? Rear aero shell, longbed Ranger
 

After I sell my 16' trailer I might buy two 4x8 sheets of clear stuff like plexiglass from Menards. I forget the name of it but it was not plexiglass. I have sitting around in my storage a bunch of thin "L" shaped metal with the holes already pressed into them. My plan is to build a metal frame under it with the "L" metal and then place the 1st sheet from near the top/back of the cab toward the tailgate. Then the other piece would be cut to fit the sides like slices of pie. I'm considering having the main piece from cab top & back to the tailgate to be curved and not just go straight from point to point. My question now is how much mpg gain could I see with just this mod?
Driving to and from my job is 4.1 miles each way through town on 30 mph roads. But I deliver pizza. I probably average 60 miles a night with about half of my miles on roads that are 50, 55 or 60 mph speed limit. The rest are all 30 mph limit. Since I am going in and out of driveways, backing up etc I absolutely don't want something on the back of my truck that would block my side or rear views. My truck has a.c. which I use part of the time in the summer. My truck is slower taking off from stop signs and stop lights if I have the a.c. on. What I sometimes do is turn off the a.c. when taking off from stop lights and stop signs. I have seen a gain of 1 mpg doing this. I don't take many trips and I only get out of town on the highway 3-4 times a month.

My current version of my aero cap is skinned with Foamular with a wood frame. You might want to try a few designs in in plywood or even Coroplast before embarking in Lexan or acrylic. Acrylic is prone to shattering/fracturing/cracking when stressed or impacted. Lexan can handle impacts to a higher degree. Lexan is more expensive than acrylic. UV light will eventually cloud Lexan or acrylic over time. UV coatings can extend the clarity of Lexan or acrylic.

If you do a lot of stop and go, you may not see a major improvement in yer gas mileage with an aero cap. ;)

Another Minnesotan! We're eaten up with them around here. I've been living in Tennessee for 30 years now and I still describe myself as a Minnesotan. I'll give it up when I die, not one moment sooner.

Start a garage page for your trucks.

The operating envelope you describe isn't the best for aero improvements. Your best returns will probably be realized from aggressive weight reduction, engine tuning and serious nut adjustment. Anywhere you spend some time at highway speeds the aero improvements will be in your favor and should pay off eventually, but all your stop-and-go is keeping your numbers down.

Everything that turns, especially that changes speed when your vehicle changes speed, is eating horsepower with every speed change, and sometimes wastefully dumping it when you slow down again. Engine-powered fans aren't as efficient as electric fans that run at a constant speed and only turn on when needed. Lighter wheels and tires are easier to speed up from a stop and slow down again - you could coast longer and brake later - maybe a bad habit in a state with six months of winter. Lighter drivetrain components are admittedly a pretty spendy thing to concentrate on, but if there is, for instance, a lightweight race-oriented driveshaft you could install in place of your heavy existing one, that would be a good thing.

In your situation, think "race." Weight is the enemy because you spend a lot of time changing speed and direction and inertia means all that mass doesn't want to try something new. Weight that isn't there doesn't need convincing = good. Read up on how racers prep their vehicles so they're only equipped with the necessities.

You might get a big boost from incorporating an engine kill switch so you can easily turn your engine off as you approach stops or otherwise need to kill speed, while keeping your accessories powered.

In the city on hot days I turn off my AC at stops and during acceleration, it only gets turned on for the coastdown approaching stops and turns. I'm warmer than I might be, but it's still cooler than walking or riding around in an unventilated greenhouse.

There was at least one other thread here that delved deeply into the delivery mission and how you might best optimize for fuel mileage, you could do a quick text search for that.

I'd get an old Festiva or Metro or some such for pizza delivery if you're planning on doing delivery type work for enough time to make it worth it.

It could be worse; I've seen pizza delivery in full-size 4x4 pickups and other assorted V8 guzzlers. Yeah. Is even a dollar left over after gassing up? :rolleyes:

I did own two 88 & one 86 Dodge Colts in the late 90s for delivering pizza. I'm 5'-11" and I had too much trouble with my knees getting in and out of such a low sitting tiny car. I have dealt with back problems and I was diagnosed with Lymes disease in 2013. I got it sometime in the 80s. I also find and part out riding mowers to make a little profit. Plus I hope to restart my lawn service in the next year or two. I haul scrap metal now and then. So my survivability in a crash is my 1st priority. Then utility for my other incomes follow. I did used to own a 94 heavy duty F250 and 93 F150. Both were with the Ford 300 inline 6 and I did deliver pizza with them. I'm quite intrigued with the little 2.6 liter direct injection V6 Ford will be installing in the new aluminum body 2015 F150. I might buy one down the road if I get my lawn service up and going.

I delivered pizzas in a VW Beetle when I was in college. A fraternity ordered something like 40 pizzas. They fogged up the windows.

Why not build a slide-in insulated box, like a boattailed chest freezer?

http://i1271.photobucket.com/albums/...ohead2/206.jpg
fromhttp://http://ecomodder.com/forum/sh...tml#post289914

Huge orders are rare. I just removed the passenger seat to fit more pizzas. Thankfully I'm not in a college town as college age usually never tip.

I delivered Pizzas as my first job in college. College kids tipped the best. 20$ on a 20$ pizza was the norm.

aeroshell
 

*The aeroshell would improve your HWY mpg by 10%.
*At 30 mph,you'd discern very little if any improvement,and you should get about half your HWY mpg.
*If you added any significant weight it would kill your stop-and-go mpg and cut into any HWY gains.
*The aeroshell would normally impact your rearward vision,however,with clear material,you get around that one.
*What you NEED is a hybrid powertrain,but you'll have to wait until 2025 for that.:p

Not in MN! MN pizza delivery usually means no tip at all. At least, that's how it was back in the day when I did it.