tacoma aerocap ABA test - Page 2 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

COcyclist · 03-02-2010, 12:59 PM

I noticed that too. The difference in driving slower was greater than the aero mods. I can drive my car and get 55mpg. My wife takes it out on the highway and mileage drops below 40 mpg. But, the aero mods help every day with every driver at highway speeds.

MetroMPG · 03-02-2010, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccrider

anyone have any ideas on how i could modify my cap to see some better results? i guess next i should do the tuft test maybe the sharp edges on the corners are creating problems.

I'd wonder about that area of the cap, and the cab/cap transition too. But I suspect you've already found the major gains from shape optimization at the back, and further improvement from tweaks may be relatively smaller.

Not trying to discourage you from doing more!

But I wonder if you'd be better off looking at cleaning up the underbody, in terms of effort vs. results.

ccrider · 03-02-2010, 04:18 PM

here is a couple of pictures of the cap where it meets the cab

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Big Dave · 03-02-2010, 07:31 PM

I would have thought you'd have better results. Yours fits much tighter to the cab than mine does.

My differential (aerocap vs open bed) was right at 3 MPG.

Maybe I did better because the diesel retains efficiency at lower percentages of rated engine power.

aerohead · 03-02-2010, 07:54 PM

cc,if your bed had been longer,allowing the cover to drop all the way to the level of the rail/tailgate top you'd have it.It's the difference in wake size,between part way down,and all the way down that's getting you.
But it's still good and allows more utility within the bed.

Bajascoob · 03-02-2010, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Dave

I would have thought you'd have better results. Yours fits much tighter to the cab than mine does.

My differential (aerocap vs open bed) was right at 3 MPG.

Maybe I did better because the diesel retains efficiency at lower percentages of rated engine power.

Do you have a link to your build, or some bigger pictures..I started work on my F-250. Is yours a 7 or 8ft bed?

ccrider · 03-04-2010, 09:09 AM

[QUOTE][My differential (aerocap vs open bed) was right at 3 MPG./QUOTE]

dave did you do a ABA test?

before the ABA test i thought i was getting around a 3 mpg gain also but i think i am just getting beter at hypermilling.

ccrider · 03-04-2010, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aerohead

cc,if your bed had been longer,allowing the cover to drop all the way to the level of the rail/tailgate top you'd have it.It's the difference in wake size,between part way down,and all the way down that's getting you.
But it's still good and allows more utility within the bed.

maybe i should put the tailgate down and build a removable extension on the tailgate that continues the back angle down so that the back flat spot is smaller. it would be nice if that would give me the extra 5.8% in MPG

aerohead · 03-04-2010, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccrider

maybe i should put the tailgate down and build a removable extension on the tailgate that continues the back angle down so that the back flat spot is smaller. it would be nice if that would give me the extra 5.8% in MPG

cc,you might be able to cobble together a proof of concept extension out of stuff laying around.If she delivers at the gas pump,then maybe it's worth the extra effort.

Big Dave · 03-04-2010, 08:26 PM

Bajascoob:

PM me an e-mail addy and I'll send some .jpgs.

Bed is 80" long.

Truck is not so much a build as the result of nine years of testing.