Reversing the box works

[chumly]

Another success! I tested it with the box pointing forward and then reversed it and picked up about 2 mpg! 1http://i532.photobucket.com/albums/e...ps8e84e3b4.jpg

[ecomodded]

I'm suspicious of your results. Sorry but I'm a Skeptical person today..

Being that its all tucked in behind the car then cooler, but what do I know, it is a little boat tail , anyways Glad to hear you Up'ed your mpg !

[chumly]

I admit that the test wasn't the best but according to my scangage it was about 2 mpg . I was just on a trip with it full of camping gear and my 1st tank was over 54 mpg driving the speed limit after I lowered the tire pressure and replaced the hai with a cai for pulling. I have been averaging about 52-55 mpg lately with the hai and tires pumped up to sidewall max so I'm very happy with the results. Mpg on way home was about 53 mpg with my (leadfoot )wife driving!

[Fat Charlie]

I like it. It's a good way to arrange a horrible cargo mess.

[elhigh]

I'm not surprised at that. I suspect you would experience even greater results if you were to, somewhat paradoxically, make the cargo box much larger to do a better job of filling the pressure wake, and radically shorten the gap between the rear of your vehicle and the front of the cargo box. You would pick up a lot of enclosed volume and possibly experience a big jump in your towing fuel economy.

[Grant-53]

I agree with elhigh!

[Cobb]

The smart has a little back area and storage under the rear. It looks like what little you could put in that storage box you could just put in your car if not passenger seat.

[chumly]

Originally Posted by Cobb

The smart has a little back area and storage under the rear. It looks like what little you could put in that storage box you could just put in your car if not passenger seat.

Obviously you have never gone camping with my wife. What surprised me was that pulling that much extra weight and driving faster than normal the mpg was still better with the trailer than the same weight would have been without. There's no way I could have packed it all in the car although I have already gotten TWO shopping carts full of groceries in the car along with me and the wife! There is no storage under the rear, that's where the motor is. Chumly

[Cobb]

Yeah, Ive seen a few smarts up close and they got some cargo room. Seeing such a small trailer I thought you could just pack it in around your passenger.

It all depends on how you effect the aero. You can ask 10 different people and get 10 different answers. I was of the assumption a double headed bullet was the best aero shape, which is close to what you got now with the box backwards. I mean those who experiment with camel backs are basically doing the same thing.

[deejaaa]