey to give to a friend for her Ranger. Upon realizing that she wouldn't be able to store it in her available space, she decided to do without it. It's staying in NJ, advertised cheap locally until someone takes it away. A NJ-CT-NJ round trip with the utility trailer made for 18.18 MPG, my all-time worst fuel economy in this truck. That's a good bit of work for a 4-cylinder nearing the 170,000 mile mark, can't blame it for getting a little thirsty.
https://i.postimg.cc/yNysJrrG/Ranger-cap-towing-cap.jpg |
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Scale numbers are baselines to use as context. My pickup carries a 1,200lb load without me in it (max fuel aboard). It took awhile, but I got the axle loadings equal. Within 40-lbs each corner. Handling (as an aspect of steering) is big. Attend to the distribution FF/RR. If a 100-mile trip for you at present is $14/fuel (2.60 average), my 24-mpg diesel pickup makes the same trip for $1.00 less ($3.00 average). Perspective. . . |
Good to know about the scales, Slowmover, thanks.
One benefit of the locking cap (my previous one wasn't secure) is that I can keep a large box in the bed for some of the heavier items I previously normally keep in the cab for the sake of security. This includes a trolley jack and whatever tools I'm carrying at any given time. I don't leave everything there 24/7, but I can comfortably stop for a meal or a visit without having to worry. Anyway, this has shifted a mass that can often exceed 100 pounds from the rear of the cab to directly over the rear axle. It definitely reduced the hop-skipping effect when hitting bumps in a curve and contributes (along with snow tires and a limited-slip diff) to impressive snow traction for a 2WD truck. |
Then that’s the second use of the scales. This post for anyone.
Bed marks to show where to load. “Centered” over rear axle a bad idea (not saying you are). We had marks on flatbed trailers to learn where and how to load. OVERALL vehicle balance big, even with an articulated combination. TARE WEIGHT: Driver only plus max fuel and ONLY gear kept aboard till the days it’s sold. This is the adjusted empty weight. Gives you an idea of what can be done. This is a required basic. WHERE to load a box of known weight such that MOST of its weight is AHEAD of the rear axle. With time you’ll be able to eyeball it, but don’t. Use the scales to learn. First weigh about $12. Every one subsequent that day is $2. It’s not unknown for me to have to cross the scale three times before I have trailer and truck adjustments to meet legal limits finalized. AND STEERING SAFETY. Had a vehement argument a short time ago about being under a load (not heavy) where even with tandems pulled all the way forward I was still 10k heavier there than on Drives. (Better to be 1k heavier or more on Drives). That also meant I had an ENORMOUS amount of trailer BEHIND the Tandems. Sail Area. Then set off down the Corkscrew Roller Coaster (64/81 WV Turnpike) with winds, ice and a metric **** ton of other truck drivers incapable of good practice (low IQ) . A no-win set-up-to-fail situation. What I’m driving at is that with a pickup I’d still generally want some front bias. BUT ALWAYS the mass of weight BETWEEN the two axles. Otherwise, tail out is a distinct possibility. Empty is an immediate sideways slide. Loaded is a deadly slide. The drive axle is a teeter-totter. Easy to be WRONG with either too little or too much. “Balance” is favoring the area ahead of the axle. Thus, CAT Scale my friend. (See also household moving companies, county dump, etc, for other public scales). . |
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I want smoother side hatch doors for the cap: windowless on the driver side and a single window on the right. As others and that NASA study have mentioned rounded front corners are better. I decided that I want to re-skin the doors, keeping the basic structure of 1x1 square tubing, but replacing the aluminum faces with a fiberglass skin that curves around the square leading corners of the cap. Rather than make them from scratch, I shopped online classifieds for flat fiberglass full-size pickup tonneaus. Scored this Leer unit from a 90s GM 8 foot bed for $60. I will measure and mark the side panels in the next couple of weeks. I’ll cut them so that the angle of the leading edge will match up well with the back of the cab. I won’t be able to rebuild the doors for a while, but I want to cut them soon so that they are easier to store and so that I can experiment with some of the scraps. The tonneau has two layers of ‘glass in most areas, so the scraps will help me determine the best way to reduce the doorskins to a uniform 1/8” thick layer. I have more immediate plans for some of the leftover scrap. More on that shortly.
https://i.postimg.cc/SRj1WWYB/Big-leer-on-roofrack.jpg |
This is a rough eyeball-scale drawing of the cut plan. The rear edges of the tonneau have the most curve (2.5" or so) so they will be the leading edges of the new lid skins.
https://i.postimg.cc/rs80bJNH/Big-leer-cut-drawing.jpg |
The noticeable noise reduction and slightly improved MPG I’ve observed when carrying doors and other flat items on the roof rack is making me prioritize making a deflector to cover its grid when not in use. I have an old alumalite sign panel that’s almost long enough and plenty wide. I’m going to trim it to the right width and attach a chunk of scrap tonneau edge to the front with hinges. It will hook over the front edge of the rack and the rear will be secured to two existing eyebolts with pins or spring clips. I’ll figure out what to use to fill the gaps on the sides; maybe rubber baseboard or scrap aluminum. This piece will be gone when the more radical restructuring eliminates this roof rack, so my existing preference to reuse and repurpose materials is especially strong. This piece will also be mostly out of sight, so it can be down and dirty.
https://i.postimg.cc/TwhHJmKv/ARE-ca...-deflector.jpg |
The more I have thought about it (and been too busy to make my planned roof rack deflector) the more it made sense to just remove the aluminum grid roof rack. I have ordered and will soon install a pair of Rhino Rack longitudinal 6 foot long tracks, to which I can attach some of my existing Yakima roof racks (which will stow in the truck more easily) when needs arise. $119 out of pocket, but will save me hours of work for a less ungainly setup. For this weekend, I just pulled the OEM rack.
https://i.postimg.cc/gkNsMcnC/Ranger...-rack-cut1.png It was held on with six rusty lag bolts installed from the top. Four of the six snapped when I tried to remove them, so I cut through the integrated spacer blocks to free the rack from the cap, aiming high enough to leave a length of lag bolt stub without damaging the main grid structure, which I plan on using for future structural mods. https://i.postimg.cc/Jz0qSwXG/Ranger...-rack-cut2.png Those lags left behind were easy enough to grab with Vise-grip pliers to remove. Unseasonably warm weather was favorable for both outdoor tinkering and silicone sealant curing in six vacant lag holes. https://i.postimg.cc/XNgkJNcr/Ranger...-rack-cut3.png |
The first thousand miles sans grid rack seem to be showing a 1.x MPG improvement. The first tank included a heavy-footed three-state interstate dash, but netted equivalent MPG to my normally gentler throttle with the rack, so I'll call this a(n unsurprising) success.
https://i.postimg.cc/8P2pbjs4/Ruby-MPG-log.jpg |
The last tank included a significant load including a wheelbarrow protruding between the open tailgate and hatch that surely made for some ugly currents.
https://i.postimg.cc/GtZCz53t/Ruby-Load-Wheelbarrow.jpg |
It's getting warmer. Warmer > better mpgs. That could be a factor in this trend.
Cost of fill means nothing in this metric unless price/gallon was always the same. Even then, gallons and miles are the metrics, for us anyway. Actually that stuff hanging slightly out the back probably had minimal effect on aero. Might want to slow down. I've gotten nearly those numbers with a V8 F150. |
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130 or so miles of the first tank was the aforementioned heavy-footed run at 65-70mph, the rest was predominantly 2-lane routes at 45-55, where the truck and its owner are happiest. The fill log is a screenshot from my phone, where I track mpg and money spent for different reasons. I haven’t gotten around to setting up a log on ecomodder yet. |
Quarantine downtime has me no less busy, but I've set aside some time to design and build a deflector for the vertical face of the cap. This will be an intermediate solution to keep in place until more elaborate plans are executed. Basic design goals are:
-Lightweight -Attach to existing roof rack tracks -Use as much recycled material as possible. My recycled material of choice is aluminum, as I have various panels of .040 sign faces and thicker street signs left over from my years in a sign shop. Some manner of angled box-type thing would be an improvement over the flat vertical surface, but I wanted to incorporate a curve for a hopefully better transition to the horizontal roof of the cap. I found a workable solution in an old 700c bicycle rim that was too worn to justify re-lacing for wheel service. https://i.postimg.cc/HLTKRpfq/Ranger...or-fab-pre.jpg The 622mm bead seat diameter works out to a tick over 12" radius at the outermost edge. They tuck nicely into some 1" U-channel from the hardware store, with .040 aluminum gussets making for a snug fit. 3/16" pop rivets connect the 3-layer (or otherwise thick) junctions, with 1/8" pop rivets doing the job elsewhere. I made three trusses thusly, with center truss 3/4" shorter (from the bottom) to follow the cab roof curvature. I laid them on the .040 sheet to plot out the curve. https://i.postimg.cc/zGZ4wwpX/Ranger...fab-layout.jpg |
With the back piece marked and cut, I notched along the curve with an air shear and drilled out the resulting curlicues. I bent them to 90-ish degrees using a block of wood for a brake.
https://i.postimg.cc/gj1QT3Ws/Ranger...r-fab-back.jpg The back was riveted to the trusses and a "floor" made of more .040 aluminum sign face with some aluminum extrusions (the white strips off to the side beneath the green tape measure) running crosswise for added rigidity. The strips, which look like extras from storm/screen door installations, were found at a town dump's metal recycling bin. The side panels will need to open in order to fasten it to the roof, so I might as well make it work as a place to store small items when needed. https://i.postimg.cc/bwxWmGF0/Ranger...b-position.jpg |
Sweet. Looks like aerospace-quality construction.
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The trailing edge is 1-1/2" angle aluminum. The top edge of this is spaced about 3/16" below where the face skin will lay, allowing for a strip of rubber baseboard to lay over the deflector-cap gap. I haven't procured any yet, still hoping to find or salvage a scrap rather than buy a roll to get the needed 42" length.
https://i.postimg.cc/yYSwSpmb/Ranger...trial-fit1.jpg First trial fit (without fastening) looks pretty good. The center truss is about 1/4" proud of the other two at the leading edge, tapering to dead even at the trailing edge. I'll wait until I attach it to the truck to correct this, as it could change. I'm not sufficiently skilled or equipped to create a compound curve, so I will get it so that a straight edge lays crosswise at all points before making the face. I need to turn my attention to less interesting projects for a couple of days, but I'm excited about this progress and will get back to it soon! |
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