Video: Ford F150 pickup tailgate up vs. down in the wind tunnel / smoke test

[MetroMPG]

Autoblog Editor Greg Migliore travels to the wind tunnel at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Mich. to debunk the myth that driving with your tailgate down is more aerodynamic.

Modern trucks are being designed with a wide, flat tailgate top ("spoiler") to promote flow reattachment and clean separation at the rear.

But a Ford engineer says even older pickup designs are more efficient with the tailgate up.

A tonneau is better, of course.

I was a little disappointed he didn't point people to EcoModder for examples of aeroshells, which are best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxmjXitKggQ

[dirtydave]

I wish they showed it hitting the front with the tailgate down they only put the smoke from inside the bed with the tailgate down.

[redneck]

.

Thanks for posting.

I wish they would have gave some numbers though...

>

[Frank Lee]

Looks like she's obstructing all the air flow. Can't watch the video; they say it's private. :/

[aerohead]

Surfing the internet,I ran across a comment by a fella in,I think,Midland,Texas,who did undergraduate work at the Texas Tech aero lab.
They were working under a General Motors sponsored program which did the tonneau cover research which led to the 1/2-tonneau patent.
What struck me was his comment that the 1/2-tonneau was within 1% of drag that was achieved with the 'aeroshell.'
Since the GM patent application predates Texas Tech's SAE paper for their tonneau cover/aeroshell research,it looks like credit for the creation of the aeroshell goes to GM.
Even though Texas Tech's Ford Motor Company-sponsored SAE work mentioned the 'aeroshell',at a corporate level,not mentioning aeroshells in particular might be one of those 'not-invented-here' omissions.Only a guess.

[MetroMPG]

I wonder if they had to remove it for copyright reasons.

You can view Ford's version of the video (non YouTube) in this Autoblog article:

Which is more fuel efficient, driving with a pickup's tailgate up or down? - Autoblog