Would Dynamaxion full wrap around be legal for old box van?

[Geoeco]

1991 dodge ram b250 boxy van legality of buckminister type teardrop total wraparound?
So i have the box on wheels dodge ram b250 1991.

Was looking at all possible incremental mods to fix wheel etc and then it hit me.

Would it be legal to simply wrap a new larger skin right around the box shape using spacers etc?

I would go a for a buckminister fuller Dynamaxion type teardrop shape.

If i make lights visible or do new ones are there any legal restrictions on the necessary increase in lenght and width Ii would add to the external dimensions?
Is there a max width for vans and max length?

Would need long rear taper, wider sides at mid point and extension of front to near parabola.

Thanks

[Frank Lee]

If adding frontal area without benefiting from it at all via more interior volume, you now have to make it sleek enough to overcome the added weight and size.

[Geoeco]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

If adding frontal area without benefiting from it at all via more interior volume, you now have to make it sleek enough to overcome the added weight and size.

Yes but assuming a cd go go down from approximately .40 of a ford aerostar which is far more arodynamic than my box or worse to 3/4 that or much better if i only increase frontal area by 10% it is a big win.

[Frank Lee]

That makes your job tougher and reduces potential gain... but whatever floats your boat! I'd just do a pan and boat tail.

[freebeard]

I'll reply here instead of here, because Frank's cat always makes me smile.

I've entertained the same thought about my Clark Cortez motor home. It weighs 9000lb. If I replace the steel body with wood/bamboo and a lightweight interior maybe I could get it to 6000lb.

For your purposes, though; maybe a 'Class-C' approach–where you retain the original cowl dash and windshield and replace everything from the door hinges back?

I did this for another thread you can find here:


I'm hampered by my facilities; all my tools are jammed into a little shed. How are you fixed for shop space?

[trooper Tdiesel]

8'6" is the limit for how wide you can go..

box vans are commonly ((very close)) to this limit when there dully wheels on the rear.

so for any one making a home made trailer don't make it wider then 8'6"
LOL i know some one that did that LOL


any thing over that and you need permit's of one type or another.

[botsapper]

Sharing another thread, again.http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post329922

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Geoeco

Yes but assuming a cd go go down from approximately .40 of a ford aerostar which is far more arodynamic than my box or worse to 3/4 that or much better if i only increase frontal area by 10% it is a big win.

The big-boys say "don't go there!"
There's no need to inflate the frontal area to get the streamlining.
I've got the T-100 to Cd 0.208 with the 30" boat tail,and Cd 0.151 with the gap-filled 'Viking' full-boat-tailed trailer.I've added zero frontal area.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by botsapper

Sharing another thread, again.http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post329922

Great!

[freebeard]

Humph, the Original Poster hasn't updated that other thread since December. But it's 9 pages long; here's the highlights:

Botsapper's contribution hotlinked from the other thread:
This exercise shows the modification a box van needs to approximate The Template.


This shows a car with fairly crappy sides having it's CD cut in half with no additional frontal area.