10.9 mpg to 14.0
Professional
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 151
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That is false. You get more drag on your truck with the tailgate down or removed. With the tailgate up you have a ball of circulating air deflecting the air over the back of your truck (that's why any light debris in your bed always gets pushed up against the cab). With the tail gate down or removed that circulating air is gone and the air then becomes a downward force on the bed creating drag costing mpg. Mythbusters disproved that one.
A.J.
A.J.
At low speeds (under 40 mph) and very high speeds (80+) tailgate off will be better in most trucks. At low speeds, the air will go off the cab straight into the bed. at high speeds, the air will not hit the bed until the very end if at all. The area in between is when having the tailgate up will be better. Bed length also has a lot to do with this. with a 4 ft bed like some 4 door midsize trucks, a tailgate will never help. 8 foot bed, a tailgate would help a lot more.
The guys with a razorback behind their cab will benefit from no tailgate at highway speeds. air follows its current path more or less at sharp corners. rounded corners, air will try to go around the corner.
A tailgate would be better, but only if you drive at least 50% highway and actually go the speed limit. Around here, the slow lane does about 75 on a 55 mph road, so most likely, I would get better mpg with my tailgate off.
